3 h 46 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In fog-bound London, a sorcerer with a dead man's face dreams of ruling the world.
In Robert E. Howard's Skull-Face, London after the Great War is a city of narrow streets, cheap rooms and doors that should stay shut. Behind the fear stands Kathulos, a sorcerer whose skull-like face hides a cold, patient intelligence. A few determined men stand against him, facing an enemy who is far more than a common criminal.
This short pulp novel brings detective fiction, horror and spy adventure into the same shadows. Kathulos is said to be older than any living man, and his ambition reaches far beyond London. Yet the struggle is also painfully private: the hero faces addiction, fighting his own weakness as well as the sorcerer. Fast scenes carry a story of dread, danger and tested will.
What you’ll discover
- A city of shadows Enter a London where fog and narrow streets make danger feel close.
- The face of Kathulos Meet a withered sorcerer whose cold intelligence makes him more unsettling than an ordinary criminal.
- A desperate unequal struggle Follow a few determined men as they confront a sorcerer's bid for world domination.
- The enemy within Discover how addiction turns the hero's struggle into a battle against himself.
- Horror meets spy adventure Feel creeping dread run beneath fast scenes that bring detection and espionage together.
Who will love it
For readers who love pulp magazines, weird fiction and shadowy adventure, and anyone curious about Howard beyond Conan. Its blend of detective fiction, horror and spy adventure brings creeping dread to fog-bound London.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A London of fog and fear
- A villain with a dead man's face
- The hunters and the chase
- What lies under the pulp surface
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 3 h 46 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 4 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Schädelgesicht in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Schädelgesicht
by Robert E. Howard · 1929
In fog-bound London, a ruined man and a few loyal allies face Kathulos, an ancient sorcerer bent on ruling the world.
Medium level2–5 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A London of fog and fear
The story is set in London, in the years after the Great War. Howard paints the city as a place of fog, narrow streets, cheap rooms and doors that should stay shut. Much of the early dread comes from atmosphere, from the sense that something old and hostile is moving beneath the ordinary life of the city.
At the heart of the opening stands a man ruined by addiction. His craving for drugs has pulled him down into the poorest corners of the city, and it leaves him weak and hard to trust, even in his own eyes. That detail matters, because it makes him a different kind of hero from the confident adventurers in many magazines of the time.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Schädelgesicht
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Skull-Face about?
It is a pulp thriller set in London in which a few men face Kathulos, an ancient sorcerer who plans to overthrow the Western powers. It blends horror, spy adventure and detective fiction.
When was Skull-Face written?
Robert E. Howard's novel was first published in Weird Tales in 1929, in three installments. It is a work of fiction, with no basis in real events.
Who is Kathulos in Skull-Face?
Kathulos is the villain, a sorcerer with a skull-like face who is said to be extremely old. He plots to gather hidden forces and rule the world.
The author
Robert E. Howard
1906–1936 · American fantasy writer
Robert E. Howard was an American author born in Peaster, Texas, in 1906. He lived much of his life in Cross Plains, Texas, where he died in 1936. He wrote fantasy, horror, adventure stories, and poetry. His stories featuring Conan appeared in the magazine Weird Tales during the 1930s.
More by Robert E. Howard
All 10 books
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in horror and gothic
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
