Ghost In The Shell Volume 1 - 2nd Edition
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • good from a noob point of view
  • The ultimate Ghost in the Shell ^_^
  • Great read
  • Good, and uncensored...
  • BE HUMAN
Ghost In The Shell Volume 1 - 2nd Edition
Masamune Shirow
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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  1. Ghost In The Shell Volume 2: Man-Machine Interface (Ghost in the Shell) Ghost In The Shell Volume 2: Man-Machine Interface (Ghost in the Shell)
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ASIN: 1593072287

Book Description

Deep into the 21st century, the line between man and machine has been inexorably blurred as humans rely on the enhancement of mechanical implants and robots are upgraded with human tissue. In this rapidly converging landscape, cyborg super-agent Major Motoko Kusanagi is charged to track down the craftiest and most dangerous terrorists and cybercriminals, including "ghost hackers," capable of exploiting the human/machine interface by re-programming human minds to become puppets to carry out their criminal ends. When Major Kusanagi tracks the cybertrail of one such master hacker, the Puppeteer, her quest leads her into a world beyond information and technology where the very nature of consciousness and the human soul are turned upside-down and inside-out.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars good from a noob point of view.......2007-08-01

a few color pages every chapter. i find it kinda hard to fallow in some places. the art is good. idk for about story wise how it compares to the orignal.

5 out of 5 stars The ultimate Ghost in the Shell ^_^.......2007-01-15

This is the ultimate Ghost in the Shell manga! The 2nd edition has 18+ rating and so it includes original adult content :-) Also it's printed on a really quality paper with A5 dimensions so it's quite handy and nice. For GitS fans who don't have the 1st edition this is a must buy. Go for it you won't be disappointed ^_^

5 out of 5 stars Great read.......2007-01-15

This book excellent. The author uses great choice of words. Overall, this is a great read.

4 out of 5 stars Good, and uncensored..........2007-01-06

Well, what can I say... If you're a Ghost in the Shell fan, and you don't like getting your mangas censored (as in, entire pages removed), then get this edition of the Ghost in the Shell manga. It's much easier to follow when compared to the second manga (man machine interface) - which actually has very little to do with the first one. I'm not going to go over the story as I'm sure most of you who are looking at this item have seen either the movie or the TV series, and now wish to read the original work. So I thought I'd be a little more technical with my review, firstly, I would say that the paper is awesome quality, not the standard dull paper which is normally used for paperbacks, in terms of color pages, unfortunately, that's where the second manga kills the first, the second manga had so much in color (about half) it was almost hard to believe, this manga is for the most part just black and white with the occasional 3 color pages thrown in here and there. I've given this 4 stars because I think it is not as enjoyable as some of the other mangas I have read, but overall, not a bad purchase, do note that the drawing style is quite old, don't expect the same style as the second manga as that is much newer than this one.

5 out of 5 stars BE HUMAN.......2006-02-06

Ghost in the Shell is more of an accumulation of stories printed over several years by the mysterious Shirow Masamune instead of a deftly plotted piece, so it reads more like an anthology than a series. Major Kusanagi is the lead operative for "Section 9", a covert anti-cyberterrorist unit in 2029 Japan. In this somewhat realistic future, the bodies of humans can be modified with cyborg implants, or even more extreme, the "ghost", or soul can be moved to a fully robotic body of various shapes and sizes. Even the most normal humans can communicate with each other through the net through receptors placed inside them. The big problem this world is having is the blurring of what is machine and what is human. Another one is that because we are connected over the net, viruses and hackers can actually take over the human will and force them to commit crimes. That's where Section 9 comes in. They have to deal with political assasinations, suicidal/homicidal cyborgs, criminals who can change bodies, and machines that want the same rights as us! And they have to deal with all this behind the scenes without bringing any attention to themselves or the public will cry murder.

While the art of Ghost in the Shell can be offputting at times because of its cartoonish style, (for example, most of the male characters look like simians), once you get used to the art, you can find real beauty in it. Masamune draws attractive women particularly well, and in this second edition, some more erotic elements enter into the fray. The artist is at his best when Ghost is in more traditional action mode instead of when Shirow descends into psychobabble about the nature of consciousness. As evidenced by the voluminous notes on his sources, I'm sure HE knows what he's talking about, but does the average reader? But the notes do help on some of the plot points. The design of the book is exquisite and it makes me wonder why Dark Horse did not put out this edition originally instead of making us buy two copies.

