Joshua P. Simon - The Accidental Author

I’ve always loved martial arts. I grew up in the 80s watching tons of the old dubbed in Kung Fu movies that got replayed on Saturdays. Bruce Lee movies immediately became my favorites (big surprise). I remember Chinese Connection was the first movie of his I saw. The clip below still stands out to me (especially around 3:45 when the nunchukas get involved). You’ll notice the familiarity between it and Kill Bill Vol. 1.


Anyway, I had to see everything by Bruce Lee after that. I also read a ton of his writings and philosophy. And that brings me to the point of today’s post. Lee doesn’t get enough credit for being a cerebral person, in my opinion. Though many of his thoughts relate more to martial arts, I think they can also be applied to just about anything. I’m going to take a few of my favorite ones and apply them to writing.

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”

How many people never try something because they feel as though they won’t be good at it? Don’t tell yourself you can’t be a writer if you haven’t even tried it. Don’t even tell yourself you aren’t good at something if you’ve only tried it once. Most writers take time to develop. VERY few ever get it right the first time. If you talk yourself out of doing something that interests you (writing), how much easier is going to be to do so again?

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

A common school of thought is to focus on small goals in order to feel like you are moving forward and not becoming discouraged. I agree that is important. However, the big goals are what keep you pushing through the rough patches. Writing 1000 words on a Wednesday doesn’t hold the same awe as the prospect of becoming a world famous author or someone who makes enough money to quit their day job.

I’d rather aim high and be excited I made my goal than easily clear a low one and be depressed that I don’t know where to go next.

“It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”

I like to think of this in context of making time for writing. It’s amazing how much time you have to write when you cut out distractions such as TV. How important is writing to you? If it’s your dream to make it as an author then why waste your time doing things that are not of importance.

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.”

This is my favorite Bruce Lee quote of all time. A good friend of mine and I like to use it often. Sometimes a story or a character just isn’t working. That’s ok. Step back and approach it from a different angle. Sometimes that new book is harder to write than the old one. That’s ok too. Each book is different. Allow your talents to change and form around what is needed to get your story across. Be like water.

Each of my previous “Influences” blog posts have included excerpts/quotes by the author I’m showcasing on that day. I’ve been able to find those pretty easily online before, especially at websites like Goodreads. However, when doing a Google search for Paul Kearney, I only came up with one.

“I have found that there are two ways of dealing with men. Either you treat them with respect, or you kill them. Anything in between merely breeds resentment and the desire for revenge.” ― Paul Kearney

Sadly, this result sums up Kearney’s career thus far. His books are critically acclaimed, yet he isn’t well known and that’s a shame. His most recent Macht Trilogy as well as the re-release of his Monarchies of God series has helped some with public awareness. However, Kearney is definitely someone who has suffered from a lack of a marketing push by his publisher. In fact, many people, like myself, heard about him through Steven Erikson who touted Kearney’s virtues as an author. And since I’m a big Erikson fan, I had to give Kearney a shot.

Here are some of the reasons why Kearney stands out to me.

• Within the fantasy genre, I’ve yet to read anyone who handles war and the ravages of battle as well as Kearney does. Both at a personal level and from an outsider looking in, you can actually believe the fighting is happening as you read it.
• Sea battles - Some may argue that there are others who’ve written better battle scenes, but I challenge anyone to compare the sea battles and sailing sequences in Kearney’s books to any other piece of fantasy literature.
• No one sets such a vivid scene in so few words. In epic fantasy, where book lengths seem to constantly be growing in size, Kearney has found a way to build a believable world, likeable characters, and an interesting plot in half as many words as everyone else. Amazing.
• Emotionally charged scenes. There are two scenes in Kearney’s Monarchies of God series that tore at my heart like no other I’ve ever read. Now, I didn’t cry, but I’ll admit that I came awfully close. Anyone who knows me, should understand how significant that admission is.
• Cord, from the Monarchies of God series is one of my top 5-10 characters of all time.
• Like many of my favorite authors, Kearney embraces tragedy and handles it masterfully.

