R- Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors (v, b)

Robert E. Howard (1906-1936) was one of the rare writers for the pulp magazines who both reached a degree of popularity within his lifetime and continued to have a strong reader base decades later. In the 1930s, his popularity in his principle market, Weird Tales, was rivaled only by Seabury Quinn, whose literary star has since faded. Today Howard is the best-known WT writer except for perhaps his friend H.P. Lovecraft (who published far less material).

Howard experimented with submissions to a diverse range of genre magazines, but his strengths lay in the realm of "sword and sorcery" fantasy and humorous westerns. His best-known creation is Conan the Cimmerian. His other heroes (Kull of Atlantis, Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane and others) tend to follow similar molds. Modern readers may be put off by the racist overtones in his stories (most writers of the period believed in white supremacy), the secondary status of women (also typical of the time), or the gruesome violence which pervades his works (though this element remains popular in modern fantasy). His heroes are primal, trusting in only their own strength and cunning (and fists, swords or guns) to overcome their problems (be they human enemies or dire monsters).

"Two-Gun Bob" himself would perhaps have been better suited to life in one of his own stories--he, too, was a powerful man ruled by strong emotions. When he committed suicide at age 30, he left behind volumes of unpublished stories, plus notes and outlines for unwritten stories. Other fantasy authors have written posthumous "collaborations" or outright pastiches based on these papers. For example, Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp attempted to complete the adventures of Conan, and prepared numerous other Howard stories for publication.

More information about this man and his work can be found at the Robert E. Howard Archive.

Many of Howard's action tales contain elements of horror, but he also wrote stories specifically for that genre. Like many members of the so-called "Lovecraft Circle," he heavily borrowed "Mythos" elements (creatures, forbidden texts, etc.) from his fellow writers. However, Howard's stories are distinguished by protagonists who can fight back effectively against the horrors they encounter. In general, Lovecraft is the more ambitious and accomplished horror writer, but Howard surpasses him in creating characters who are emotional, active protagonists rather than merely intellectual observers.

Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors (Baen Books) is probably the most easily located collection of Howard's horror stories. Do not be misled by the title, however; while some of the stories are clearly "Mythos" tales, Cthulhu is only mentioned in passing in two tales. Most of these stories are set in the 20th century, but one (featuring Bran Mak Morn) takes place in Roman Britain, and one is set before Howard's famous "Hyborian Age."

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Last Updated: February 29, 2000

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