I would highly recommend the excellent Stand Alone Complex anime, which focus more on the action elements. The two films, on the other hand, deal with the psychobabble and are inferior to the manga and the TV show.

Dark Destiny (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 11)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • not my favourite, but ok
  • I love Carpathians
  • Another Dark Story
  • Brought tears to my eyes
  • Destiny had a rough go of it
Dark Destiny (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 11)
Christine Feehan
Manufacturer: Leisure Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Accessories:
  1. philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0843950501

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars not my favourite, but ok.......2007-07-13

Like another reviewer, I too was disappointed that MaryAnn didn't get her very own Carpathian. And what about poor old Vodk--er Vikirnoff? Why hasn't he gotten his own book with his life mate in it yet? Perhaps the two are being saved for their own books at a later point in time? I was a little sorry for Velma, but it provided a slightly different view of "unclaimed" lifemates. Shea's mother wasn't in quite the same position as Velma, since she had been partially claimed by her lifemate. At least, claimed enough that he was able to impregnate her, but not enough to totally lock them together and to convert her. Also, I think that this is the first time we have had a human villian who was NOT a vamp hunter in the series. And frankly, that doctor was just creepy. But I can see why Ms. Feehan put him in the book, since poor Destiny needed to see that there were evil people in all species so that she could start to heal mentally. And why the difference in the way the vamp blood affected Destiny? Why was it so different from the way Alexandria was affected? Was it because the vamp was the one that completed the transformation? Or because he wasn't her life-mate? All interesting theories that Ms Feehan really need(ed)(s) to address.

5 out of 5 stars I love Carpathians.......2007-06-28

This is one of my favorite Carpathian novels. Feehan presents a wonderful Carpathian male, Nicolae, as the hero...and an equally strong female, Destiny, as his lifemate. Destiny was human, but converted by a vampire. Her story of abuse and recovery is quite realistic...as are most of the characters in the novel. I laughed out loud in some places because the more Feehan writes about the Carpathians, the better she gets at injecting a sense of humor into them after they have regained their emotions. She also introduces my favorite Carpathian in the this novel...he is Nicolae's brother, Vikirnoff. Feehan has a lot of fun at Vikirnoff's expense. Also, a bonus, Gregori and Savannah put in an appearance, and it is always nice to see them again. I truly enjoyed reading this book. I have to say, I am not a huge fan of long drawn out sex scenes, but there were one or two in this book that got my attention. Read, laugh, cry, and enjoy this one.

4 out of 5 stars Another Dark Story.......2007-04-05

It is a good book. It follows the series well, the plot stays with the ones that come before it.
The sex scenes are too drawn out, the story line is good though. I have become accustom to skipping the 3-4 page long sex and then starting to read again.
I'll continure to buy the dark series, just because I like the stories.

5 out of 5 stars Brought tears to my eyes.......2007-01-26

I sooo felt for Destiny and what she went through. To live through what she did since the age of six, I seriously doubt that there are very many women or men that could deal with the pain she endured every day of her life. I could also understand her not reaching out to Nicolae, after all he had shown her his darkside and to her mind that made him vampire, but her heart and soul knew otherwise.
This is a very touching story and it touches on the things that we woman sometimes go through that others don't see, or don't want to see. Kudos for Christine and her wonderful stories. I can't wait to see what happens with MaryAnn.

5 out of 5 stars Destiny had a rough go of it.......2007-01-03

but w/ Nichole's tender hand and undying love, she learned to over come her past and move on better and stronger and healthier.
Dark Destiny (Bionicle Legends)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Dark Destiny (Bionicle Legends)
    Greg Farshtey
    Manufacturer: Scholastic
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0439787955

    Book Description

    A desperate search ... a universe in peril! Monstrous beings called Piraka have seized control of a mysterious island and defeated the Toa Nuva. Now six Matoran must brave a menace from the time before time in their search for the missing heroes. At stake -- the lives of every being in the universe!
    Dark Destiny: Proprietors of Fate (The World of Darkness)
    Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    • This book is great for people just starting WoD
    Dark Destiny: Proprietors of Fate (The World of Darkness)
    Nancy A. Collins , and Mike Mignola
    Manufacturer: White Wolf Pub
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 1565048164

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars This book is great for people just starting WoD.......2000-03-26