Now, back to the excerpt/quote issue. I was going to link this blog post to his website so anyone could read a portion of his books there, but when I clicked on the link, it redirected me to his Amazon author page. This only reinforces my concern for his lack of public awareness.

Do yourself a favor and pick up any one of his books. My personal opinion is The Ten Thousand would be the best place to start.

Joe Abercrombe writes how I wish I could write. He’s actually one of the first fantasy authors I got into after Howard, Cook, and Martin. Even after countless author books, he remains one of my top 5 favorite authors.

• His characters are unbelievably well-developed, believable and totally memorable. San dan Glokta and Logen Ninefingers are impossible to forget.
• His dialogue is natural and witty.
• His humor is dry, dark, and cynical.
• His worldbuilding is how I like my fantasy…just enough to give the reader a mental picture of going on, but not so much you become bored in the unnecessary information.
• The world he depicts is grim with few people ever landing out top..and those that do are often the ones you wanted least to succeed.
• His action/fight/battle scenes are well thought out and realistic, keeping you on the edge of your seat whether you’re reading a one on one scuffle or some epic clash between massive armies.
• If I had one complaint of Abercrombie’s writing it’s that he is pretty free with the coarse language and the few sex scenes he includes in his books are pretty over the top on the ridiculous scale, IMO.

I’m awful at praising authors, even though I’ve tried numerous times already. That’s why I add excerpts to these “Influences” posts because I feel their writing should do the talking, not mine.

Here are a couple of examples of Abercrombie’s awesomeness.

“Has it ever occured to you, Master Ninefingers, that a sword is different from other weapons? Axes and maces and so forth are lethal enough, but they hang on the belt like dumb brutes. But a sword...a sword has a voice. Sheathed it has little to say, to be sure, but you need only put your hand on the hilt and it begins to whisper in your enemy's ear. A gentle word. A word of caution. Do you hear it? Now, compare it to the sword half drawn. It speaks louder, does it not? It hisses a dire threat. It makes a deadly promise. Do you hear it? Now compare it to the sword full drawn. It shouts now, does it not? It screams defiance! It bellows a challenge! Do you hear it?”

― Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself

“Truly, life is the misery we endure between disappointments.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Last Argument of Kings

“I have learned all kinds of things from my many mistakes. The one thing I never learn is to stop making them.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Last Argument of Kings

“If you want to be a new man you have to stay in new places, and do new things, with people who never knew you before. If you go back to the same old ways, what else can you be but the same old person?”

― Joe Abercrombie, Last Argument of Kings

“You were a hero round these parts. That's what they call you when you kill so many people the word murderer falls short.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Best Served Cold

“We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Before They Are Hanged

“Chose? If you believe that I chose any part of the pitiful shadow of a life you see before you, you are very much mistaken. I chose glory and success. The box did not contain what was written on the lid.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Last Argument of Kings

“I’ve fought in three campaigns,” he began. “In seven pitched battles. In countless raids and skirmishes and desperate defences, and bloody actions of every kind. I’ve fought in the driving snow, the blasting wind, the middle of the night. I’ve been fighting all my life, one enemy or another, one friend or another. I’ve known little else. I’ve seen men killed for a word, for a look, for nothing at all. A woman tried to stab me once for killing her husband, and I threw her down a well. And that’s far from the worst of it. Life used to be cheap as dirt to me. Cheaper.

“I’ve fought ten single combats and I won them all, but I fought on the wrong side and for all the wrong reasons. I’ve been ruthless, and brutal, and a coward. I’ve stabbed men in the back, burned them, drowned them, crushed them with rocks, killed them asleep, unarmed, or running away. I’ve run away myself more than once. I’ve pissed myself with fear. I’ve begged for my life. I’ve been wounded, often, and badly, and screamed and cried like a baby whose mother took her tit away. I’ve no doubt the world would be a better place if I’d been killed years ago, but I haven’t been, and I don’t know why.”

