Kull of Atlantis: Complete Chronology & Reading Order Guide

 

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Image from the Del Rey 2006 Kull: Exile of Atlantis book, where you can find most of the Kull stories.

Before Conan strode across the Hyborian Age, there was Kull.

The powerful Atlantean exile who conquered Valusia and sat uneasy on a serpent-haunted throne. Robert E. Howard created Kull first, and in many ways, the barbarian king’s struggles with civilization, kingship, and ancient evil set the template for everything that followed.

This guide covers the complete Kull saga: Howard’s original stories in chronological order, the essential reading order for newcomers, and how to navigate the comics that followed.

Who is Kull?

Kull is an Atlantean warrior (and barbarian) who becomes king of the ancient pre-Cataclysmic kingdom of Valusia.

Unlike Conan, who remains fundamentally a wanderer even when crowned, Kull mostly sticks around his castle and wrestles with the weight of civilization and rulership.

He’s a philosopher-warrior, prone to brooding about the nature of reality, the burden of the crown, and whether shadows on the wall are truly shadows.

Howard wrote Kull stories in the late 1920s, before Conan. The character never achieved the same popularity during Howard’s lifetime, but the tales contain some of his most atmospheric and weird work.

Robert E. Howard’s Kull Stories: Internal Chronology

Howard’s Kull stories don’t have an official internal chronology, but most scholars arrange them in an approximate order based on references within the stories. Here’s the generally accepted sequence (and thanks to Deuce and SwordsofReh for the extra info here, I mostly agree with it):

1. Exile of Atlantis (Fragment)

Kull’s origins – his exile from Atlantis and early wanderings. Unfinished, but sets up his background. A lot of flashbacks are based on this segment.

2. The Curse of the Golden Skull (Fragment)

One of the earliest Kull pieces in conception and setting.

The story reads like a transitional tale, bridging Kull’s barbarian past and his eventual kingship, and contains several inconsistencies with later stories that suggest Howard was still feeling his way toward the character.

3. The Shadow Kingdom (1929)

The essential Kull story. I absolutely love this story and rank it up there with almost any of the Conan stories. True sword and sorcery.

Kull has recently taken the throne of Valusia by force. He discovers that the kingdom is infiltrated by the Serpent Men, ancient reptilian beings who can perfectly mimic humans. Paranoia, identity, and the question “what is real?” drive this masterpiece of weird fiction.

Why read it: This is where it all begins. The themes, the atmosphere, the existential dread – it’s all here.

4. The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune (1929)

Kull becomes obsessed with a series of mirrors owned by a wizard. He stares into them seeking truth and nearly loses himself entirely. A meditation on reality, illusion, and the danger of philosophy without action.

Why read it: Howard at his most philosophical. Short, strange, and haunting. Howard himself later said he got ‘out of his depth’ while writing it.

5. The Cat and the Skull (Fragment)

An unfinished tale involving palace intrigue and an attempted assassination. Shows Kull dealing with the daily grind of rulership. It’s an odd story, with the ending changed and added later.

6. The Screaming Skull of Silence (Fragment)

Another unfinished piece featuring supernatural horror in Kull’s court, a few paragraphs were added by Lin Carter to finish it off. This story annoys me a little as it makes Kull seem pretty stupid by opening up the castle.

7. By This Axe I Rule! (1929, published 1967)

A baron challenges Kull’s right to rule. Kull must prove his legitimacy through force of will and the axe that won him the throne. This story was later rewritten by Howard as the Conan tale “The Phoenix on the Sword.”

I think story is incredible, and very much different enough from The Phoenix on the Sword to be worth reading. Maybe I even prefer this one, the ending is perfect.

It’s hard to believe it was never published at the time. But if it had been published way back in 1929, would we have ever had Conan? Hard to say, so maybe it all worked out for the best.

Why read it: The story was never published for Kull (at least in REH’s lifetime) and it’s the direct predecessor to Conan’s first published story. Fascinating to compare the two versions.

8. The Altar and the Scorpion (Fragment)

Following the events of By This Axe I Rule!, this fragment appears to show Kull consolidating power after repeated assassination attempts. Kull is barely mentioned in this one, and the short story is more about two young lovers than Kull himself.

9. The Striking of the Gong (1930s, completed by Lin Carter)

Kull faces another assassination attempt and uncovers a conspiracy. The version most readers know was completed decades later by Lin Carter. A strange, short story that could plausibly fall slightly earlier or later, but fits well among the cluster of assassination attempts against Kull’s rule.

10. The Stagus Fragment (“Sunrise”)

This is a great story, though it sometimes makes me wonder about Kull. The story strongly suggests a deliberate trap, possibly involving Grondar or even Thulsa Doom. If only Howard had finished it!

11. The Black City (Fragment)

Kull journeys to Kamula, a city that may once have belonged to Kamelia before being annexed by Valusia. There is a clear sense of lingering resentment toward Valusian rule. Kull’s friendship with Brule is firmly established by this point, and the political landscape suggests this takes place after Kull has weathered the earliest threats to his reign.

12. Swords of the Purple Kingdom

Political and military conflict. Kull leads his forces against rebellion. I really like this one and we see how formidable Kull really is. We also see his gentle side and real depth of character.

13. The Brule Fragment (“Wizard”)

A short fragment showing a settled Valusia and introducing Ronaro, a character never seen elsewhere. The tone suggests a relatively stable period in Kull’s reign, after the major internal and external threats have been dealt with.