    This book was did its job in telling the history of the World of darkness. Yet it seemed to me that most of this material was just a recap and mild expasion of what had aready been said in the othe WoD books. Look if you are new at WoD then you may get more kicks out of this book then I did.
    Dark Destiny (The World of Darkness)
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Awsome compilation
    • The Best Collection of Short Stories on Vampires and Such
    • not half bad
    • A fairly enteraining(if not educational) WOD anthology.
    Dark Destiny (The World of Darkness)
    John Cobb
    Manufacturer: White Wolf Pub
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 1565048156

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Awsome compilation.......2002-06-20

    This book had everything I was looking for in a Fantasy novel. It has a story about Jesus being a vampire and Peter and Paul taking their traveling tent show on the road. It has a story about The Zodiac Killer being this girls father and describes in detail at least one of the crimes and the afterlife where he had been keeping his slaves. All in all its a great book and I recommend it to everyone.

    5 out of 5 stars The Best Collection of Short Stories on Vampires and Such.......2001-10-16

    When I first picked up this book, I was reluctant. But the more I read, the more enchanted I became! Being a Vampire myself, I grew to love reading what many others find amusing about Us.

    My favorite story in this book was the story of Maria the Vampire. I'm sorry, but I can't remember the title right off hand but it's an intriguing story of the love a vampire has for a mortal woman. And in the end she dies for that love. It was a wonderful tale of vamprism, lesbianism and straight up love.

    I would recommend this book to anyone with a love for thrilling stories and a dark heart.

    Enjoy.

    3 out of 5 stars not half bad.......2000-04-17

    Dark Destiny shows off some of the good stuff from White Wolf's early years. Not all of it is great, not all of it is accurate, and not all of it is even related to the WOD as it stands now . . . but I will admit that it is fun. The art by John Cobb is nothing short of phenomenal, as usual, and the opening essays by Edward E. Kramer and John Mason Skipp are brilliant, not only for being highly literate and interesting, but also for the light they shed on the World of Darkness and it's origins.

    Oh, and Harlan Ellison is still a sick, sick man with a wonderful ability to write very, very scary things. So what if he's obviously never thrown down at a gaming table. Some of the other stuff, especially "But I feel the Bright Eyes...", the Poe story by Bill Crider, are really, really good - and Robert Bloch's "The Scent of Vinegar" won the 1994 Bram Stoker award for a very good reason.

    If you dig looking at a book that was written in V:TM's infancy just to see how really great authors understood Mark Rein-Hagen's vision back in the day, go ahead and knock yourself out: buy the book. You won't be disappointed.

    3 out of 5 stars A fairly enteraining(if not educational) WOD anthology........1999-02-21

    Dark Destiny is a very twisted book. In it readers will find everything from werewolves who are controlled by the whims of their ancestor spirits to a vampire owned and established blood bottling plant that conveniently delivers its wares to local Kindred. Many of the stories were entertaining, but few held up to the way things really work in the World of Darkness. One such story shows a human who becomes a werewolf by eating a scrap of lupine flesh given to him by a friendly Garou. Totally stupid.

    Despite this, the stories "Night Games", "One of the Secret Masters", and "But I Feel the Bright Eyes" make this book worth the price of admission. "Bright Eyes" tells of how Edgar Allen Poe became a vampire only to battle the Kindred on their own terms. It's a wonderful story of the human spirit triumphing over the Kindred's corrupting embrace, and I was nothing less than inspired after reading that one.
    Darksteel Destinies: Volume 1 of the Wildersteel Chronicles
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Waiting for More
    • Classic writing style is back!
    Darksteel Destinies: Volume 1 of the Wildersteel Chronicles
    Daniel C. Nielsen
    Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 1424115078

    Book Description

    Daedus is an ex-priest turned soldier. For a decade, he's fought and led the dwindling Fourth Cohort as praefect against the hordes of the Auger Potentates in the Frostmarches. An imperial courier arrives bearing orders to return to the capital at once. However, it soon becomes clear someone in the Markan Senate is setting the stage for a coup and Daedus and his men are pawns in a power play. Their situation worsens with the arrival of Adzutucoatl, an emissary from the jungles of Mictlan. He comes bearing bears gifts in exchange for troops to wage a war against enemies as powerful as the Auger Potentates. What transpires sets into motion events that lead Daedus and his companions on an epic journey into the heart of darkness where they must conquer the treachery of sorcerers and the wrath of a vengeful demi-goddess intent on resurrecting her dark empire with her weapons of wildersteel.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Waiting for More.......2006-10-08

