Howard was the greatest of them all. Not to forget he did it all in his twenties! What that man could have achieved had he lived another decade or more is unfathomable and the tragedy of the age. Wonderful to hear you conclude with the Lovecraft's eulogy, no apter words could be said.
Everybody loves Howard's Sword and Sorcery stuff and rightly so but he did other things as well. You mention his boxing stories in passing. They are well worth a read. He also wrote some side-splitting comedy. Breckinridge Elkins was a giant hillbilly who got into really hilarious situations. I highly recommend those tales.
Howard had such an energetic, no-nonsense style. He knew exactly what he wanted to write about. Looking at his writings and at his life, it's obvious that he was frustrated in many ways and often channeled that into his writings. But very seldom are they nihilistic dwellings on all the ugliness he saw in the world. Rather, I feel that his writings channel a yearning, a powerful and vigorous desire, for a better world. He wrote about what excited and inspired him, and that is a powerful motivation. I think that you are very correct in saying that he did not take his life because of his mother's death, but rather that he had no taken it before because he did not want to leave an ailing mother behind. His melancholies were certainly not helped by the fact that he suffered from a lot of financial instability (writing pulps for a living being what it is at the best of times), and in general it just seems like he had a hard time finding a place or being understood. He was both a dreamer and a frustrated creative soul, in a place and time where that did not mean much. When he died, it's sad to think that he likely didn't feel like he had accomplished much. He wrote literature that was considered disposable penny entertainment. He likely held no illusions that he'd be lauded greater as any kind of a writer at all (outside his small circle of accomplishes, at least), or that no one would remember him after some years. Yet it's also a happy fact that his writing has stood the test of time and given payoff to his life's work.
I was born the same year the Arnold movie came out (1982). My dad is a huge sci-fi fantasy nerd. He used to love to read old dime-store paperbacks like the Horselords series, and the Chanur books. He is largely responsible for me reading the Robert E Howard stories. He also introduced me to the John Carter of Mars series from Edgar Rice Burroughs. I feel like I was lucky to have grown up reading a lot of sci-fi and fantasy classics.
“Rush in and die, dogs-I was a man before I was a king.” Great video and great collection. I always felt there was a very American quality about Conan that separated him from fantasy like Tolkien and Arthurian legend. He’s a self-made king, like a blood-soaked Horatio Alger story. Robert E. Howard should be a household name.
Very enjoyable video, inspired me to put aside all the comics and later writers Conan books and return to the true source of the character with the original Robert E Howard books
Such a tragedy...guy passed away thinking of himself as a failure,i hope and i wish from the bottom of my heart that somewhere in realms between space and time he can hear our words and know what kind of inspiration he is,personally my favoruite author...Thank you Bob,you saved me from the same pain that took you
Robert E. Howard is a writer I felt I could really relate to when I was young. Such an amazing talent. Sad that both he and Lovecraft died without knowing the tremendous impact they would have on literature.
Terrific video and tribute to REH, one of the greats! I enjoyed it very much. Nice to see those newer editions, I have some of the older ones but I am glad he is staying in print. We need his kind of stories and heroes today more than ever. All best to you at stately Vaughan Manor!
Loved the review on Howard's works. Takes me back. I got into Howard in '94. I remember the hunt for books with just his writing. My favorite one were the hardcovers put out by Donald M. Grant publishing. I also had the ACE and Lancer Conan books. Sometimes I miss those days of searching out every used book store to look for more Howard material. So glad all those new editions came out with just REH. I haven't done a reread of Conan in a while. Crom's bones! I'll have to go back to them.
I still have all the old paperback REH books I found in the used bookstores back in the old days. I have a few of those Donald M. Grant books as well. I know what you mean. Those were good times.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I remember back then all struggle going on between CPI (Conan Properties Inc) that DeCamp was part of, Grant and I think a few other publishers who owned the rights to Conan and REH. There were a few web sites at the time. The official Conan page with the message board, The Barbarian Keep and REHUPA (Robert E. Howard United Press Association). There was always some kind of drama going on. Ahh the good old days. On a side note, I even had the old TOR Conan books by other authors. The first Conan book I read was Robert Jordan's Conan The Unconquered.
I stumbled onto Howard while listening to weird tales magazines in audiobook form and I fell in love. Not enough content and information on this man here on UA-cam. Thanks for the video!
I actually got into your channel because of your comic reviews and now you have me reading more literature than I ever thought I would visit I didn’t read a book until 20 years old then found the hobbit
I loved your talk on Howard's works. You seem to convey with delight, thrill and indeed love. Your subdued enthusiasm is somewhat akin to how I would have enjoyed sharing my own joy of reading Howard. I look forward to any future talks you may do. Good job!!
