ROBERT E. HOWARD

Robert E. Howard (1906–1936) was an American writer from Cross Plains, Texas, best known as the founding father of the "sword and sorcery" genre. Writing during the Great Depression, Howard sold stories prolifically to pulp magazines, most notably Weird Tales, where his most famous creation, Conan the Barbarian, first appeared in 1932 with "The Phoenix on the Sword." His vivid, action-packed prose and brooding heroes left an indelible mark on fantasy fiction and later influenced generations of writers, including J.R.R. Tolkien's contemporaries and modern fantasy authors.

Howard created several memorable characters across genres: the puritan avenger Solomon Kane, the prehistoric king Kull of Atlantis, the Pictish chieftain Bran Mak Morn, and the boxer Sailor Steve Costigan. His notable works include "The Tower of the Elephant," "Queen of the Black Coast," "The People of the Black Circle," "Red Nails," and The Hour of the Dragon, the only full-length Conan novel. He also wrote acclaimed horror stories such as "Pigeons from Hell" and numerous Western and boxing tales.

A close correspondent of H.P. Lovecraft, Howard struggled with personal difficulties and died by suicide in 1936 at age thirty. Despite his short life, his robust storytelling legacy endures in literature, comics, and film.