    --The following is a review I received from one of the people who helped proofread/edit the novel. it is also available on my website danielcnielsen.com

    When I was first given the synopsis of Darksteel Destinies, I was impressed with the originality of the idea. A roman-like legion sent to fight in a jungle environment against Aztec like enemies? I told Daniel it would be an incredible story? if he could pull it off. He did, and then some. This is not your typical wizards and dragons tale, ladies and gentleman, but an epic adventure. (Hollywood will pick it up, if they?re smart.) Follow Daedus and his legion from frozen wastelands and the corrupt, decaying capitol of the Markan Empire, to the jungles of Mictlan. There, sorcerers use their magic to create chaos in a battle to control the Mictlan Empire, and to discover, or protect the secret of the very weapons they wield, and the demi-goddess who created them. This book has it all: greed, lust, betrayal, prophecy, pathos, mystery, power and conquest. The battles are so well written, you can hear the screams of the troops, and smell the smoke and burning flesh. In fact, Darksteel Destinies will appeal not only to fantasy lovers, but anyone who enjoys reading military strategy and history-based stories. A fast-paced novel that kept me engrossed from beginning to end. And what an ending it is! I'm sure Daniel loved the email I sent to him upon finishing the manuscript, ?Arrrgh! Daniel, I can?t believe you left me hanging like that! Grrr? Send me chapters from the next book as soon as you finish them!?

    Thanks Daniel. Still waiting for more?

    Monica M. 07/03/05

    5 out of 5 stars Classic writing style is back!.......2006-03-09

    It is a winner through and through. I'm in love with characters, plot and the writing style of Daniel Nielsen. It is a book that you can read over and over again and each time find new prospective every single time. Amazingly easy to read. It captivated my attention and would not let go. Great writing style which is so hard to find now days.

    Get plate full of snacks and something to drink; turn off the phone; Daniel Nielsen is going to take you for one hell of a ride...
    One Night With The King (The Call Of Destiny ,A Dark Prince Rises, The Complete Screenplay
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      One Night With The King (The Call Of Destiny ,A Dark Prince Rises, The Complete Screenplay
      Stephan Blinn
      Manufacturer: TBN
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: B000BUWYA8
      Lady Death, the reckoning: A tale of dark destiny told in three parts
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Lady Death, the reckoning: A tale of dark destiny told in three parts
        Brian Pulido
        Manufacturer: Chaos! Comics
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Unknown Binding

        Pulido, BrianPulido, Brian | ( P ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: 0964226014
        Dark Valley Destiny: The Life of Robert E. Howard
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • A valuable read
        • The DEFINITIVE Bio on REH until a new one appears :)
        • NOT the ýdefinitiveý biographyý merely opinion
        • The Truth About REH is Unknown
        • Revisiting Dark Valley Destiny
        Dark Valley Destiny: The Life of Robert E. Howard
        L. Sprague de Camp , Jane W. Griffin , and Catherine Crook De Camp
        Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        de Camp, L. Spraguede Camp, L. Sprague | ( D ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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        ASIN: 0312940769

        Customer Reviews:

        4 out of 5 stars A valuable read.......2004-09-17

        de Camp is always catching hell about something he wrote especially about REH and HPL. Dark Valley is highly readable. The text contains facts. de Camp does make judgments about his subject. This day in age we're trained not to judge anyone, so the book is refreshing. de Camp does succeed were many biographies fail and that is he makes the reader sympathetic about REH. REH is not just the subject about you can appreciate his life's difficulties. Any the book is highly readable. But I must add I'm biased toward de Camp . . . I've got an autographed copy.

        5 out of 5 stars The DEFINITIVE Bio on REH until a new one appears :).......2003-05-17

        L. Sprague de Camp's biography of REH is a very credible (if admittedly somewhat opinionated) account. Frankly, I don't understand the nonsense that some reviewers spout about this book. It is plainly evident that de Camp conducted a good deal of research, being especially diligent to seek out and interview virtually everyone that had known REH. All in all, de Camp based his research on oral and literary sources as well as visiting and studying the places where REH had lived. The value of such was recognized long ago. One need only read Herodotus, Thucydides, or the greatest historian of antiquity, Polybius, to appreciate this. Ultimately, de camp's bio reaches tenable conclusions based upon his research.

