Solomon Kane

H. P. Lovecraft: "Welcher Schriftsteller kann schon mit Howard mithalten, wenn es um pure, lebendige Angst geht?"Robert E. Howard (1906-1936) gilt mit seinen Geschichten um Helden wie Conan von Cimmerien, Red Sonja und Solomon Kane als der Begründer der modernen »Schwert und Magie«-Fantasy. Er war ein Schriftsteller von gewaltiger visionärer und literarischer Kraft. Obwohl Howard sehr jung starb, haben seine fantastisch-historischen Erzählungen bis heute eine enorme Fangemeinde gefunden.Festa veröffentlicht erstmals auf Deutsch seine unheimlichen Geschichten (5 Bände), darunter einige die zu H. P. Lovecrafts »Cthulhu-Mythos« gezählt werden können. Das Bonusmaterial bilden Briefe zwischen H. P. Lovecraft und Robert E. Howard sowie Essays zu Leben und Werk des Texaners.Stephen King: "In Howards besten Erzählungen steckt eine so unglaubliche Energie, dass geradezu Funken sprühen!"Robert Bloch: "Hinter Howards Erzählungen lauert eine dunkle Poetik, und die zeitlose Wahrheit der Träume."

Robert Ervin Howard (1906-1936) was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. He is well known for having created the character Conan the Cimmerian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond. Voracious reading, along with a natural talent for prose writing and the encouragement of teachers, conspired to create in Howard an interest in becoming a professional writer. One by one he discovered the authors that would influence his later work: Jack London and Rudyard Kipling. It's clear from Howard's earliest writings and the recollections of his friends that he suffered from severe depression from an early age. Friends recall him defending the act of suicide as a valid alternative as early as eighteen years old, describing such an end not as a tragedy but as a release from hell on earth.

Robert Ervin Howard (1906-1936) was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. He is well known for having created the character Conan the Cimmerian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond. Voracious reading, along with a natural talent for prose writing and the encouragement of teachers, conspired to create in Howard an interest in becoming a professional writer. One by one he discovered the authors that would influence his later work: Jack London and Rudyard Kipling. It's clear from Howard's earliest writings and the recollections of his friends that he suffered from severe depression from an early age. Friends recall him defending the act of suicide as a valid alternative as early as eighteen years old, describing such an end not as a tragedy but as a release from hell on earth.

Robert Ervin Howard (1906-1936) was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. He is well known for having created the character Conan the Cimmerian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond. Voracious reading, along with a natural talent for prose writing and the encouragement of teachers, conspired to create in Howard an interest in becoming a professional writer. One by one he discovered the authors that would influence his later work: Jack London and Rudyard Kipling. It's clear from Howard's earliest writings and the recollections of his friends that he suffered from severe depression from an early age. Friends recall him defending the act of suicide as a valid alternative as early as eighteen years old, describing such an end not as a tragedy but as a release from hell on earth.

Reproduction of the original: Red Nails by Robert E. Howard (lib)

Reproduction of the original: The Devil in Iron by Robert E. Howard (lib)

"Der Schwarze Zirkel" (The People of the Black Circle) ist eine der Original-Novellen über Conan dem legendären Barbaren, geschrieben vom amerikanischen Autor Robert E. Howard und erstmals in der Zeitschrift Weird Tales in drei Teilen in den Ausgaben vom September, Oktober und November 1934 veröffentlicht.Die Geschichte spielt im pseudohistorischen Hyborianischen Zeitalter und handelt von Conan, der eine exotische Prinzessin aus Vendhya (dem prähistorischen Indien) entführt und dabei einen ruchlosen Plan zur Welteroberung durch die schwarzen Magier von Yimsha vereitelt. Aufgrund ihres epischen Umfangs und des untypischen Charakters der Hindustan-Geschichte gilt die Erzählung als unumstrittener Klassiker der Conan-Legende und wird von Howard-Forschern oft als eine seiner besten Erzählungen zitiert. Sie ist auch eine der wenigen Howard-Geschichten, in denen der Leser einen tieferen Einblick in die Magie und die Magier erhält, jenseits der stereotypen hyborianischen Darstellung als Dämonenbeschwörer und Illusionisten-Priester. (lib)

Robert E. Howard's correspondence continues in this second volume of Collected Letters. Having achieved his goal of becoming of a self-supporting, working writer - popular among leaders for his/her, fantasy, and humorous boxing stories - Howard begins corresponding with other writers, most notably, H.P. Lovecraft. Read the beginnings of their long running debates, including many draft pages which reveal how Howard's arguments evolved. These letters also showcase Howard's love of Texas as he embarks on his unofficial job as Raconteur of Texas History and life in letters to Lovecraft, August Derleth, and others. Discover some of the early elements of writing style and personality that would go on to define Robert E. Howard, the professional writer. Known to his friends and family simply as "Bob," these early letters illustrate a life-long interest in poetry, boxing, folk songs, and the Irish and the Celts. These letters provide an intimate window as Howard works to develop his writer's craft, creating poems, dramas, parodies of Fu Manchu and detective stories, as well as ribald and bawdy plays and poems. Also revealed are Howard's views on the world at large, including political, social, and philosophical issues, as well as details of his day-to-day life. Don't miss this rare opportunity to get to know Bob Howard on a more personal level, as his friends once knew him. The publication of "Spear and Fang" in the July 1925 issue of Weird Tales introduced the world to Robert E. Howard; in 1936, that same magazine - as well as legions of fans - mourned his loss. In a writing career that spanned little more than a decade, Howard created a stable of characters whose influences extend well into the current century, most notably Conan the Cimmerian, whose adventures have appeared in various media from a syndicated comic strip to major motion pictures. The incredible popularity of Howard's Hyborean adventurer has eclipsed the many and varied works he produced in other genres. Howard wrote prolifically in the boxing and western genres, creating character series that were as popular in the magazines they appeared in as Conan was in Weird Tales. Straight adventure, horror, weird menace - Howard's byline appeared in a plethora of magazines catering to a broad variety of readerships spanning the 1920s and '30s. He was also a gifted and prolific poet. The Collected Letters reveal a side of Howard's personality that readers of his fiction might not suspect existed. Full of humor, philosophical musings, travelogue, historical sketches, and opinions on contemporary politics and events - local, national, and international - Howard's letters provide important insight into the life and times of one of the most influential pulp-era writers of the twentieth century. This second volume of a three-volume set collects all of Howard's known correspondence, from the early letters to his Texas friends, most notably Tevis Clyde Smith, and continuing through correspondence with fellow writers Clark Ashton Smith, E. Hoffmann Price, and others. Also included are Howard's letters to H.P. Lovecraft, which constitute one of the most intriguing correspondence cycles in the history of Fantasy fiction.