Books Robert E. Howard-Verse Discussion Thread

[CarlManvers2019]

Just so you all know, I haven't managed to read everything by Robert E. Howard yet, I have currently finished Kull, Conan, Bran Brak Morn and Solomon Kane in the Robert E. Howard Ultimate Collection that I purchased on Kindle, alongside some of his other short stories.

I think it's more or less confirmed that a lot or most of his stories are set within the same universe, possibly connected with that of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos even.

Admittedly, the stories REH's got are pretty racist, believing in shit the Nazi's believed in, so kinda cringe and WTF at times. Though, can also be very respectable and humanising as shown with the African Tribesmen who were eaten alive by the Harpies and N'Longa, Solomon Kane's Witch Doctor friend who's far older than even his old age may show.

That said, if anybody wants to see Borderline-Badass Normals who have tremendous direct-fighting skills(CQC for both Armed&Unarmed and even Long-Ranged) and the ability to use their wits to see possible weaknesses and improvise when fighting directly doesn't work, whom I suspect were inspirations for Guts from Berserk.

Funnily, I think they're a show that you can be both a Berserker AND still be a smart fighter at the same time.

So, for you guys who may have read his works, some or most or all, which was your favourite stories?

 

[Porkchopper]

Inif coursw read Conan. Frost Giants Daughter was pretty memorable bout of endurance for Conan. Although as much as I liked Conan I think A Princess of Mars was better.

 

[CarlManvers2019]

Inif coursw read Conan. Frost Giants Daughter was pretty memorable bout of endurance for Conan. Although as much as I liked Conan I think A Princess of Mars was better.

Nice to see a fellow fan, that said I haven’t finished Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Warlord of Mars series but I have finished a good portion of them

Amazon’s Kindle is rathe convenient

Also, no offense but any chance you notice that his barbarian heroes are really really really similar and almost exact in personality?

Not sure what notable differences Kull, Bran Brak Morn and Conan have

 

[Porkchopper]

True but that was the stsndard of day. Thet were pulp stories which was basically one step above fanfiction. They also published on a weekly and monthly basis that disnt leave much time for developing lots of different characters. Those pulp authors pretty much lived hand to mouth so when they found a successful forumula they ran with it.

 

[CarlManvers2019]

True but that was the stsndard of day. Thet were pulp stories which was basically one step above fanfiction. They also published on a weekly and monthly basis that disnt leave much time for developing lots of different characters. Those pulp authors pretty much lived hand to mouth so when they found a successful forumula they ran with it.

Yeah, that said, they’re still way better than most modern day bland nondescript Nice Guy Harem MCs

Course, I think there are slight differences like Bran Brak Morn while a mercenary repeatedly emphasizing him being a Christian and a Celt and disliking Pagan Vikings

Solomon Kane doing his adventures not simply for adventure but because he’s a vigilante who’s also very religious

Conan being actually real fun loving, he really likes the adventures he does in order to get with ladies and get treasure. I think to him, the treasure’s worthless without the adventure and excitement even

So those differences are slight but noticeable if you’re trying to look for them

 

[CarlManvers2019]

You know, in-spite of possibly sharing the same universe as Lovecraft, I can say that REH’s badass normal-esque heroes are too Badass to care too much about their insignificance to eldritch horrors

 

[Porkchopper]

You know, in-spite of possibly sharing the same universe as Lovecraft, I can say that REH’s badass normal-esque heroes are too Badass to care too much about their insignificance to eldritch horrors

Well like Conan said to a few sorcerers. " A few feet of steel is a hearty incantation"

 

[CarlManvers2019]

Well like Conan said to a few sorcerers. " A few feet of steel is a hearty incantation"

I wish Kentaro Miura made manga adaptations of all of REH’s stories

 

[Porkchopper]

That would be amazing.

 

[CarlManvers2019]

That would be amazing.

Either that or the guys making Vinland Saga

Don’t know of many Low-Dark Fantasy Set-In-Europe-or-Europe-Expy manga artists admittedly

That said I give it to Kentaro Miura or the guy drawing the Goblin Slayer manga or Vinland Saga to make the physical impacts of frankly mostly ordinary weapons felt

 

[Shipmaster Sane]

I know this is a thread about the books, but have you seen the Solomon Kane film? It was well received by fans of both Solomon Kane and fans of James Purefoy.