He looked down at his hands, pink and clean on the stone. “There are few men with more blood on their hands than me. None, that I know of. The Bloody-Nine they call me, my enemies, and there’s a lot of ’em. Always more enemies, and fewer friends. Blood gets you nothing but more blood. It follows me now, always, like my shadow, and like my shadow I can never be free of it. I should never be free of it. I’ve earned it. I’ve deserved it. I’ve sought it out. Such is my punishment.”

― Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself

“Good steel bends, but never breaks. Good steel stays always sharp and ready. Good steel feels no pain, no pity, and above all, no remorse”

― Joe Abercrombie, Best Served Cold

“The smell of it. The feel of it." He rubbed one hand up and down the stained sheath of his sword, making a faint swishing sound. "War is honest. There's no lying to it. You don't have to say sorry here. Don't have to hide. You cannot. If you die? So what? You die among friends. Among worthy foes. You die looking the Great Leveller in the eye. If you live? Well, lad that's living, isn't it? A man isn't truly alive until he's facing death." Whirrun stamped his foot into the sod. "I love war!”

― Joe Abercrombie, The Heroes

“You ever have the feeling you were in the wrong place? That if you could just get over the next hill, cross the next river, look down into the next valley, it'd all...fit. Be right."

"All my life, more of less."

“All your life spent getting ready for the next thing. I climbed a lot of hills now. I crossed a lot of rivers. Crossed the sea even, left everything I knew and came to Styria. But there I was, waiting for me at the docks when I got off the boat, same man, same life. Next valley ain’t no different from this one. No better anyway. Reckon I’ve learned … just to stick in the place I’m at. Just to be the man I am.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Best Served Cold

“They've strengthened the walls since last year. I wouldn't fancy trying to storm the place."

"Don't pretend you'd have the guts to storm the place"

"I wouldn't fancy telling someone else to storm the place"

"Don't pretend you'd have the guts to give the orders"

"I wouldn't fancy watching you tell someone else to storm the place."

"No.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Best Served Cold

“People love to see death. It reminds them that however mean, however low, however horrible their lives become… at least they have one.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Before They Are Hanged

“Strange, isn't it,' mused Glokta as he watched him struggle for air. 'Big men, small men, thin men, fat men, clever men, stupid men, they all respond the same to a fist in the guts. One minute you think you're the most powerful man in the world. The next you can't even breathe by yourself.”

― Joe Abercrombie, Before They Are Hanged

To see my previous posts in my series on who influences my writings, click on the links below.
Robert E. Howard
Glen Cook
George R.R. Martin

Steven Erikson is a writer that fantasy readers are generally very passionate about. Either you love him or you hate him. I’m a member of the former group, but I can understand how he might not appeal to some. His books are densely packed with massive intertwining plot threads. Sometimes a point made at the beginning of one book might not pay off until three books later in the series. For many, that can be a lot to keep up with. I however, like the fact that he doesn’t talk down to the reader and trusts us to figure things out. Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone doing as good of a job as he did with his extremely ambitious series Malazan Book of the Fallen. He literally had plot threads spanning hundreds of thousands of years across several continents and countless POV characters.

There are several reasons why I really enjoy Erikson’s writing and as I’m sure readers of my blog have already noticed, I like using bullets when going over these sort of things so, here we go:

• Lots of sword and sorcery elements interwoven within a giant epic fantasy. What I mean is that many of the characters are on selfish quests with only their own interests at heart, yet their actions will affect countless others.
• Larger than life characters. There are so many in this series it’s hard to list them all, so I’ll just go with my favorite. Karsa Orlong is a character we don’t really get to know until the fourth book in the series, but he steals every scene he’s part of. In many ways, he is sort of Conan on steroids. Big, strong, fast, arrogant, quick-witted, and full of memorable one-liners.
• The worldbuilding is just insane.
• Strong dialogue, especially among the soldiers of the story.
• Some of the best fight/battle scenes I’ve ever read. Some may only last a couple of paragraphs, others over one hundred pages. Regardless, you’ll want to read every word of them.
• He is able to generate a lot of emotional impact in his writing. The only author I think can do this better is Paul Kearney.
• The philosophical mutterings of his characters are quite ingenious and enjoyable when given to the readers in small doses. (Unfortunately, the later books have a bit too much of this)
• Original and inventive races of characters.
• A very unique style of prose.

