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The blur of History is occasionally punctuated with the shining light
of artistic brilliance. In the case of literature, there have been a select
few authors whose originality and influence forever changed the medium,
and the genre in which they worked. Modern horror would not exist without
the genius of Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, nor science fiction
without Jules Verne, nor the modern detective story in the absence of
the great Dashiell Hammett. Few writers have shaped the look and feel of the modern adventure story more than Robert E. Howard. Following in the footsteps of such 19th century luminaries of fantastic fiction as H. Rider Haggard, Conan Doyle, and Robert Louis Stevenson, Howard brought the genre into the modern era, broke it free of its ties to the past and gave it a new vitality, and placed upon it the distinct look of his own personal artistic and philosophical vision. Robert E. Howard transcended the easy categorization of being a mere "genre author": his body of work encompassed historical fiction, horror, science fiction, broad comedy, and action-adventure stories. His tales of barbarian warriors spawned the industry now known as "Sword and Sorcery," and almost seventy years after his death, his influence on the shape of fantasy fiction is inescapable. Having grown up on a steady diet of such classic illustrated stories as Robin Hood and Treasure Island, with their lavish artwork by Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth, we at Wandering Star feel that Robert Howard's work deserves the same extraordinary treatment. Using these classics as our inspiration, our intention is to publish a regular series of limited edition books that will serve as the benchmark for contemporary book manufacture and design. In a world dominated by the obsessive need for the instant gratification of point-and-click, these are the sorts of books that no one has time to make. No one except Wandering Star. No corners will be cut, no expenses spared. And we've managed to convince some of the best illustrators working today to share our vision. As with many authors who've been republished frequently and badly, Robert E. Howard's work has undergone an unpublicized, but fairly constant process of editing, expurgation, and rewriting. We feel that the first order of business when dealing with an author of Howard's magnitude is to restore the texts to his original prose. In order to establish him as an author of extreme originality, Wandering Star has enlisted noted Howard scholar Rusty Burke as our series editor. To ensure the authenticity of the texts, additional Howard experts, Glenn Lord, Patrice Louinet, and David Gentzel, have been retained to support our efforts. By publishing these lavish books, we hope to take the first step in re-establishing Robert E. Howard as a classic American author with a wide literary base. While our limited collector's editions are the core foundation of our business, we hope to one day publish Howard's work in different forms and versions, including hardback, trade paperback, and mass market paperback offerings. Ambitious? Yes. Certain? Hardly. Each Wandering Star limited edition book is priced very nearly at cost. It is only through the generous and ongoing support of Howard collectors and fans that we will be able to keep on with a project this ambitious. For your patronage and continued support, we at Wandering Star offer our sincerest gratitude and heartfelt thanks.
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