14. The King and the Oak (Poem, 1931)

Kull reflects on mortality, kingship, and the passage of time while sitting beneath an ancient oak. A short but moody piece. The Severin siblings made a beautiful comic version. It’s in the Kull the Destroyer omnibus (ebay).

15. Kings of the Night (1930)

Kull is mystically transported through time to aid Bran Mak Morn, Howard’s Pictish king, in a battle against the Romans. A crossover that links Howard’s various ages. A big part of the idea of the Howard-verse.

Why read it: Wild, ambitious, and connects the Howard universe in unexpected ways.

Recommended Reading Order for Newcomers

Recommended Reading Order for Newcomers

If you’re new to Kull, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend reading chronologically. Start with the strongest material and build outward from there:

• The Shadow Kingdom – Start here. This is the essential Kull story and the one that defines the setting, the tone, and the core themes of paranoia, identity, and rule. It also introduces most of the important supporting characters.
• The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune – Follow this immediately while the atmosphere is fresh. A quieter, more philosophical story that shows Kull at his most introspective and uneasy on the throne.
• By This Axe I Rule! – A crucial read. This is the clearest bridge between Kull and Conan, and effectively acts as a prototype for Conan’s first published story. Direct, brutal, and political.
• Swords of the Purple Kingdom – A more action-driven tale that showcases Kull as a warrior-king, not just a brooding philosopher. Good for balancing out the more abstract earlier stories.
• Kings of the Night – Read once you’re comfortable with Kull. This story expands Howard’s universe in a bold way and links Kull to the wider mythic cycle. Ambitious, eerie, and very memorable.
• The Striking of the Gong – Best read after the core stories. Heavy on court intrigue and atmosphere, and interesting mainly if you want more insight into Kull’s reign and the politics of Valusia.
• The Cat and the Skull (fragment) – A short, eerie fragment that hints at darker, stranger directions Howard might have taken the character.
• The Screaming Skull of Silence (fragment) – Another unsettling fragment, notable for its mood and for introducing concepts Howard never fully returned to.
• Exile of Atlantis (fragment) – Read at any point once you know the character. This is background material rather than a complete story, but it helps frame Kull’s origins.
• The King and the Oak (poem) – Optional, but worthwhile. A symbolic and reflective piece that captures Kull’s melancholy and outsider nature.

After this point, the remaining fragments and unfinished material can be read in almost any order, depending on how deep you want to go.

Where to Find the Stories

Collections:

Kull: Exile of Atlantis (Del Rey, 2006) The definitive collection. Contains all of Howard’s Kull stories, fragments, and drafts, plus essays and notes. This is what you want.

Public Domain:

Many of Howard’s works, including some Kull stories, have entered the public domain. You can find them free online, but quality varies. Project Gutenberg Australia is usually a pretty good bet.

Kull Comics: A Brief Guide

Kull has appeared in comics from multiple publishers. Here’s where to start:

Marvel’s Kull the Conqueror and Kull the Destroyer

Marvel published Kull comics in the 1970s and 80s alongside their Conan titles. These adapted Howard’s stories and created new adventures.

Key Issues (Marvel, 1971):

• Creatures on the Loose #10 – First Kull comic appearance, adapts The Shadow Kingdom
• Kull the Conqueror #1-2 – Expanded adaptation of The Shadow Kingdom
• Kull the Conqueror #3 – Adapts The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune

Artists like Bernie Wrightson, Marie and John Severin, and the Buscema brothers contributed to these runs.

Kull the Savage

Probably my favourite from the lot. Black and white, often short but unique stories. Demon in a Silvered Glass by Doug Moench and John Bolton is an incredible work of art. Hard to get hold of but you might get lucky – Kull the Savage (ebay).

Dark Horse’s Kull (2008-2010)

Dark Horse published a limited series titled Kull: The Shadow Kingdom that adapted and expanded Howard’s original story with great art.

They also published:

• Kull: The Hate Witch (2010)
• Kull: The Cat and the Skull (2011)

Modern Collections:

Marvel released three omnibuses about Kull a few years ago. They’re out of print and a bit harder to get hold of, but well worth it if you can. I’m quite sure Titan will reprint them over the next few years so I’ll update this section if they do.

Why Kull Matters

Kull is Conan’s older, weirder brother. Where Conan is about adventure and action, Kull is about atmosphere and unease. The stories are generally slower, stranger, more prone to moments where the hero just… thinks about things.

But they’re also where Howard worked out ideas about:

• Ancient evil that predates humanity
• The corruption beneath civilization’s surface
• The outsider-king who can never fully belong
• The blurred line between reality and illusion

If you love Conan’s world but crave something more unsettling and philosophical, Kull is waiting for you in pre-Cataclysmic Valusia, staring at mirrors and wondering which shadows are real.

The more Kull I read, the more I like it. It’s earlier work than Conan, and Robert E Howard goes from strength to strength later in his career. It makes you wonder what would have happened if he’d been around for longer.

Final Recommendation

Start with “The Shadow Kingdom.” It has most of the major characters and I think it’s one of the greatest sword and sorcery stories ever written.

It’s also a big reason we have so much on Set (like the new Scourge of the Serpent series) and we clearly feel its influence throughout myriad Conan books and comics.

Some readers find Kull too slow, too internal. Others discover their favorite Robert E. Howard character – the one who asks questions instead of just swinging a sword.

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Further Reading:

• For more Robert E. Howard deep dives, check out our Conan era guides
• Explore Hyborian Age lore and world-building in articles like this one about Stygia.

FAQ – Kull of Atlantis Reading Order