Erikson’s writing and storytelling is so different than anything else I’ve read it’s hard for me to really do his work justice. So, as before on these sort of posts, I’ve found a few examples that might give you a better idea of what to expect from him.

Kallor said: "I walked this land when the T'lan Imass were but children. I have commanded armies a hundred thousand strong. I have spread the fire of my wrath across entire continents, and sat alone upon tall thrones. Do you grasp the meaning of this?"
“Yes," said Caladan Brood, "you never learn.”

“Tell me, Tool, what dominates your thoughts?"
The Imass shrugged before replying.
"I think of futility, Adjunct."
"Do all Imass think about futility?"
"No. Few think at all."
"Why is that?"
The Imass leaned his head to one side and regarded her.
"Because Adjunct, it is futile."

“Children are dying."
Lull nodded. "That's a succinct summary of humankind, I'd say. Who needs tomes and volumes of history? Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words.”

"Wise words are like arrows flung at your forehead. What do you do? Why, you duck of course.”

“Seven Cities was an ancient civilization, steeped in the power of antiquity, where Ascendants once walked on every trader track, every footpath, every lost road between forgotten places. It was said the sands hoarded power within their sussurating currents, that every stone had soaked up sorcery like blood, and that beneath every city lay the ruins of countless other cities, older cities, cities that went back to the First Empire itself. It was said each city rose on the backs of ghosts, the substance of spirits thick like layers of crushed bone; that each city forever wept beneath the streets, forever laughed, shouted, hawked wares and bartered and prayed and drew first breaths that brought life and the last breaths that announced death. Beneath the streets there were dreams, wisdom, foolishness, fears, rage, grief, lust and love and bitter hatred.”

“Such is the vastness of his genius that he can outwit even himself.”

Today's post continues my series on who influences my writing. You can read my write up of the previous posts here on Robert E. Howard and here on Glen Cook.

George R. R. Martin is a man who has had his hands in several different areas of literature. He’s written short stories, novellas, standalone novels, series, screenplays, television scripts and pilots, etc. He’s written in the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. On top of all of this he’s also edited many anthologies as well as the ongoing Wild Card series.

That being said, his most popular work is the Song of Ice and Fire series. It had already sold millions of copies before HBO decided to bring the work to TV. Now, it is even popular among those unfamiliar with the fantasy genre. However, within the science fiction/fantasy community you’ll find few who haven’t read something by George R. R. Martin. And most new authors in the last 15-20 years have cited him as one of their influences. He helped change the overall tone of the genre to something that more accurately reflects the real world, with various shades of gray rather than the standard black and white characters.

The Song of Ice and Fire series was actually the second fantasy series I read after making my way through several of Robert E. Howard’s books. I remembered reading Game of Thrones (the first book) and thinking to myself how insanely different it was than anything else I’ve ever read, regardless of genre. Though some his books are stronger than others, each one blows me away on some level. I’ve read each of the books twice at this point and actually enjoyed them more the second time around as you start to pick up on things cleverly foreshadowed very early in the series that didn’t pay off until much later.

Martin does many things well as a writer but two in particular stand out to me. One of these things is his genius at weaving a ridiculously complicated plot together while juggling hundreds of subplots within the overall narrative. Again, I appreciated it more on the second read through. The second thing and probably his greatest strength as a writer are his characters. Each Point of View’s voice is completely unique and the minor characters all feel just as real as the major characters. It really blows my mind the voice and personality he can impart on an individual with just a few sentences.

