Robert E. Howard was born 120 years ago today. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. Certainly you’ve heard mention of his character Conan — the Cimmerian, the barbarian, etc.
I know today’s date well, but began to get hints it was rolling around again a couple of days ago. My big eBook The Dark Barbarian That Towers Over All — first in an ongoing series of LitCrit MegaPacks — jumped up the Amazon lists from 115ish into the 20s, so someone bought a memorial copy. Still the largest — and best — roundup of litcrit on REH. No bragging. Just the facts.
But I was surprised to notice yesterday that the biographical Famous Someday exploded volcanically from the sales doldrums to chase on the heels of Towers. I like that little book, the interviews with Texans who knew Howard, exploring a trove of books that once belonged to Doctor Isaac Howard, REH’s father.
In one of those books Doc Howard doodled the remark that “Robert will be famous someday”.
Not bragging. Just a fact.
