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The Dark Barbarian: The Writings of Robert E Howard : A Critical Anthology

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If you are looking for the typical book reprinting the works of Robert E. Howard (REH), this is not for you. But if you are a student of his work, if you are truly interested in what others have to say about his writings, this is a must have.

Howard is lucky enough that occasionally his admirers turn a critical eye toward his work, and often such serious reviews and studies of his work leave you wondering, "what if he had not killed himself?" This is just such a work, one that leads you to see REH as far more than just the man who created Conan.

This book is the work of a number of writers, who all have one thing in common: a very serious interest in Howard's work. It is the definitive critical anthology on the writings of REH. The essays, by such individuals as fantasy writer Fritz Leiber, the poets Donald Sidney-Fryer and Steve Eng, the Howard bibliographer Glenn Lord, Dennis Rickard, George Knight, and Ben Indick, critically survey REH's fantasy, westerns, poetry, and supernatural horror tales. The book includes an annotated bibliography of Howard's books as well as an appendix listing all the volumes known to have been in Howard's personal library.

In the past, Robert E. Howard was derided by critics as being just another cheap hack writer. However, as this book demonstrates, Howard was actually a very good writer whose works were mainly limited to pulp magazines since the "respectable" magazines would not even consider stories with barbarians like Conan or Kull as the hero.

This book is a must read for all Howard fans as well as fans of fantasy fiction.

This is a must have book! There are some 20 or so pictures of REH, Cross Plains, the Howard home, pulp magazines, a school paper of his called A Boy, A Beehive, and A Chinaman in which he received an A-, and more. I liked seeing the books REH had in his library.

On back cover, "Despite the fact that this volume is actually the work of a number of writers, they all have one thing in common; they take Howard's work seriously. If you have a serious interest in REH's work and in Conan as Howard conceived him, then this book is not only a desierable addition to your library, but a necessary one.-The Savage Sword of Conan"

After this 1984 book get it's sequel The Barbaric Truimph by Don Herron 2004, and Two-Gun Bob 2006 A Centenial Study of REH. All three books are superb!

Other must reads; One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Ellis who was REH's girlfriend, Blood & Thunder, The Life & Art of REH-Mark Finn, The Last of The Trunk-Paul Herman, Selected Letters of REH-Paul Herman, The Beast from the Abyss about cats, The Black Stranger and Other American Tales which has the scariest story of all time - Pigeons From Hell, Kull, Solomon Kane, All Conans, Lord of Samarcand, Bran Mak Morn, Steve Costigan, Cormac Mac Art, The Best of REH I & II, etc. Dark Horse comics is doing a terrific series on Conan with some of the best writers and artists and in the back of the book is the Adventures of Two-Gun Bob and they're doing a Pigeons From Hell, too!

Thank you to Don Herron, Glen Lord & everyone who contributed to this book, Paul Herman, Mark Finn, Dark Horse comics, and everyone else who has kept REH's legacy alive. Check out the REH Foundation and Forum!