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Understanding The Flat Arc (Because Sometimes Your Character Doesn't HAVE To Change)

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Ive been checking, but haven't found anything--have they been announced for this year?

<div class="md"><p>Ive been checking, but haven&#39;t found anything--have they been announced for this year?</p>
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REH Days

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1977 edition of poems compiled by Glenn Lord. My favorite is “Invective”: There burns in me no honeyed drop of love,/Nor soft compassion for my brother man;/I would indeed humanity possessed/A single throat a keen-edged knife could span.

<div class="md"><p>1977 edition of poems compiled by Glenn Lord. My favorite is “Invective”: There burns in me no honeyed drop of love,/Nor soft compassion for my brother man;/I would indeed humanity possessed/A single throat a keen-edged knife could span.</p>
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Always Comes Evening

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Whenever I go back to reading him, I'm just completely in awe of what he can do with a paragraph. Making the Hyborian age feel real with detail that would take modern popular authors 300 pages.

Is it just me?

<div class="md"><p>Whenever I go back to reading him, I&#39;m just completely in awe of what he can do with a paragraph. Making the Hyborian age feel real with detail that would take modern popular authors 300 pages.</p>

<p>Is it just me?</p>
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Do other people consider REH the greatest American writer or am I tripping on the black lotus?

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The Pros and Cons of Using Tabletop RPGs As A Writing Tool

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Vincent Darlage reviews the latest Conan short story.  Madness on the Mound by Matthew John.  [https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/22/review-madness-on-the-mound-a-conan-short-story-by-matthew-john/](https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/22/review-madness-on-the-mound-a-conan-short-story-by-matthew-john/)

<div class="md"><p>Vincent Darlage reviews the latest Conan short story.  Madness on the Mound by Matthew John.  <a href="https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/22/review-madness-on-the-mound-a-conan-short-story-by-matthew-john/">https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/22/review-madness-on-the-mound-a-conan-short-story-by-matthew-john/</a></p>
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Madness on the Mound

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The Fur-Clad Fighter (A Character Concept)

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Doing a deep dive into Robert E. Howard’s works using this 1976 Starmont House annotated guide by Robert Weinberg.

It delves into the publication history, (likely) chronology and character development of each how Howard’s major characters and gives a plot summary and character list of each story, along with commentary and some (light) analysis.

Today is Solomon Kane!

<div class="md"><p>Doing a deep dive into Robert E. Howard’s works using this 1976 Starmont House annotated guide by Robert Weinberg.</p>

<p>It delves into the publication history, (likely) chronology and character development of each how Howard’s major characters and gives a plot summary and character list of each story, along with commentary and some (light) analysis.</p>

<p>Today is Solomon Kane!</p>
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The Annotated Guide to Robert E. Howard’s Sword & Sorcery

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The coming of Conan 
The bloody Crown of Conan 
The conquering Crown of Conan. 

What is your opinion of these books? Are they suitable for youth under 18? Do they have explicit sexual content? I have tried to do research before ordering the books but i can’t find anything.  The facility wants to order these books for the youth but i want to make sure they are appropriate. 

Thanks 

<div class="md"><p>The coming of Conan 
The bloody Crown of Conan 
The conquering Crown of Conan. </p>

<p>What is your opinion of these books? Are they suitable for youth under 18? Do they have explicit sexual content? I have tried to do research before ordering the books but i can’t find anything.  The facility wants to order these books for the youth but i want to make sure they are appropriate. </p>

<p>Thanks </p>
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Books 

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Review of an old Mirage Press book featuring Clark Ashton Smith's essays.  Lots of scans.  This should be of interest to the many CAS fans here.  [https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/11/review-planets-and-dimensions-by-clark-ashton-smith/](https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/11/review-planets-and-dimensions-by-clark-ashton-smith/)

<div class="md"><p>Review of an old Mirage Press book featuring Clark Ashton Smith&#39;s essays.  Lots of scans.  This should be of interest to the many CAS fans here.  <a href="https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/11/review-planets-and-dimensions-by-clark-ashton-smith/">https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/11/review-planets-and-dimensions-by-clark-ashton-smith/</a></p>
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Clark Ashton Smith Essays

I found a letter by P. Schuyler Miller discussing Conan Chronology with John D. Clark.  Interesting for Conan fans who like the chrono game.  [https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/08/an-old-conan-chronology-from-p-schuyler-miller/](https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/08/an-old-conan-chronology-from-p-schuyler-miller/)

<div class="md"><p>I found a letter by P. Schuyler Miller discussing Conan Chronology with John D. Clark.  Interesting for Conan fans who like the chrono game.  <a href="https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/08/an-old-conan-chronology-from-p-schuyler-miller/">https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2025/01/08/an-old-conan-chronology-from-p-schuyler-miller/</a></p>
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Old Conan Chronology

Wolverine is a Case Study For Elven Barbarians

I picked these up today 

The third collection of Howard’s verse. Includes poems published locally prior to Howard’s first stories in Weird Tales. Published by Glenn Lord in 1972.

<div class="md"><p>The third collection of Howard’s verse. Includes poems published locally prior to Howard’s first stories in Weird Tales. Published by Glenn Lord in 1972.</p>
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Echoes From An Iron Harp

“For every being there is an appointed time and even the gods must die.”