 

[CarlManvers2019]

I know this is a thread about the books, but have you seen the Solomon Kane film? It was well received by fans of both Solomon Kane and fans of James Purefoy.

Sorry nope, didn’t watch it or the Conan movie

I’m sort of planning on reading everything Robert E. Howard before even reading the comics

 

[Shipmaster Sane]

Sorry nope, didn’t watch it or the Conan movie

I’m sort of planning on reading everything Robert E. Howard before even reading the comics

You're certainly off to a good start, keep at it.

 

[CarlManvers2019]

You're certainly off to a good start, keep at it.

Only problem so far for me, is that I don’t get too much of a sense of MC’s being that different from one another personality wise.

Almost all have the whole “I am a brutal and simple person, yet I am actually surprisingly careful and thoughtful in-spite of what my frame suggests” and can combine being a Berserker with being a precise(no or barely any wasted movements)and intelligent, careful fighter. And not always feeling a sense of character development even.

Guts from Berserk may be inspired by reading those stories, but with an extra level of angst and not being so adventure loving

 

[Shipmaster Sane]

Only problem so far for me, is that I don’t get too much of a sense of MC’s being that different from one another personality wise.

Almost all have the whole “I am a brutal and simple person, yet I am actually surprisingly careful and thoughtful in-spite of what my frame suggests” and can combine being a Berserker with being a precise(no or barely any wasted movements)and intelligent, careful fighter. And not always feeling a sense of character development even.

Guts from Berserk may be inspired by reading those stories, but with an extra level of angst and not being so adventure loving

Berserk definitely draws upon Howard's writing, you're right there.
Notably, Guts spends a portion of his story basically "pretending" to be a more brutal and emotionally hard person than he is, but thats a discussion for the other thread (which I run).

Among Howard's heroes I've found, in my limited reading, that Kane feels a little more distinct to the others than they do each other. His tone is occasionally more... I guess I would say "Lofty"?

 

[CarlManvers2019]

Berserk definitely draws upon Howard's writing, you're right there.
Notably, Guts spends a portion of his story basically "pretending" to be a more brutal and emotionally hard person than he is, but thats a discussion for the other thread (which I run).

Among Howard's heroes I've found, in my limited reading, that Kane feels a little more distinct to the others than they do each other. His tone is occasionally more... I guess I would say "Lofty"?

He’s also more religious and sorta superstitious

He’s not in it for the adventure, he’s a wandering vigilante.

He also does minor character development, given he stops being so apprehensive of his witch doctor friend when he’s proven a good guy and takes the staff he was given. I think he even believes in evolution when he decides that the harpies are less a supernatural force and more some horrible offbranch of humanity

 

[Navarro]

Found this fascinating article on the similarities and differences between Howard's and Tolkien's writing:

Visions, Gryphons, Nothing and the Night

www.robert-e-howard.org

 

[Husky_Khan]

I'm terribly lame, the most of Conan I've read are the Kurt Busiek graphic novel adaptions of Robert Howard's Conan stories like the Frost Giants Daughter, Tower of the Elephant and God in the Bowl and the like. I did love reading them though I have little idea as to their accuracy compared to the source material.

Conan Omnibus Volume 1: Birth of the Legend TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Conans earliest adventures, now available in affordable omnibus format! Featuring the legendary run of comics greats Kurt Busiek and Cary No ...

www.darkhorse.com

 

[CarlManvers2019]

I'm terribly lame, the most of Conan I've read are the Kurt Busiek graphic novel adaptions of Robert Howard's Conan stories like the Frost Giants Daughter, Tower of the Elephant and God in the Bowl and the like. I did love reading them though I have little idea as to their accuracy compared to the source material.

Conan Omnibus Volume 1: Birth of the Legend TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Conans earliest adventures, now available in affordable omnibus format! Featuring the legendary run of comics greats Kurt Busiek and Cary No ...

www.darkhorse.com

Well, for one Conan surprisingly enough actually wears clothes and armor

The “Barbarian” part is more of his peoples cultural influences and lifestyle, rather than rejecting stuff civilization’s got like iron tools, weapons and armor and clothes which his people already got but still had the whole living in tribes and being mostly hunter gatherers and raiders

 

[Navarro]

Hell, the very first thing Conan is seen carrying in his hands is ... a stylus, while he's dressed in ... silk robes.