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What would a modern Robert E. Howard like pulp need to do to catch your attention?
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Kareem
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Aug 20, 2023 09:28AM
I'm attempting to write a modern pulp, heavily inspired by Solomon Kane and i would really appreciate any suggestions.
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Hi Kareem.That's an interesting question in the title. I'd recommend reading the works of Scott Oden. I think he captures the spirit of REH while retaining his own voice.
From my own perspective, a Robert E. Howard-like character needs to have certain traits. Howardian characters take the advantage whenever possible, are self-sufficient, uncommonly strong, curiously lucky, immediately action-oriented, primal, larger-than-life and, above all, they refuse to submit themselves to anything or anyone. They must be physically, mentally, and psychologically strong. They are not just muscle-bound oafs - they are intelligent and canny. They also do not whine or complain about their lot in life. They just go. Howard's characters worry about later when later arrives. They worry about now only. This brings up the next aspect of a Howardian character: they act in a crisis situation.
Robert E. Howard's characters act in a crisis. Despite their intelligence, they do not waste time thinking a situation through. Howard's characters plough through situations quickly, preferring an instinctive action now instead of a thought out plan later. Even if an immediate action causes death, such is preferable to wasting time and energy. In The Hour of the Dragon, when Zenobia presented Conan with a chance to escape, Conan did not waste time weighing the pros and cons of trusting this unknown girl; he acted. If it was all a trick, he'd kill her then. If a Howard character is presented with a possible action, he takes it. If the choice is between a violent death now or submission for a chance to escape later, the Howard character opts for the violent action now. If a Howard character is captured and brought before the captor and offered the choice between death and life, the Howard character begins to deal out the death. He will take out as many people as he can before he himself is overcome. A Howard character cannot be captured and forced to undergo quests for the benefit of the captor. The Howard character will attack his captors at the first available opportunity, even if it means his death. The Howard character refuses to submit. Howardian characters are wild and uncontrolled.
Even a casual glance at Howard's stories reveals the primal nature of his characters. His characters are described with animal metaphors, such as wolf, tiger and panther comparisons. Try to force a wild tiger to do something it does not want to do. Be prepared for fight if you do. Describe your character with such animal motifs. Conan himself is constantly described as wolfish, and his actions described as pantherish. Conan's alias during his tenure with the Black Corsairs is Amra the Lion. . The Howard character is not tame; he is wild and does not submit to anything but his own whims and desires.
This overall attitude of refusal to submit gives a Howardian character a recklessness and a larger-than-life quality crucial to the atmosphere of the pulps. Howard's characters are forthright and honest. They are not prudent. They do not hold their tongue. They speak their mind and refuse to submit to social conventions or political correctness. Robert E. Howard does not endow his characters with any sort of social consciousness; to create a character in this mould is to follow suit. Howardian characters are not on the side of peace, equality, social reform or even social welfare. They are not men given to whining about social and political woes. So many characters in standard fantasy stories are concerned with such petty things. Authors of such characters give them common faults and common concerns to make them more 'human.' Bah. Robert E. Howard's characters are not men of common failings, shortcomings and fears. They are larger-than-life, driven personalities, determined to win no matter what. All of them, even the civilised characters, are wild, endowed with elemental personalities. They are uncontrollable and, short of death, unstoppable. They will climb any height to succeed. They will delve to the lowest depths to succeed. For an example, Bran Mak Morn essentially made a deal with demons in order to succeed in Worms of the Earth. Another example comes from Red Nails: 'He was trapped like a wolf. If he had had his sword he would have hewn off his leg and crawled across the floor to slay Tascela.' Be assured that Conan would have hacked off his own leg to succeed. Whatever it takes, a Howard character is willing to do it. Death is preferable to surrender – especially if it is an enemy's death.
In conclusion, the elements to creating a Howard-style character can be boiled down to a simple conviction and truth: do not submit. Live life on one's own terms. Be self-sufficient and intelligent. Be strong. Be fortunate. Take action now. Be as primal as a wild animal. It is only by fighting for success that greatness can be achieved. Conan could have lived a comfortable life as a merchant, but that is not the Howardian character's way. No, a Howard character does not submit to a common life with a common job and common drudgery. Life for a Howardian character is vital and urgent, a life lived for the moment, not for the security of an unnamed future. The characters of Robert E. Howard have a conviction to live life on their own terms, or not at all. This impressive conviction is probably the greatest gift you can give to your modern pulp characters.
Wow Vincent that was awesome and I couldn't say it any better! You definitely nailed!
Incredible, thank you for such a great response!
