Mark's comments (member since Dec 07, 2008)

Mark's comments from the Robert E. Howard Readers group.

Jim wrote: "I just finished reading [b:The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 2: Grim Lands|409765|The Best of Robert E. Howard Volume 2: Grim Lands|Robert E. Howard|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51..."

Actually, the reason for the name change was editorial policy. There was already a Robert E. Howard story in Magic Carpet, and since Costigan was part of the Fight Story and Action Story family, he changed Costigan to Dorgan and his own name to Patrick Ervin. It was a quick substitution for a quick sale. Dorgan was never supposed to be "another sailor," he was always Costigan in literary disguise.

Funny how things work out, eh?

I'm Mark Finn, also a REHupa member, and the author of "Blood & Thunder: the Life and Art of Robert E. Howard." Happy to be here, and always interested in talking REH.

This should come as no surprise from my track record, but I am an unapologetic fan of Howard's boxing fiction and his humorous work (both boxing and western). I think that, given the amount of boxing fiction that he wrote, and for long a period as he did, that to overlook it in one's estimation of Howard as an author is a serious mistake.

The boxing fiction was commercially and critically successful for him; he went back to the genre twice in his career. He wrote more boxing fiction than any other genre, with the funny westerns of Breck Elkins coming in second.

Also, I think it's possible to hear and to an extent "see" more of REH in the boxing fiction. Particularly in the Sailor Steve Costigan stories. I put forth the idea in "Blood & Thunder" that because of Howard's skill at "tall lying" that he was actually a lot closer to Costigan in his own mind than some of his other characters; there's an intimacy there--self-deprecating and hyperbolic at the same time--that makes the Costigan stories stand out sharply against his other work.

Mark Finn