Remembering Robert E. Howard: Creator of Sword & Sorcery and Conan the Barbarian
Celebrating the 120th birthday of one of the most influential authors of all time
“Thank you for so many years of wonderful stories and adventures, Robert E. Howard,” notes Conan The Barbarian comic book writer Jim Zub. “You are the finest pulp writer that ever was and probably ever will be. It’s an absolute honor to be able to contribute even the tiniest bit to your legacy.”
One of the most striking characters in storytelling history is sword & sorcery icon Conan the Barbarian AKA Conan the Cimmerian. A sword-wielding adventurer facing dangerous wizards, monsters, soldiers, and thieves, Conan made his first appearance in a 1932 issue of the legendary pulp magazine Weird Tales. In the decades since, the character has made all sorts of appearances in books, movies, TV shows, comic books, games, and more.
While you might have heard of Conan, it’s possible you don’t know as much about his creator, Robert E. Howard (1906-1936). Over a mere 12 years, author REH wrote enough fiction to rank among the greatest writers of action and adventure stories.
Related: So much more than Conan: How the Robert E. Howard Foundation celebrates his work
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Meet Robert E. Howard—more than just the father of Sword & Sorcery
Robert E. Howard, of course, is most remembered for creating Conan the Barbarian—and generally credited with inventing the whole story category now known as “sword & sorcery” fiction.
But in his brief author career, REH typed out more than a hundred stories for many more pulp categories. This doesn’t just include sword & sorcery stories, but also fantasy, horror, boxing stories, cowboy stories, action and adventure, comedy, and more.
In addition to Conan, his characters also include sailor and boxer Steve Costigan (whose stories are hilarious—I’m reading them right now), Texas gunfighter El Borak, short-tempered sword woman Dark Agnes, somber Puritan Solomon Kane, the philosophical warrior Kull of Atlantis, police detective Steve Harrison, and Pict king Bran Mak Morn.
Worth noting—and somewhat surprising—is how the original versions of REH’s stories have only recently become available.
There are several official story collections from publisher Del Rey.
There are also a number of titles put together by the non-profit Robert E. Howard Foundation, which is dedicated to celebrating the life and work of the author. With their publishing arm, their goals include—working with other publishers—getting everything REH wrote into print. (We interviewed someone from REHF here!)
Also exciting is how Heroic Signatures (working with Titan Books and Titan Comics) is now adding exciting brand-new stories to that world. This includes original novels and comic books from authors revisiting the worlds of Robert E. Howard. (We have an interview coming soon from Heroic Signatures, too!)
Happy Birthday, Robert E. Howard!
On January 22, 2026, we celebrated the 120th birthday of Robert E. Howard. Below are a couple of videos marking the event. The first video, from the REH Foundation, includes several people honoring the memory of REH. (In fact, this is where we got the Jim Zub quote we posted at the top.)
The second video is the latest episode of “The Robert E. Howard Show,” co-hosted by Michael K. Vaughan and Roger the Mummy. (Well, Roger doesn’t say much.)
Happy 120th Birthday, Robert E. Howard! | Robert E. Howard Foundation
This video birthday card to Robert E. Howard has an All-star cast of REH fans wishing Bob a Happy 120th Birthday with readings of Howard's poetry and selections from some of his stories! Join us and raise a toast to celebrating the birth of the greatest pulp writer and one damn fine poet, Robert E. Howard, for his birthday!
Robert E. Howard’s 120th Birthday | The Robert E. Howard Show | Michael K. Vaughan
“Robert E. Howard—my favorite writer of all time. I love Robert E. Howard. He is, of course, the greatest pulp writer who ever lived.”
More about Robert E. Howard online:
Q&A: How the Robert E. Howard Foundation celebrates his work (Monster Complex)
A Short Biography of Robert E. Howard (Robert E. Howard Foundation)
Additional Robert E. Howard Biographical Information (REHF Press)
The life and death of Robert E. Howard (Heroic Signatures)
Robert E. Howard’s Conan And The Texas Connection (The Texas Signal)
Robert E Howard: The bizarre life of the ‘Conan the Barbarian’ creator (Far Out Magazine)
In Memory of Robert E Howard (The Geekerati Newsletter)
Robert E. Howard: Godfather of Grimdark? (Grimdark Magazine)
ROBERT E. HOWARD and the Many Faces of CONAN (Amazing Stories)
This pulp fiction journal had sleazy covers and a low circulation. But it still produced an iconic character (Woman of Letters)
Robert E. Howard, Grettir the Outlaw, and the origins of two-fisted Weird Fiction (Adam’s Notes)
Might Makes Right: The Colonial Underpinnings of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian (University of Helsinki)
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How Heroic Signatures is bringing new life to the sword-wielding legend. “We had no other goal other than to just make the best damn Conan comics we could that would appeal to Conan fans.”