# Robert E. Howard



## Black Dragon (Sep 15, 2011)

What are your thoughts on the writings of Robert E. Howard?  Do you consider him to be a great fantasy pioneer, or something else?


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## Ravana (Sep 15, 2011)

If you read the material that Howard actually wrote _himself_, you'll come to the first of those conclusions. If you read the material published following his death as "with" someone (particularly de Camp or de Camp/Carter, whose "completions" of Howard stories were pretty much entirely their own writing, working off the occasional isolated note from Howard's estate--there's far less Howard in them than there is J.R.R. in Christopher Tolkien's post-mortem texts), you'd probably come to the second... where "something else" should _not_ be taken as an equivalent for "outstanding," just... something else.


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## pskelding (Sep 16, 2011)

It's quite obvious that he was a pioneer of the genre.  How could he not be?  I will go on record that his prose is not as good as Tolkien.  His characters are good and interesting and he did quite extensive world creation though not as much as Tolkien.  Howard basically invented the sword and sorcery genre.  Case in point... Conan. As well known as LOTR due to Arnold's version of the character.  I've read much of Howard's work and enjoyed every single page of it.


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## Ronald T. (Aug 8, 2015)

I think Robert E. Howard was one of the greatest Sword and Sorcery writers of all time. He was a true pioneer of "the-larger-than-life hero", perhaps the greatest; and if not, he certainly stands shoulder to shoulder with the greatest. 

Similar to David Gemmell's main character in DRUSS THE LEGEND, Conan has a non-standard code-of-honor, but one that drives his life and his actions...one that he would die to maintain. I admire and salute such characters, and find them deeply inspiring.

Brent Weeks created similar larger-than-life, non-standard code-of-honor characters with Durzo Blint and Azoth/Kylar. 

Conan, Druss, Durzo Blint, and Kylar are remarkably powerful characters that never fade from my memory. Each time I recall these heroes, it fills my heart and soul with a rush of excitement and inspiration. May it always do so.

If my own protagonist, Rucker, has half the impact on others that these characters have had on me, I will consider myself a most fortunate and well-served author.


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## skip.knox (Aug 9, 2015)

It's also worth remembering that Howard wrote detective tales and westerns as well. Lots of them. No one calls him a pioneer or praises his prose for those works. His writing was pure pulp, great fun to read. IMO, credit for his current status belongs very much to his revival in comic books, with much credit going to Roy Thomas, but also to Barry Windsor Smith and the later artists. I'm sure I'm not alone in discovering the Conan stories by way of the comics. 

B


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## ThinkerX (Aug 9, 2015)

Robert E Howard, HP Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith, along with two or three others (notably Fritz Lieber) collaborated via the sharing of ideas and characters to pretty much create weird/fantastic/heroic fiction.

Lovecraft created the bulk of the cosmos, a stark, frightening, alien realm stalked by the likes of Azathoth, Cthulhu, and other horrific entities.  Most of his characters had short life expectancies, and were frequently rendered mad as a result of their experiences.

Smiths work was more positive.  It featured many of Lovecraft's creations, but he added his own touches.

Howards Conan and similar characters were heroes who could go up against Lovecraft's eldritch abominations and win.

To an extent, the same goes for Liebers Fahferd and Grey Mouser, though the Lovecraft elements eventually became secondary.


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## Uffda (Aug 12, 2015)

REH is awesome. He was also a great poet.


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