Picture a Texas-born storyteller who conjured muscle-bound heroes and shadowy worlds from the pages of pulp magazines—meet Robert E. Howard! Best known for creating Conan the Barbarian, Howard revolutionized the sword and sorcery genre with his vivid imagination and relentless storytelling. Despite his tragically short life, his tales of adventure and grit continue to captivate readers worldwide.
The Making of Robert E. Howard
Born on January 22, 1906, in Peaster, Texas, Robert E. Howard grew up in a rugged, oil-boom environment that shaped his fascination with frontier life and raw human struggle. A voracious reader, he devoured history, mythology, and adventure tales, blending them into his own stories. By his teens, Howard was submitting tales to pulp magazines, kickstarting a prolific career that would define a genre.
Robert E. Howard’s Unforgettable Stories
Howard’s most iconic creation, Conan the Barbarian, debuted in 1932 in Weird Tales. This hulking, cunning warrior roamed a mythical Hyborian Age, battling sorcerers and tyrants in stories like The Phoenix on the Sword and The Scarlet Citadel. Howard’s prose crackled with visceral energy, blending gritty action with vivid world-building. Beyond Conan, he crafted other heroes like Kull of Atlantis, a brooding warrior-king featured in The Shadow Kingdom, and Solomon Kane, a Puritan adventurer in tales like Red Shadows. Howard also dabbled in horror, historical fiction, and westerns, showcasing his versatility across over 300 stories.
His writing style was direct yet evocative, with a knack for plunging readers into primal conflicts. Themes of individualism, barbarism versus civilization, and raw survival pulsed through his work, reflecting his Texas roots and fascination with history’s untamed eras.
Why Robert E. Howard Matters
Howard’s creation of the sword and sorcery genre left an indelible mark on fantasy literature, inspiring writers like Fritz Leiber and Michael Moorcock. Conan’s larger-than-life persona influenced comics, films, and games, cementing Howard’s place in pop culture. Despite his death by suicide in 1936 at age 30, his stories endure, offering timeless thrills and a glimpse into a fiercely imaginative mind.
About Robert E. Howard
- Born: January 22, 1906, in Peaster, Texas
- Key Works: Conan the Barbarian series, The Shadow Kingdom, Red Shadows
- Genres: Sword and sorcery, horror, westerns
- Died: June 11, 1936
Ready for a thrilling ride? Grab The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian and dive into Howard’s sword-swinging, sorcery-laden world!