Robert E Howard - Father of sword and sorcery

Robert E Howard - Father of sword and sorcery
#Conan #fantasy #pulpfiction

Robert E. Howard was an American author and creator of the genre known as sword and sorcery, with his most famous character being Conan the Barbarian. Born on January 22, 1906, in Peaster, Texas, Howard spent most of his life in the town of Cross Plains, Texas. He published his first story in 1924 and went on to write for a variety of pulp fiction magazines, particularly Weird Tales.
Howard's writing is characterized by vivid, energetic prose with an emphasis on muscular, heroic figures and dark, fantastical settings. His characters, including not just Conan but also King Kull and Solomon Kane, are often strong, silent types facing insurmountable odds.
Howard was prolific during his short career, writing a wide range of other works including horror stories, historical adventures, and detective fiction. Sadly, his life was marred by personal difficulties and he died by suicide on June 11, 1936, at the age of 30. Despite his brief career, Howard left a lasting legacy on the fantasy and science fiction genres. His works have been widely adapted into films, television series, and comics, and he is considered one of the pioneers of modern fantasy literature.

(All images except the first are AI generated)

[noslen]

I love how rich his descriptions are - they still transport me as when I was much younger.

[jedadiahamaral]

Blows my mind thinking of how prolific his writing was and he passed at 30! Even just another 10 years would have been thousands of stories with what a powerhouse he was

[omegatired]

My favorite is Solomon Kane ... unfortunately, not done justice by the movies. Howard was a powerhouse.

[LYLEWOLD]

Published at 18, suicide at 30. That is really sad. I wish he'd had a longer, happier life

[nathansteinfromarkham]

Underrated author. Solomon Kane was his most interesting, alongside Kull.

[dallaskoivu]

I sort of already knew this because his hometown was one of the places young Sheldon wanted to visit when his sister Missy had run away He kept trying to turn it into an excuses to visit places he wanted to go to. And his hometown was one of them.

[The-Silence-of-the-Sheep]

These days he's "Conan the Octogenarian".

[Miketzu]

I wander if he knew too much about something and got "suicided". 🤔