Great video. I've been a fan of REH for a long time now. The savage sword of Conan is what first grabbed me back in the 80s. Forgot about him for a long time...but have recently started collecting his stuff again. The del Rey books are great... especially bran Mac morn. The worms of the Earth....Croms bones!
The thing about your videos is I get the urge to go read the books you talk about, as I have most of them this is a possibility, however I'm usually in the middle of some other tome and by the time I finish, that said urge has dissipated. I'll need to re-watch many of your videos again and again. As if my life wasn't complicated enough already. Thanks a lot!
He sounds like a fascinating person. I've always wanted to read the Conan books but they've had so many authors and publishers I never knew which one to try. Thanks for clarifying. I almost purchased the L Sprague de Camp / Lin Carter volumes. I must look for that Del Rey volume. Thanks for talking about R E Howard.
All of the original Conan stories are also available for free on the internet! For example, Project Gutenberg hosts them, since they have passed into public domain. So even if you can't find the physical books, it's very easy to get started, and I heartily recommend it. Most of the stories are short and quick reads, so picking them up is no great commitment.
My first view of one of your videos. Thank you for such an inspiring ramble through the thicket of REH appreciation. I have subscribed, in expectation of more of this quality. Thank you.
Very enjoyable, Michael! I have those Ballantine/Del Rey editions of most of the books. If Conan is your favorite Howard creation, which is your second favorite? Also, have you read Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane books? Thanks for sharing. Best, Jack
Solomon Kane is probably my second favorite. He is just such a unique character. As for Karl Edward Wagner: You can bet your best running shoes I’ve read Kane! I have an extra fancy hardcover set as well as the old paperbacks. Will do a video about KEW’s Kane & horror stories sometime in the future. Thanks, once again, for the support!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Solomon Kane is really interesting. The dichotomy between his rigid moral/religious code and the absolute volcano he can become when he sees vulnerable characters oppressed works well. I have really enjoyed your videos and how you delve into some of my favorite science fiction and fantasy writers.
I let a friend borrow a Conan book you showed he spilled water all over it. You Also didn't mention he originally created Red Sonja . Also did you watch the Movie Solomon Kane? Hell I even enjoyed R.E. Howard's Boxing stories.
Red Sonja was created by Roy Thomas for the Conan comic book and was partially based on Howard’s Red Sonya. Sonya only appeared in one story so I didn’t think to mention her. Good character though. I liked the Solomon Kane movie quite a bit. That is a tragedy about your book! Thanks for watching!
Not arguing. I know She was only in 1 Howard's story, but Red Sonja of today was recreated from Howard's Red Sonja. So...therefore He created Her.👍😁👍. It's all good. Just thought people may have been interested. Keep up the great work. I've been on some of these that I dont think they even read the books. They just like 2 own them.
Dear Michael, which collection would you recommend for the Conan stories? The complete Conan centennial collection or the three volume set by ballantine/del rey starting with the Coming of Conan the Cimmerian?
They are both great. The Del Rey set is a bit better because the texts have been restored as much as possible to Howard’s original versions. That said, there really isn’t that much difference.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Thank you! I only had the Heroes in the Wind modern classic collection but that only gave me a taster of Howard's various heroes. Now I need to read the full series.
Actually, since there are no supernatural elements, it doesn’t count as S&S. It certainly was influential on that genre though. The Shadow Kingdom by Robert E. Howard is often cited as being the first S&S story, outside mythology anyway. The Worm Ouroboros by Eric Rucker Eddison predates it however by a few years. Many consider that one High Fantasy though, so who knows.
Robert E. Howard's writing style was unique, in that he infused his own personality within his stories, the Conan ones in particular. It's such a tragedy that he shot himself at 30, after his mother slipped into her irreversible coma due to poor health. Had he lived longer, he might've branched out more into Western stories, with the occasional sword-and-sorcery fantasy. He might have even combined the two genres! No pastiche writer could do justice to Howard's style--he was a one-of-a-kind writer. 🤠
Howard was the greatest of them all. Not to forget he did it all in his twenties! What that man could have achieved had he lived another decade or more is unfathomable and the tragedy of the age. Wonderful to hear you conclude with the Lovecraft's eulogy, no apter words could be said.
Everybody loves Howard's Sword and Sorcery stuff and rightly so but he did other things as well. You mention his boxing stories in passing. They are well worth a read. He also wrote some side-splitting comedy. Breckinridge Elkins was a giant hillbilly who got into really hilarious situations. I highly recommend those tales.
Never was into Conan comics or movies - I wanted to read the original stories. So I read some and LOVED them!
Howard had such an energetic, no-nonsense style. He knew exactly what he wanted to write about. Looking at his writings and at his life, it's obvious that he was frustrated in many ways and often channeled that into his writings. But very seldom are they nihilistic dwellings on all the ugliness he saw in the world. Rather, I feel that his writings channel a yearning, a powerful and vigorous desire, for a better world. He wrote about what excited and inspired him, and that is a powerful motivation.
