With their groundbreaking stories and richly imagined worlds, these authors helped to define the genre and set the stage for generations of writers to come. The Evolution of the Genreįantasy action as a distinct category really took off in the 19th and 20th centuries, with writers such as J.R.R. Later, epic poems like “Beowulf” and “ The Odyssey” added new layers of depth and complexity to the genre.

In the Middle Ages, chivalric romances like “ Tristan and Isolde” and “ The Song of Roland” introduced elements of courtly love and adventure to the fantasy genre. From the epic tales of the Greek gods and heroes to the legends of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table, these stories have captivated audiences for centuries.Īs the genre evolved, it began to incorporate more diverse influences, drawing from a wide range of cultural traditions and literary styles. These tales of gods, heroes, and fantastic creatures inspired the imaginations of countless future writers.

Only magic can threaten him, and Conan has a sharp answer to sorcerers.The roots of fantasy action literature can be traced back to ancient mythology and folklore.

Shackle him to a wall in a lightless, monster-haunted dungeon, and a harem maiden who has fallen in love with him will come by carrying keys and a weapon. Dump him unconscious on the deck of a slave-galley, and he soon wakes up, kicks the captain into the scuppers, seizes an ax, chops free the slaves and is the captain of his own pirate ship. Strong and fierce, he overcomes any physical challenge. Conan is obvious masculine wish-fulfillment. His great creation was Conan the Barbarian, who debuted in Weird Tales magazine in 1932 and was the hero of 20 Howard stories.

He wrote boxing stories, horror stories, Westerns and historical romances of the sort collected in 'Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures.' He was paid a penny a line, if he was lucky. Between 19, however, he published a prodigious amount of fiction (around three million words) in the era's pulp magazines. He lived all his short life in small-town Texas and shot himself at age 30, seemingly out of depression over his mother's incurable illness. Howard (1906–36), an unlikely creator for such a wide-ranging and adventurous form. The father of 'sword- and- sorcery' fiction was Robert E.

Books by robert e howard