Robert E. Howard – American early 20th-century writer, creator of Conan the Barbarian and founder of the “sword and sorcery” subgenre. Born in 1906 in Texas, he lived in small towns, publishing in pulp magazines. His fiction fused raw action, dark myth, and lyrical cadence. Though he died young, he left a lasting mark on fantasy, comics, and popular culture.
⚔️ Conan debuted in Weird Tales in 1932, instantly captivating readers. 📚 Also created Solomon Kane, Kull the Conqueror, and other heroes. 🤠 Drew inspiration from Texan folklore and the Wild West. 🖋 His writing style was called “poetry of slaughter.” 🏋️ Practiced boxing and wrote fight stories. 🌍 Maintained a legendary correspondence with H. P. Lovecraft. 🎭 His stories later fuelled comics, films, and RPGs. 💔 Took his life in 1936 after his mother’s illness. 😅 Funny note: performed his stories aloud so dramatically that friends dubbed him “a one-man barroom actor.”