Now, the biggest knock on Martin is that he is a slow writer and on top of that takes on too many projects at once. Considering his last book was over 420,000 words, most of his fans are upset that he doesn’t focus all his effort on the Song of Ice and Fire series while putting aside the other projects until the series is complete.

I can see the point fans make but I guess I find solace in knowing that even if the series is never completed, the first few books are so good and influential, it’s worth it. How often do you hear someone say that a series without an ending is that good? Ha.

Here are a few snippets from his books:

A good act does not wash out the bad, nor a bad act the good. Each should have its own reward.

We hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.

The Sorrowful Men were an ancient sacred guild of assassins, so named because they always whispered, "I am so sorry" to their victims before they killed them. The Qartheen were nothing if not polite.

"Arya, what did you think to do with this . . . Needle? Who did you hope to skewer? Your sister? Septa Mordane? Do you know the first thing about sword fighting?"

All she could think of was the lesson Jon had given her. "Stick them with the pointy end," she blurted out.

"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?" he heard his own voice saying, small and far away.

And his father's voice replied to him. "That is the only time a man can be brave."

“So many vows … they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It’s too much. No matter what you do, you’re forsaking one vow or another.”

“I swear to you, sitting a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one.”

“People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up.”

“Every once in a very long while, Lord Tywin Lannister would actually threaten to smile; he never did, but the threat alone was terrible to behold.”

Unfortunately, those few snippets don’t do his writing justice. Just do yourself a favor, buy and read Game of Thrones. It’s worth your time and money.

Glen Cook is my favorite author. If Howard got me into reading fantasy, Cook is the writer who made me want to try my hand at writing it.

Cook’s been at the top of my author list since I first picked up The Black Company novels. The Black Company is an epic fantasy series that follows an elite mercenary unit through several decades of their history. It currently stands at 10 novels long (collected in 4 omnibuses) with rumors that Cook may write two more. Personally, I love every book in the series but some feel that the middle books are a bit slower. I just think their focus is different. The last book of the series is maybe one of the most satisfying and gut-wrenching endings to a series I’ve read yet. In many ways it is so perfect that I don’t know where Cook could possibly take the story next.

Part of what makes that ending so gut wrenching is that you become attached to all the characters whether major or minor. All of the books are told in a first person point of view and most from one character in particular (Croaker).

The Black Company series is probably the most popular of his works and has recently received the recognition he should have earned years ago thanks to several of his older novels being repackaged and rereleased. Other big name authors such as Steven Erikson have cited Cook as a major influence on their works, stating his Bridgeburners are a nod to the Black Company. Like Erikson, the mercenary outfit (The Hell Patrol) in my own Blood and Tears series was influenced by the Black Company.

Cook had this to say about why he thinks the fans of the series are so passionate, especially among soldiers today.

The characters act like the guys actually behave. It doesn't glorify war; it's just people getting on with the job. The characters are real soldiers. They're not soldiers as imagined by people who've never been in the service. That's why service guys like it.

Cook is a very prolific writer with dozens of other books to his credit outside of The Black Company. One is a fantasy detective series called Garrett P. I. The novels are written in a film noir-esque style, containing elements of traditional mystery and detective fiction, as well as plenty of dialogue-based humor. The focus is more on the detective side of things with the fantasy elements serving as a backdrop to the general story. I’m working my way through this series now and enjoying every minute of it.

Between the Garrett and Black Company series, I believe that Cook writes in a first person perspective better than any other author I’ve read.

Cook has written a large amount of epic fantasy from a third person perspective as well, most notably The Dread Empire series and the Instrumentalities of the Night series. I’m a fan of both but I find that there is less of a consensus on how good/great these series are in comparison to the Black Company and Garrett series. In addition to these series, Cook has several standalone books and even some science fiction. Some I’ve read and enjoyed, the rest are still part of my large “to read” list. As I hinted at above, he’s got a large back catalog that I’m slowly working my way through.