I think that you are very correct in saying that he did not take his life because of his mother's death, but rather that he had no taken it before because he did not want to leave an ailing mother behind. His melancholies were certainly not helped by the fact that he suffered from a lot of financial instability (writing pulps for a living being what it is at the best of times), and in general it just seems like he had a hard time finding a place or being understood. He was both a dreamer and a frustrated creative soul, in a place and time where that did not mean much.
When he died, it's sad to think that he likely didn't feel like he had accomplished much. He wrote literature that was considered disposable penny entertainment. He likely held no illusions that he'd be lauded greater as any kind of a writer at all (outside his small circle of accomplishes, at least), or that no one would remember him after some years. Yet it's also a happy fact that his writing has stood the test of time and given payoff to his life's work.
Never knew he died so young. It makes the stories even more impressive that he wrote them all such a short life.
Yes! I totally agree.
lovely video and lovely bookcase !
Researching for my RPG brought me here. Just wow. Take my sub.
I was born the same year the Arnold movie came out (1982). My dad is a huge sci-fi fantasy nerd. He used to love to read old dime-store paperbacks like the Horselords series, and the Chanur books. He is largely responsible for me reading the Robert E Howard stories. He also introduced me to the John Carter of Mars series from Edgar Rice Burroughs. I feel like I was lucky to have grown up reading a lot of sci-fi and fantasy classics.
“Rush in and die, dogs-I was a man before I was a king.”
Great video and great collection.
I always felt there was a very American quality about Conan that separated him from fantasy like Tolkien and Arthurian legend. He’s a self-made king, like a blood-soaked Horatio Alger story. Robert E. Howard should be a household name.
I couldn’t agree more.
YiSza
Very enjoyable video, inspired me to put aside all the comics and later writers Conan books and return to the true source of the character with the original Robert E Howard books
Such a tragedy...guy passed away thinking of himself as a failure,i hope and i wish from the bottom of my heart that somewhere in realms between space and time he can hear our words and know what kind of inspiration he is,personally my favoruite author...Thank you Bob,you saved me from the same pain that took you
Robert E. Howard is a writer I felt I could really relate to when I was young. Such an amazing talent. Sad that both he and Lovecraft died without knowing the tremendous impact they would have on literature.
Terrific video and tribute to REH, one of the greats! I enjoyed it very much. Nice to see those newer editions, I have some of the older ones but I am glad he is staying in print. We need his kind of stories and heroes today more than ever. All best to you at stately Vaughan Manor!
Loved the review on Howard's works. Takes me back. I got into Howard in '94. I remember the hunt for books with just his writing. My favorite one were the hardcovers put out by Donald M. Grant publishing. I also had the ACE and Lancer Conan books. Sometimes I miss those days of searching out every used book store to look for more Howard material. So glad all those new editions came out with just REH. I haven't done a reread of Conan in a while. Crom's bones! I'll have to go back to them.
I still have all the old paperback REH books I found in the used bookstores back in the old days. I have a few of those Donald M. Grant books as well. I know what you mean. Those were good times.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 I remember back then all struggle going on between CPI (Conan Properties Inc) that DeCamp was part of, Grant and I think a few other publishers who owned the rights to Conan and REH. There were a few web sites at the time. The official Conan page with the message board, The Barbarian Keep and REHUPA (Robert E. Howard United Press Association). There was always some kind of drama going on. Ahh the good old days.
On a side note, I even had the old TOR Conan books by other authors. The first Conan book I read was Robert Jordan's Conan The Unconquered.
I stumbled onto Howard while listening to weird tales magazines in audiobook form and I fell in love. Not enough content and information on this man here on UA-cam. Thanks for the video!
You are very welcome. Starting today I’ll be doing a new Howard related video every Monday, just in case you are interested. Thanks for watching!
I actually got into your channel because of your comic reviews and now you have me reading more literature than I ever thought I would visit I didn’t read a book until 20 years old then found the hobbit
How interesting! I didn’t know anything about his life. Thanks. Deb
Didn't know much about Robert E. Howard, but now I have more books to add to my list. Great video
Thanks. I really appreciate your watching!
I loved your talk on Howard's works. You seem to convey with delight, thrill and indeed love. Your subdued enthusiasm is somewhat akin to how I would have enjoyed sharing my own joy of reading Howard.
I look forward to any future talks you may do.
Good job!!
Thanks! I talk about Howard every Monday nowadays.
Great video. I've been a fan of REH for a long time now. The savage sword of Conan is what first grabbed me back in the 80s. Forgot about him for a long time...but have recently started collecting his stuff again. The del Rey books are great... especially bran Mac morn. The worms of the Earth....Croms bones!
Worms of the Earth was such a great story!
This was informative! Thanks Michael! I trait enjoyed this!
