Author of the Month - January 2010
All fled--all done, so lift me on the pyre;
The feast is over, and the lamps expire.
- Howard's suicide note 6/11/1936
All fled--all done, so lift me on the pyre;
The feast is over, and the lamps expire.
- Howard's suicide note 6/11/1936
Robert E. Howard
On June 11, 1936, Robert Ervin Howard, The World's Greatest Writer of Fiction, killed himself by a self-inflicted gunshot. The above prose was found on his person at the time of death. Today is the 104th anniversay of his birth.
We firmly believe that Robert E. Howard was the greatest pulp fiction author, creator and literary genius that ever lived. He was a tortured person and that self-depth and imagination led to a lifetime's work of literary characters and world's that up until then had never before been penned.
We can thank him for creating such fantastic and awesome literary characters like Conan the Barbarian and Solomon Kane. He wrote in a surprising number of genres including detective stories, westerns, horror, historical fiction and of course his grand opus and gift - sword and sorcery. A genre he created and perfected.
Rivaled only by J.R.R. Tolkien in his lifetime, Howard enjoyed financial success having his short stories published in dozens of high paying magazines. His first Conan story, "The Phoenix and the Sword" was published in 1932. Like Tolkien, Robert E. Howard invented an entire world for his protagonist, Conan - the mythical land of Cimmeria in the Hyborian Age. It's an amazing place and one we enjoy visiting every now and again.
Robert E. Howard has continued to influence entire generations of writers including: Michael Moorcock, L. Sprague de Camp, Fritz Lieber and John Jakes to name a few.
Although most well known for his novels and stories, Howard's poetry is also just as hauntingly beautiful, creepy, powerful and amazing. Not exactly sunshiny happy stuff, due to the fact the Robert was a lifetime depressive, but remarkable just the same.
Here are a few verses from some of his best poems:
The mighty poets write in blood and tears
And agony that, flame-like, bites and sears.
They reach their mad blind hands into the night,
To plumb abysses dead to human sight;
To drag from gulfs where lunacy lies curled,
Mad, monstrous nightmare shapes to blast the world.
- "Musings"
What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie?
I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky.
The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing;
Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king.
- "The Road of Kings"
Who are you?" I asked the phantom,
"I am rest from Hate and Pride.
"I am friend to king and beggar,
"I am Alpha and Omega,
"I was councilor to Hagar
"But men call me suicide."
I was weary of tide breasting,
Weary of the world's behesting,
And I lusted for the resting
As a lover for his bride."
- "The Tempter"
From wild red dawn to wild red dawn we held our iron line,
and fought till the blades broke in our hands
and the sea ran as red as wine.
With arrow, spear and heavy mace we broke the dragon's pride,
Thigh-deep in the roaring sea we fought and crimson ran the tide.
- "Diombar's Song of the Last Battle"
Bonus: Special Prayer to Crom, Supreme God of Cimmeria
Crom, I have never prayed to you before. I have no tongue for it. No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, or why we died. All that matters is that two stood against many. That's what's important! Valor pleases you, Crom... so grant me one request. Grant me revenge! And if you do not listen, then to HELL with you!
Famous Frank Frazetta renditition of Conan the Barbarian
Arnold as Conan - Amazing!
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