Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan, King Kull, and others that defined heroic fantasy, lived and died in the small town of Cross Plains, Texas. While his books remain in print, Howard himself has fallen into obscurity, his life mired in speculation and half-truth. Mark Finn traces the roots of his writings , correcting long-standing misconceptions, and offers a tour of Howard’s world as he saw it: through his own incomparable imagination. The presence of the Texas Hill Country surrounding Cross Plains are apparent in Conan the Barbarian’s world of Hyboria. Author and biographer Mark Finn talks about Robert E. Howard, his life and times, and makes his case for Howard being included in Texas’ rich literary history and tradition. Mark also performs dramatic readings, featuring comedic excerpts from Howard's Sailor Steve Costigan and Breckinridge Elkins 'Tall Lying' tales.
Chapters:
00:00 - 01:58 Introduction
01:59 - 05:44 Robert E. Howard at 15
05:45 - 08:24 Howard's Place Among Texan Authors
08:25 - 10:59 Howard's Relationship with the people and places of Texas
11:00 - 18:49 Howard's Most Famous Creation, Conan The Barbarian
18:50 - 22:22 Howard's Humorous Characters
22:23 - 24:27 Dramatic Reading: Excerpt from 'Texas Fists'
24:28 - 30:26 Dramatic Reading : Breckenridge Elkins Meets Captain Kidd
30:27 - 32:24 The Art of Tall Lying
32:25 - 37:00 Barbarism is the Natural State of Man
37:01 - 41:21 Wild Water: Texas History Masquerading as Fiction
41:22 - 45:03 Howard's Legacy
45:04 - 46:03 The Last Word: A Letter from Howard to H.P. Lovecraft
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