Thanks so much for watching! Robert E. Howard is the best!
The thing about your videos is I get the urge to go read the books you talk about, as I have most of them this is a possibility, however I'm usually in the middle of some other tome and by the time I finish, that said urge has dissipated. I'll need to re-watch many of your videos again and again. As if my life wasn't complicated enough already. Thanks a lot!
Sorry!
He sounds like a fascinating person. I've always wanted to read the Conan books but they've had so many authors and publishers I never knew which one to try. Thanks for clarifying. I almost purchased the L Sprague de Camp / Lin Carter volumes. I must look for that Del Rey volume. Thanks for talking about R E Howard.
Thanks for listening to me talk! I really appreciate it!
All of the original Conan stories are also available for free on the internet! For example, Project Gutenberg hosts them, since they have passed into public domain. So even if you can't find the physical books, it's very easy to get started, and I heartily recommend it. Most of the stories are short and quick reads, so picking them up is no great commitment.
My first view of one of your videos. Thank you for such an inspiring ramble through the thicket of REH appreciation. I have subscribed, in expectation of more of this quality. Thank you.
Thanks! I really appreciate your watching!
You inspire me to read Conan, I was only familiar with him from the movie. Sad to hear the author died so young. Good video, very informative.
Thanks! This was an early video so I was a bit stiff and lifeless!
Very enjoyable, Michael! I have those Ballantine/Del Rey editions of most of the books. If Conan is your favorite Howard creation, which is your second favorite?
Also, have you read Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane books?
Thanks for sharing.
Best, Jack
Solomon Kane is probably my second favorite. He is just such a unique character.
As for Karl Edward Wagner: You can bet your best running shoes I’ve read Kane! I have an extra fancy hardcover set as well as the old paperbacks. Will do a video about KEW’s Kane & horror stories sometime in the future.
Thanks, once again, for the support!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Solomon Kane is really interesting. The dichotomy between his rigid moral/religious code and the absolute volcano he can become when he sees vulnerable characters oppressed works well.
I have really enjoyed your videos and how you delve into some of my favorite science fiction and fantasy writers.
I have lots of REH on hand but need to get more of it under my belt. Milo asked me to read some Conan but I’m not sure he’s ready.
How old is he now?
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Nine in April.
@@ThisJustInBookTube tell him to stick to Hobbits!
I let a friend borrow a Conan book you showed he spilled water all over it. You Also didn't mention he originally created Red Sonja . Also did you watch the Movie Solomon Kane? Hell I even enjoyed R.E. Howard's Boxing stories.
Red Sonja was created by Roy Thomas for the Conan comic book and was partially based on Howard’s Red Sonya. Sonya only appeared in one story so I didn’t think to mention her. Good character though.
I liked the Solomon Kane movie quite a bit. That is a tragedy about your book! Thanks for watching!
Not arguing. I know She was only in 1 Howard's story, but Red Sonja of today was recreated from Howard's Red Sonja. So...therefore He created Her.👍😁👍. It's all good. Just thought people may have been interested. Keep up the great work. I've been on some of these that I dont think they even read the books. They just like 2 own them.
@@jamesfetcho6315 I bow to your logic! Thanks for your continued support! I appreciate it!
Dear Michael, which collection would you recommend for the Conan stories? The complete Conan centennial collection or the three volume set by ballantine/del rey starting with the Coming of Conan the Cimmerian?
They are both great. The Del Rey set is a bit better because the texts have been restored as much as possible to Howard’s original versions. That said, there really isn’t that much difference.
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Thank you! I only had the Heroes in the Wind modern classic collection but that only gave me a taster of Howard's various heroes. Now I need to read the full series.
A Princess of Mars by ERB came out in 1912, wouldn’t that be the first published book in the sword and sorcery genre??
Actually, since there are no supernatural elements, it doesn’t count as S&S. It certainly was influential on that genre though. The Shadow Kingdom by Robert E. Howard is often cited as being the first S&S story, outside mythology anyway. The Worm Ouroboros by Eric Rucker Eddison predates it however by a few years. Many consider that one High Fantasy though, so who knows.
H.P. Lovecraft mention aside, and REH's issues aside as well, he was an undeniable talent.
He was indeed. Thanks so much for watching!
How much $ are the Marvel “gigantic” Conan Omnibus books?
Depending where you get them they can be around $80-150. Each volume seems to be a different price.
Robert E. Howard's writing style was unique, in that he infused his own personality within his stories, the Conan ones in particular. It's such a tragedy that he shot himself at 30, after his mother slipped into her irreversible coma due to poor health.
Had he lived longer, he might've branched out more into Western stories, with the occasional sword-and-sorcery fantasy. He might have even combined the two genres!
No pastiche writer could do justice to Howard's style--he was a one-of-a-kind writer. 🤠
You should grow a big mustache.
I really shouldn’t.
1st😁