Dude! Amazing! That second paragraph was gold all on its own, I was totally thrilled and satisfied...and then you poured it on! And then some. Great, great answer. This encapsulates so much of what I try to convey when explaining my definition of Sword & Sorcery as an Attitude. You've done it far better than I.On that note, don't forget the Kickstarter for my last anthology starts 8/22: NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD, an anthology of S&S Attitude!
NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD Kickstarter campaign opens August 22.
https://tinyurl.com/NBNYRBE
However, things kick off on Monday, 8/21 with a podcast hosted by G.W. Thomas & M.D. Jackson of Dark Worlds Quarterly wherein NBNY authors John C. Hocking, Jeff Stewart, and Steve Goble talk S&S and attitude.
On Wednesday, 8/23, Rogues in the House Podcast sits down with NBNY authors C.L. Werner and Steven Erikson - Author who talk about life, S&S, and writing.
Saturday, 8/26, Jason Ray Carney of Spiral Tower Press moderates a videocast featuring NBNY authors Scott Oden and John R. Fultz, who spend over 90 minutes sharing terrific tidbits on writing, S&S, and the secrets of success.
And finally, on Tuesday, 8/29, It's Jan! shares a videocast conversation with NBNY authors Joe Lansdale and John C. Hocking on the beauty of storytelling in the supernatural and what S&S means.
Hi Jason,I'll be in on that Kickstarter. I like the name, BTW. It really goes along with what I was talking about. I name the REH character attitude as "refusal to submit," but that is absolutely a Neither-Beg-Nor-Yield attitude. If the character refuses to submit, then he is neither begging nor yielding.
If you want to edit that into something useable, you're welcome to use it in your book. ;)
Vincent, that was a great description. Just to add a few thoughts and build on some things you said: It's true that REH's characters are intelligent, yet they are far more street-savvy than book-read. Knowledge is important to them only in a practical sense - how much it will help them survive another day. They are more likely to keep learned people close for consultation that to try to add to their own store of knowledge. Yet although they will listen to counsel they will always reserve the final decision for themselves.
They are at ease conversing with servants and beggars just as much as they are with conversing with royalty. They are not intimidated by physical attributes, titles, or wealth. And as you said they are not afraid of a warrior's death - in fact they prefer to meet danger head on with sword in hand. Caution be damned!
Although Howard's characters are Nietzschean supermen in many ways, they are generally benevolent to those in need. A Howard character might not immediately free someone who is enslaved, but he will not mistreat a slave or servant.
Although they do live in the moment, Howard's characters spent quiet times reflecting on their lives, especially when they are older and established in their roles in life. They are natural leaders and they inspire others to follow them. In fact, it's hard to imagine one of Howard's characters doing something he doesn't agree with while "following orders." That would never happen.
Awesome Vincent! Great description of Howard's Heroes!\
Yeah, your words stick in the memory, Vincent, well said. AND they build into my last anthology very nicely if I say so myself. Your description is very much part and parcel integral to my enjoyment of Sword & Sorcery and what I'm presenting to the world with NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD. So if any of y'all are interested or intrigued, check out the Kickstarter please - NEITHER BEG NOR YIELD: A Sword & Sorcery Attitude Anthology, via @Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
Are you writing something set in the same historical period? If so, I recommend doing what Howard did, and look to history for inspiration. Sixteenth and early seventeenth Europe (and beyond) offer an bottomless vein of inspiration that Howard never got around to exploiting in full. I could recommend dozens of books on the subject. A great overview is The Elizabethan World by Lacey Baldwin Smith.
