Description

Two-Gun Bob – A Centennial Study of Robert E. Howard     Paperback (8.5″ x 5.5”)
Hippocampus Press (2006)
Edited by: Benjamin Szumskyj 
With a foreword by: Michael Moorcock
Cover Design and Artwork by: Frank Coffman (depicting Robert E. Howard’s Underwood typewriter)

*** NO Pictures… Only Text ***

Two-Gun Bob
Robert Ervin Howard (1906 – 1936)
“Author and Poet”

In the one hundred years since his birth, Robert E. Howard’s reputation has expanded from a mere pulp writer to a leading figure in the horror, fantasy, and adventure fiction of the 20th century. The virtual creator of the genre of sword-and-sorcery, Howard peopled his tales with such imperishable action figures as Conan the Cimmerian, Solomon Kane, King Kull, and Bran Mak Morn. In recent years, students and scholars have been examining Howard’s work with increasing care and precision, placing it within the context of American and world literature. Two-Gun Bob commemorates Howard’s centennial with an anthology of thirteen new and reprinted essays on Howard, ranging from Glenn Lord’s study of Howard’s early amateur press work to Fred Blosser’s look at Howard’s detective writing; from Charles Hoffman’s analysis of Howard’s portrayal of character to S. T. Joshi’s placement of the Bran Mak Morn stories in the context of Roman history; from Charles Gramlich’s psychological study of Howard to Michele Tetro’s survey of Howard’s poetry. Essays by John Goodrich, Frank Coffman, Lorenzo DiTommaso, Steve Sheaffer, Martin Andersson, Pietro Guarriello, and editor Benjamin Szumkyj discuss many other aspects of Howard’s life, work, and thought, presenting a balanced and well-rounded portrayal of the man and the writer, and laying the groundwork for continuing study of this complex and enigmatic writer in the decades to come.

From Back Cover:
During Robert E. Howard’s short life, the Texan created a body of literature across several genres – what he called “splashing the field.” Generally regarded as the founder of Sword & Sorcery, Howard’s tales for the pulp magazines of his day included oriental and historical adventures, fantasy, horror, boxing stories, tall-tale Westerns, detection, and science fiction as well as the stories of Conan the Cimmerian for which he is most widely known. He was also a genuinely gifted poet whose work has been generally unknown and sadly undervalued. This anthology of essays offers a centenary tribute to Howard and his literary achievement. The scholars represented herein offer a diverse cross section of critical approaches and a variety of interests, both in the study of Howard himself and of the products of his creative genius. Much work is currently being done in the republishing of Howard’s literary works (especially recent efforts to get “Pure Howard” texts in print), and scholarly publication and interest have also heightened in recent years as the Howard centennial approached. Indeed, a new “Howard Boom” seems to be under way.

Contents:                                                                                                         Page

Robert E. Howard: A Texan Master                                                                      9
essay by Michael Moorcock

Robert E. Howard: A Look at “Two-Gun Bob” 100 Years On                               15
essay by Benjamin Szumskyj

“The Junto”: Being a Brief Look at the Amateur Press Association                     22
Robert E. Howard Partook in As a Youth
essay by Glenn Lord

From Acorns Grow: Robert E. Howard Revealed in                                            25
“Post Oaks and Sand Roughs”
essay by John Goodrich

Sleuths, Secrets, and Grisly Mysteries: The Detective Fiction                            39
of Robert E. Howard
essay by Fred Blosser

Words from the Outer Dark: The Poetical Works of Robert E. Howard              59
essay by Michele Tetro

Texas Talespinner: Robert E. Howard’s Ways with Words                                  69
essay by Frank Coffman

Robert E. Howard: A Behavioral Perspective                                                      98
essay by Charles Allen Gramlich [as by Charles Gramlich, Ph.D.]

The Persistence of the Familiar: The Hyborian World                                        107
and the Geographies of Fantastic Literature
essay by Lorenzo DiTommaso, Ph.D.

Bran Mak Morn and History                                                                                120
essay by S. T. Joshi

“Bitter Pleasures and Swinish Stupidity”:                                                            132
Howard’s Take on Human Character
essay by Charles Hoffman

El Borak, the Swift essay by Scott Sheaffer                                                        143

Stars and Strong Men: The Science and Cosmic Fiction                                    176
of Robert E. Howard
essay by Martin Andersson

Laudator Temporis Acti: History and Myth in the Works                                      190
of Robert E. Howard
essay by Pietro Guarriello

Cimmerian Gloves: Studying Robert E. Howard’s Ace Jessel                             199
from the Ringside
essay by Benjamin Szumskyj

About the Contributors                                                                                          209

Acknowledgements                                                                                               215

Index                                                                                                                     217

*** NO Pictures… Only Text ***

Paperback is bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

First Edition
Publisher: Hippocampus Press
Publication Date: 2006
Format: 240 pages, PB, 8.5″ x 5.5”
ISBN-10: 0977173453
ISBN-13: 9780977173457

Collectible Entertainment note: Paperback is in Very Fine condition.  Very Nice!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Robert E. Howard collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Very Highly Recommended.

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