        At this point in time, a more definitive bio seems somewhat questionable. There are probably very (if any) acquaintances of REH still living. This of course doesn't mean that future bios cannot be written, only that they will find it incredibly difficult to obtain any new material. Very few can ever approach an understanding of REH as de Camp did. After all, he spent a large part of his career as a fiction writer in editing and expanding the Conan series. Instead, future biographers will be sifting among the stones that de Camp has already quarried for them.

        Finally, while de Camp was not a professional pyschologist, that in itself does not necessarily disqualify him in analyzing REH's state of mind. The fallacy of expert opinion comes to mind here. Most biographers hold an area of expertise in only one or two fields, and often their subjects will carry them into sundry fields of exploration. That's one reason why professionals published their work, so that others can benefit from the fruits of their research. Geez, excuse my getting off track here a bit, but some people have the lamest, sorriest reasons for not enjoying de Camp's work and appreciating it for the fine work of scholarship that it is. (Accusing de Camp of writing articulate prose with the intention to deceive, as one reviewer suggested, only demonstrates that they are unfamiliar with his prose style.)

        Is D.V.D. perfect and without the occassional error found in most bios? By no means, but de Camp isn't trying to hoodwink anyone, and anyone with any critical faculties can disagree with some of his conclusions. That in itself is a sign of scholarship as de Camp has provided enough material to allow the reader to independently verify whether or not s/he agrees.

        1 out of 5 stars NOT the ýdefinitiveý biographyý merely opinion.......2003-02-01

        To say it politely, approximately 90% of Dark Valley Destiny is pure, subjective opinion. In fact, this book is not a biography at all (regardless of the author's claims), but is a pseudo-Freudian interpretation of Robert E. Howard's psychological state or mental "life" based on assorted, incomplete, and (in some cases) erroneous facts. De Camp's credentials as a psychologist, or even an amateur psychologist, are not only in question, but non-existent. Dr. Jane Whittington Griffin, whose name is presented as co-author and whose association seems to lend the book an air of respectability and authority, in fact had little to do with the writing of this book due to her untimely death while the book was in the process of being researched and written. Further, Dr. Griffin's credentials as a legitimately licensed psychologist have recently come into question as well.

        In his own autobiography, de Camp refers to this book as a "psycho biography," and elsewhere de Camp admits that he had tried to sell the idea of writing a biography on Robert E. Howard to the publisher who considered the subject too dry and suggested that instead de Camp should spice it up a bit by writing a psychological examination and evaluation of Howard's work and life. This de Camp did, and the result is the eminently sensationalistic and yellow-journalistic commentary known as Dark Valley Destiny.

        To top it all off, we find that de Camp is not remotely sympathetic toward his subject matter, and he takes pains to use his own moral and intellectual values and positions to criticize and condemn Howard at every step, while at the same time offering appeasing praise. The reader ought to be warned that de Camp's writing style is quite skilled and is meant to be persuasive. Meaning, de Camp will pull the wool over your eyes with statements of "opinion as fact" and unsupported leaps of logic unless you carefully read the book with a detached, critical eye. As a book that presents itself as a factual and authoritative biography, it is a farce and all but worthless. If you read this book, read it with a HUGE grain of salt, and be skeptical.

        Although Dark Valley Destiny is not a definitive biography (or even a good one), it is unfortunately the only book yet published which claims to be a biography of Robert E. Howard. The memoir ONE WHO WALKED ALONE, by one of Howard's girlfriends, Novalyne Price-Ellis, is far more reliable and informative, but even this must be read with the understanding that the writer is drawing conclusions based on her own views and biases, which were sometimes made without complete information. Mrs. Ellis, however, had the good fortune of actually knowing Robert E. Howard and the information in her book is first hand knowledge, unlike that in Dark Valley Destiny. It therefore carries much more weight.

        The suggestion below that all is opinion and the truth shall never be known is, in part, true. As de Camp mentioned, but quickly ignored, posthumous biography is a somewhat foolish endeavor. There are many points about Howard's life which will simply never be known. Yet, to state that all is opinion and therefore equal is specious and misleading. There are conclusions and opinions which hold up to and are supported by the known facts, and then there are conclusions and opinions which are not. There are conclusions which adhere to standards of validity, and there are conclusions that do not. The task of scholars, and a definitive biography, is to achieve the highest level of factual reliability possible - not to present one's own views or opinions. Where a conclusion is uncertain, its uncertainty must be noted and alternatives offered and explored. In all this, Dark Valley Destiny fails miserably.