<div class="md"><p>“For every being there is an appointed time and even the gods must die.”</p>
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My favorite Howard

"Swords and Sand"

"Swords and Sand," A Mysterious Outlander Comes To Ironfire In Search Of a Favor Owed

The Champion Barbarian (Character Concept)

I just read "Xuthal of the Dusk" and near the end Conan is described as follows: "His hairy breast, glistening with sweat and blood, heaved with his panting." But Conan is always drawn by artists as having a smooth hairless chest. Has anyone ever noticed how his chest is described in different stories, or if there is any consistency in them? 

<div class="md"><p>I just read &quot;Xuthal of the Dusk&quot; and near the end Conan is described as follows: &quot;His hairy breast, glistening with sweat and blood, heaved with his panting.&quot; But Conan is always drawn by artists as having a smooth hairless chest. Has anyone ever noticed how his chest is described in different stories, or if there is any consistency in them? </p>
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Does Conan Have a Hairy Chest?

The Reluctant Barbarian

The Righteous Barbarian

"The Horror Stories of Robert E Howard " Advanced Uncorrected Proof Copy.

The Unexpected Barbarian (A Character Concept)

I read *Conan the Outcast* and *Conan the Hero* before it sank in my brain just how superior REH was to all other Conan authors, but I keep buying the pastiches whenever I run across them in the wild "just because." The only other book here I have actually read is KEW's Bran Mak Morn pastiche, which, similarly, I read before any of REH's Bran Mak Morn yarns. I liked all three at the time, but that was before I learned to be a proper snob about how faithful to REH the material was! I really have no idea what I'd think of them now.

In the books with a mix of REH stories and pastiche, I have read the REH but not the pastiche.

So the question is simple... Are there any hidden gems in here I should prioritize reading? Are there any total turds I should avoid at all costs? Are they all just mediocre?

Join me in discussing sword-and-sorcery film, television, and comic books on Discord: https://discord.gg/CJ4485qDmg

<div class="md"><p>I read <em>Conan the Outcast</em> and <em>Conan the Hero</em> before it sank in my brain just how superior REH was to all other Conan authors, but I keep buying the pastiches whenever I run across them in the wild &quot;just because.&quot; The only other book here I have actually read is KEW&#39;s Bran Mak Morn pastiche, which, similarly, I read before any of REH&#39;s Bran Mak Morn yarns. I liked all three at the time, but that was before I learned to be a proper snob about how faithful to REH the material was! I really have no idea what I&#39;d think of them now.</p>

<p>In the books with a mix of REH stories and pastiche, I have read the REH but not the pastiche.</p>

<p>So the question is simple... Are there any hidden gems in here I should prioritize reading? Are there any total turds I should avoid at all costs? Are they all just mediocre?</p>

<p>Join me in discussing sword-and-sorcery film, television, and comic books on Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/CJ4485qDmg">https://discord.gg/CJ4485qDmg</a></p>
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Any hidden gems or total turds in my Robert E. Howard pastiche collection...?

What Makes A Barbarian Hero?

Hey all, I'm a librarian who catalogs for a community college in Texas. Currently working on a RPG sourcebook which included art from Robert Barger, aka Robert P. Barger, aka Bob Barger.  
I know the name from all fanzine stuff he was involved in in the 1970s and 1980s, but now I wonder if anyone knows what happened to him? Despite being a fairly prolific member of the scene, he just appears to have vanished and nobody even has a good biographic summary anywhere.

Just wondering if anyone had any info.

<div class="md"><p>Hey all, I&#39;m a librarian who catalogs for a community college in Texas. Currently working on a RPG sourcebook which included art from Robert Barger, aka Robert P. Barger, aka Bob Barger.<br/>
I know the name from all fanzine stuff he was involved in in the 1970s and 1980s, but now I wonder if anyone knows what happened to him? Despite being a fairly prolific member of the scene, he just appears to have vanished and nobody even has a good biographic summary anywhere.</p>

<p>Just wondering if anyone had any info.</p>
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Kinda random, but that's my job...

Dark Horse comics reprints of the original1970s ,Marvel Comics Conan series featuring the art of Barry Windsor Smith and scripted by Roy Thomas.

[https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2024/11/23/robert-e-howards-baby-clothes/](https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2024/11/23/robert-e-howards-baby-clothes/)

<div class="md"><p><a href="https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2024/11/23/robert-e-howards-baby-clothes/">https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2024/11/23/robert-e-howards-baby-clothes/</a></p>
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REH's Baby Clothes

"Secrets of the Shadowed Heart"

"Secrets of The Shadowed Heart," A Noble Warrior is Haunted By Nightmares of The Monster He Once Was

Neal Litherland Reads "The Duel" from Ironfire

"The Duel," Settling A Matter Of Honor In Ironfire, The City of Steel

The Uncomfortable Sexism in Robert Jordan's Work (Particularly Regarding His Takes on Conan)

<div class="md"><p>A subreddit dedicated to sword &amp; sorcery author Robert E. Howard. . . most famous as creator of Conan the Cimmerian.</p>
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