I'm working on the family genealogy. The old European royals could provide an entire series of books with fodder. Here's one example from one of my distant ancestors. It's a bit long, but I recommend reading it through. It's crazy. (Another ancestress was torn apart by horses because her son was upset with her antics.)Constance d'Arles, Queen consort of the Franks
French: Constance d'Arles, reine consort de France
Also Known As: "Constance de Provence", "Constance de Toulouse", "Constance de Taillefer"
Birthdate: circa March 27, 974
Birthplace: Arles, France
Death: July 22, 1032 (54-62)
Château de Melun, Melun, Île-de-France, France
Place of Burial: Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France
Immediate Family:
Daughter of Guillaume II "le Liberateur" comte de Provence and Adélaïde la Blanche d'Anjou, Reine consort d'Aquitaine
Wife of Robert II Capet, "the Pious" king of the Franks
Mother of
Emergarde de Auvergne;
Hedwige de France, comtesse d'Auxerre;
Hugues, roi associé de France;
Henry I, king of France;
Adela of France, countess of Flanders; Constance de France, heritiere de Dammartin; Robert I le Vieux, duc de Bourgogne and Eudes de France
Sister of Lucia de Provence, comtesse consort de Razès; Guillaume III le Pieux, comte de Provence and Ermengarde of Arles
Half sister of Alajarde de Provence, souveraine d'Antibes; Ermengarde de Toulouse; Pons, comte de Gévaudan; Ermengarde / Humberge de Limoges de Gévaudan, [daughter of Etienne II de Gévaudan and ADelais d'Anjou]; Almodis de Limoges de Gévaudan; Eimilde de Gévaudan; Guillaume III Taillefer, comte de Toulouse and Tota de Toulouse « less
Occupation: Grevinne, Drottning av Frankrike, Drottning av Frankrike, Queen Consort of France (1001-1031), Queen consort of the Franks, Queen of France, Queen Consort of France, Queen of the Franks, QUEEN OF FRANCE, b. abt 0986, Princess, reine de France
Constance of Arles (c. 986 - 28 July 1032), also known as Constance of Provence, was a queen consort of France as the third spouse of King Robert II of France.
Life
Born c.?986 Constance was the daughter of William I, count of Provence and Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou, daughter of Fulk II of Anjou. She was the half-sister of Count William II of Provence. Constance was married to King Robert, after his divorce from his second wife, Bertha of Burgundy. The marriage was stormy; Bertha's family opposed her, and Constance was despised for importing her Provençal kinfolk and customs. Robert's friend, Hugh of Beauvais, tried to convince the king to repudiate her in 1007. Possibly at her request twelve knights of her kinsman, Fulk Nerra, then murdered Beauvais.
In 1010 Robert went to Rome, followed by his former wife Bertha, to seek permission to divorce Constance and remarry Bertha. Pope Sergius IV was not about to allow a consanguineous marriage which had been formally condemned by Pope Gregory V and Robert had already repudiated two wives. So the request was denied. After his return according to one source Robert "loved his wife more."
In the famous trial in 1022 of members of the clergy, including Constance's previous confessor Stephen, on charges of heresy Robert had his wife Queen Constance stand at the door to prevent any mob violence. However, as the condemned clerics left the trial the queen "struck out the eye of Stephen... with the staff which she carried". This was seen as Constance venting her frustration at anyone subverting the prestige of the crown.
At Constance's urging, her eldest son Hugh Magnus was crowned co-king alongside his father in 1017. But later Hugh demanded his parents share power with him, and rebelled against his father in 1025. Constance, however, on learning of her son's rebellion was furious with him, rebuking him at every turn. At some point Hugh was reconciled with his parents but shortly thereafter died, probably about age eighteen.
Robert and Constance quarrelled over which of their surviving sons should inherit the throne; Robert favored their second son Henry, while Constance favored their third son, Robert. Despite his mother's protests and her support by several bishops, Henry was crowned in 1027. Constance, however, was not graceful when she didn't get her way. The ailing Fulbert, bishop of Chartres told a colleague that he could attend the ceremony "if he traveled slowly to Reims but he was too frightened of the queen to go at all".
Constance encouraged her sons to rebel, and they began attacking and pillaging the towns and castles belonging to their father. Son Robert attacked Burgundy, the duchy he had been promised but had never received, and Henry seized Dreux. At last King Robert agreed to their demands and peace was made which lasted until the king's death.
King Robert died on 20 July 1031. Soon afterwards Constance was at odds with both her surviving sons. Constance seized her dower lands and refused to surrender them. Henry fled to Normandy, where he received aid, weapons and soldiers from his brother Robert. He returned to besiege his mother at Poissy but Constance escaped to Pontoise. She only surrendered when Henry began the siege of Le Puiset and swore to slaughter all the inhabitants.
Constance died 28 July 1032. and was buried beside her husband Robert at Saint-Denis Basilica.
Not to be outdone by the Europeans, the Scandinavians have their own stories. "Sigurd the Mighty, the Second Earl of Orkney who reigned between 875–892, was killed by by an infected wound after he strapped the decapitated head of Máel Brigte the Bucktoothed to his horse. The bouncing head and jaw chewed into Sigurd's leg on his victorious ride home from their fight."
https://sofrep.com/news/viking-named-...
It is. King Robert had his queen Constance playing bouncer. She didn't like the way the Pope's clerics treated her husband so she knocks one guys eye out then leads the kids in rebellion. Red Sonja would have trouble keeping up with her!
that's some really cool history and heritage Jim! Constance was something else! Some might say a Right Royal Pain in the Ass! and damn! but Bucktoothed sure got his revenge!