Here are a few great quotes I pulled from some of his work.

“Every ounce of my cynicism is supported by historical precedent.”

“There were dreams once upon a time, dreams now all but forgotten. On sad days I dust them off and fondle them nostalgically, with a patronizing wonder at the naivete of the youth who dreamed them.”

“I believe in our side and theirs, with the good and evil decided after the fact, by those who survive. Among men you seldom find the good with one standard and the shadow with another.”

“If one chooses sides on emotion then the rebel is the guy to go with. He is fighting for everything men claim to honor, freedom, independence, truth, the right.......all the subjective illusions. All the eternal trigger words. We are minions of the villain of the piece. We confess the illusion and deny the substance.”

“Evil is relative. You can’t hang a sign on it. You can’t touch it or taste it or cut it with a sword. Evil depends on where you are standing, pointing your indicting finger.”

“Mornings are wonderful! The only drawback is that they come at such an inconvenient time of day!”

“Combat is fear and management of fear far more than it is organized murder. Those who manage fear best will seize the day.”

“I guess each of us, at some time, finds one person with whom we are compelled toward absolute honesty, one person whose good opinion of us becomes a substitute for the broader opinion of the world.”

“More evil gets done in the name of righteousness than any other way. Few villains think they are villains.”

“Being an old cynic myself I have strong notions about the true value of human gratitude. It is a currency whose worth plunges by the hour.”

“Soldiers live. He dies and not you, and you feel guilty, because you're glad he died, and not you. Soldiers live, and wonder why.”

That list quote hits me hard every time I read it, especially when I think about the context in which it was written. Do yourself a favor. If you haven’t read Cook’s work, give it a shot and then come back and tell me what you think.

If you read fantasy and don’t at least know the name “Robert E. Howard” then I have to wonder if you’ve been living under a rock. For a detailed biography of Howard, go here. The quick version is that he was a pulp writer in the 1920s and 1930s whose life ended in suicide at a young age. He was insanely prolific as a writer and wrote across many genres including westerns, sports, sailing adventures, and comedy. However, he is famous for his fantasy writing (which is what I’ve mostly read) and created the iconic characters of Bran Mak Morn, Kull, Solomon Kane and, of course, Conan.

It is hard to describe precisely what made Mr. Howard's stories stand out so sharply; but the real secret is that he himself is in every one of them, whether they were ostensibly commercial or not. He was greater than any profit-making policy he could adopt — for even when he outwardly made concessions to Mammon-guided editors and commercial critics, he had an internal force and sincerity which broke through the surface and put the imprint of his personality on everything he wrote.

~ H. P. Lovecraft, "Robert Ervin Howard: A Memorium", Fantasy Magazine, 1936 (Reprinted in The Last Celt, Glenn Lord ed., p. 69, 1976

Although he had his faults as a writer, Howard was a natural storyteller, whose narratives are unmatched for vivid, gripping, headlong action. His heroes – King Kull, Conan, Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane are larger than life: men of mighty thews., hot passions, and indomitable will, who easily dominate the stories through which they stride. In fiction, the difference between a writer who is a natural storyteller and one who is not is like the difference between a boat that will float and one that will not. If the writer has this quality, we can forgive many other faults; if not, no other virtue can make up for the lack, any more than gleaming paint and sparkling brass on a boat make up for the fact that it will not float. 

~ L. Sprague de Camp, Conan of the Isles, "Introduction", 1968


Howard’s writing will always have a special place in my heart because his works, especially Conan, are the reason I became interested in fantasy. I was a huge fan of the 1980s Conan movies (which I later found out were little like the original stories). When I finally finished college, got a job and my life slowed down a bit, I used the extra cash to buy those collected Conan stories. I devoured the books and then moved on to his other fantasy characters Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane and Kull. Kull was great and similar to Conan. Kane was a pleasant surprise since the time and feel of those stories were so radically different than Conan. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten around to reading Howard’s writings in other genres, specifically the horror stories, though I plan to one day do so.

