AND THEIR MEMORY WAS A BITTER TREE The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art

For 13 years the Spectrum annual has been the preeminent showcase for fantasy and sci-fi art and an invaluable resource for art directors and illustrators. Drawn from work created for books, comics, magazines, art galleries, advertisements, and the portfolios of some of the finest fantasy artists working today, the illustrations in this collection extend the boundaries of the imagination and explore new realms of creativity. "Spectrum 13" has a wider reach than any previous volume, with nearly 350 pieces by creators spanning the globe, including works from Germany, England, the Netherlands, Korea, Australia, Japan, Canada, and France. Eagerly awaited by both artists and readers, "Spectrum 13" is divided into seven categories: Comics and Graphic Novels, Advertising, Book, Dimensional, Editorial, Institutional, and Unpublished Art. This edition also honors Jeffrey Jones with its prestigious Grand Master Award, presented to a living artist for career excellence.

As one of the three most important American pulp fantasy authors of the 1930s (with Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith), Robert E. Howard captivated readers with his indomitable, battle-scarred barbarian hero Conan. Though Howard's life ended prematurely in 1936 at the age of 30, Conan lives on as one of the genre's most enduring icons. This beautifully designed collection contains nine essential Conan stories along with a full-length Conan novel. Also included is The Hyborean Age, Howard's fascinating history of the raw, blood-drenched world Conan inhabited, an alternative Earth that preceded Tolkien's Middle Earth. And Their Memory Was a Bitter Tree features a color map of this realm and an interior painting by cult artist Brom, along with a series of Frank Frazetta's seminal Conan paintings, appearing for the first time with the stories for which they were created.