Black Colossus - Robert E. Howard

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Résumé :
This early work by Robert E. Howard was originally published in 1933 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'Black Colossus' is a story in the Conan series in which he leads an army to battle an evil sorcerer. Robert Ervin Howard was born in Peaster, Texas in 1906. During his youth, his family moved between a variety of Texan boomtowns, and Howard - a bookish and somewhat introverted child - was steeped in the violent myths and legends of the Old South. At fifteen Howard began to read the pulp magazines of the day, and to write more seriously. The December 1922 issue of his high school newspaper featured two of his stories, 'Golden Hope Christmas' and 'West is West'. In 1924 he sold his first piece - a short caveman tale titled 'Spear and Fang' - for dollars16 to the not-yet-famous Weird Tales magazine. Howard's most famous character, Conan the Cimmerian, was a barbarian-turned-King during the Hyborian Age, a mythical period of some 12,000 years ago. Conan featured in seventeen Weird Tales stories between 1933 and 1936 which is why Howard is now regarded as having spawned the 'sword and sorcery' genre. The Conan stories have since been adapted many times, most famously in the series of films starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Biographie:
Robert E. Howard (1906- 1936) grew up in the boomtowns of early twentieth-century Texas, eventually settling in Cross Plains where he lived for the remainder of his short life. Deciding early on a literary career, he spent the bulk of his time crafting stories and poems for the burgeoning pulp fiction markets: Weird Tales, Action Stories, Fight Stories, Argosy, etc. Howard's literary reputation was assured with the publication of The Shadow Kingdom in 1928, which featured a unique blend of fantasy and adventure which has since been termed Heroic Fantasy. The creation of Conan the Cimmerian, Kull the Conqueror, Solomon Kane and many more has earned him lasting recognition....

Sommaire:
Robert Ervin Howard was an American writer born on January 22, 1906, in Peaster, Texas. Known for his prolific work in pulp fiction, he created iconic characters, most notably Conan the Barbarian, and is considered the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre. Raised in Texas, Howard wrote across a variety of genres, including horror, fantasy, and adventure, often weaving complex narratives involving mythological creatures, dark magic, and heroic struggles. His writing was influenced by authors such as H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. Despite his early death at the age of 30 on June 11, 1936, in Cross Plains, Texas, Howard's impact on genre fiction was profound. His works have inspired countless writers, filmmakers, and artists, cementing his legacy within fantasy and pulp literature. His parents were Hester Jane Ervin Howard and Isaac Mordecai Howard, and Howard's creative output, especially his Conan stories, has continued to captivate audiences long after his untimely death. Howard's poems, like Singers in the Shadows and Always Comes Evening, also reflect his talent for evoking vivid imagery and emotion....