Those Conan stories not only made me want to read more of Howard’s works but also more of fantasy in general. And to this day, Conan is still my favorite character in fantasy.

Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet.

"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?" - "I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires."

Conan is larger than life and someone who cherished every moment afforded to him. He did what he wanted, when he wanted: thief, pirate, bandit, mercenary, common soldier, king, and so on. Many who haven’t read the original stories assume Conan is a mindless barbarian but such an assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, one of the attributes that makes the character so great to me is that he is just as much of a thinker as he ever was a warrior/fighter.

"I have known many gods. He who denies them is as blind as he who trusts them too deeply. I seek not beyond death. It may be the blackness averred by the Nemedian skeptics, or Crom's realm of ice and cloud, or the snowy plains and vaulted halls of the Nordheimer's Valhalla. I know not, nor do I care. Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content. Let teachers and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion. I know this: if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content."

"Barbarianism is the natural state of mankind. Civilization is unnatural. It is the whim of circumstance. And barbarianism must ultimately triumph."

A strong part of Howard’s writing was his world-building. I know many refer to Tolkien as the grandmaster and originator of building a fully realized world (and he was great). However, I much prefer Howard’s method. He never beats you over the head with Hyborea’s characteristics, history, and climate. He gives you just enough information as the story needs. In one paragraph he paints an image that many fantasy writers will take pages to do the same with. What is even more impressive is how all the details of his world seem to tie in together despite the fact that his writings were much shorter and less planned than many of the sprawling epics today. The best compliment I can give to Howard’s world is that I can almost believe that the place really existed in some lost, long-forgotten time.

Then suddenly the borealis, the snow-clad hills and the blazing heavens reeled drunkenly to Conan's sight; thousands of fire-balls burst with showers of sparks, and the sky itself became a titanic wheel which rained stars as it spun. Under his feet the snowy hills heaved up like a wave, and the Cimmerian crumpled into the snows to lie motionless.

The blare of the trumpets grew louder, like a deep golden tide surge, like the soft booming of the evening tides against the silver beaches of Valusia. The throng shouted, women flung roses from the roofs as the rhythmic chiming of silver hoofs came clearer and the first of the mighty array swung into view in the broad white street that curved round the golden-spired Tower of Splendor. 

Here are a couple more from the Solomon Kane stories:

Kane gazed, awed. This was truly a hell on earth. As in a nightmare he looked into the roaring red cauldron where black insects fought against their doom and perished. The flames leaped a hundred feet in the air, and suddenly above their roar sounded one bestial, inhuman scream like a shriek from across nameless gulfs of cosmic space, as one vampire, dying, broke the chains of silence which had held him for untold centuries. High and haunting it rose, the death cry of a vanishing race. 

Slowly he rose, mechanically wiping his hands upon his cloak. A dark scowl had settled on his somber brow. Yet he made no wild, reckless vow, swore no oath by saints or devils. "Men shall die for this," he said coldly. 

Now, was Howard’s work without fault? No. Even among the Conan stories, there’s some weak writing. And at times his dialog can be cringe-worthy (although on some level, I still find it awesome).

"Lift that scimitar against me, you Hyrkanian pig and I'll gut you where you stand!"   

"You cannot escape me!" he roared. "Lead me into a trap and I'll pile the heads of your kinsmen at your feet! Hide from me and I'll tear apart the mountains to find you! I'll follow you to hell!" 

But once you understand his background…self taught, lived in isolation, and worked under intense deadlines in which he could rarely afford time to rewrite/edit like many writers do today, you can understand some of his shortcomings.

I had neither expert aid nor advice. I studied no courses in writing; until a year or so ago, I never read a book by anybody advising writers how to write.

~Robert E. Howard

Howard once said, “I have not been a success, and probably never will be.” It’s a shame that he never got to see how wrong he was.

I know that without his stories, I probably wouldn’t be writing today.