Robert E. Howard

Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 – June 11, 1936) was an American pulp fiction author best known for his character Conan the Barbarian and considered the father of the “sword and sorcery” fantasy fiction subgenre. Born and raised in Texas, his father was a country doctor who had a penchant for get-rich-quick schemes. The resulting financial problems led to marital difficulties and frequent moves. His mother, who suffered from tuberculosis his entire life, felt she had married beneath her station. As a child Howard dreamed of becoming an author of adventure fiction and achieved his first success at age 23. His writings were published in a wide selection of magazines, journals, and newspapers in several genres. The main outlet for his stories was the Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales, which featured Conan the Barbarian, a character whose cultural impact has been compared to that of such icons as Batman, Count Dracula, James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, and Tarzan. Howard remains a popular author, with his best works still continuously in print. His suicide at the age of 30 led to speculation about his mental health: when he learned that his mother had entered a permanent coma, he walked out to his car and shot himself in the head.

Product Compare (0)

Sort By: