Remembering Robert E. Howard: Creator of Sword & Sorcery and Conan the Barbarian

Books
Written By Chris Well

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.  

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. (Watch for our interview with someone from REHF next month!) 

Also exciting is how Heroic Signatures is now adding exciting brand-new stories to that world. This includes original novels and comic books. (We have an interview coming soon from Heroic Signatures, too!)

Happy Birthday, Robert E. Howard

Today (January 22, 2026) is the 120th birthday of Robert E. Howard. Below are a couple of videos celebrating the event and the author. The video from the REH Foundation includes several people sharing their thoughts…

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.”

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Chris Well

Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.

https://chriswell.substack.com/
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