        If you're interested in reading one author's distorted and biased OPINION of another author, then this book is for you. If, on the other hand, you want to read about the life of Robert E. Howard, look elsewhere. To start, I'd recommend the "Short Biography" of Howard on the REHupa web site, ... and then I'd recommend reading Howard's "Selected Letters" (which are unfortunately out of print but can be found in used book stores). For additional biographical sources on Howard, try The Barbarian Keep web page. ...

        5 out of 5 stars The Truth About REH is Unknown.......2002-10-13

        DeCamp describes Howard in his "Dark Valley Destiny" book, and Novalyne Price describes him in her "One Who Walked Alone" book.

        Both are probably right and probably wrong. Read both.

        If you want to understand REH, read his writings (and those of his biographers) and make up your own mind.

        His was a tortured soul.

        I could defend or criticize Howard on many different levels. The truth is (and I hope you agree)is that we've all lost something because his potential had never been fully realized.

        3 out of 5 stars Revisiting Dark Valley Destiny.......2001-05-11

        It has been almost two decades since L. Sprague de Camp (hearafter referred to as LSdC) collaborated with his wife Catherine, and Jane Whittington Griffin to write the Robert E. Howard biography Dark Valley Destiny. De Camp has been vilified, ideologically pilloried, and even had his gravesite threatened in the last decade of Howard fandom. This biographical look at REH has been one main target of reaction. After a period of almost twenty years it is time for it to be reexamined.

        The de Camps make plain their intentions for this book at the end of the first chapter. "To investigate the relationship between Robert Howard's life and his art is the purpose of this book." (p. 17) The authors way of examining that relationship relies on a lot of (mostly amateur) psychoanalyzing that is controversial, to say the least.

        LSdC's opinions are his to make. One can agree or disagree. By cataloging REH's attitude towards his teachers, fellow townspeople, boomtown oilmen, and especially his employers LSdC does make a case for a person of emotional immaturity, unrealistic attitudes, and strong anti-social feelings.

        In several ways "Dark Valley Destiny" is choppy and inconsistent. Several times LSdC will put forth an idea, i.e. first saying that Howard had the essence of a poet, but then later contradicting himself saying that REH was a storyteller first and foremost. This is only a minor (and in this instance, mostly explainable) example. Other times the contradictions are more severe, i.e. indicating in one chapter that Howard was a loner and in the next chapter telling us of REH's numerous Cross Plains friends. A possible reason for this is that different parts of the book were written over a stretch of time. The copyright dates for the book indicate this to be the case. LSdC should have edited this work more closely. It appears that he didn't always revise his earlier comments to jibe with newer facts that he learned. Nevertheless a discerning reader can get a decent picture and overview of REH's life.

        "The Transcendent Barbarian" chapter deals with Conan. This is an interesting chapter. LSdC is a Conan fan but he feels motivated to downplay the unsold Conan stories and suggests that his posthumous collaborations improved them. For a story like "The God in the Bowl" that is arguably true but when de Camp calls "The Frost Giant's Daughter" a plotless little sketch he is asking for derision. The chapter ends with what may well be REH's finest praise though. "[...] all these criticisms fade like morning mist before Howard's headlong rush of action, his rainbow-tinted prose, the intensity with which he wrote his own feelings into his stories, and, above all, his Hyborian world - that splendid creation - which ranks with Burrough's Barsoom and Tolkein's Middle Earth as a major fictional achievement." (p. 295)

        The latest reprint collection of Conan stories (published in Great Britain) is dedicated to L. Sprague de Camp. While plenty of REH fans writhe and moan about this it is good to see that others recognize the reality of history and give LSdC his due. For whatever reasons, he promoted Conan AND Bob Howard. It is hoped that the publishers at Wandering Star will also dedicate one of their Conan collections to Mr. de Camp. It would do a lot to apologize for fan behavior that was often despicable.
        One Night With The King (The Call Of Destiny ,A Dark Prince Rises, The Complete Screenplay)
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          One Night With The King (The Call Of Destiny ,A Dark Prince Rises, The Complete Screenplay)

          Manufacturer: Trinity Broadcasting Network
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback
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          Temple of Dark Destiny (Mystic Rebel, No 4)
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            Temple of Dark Destiny (Mystic Rebel, No 4)
            R. Syvertsen
            Manufacturer: Pinnacle
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
            GeneralGeneral | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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