/lit/ - Literature

>>15791972
Robert E. Howard has unironical elitist appeal with his esoteric racial and philosophical theories and connections to Clark Ashton Smith, who is as patrician as they come

>>15791972

Imagine reading pulp and seriously thinking it's literature.

>>15791987
You would think it would have an elitist appeal right? Until you see that Stephen King and S.T. Joshi trash on his work.

>>15791994
>I love talking about the literary merits of Howard. What do you want to talk about? Conan? Kull? Perhaps Solomon Kane or Bran Mak Morn?

>>15792014
A retard and a nobody
>>15792069
The anti-nihilistic themes in the Kull stories were particularly nicely executed, I especially like how the hero is asexual, which increases the gravity of his concerns and also serves to reject a solution, so to speak, thematically

>>15792207
Since both posts come from me I will respond to both.
>a nobody
S.T. Joshi is known as the biggest weird fiction biographer. And he does actually know his stuff. But yeah he's an elitist douchebag. Ironic considering that Lovecraft (his idol) took stuff from Howard's work into his own. Which obviously shows that Lovecraft had a considerable admiration for him.
>The anti-nihilistic themes in the Kull stories were particularly nicely executed
Agreed. Kull's stories delved into some interesting things but people ignore it because "muh pulp"

>>15792349
Where does Joshi criticize Howard?

>>15792372
>Lovecraft scholar S. T. Joshi wrote, in his biography H. P. Lovecraft: A Life, that "The bulk of Howard's fiction is subliterary hackwork that does not even begin to approach genuine literature" and "The simple fact is, however, that his views are not of any great substance or profundity and that Howard's style is crude, slip-shod, and unwieldy. It is all just pulp—although, perhaps, a somewhat superior grade of pulp than the average."
What a prick

>>15792417
>Lovecraft scholar

>>15792444
Checked. But what do you think of his criticism?

>>15792510
Not necessarily off the mark or anything, but the irony is obviously palpable.

>>15792789
>Not necessarily off the mark
I would heavily disagree. His works have delved into some pretty interesting subjects and ideas. Some of the best stories of his made you think on whether the hero pursued the best course of action. There is a lot of merit to his work and a whole lot of substance. His style isn't supposed to be refined and it doesn't need to be. Weird Tales wasn't a gentleman's magazine. The stories printed in the magazine were meant to spark the readers' imagination and Howard did that better than most.

>>15792417
Are you sure he isn't just describing Lovecraft?

>>15792900
I personally enjoy Lovecraft but I can't help but laugh at Joshi's hypocrisy

>>15791972
Conan stories are awesome.

>>15791987
>implying white nationalists are in the modern elite in any country

>>15794447
Conan is such a cool character. I wish more people would read him.

>>15791972
i saved this picture, but im embarrassed i saved this picture

Yea we all know he is a glow in the dark cia nigger.