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<blockquote data-quote="afreed" data-source="post: 1327913" data-attributes="member: 2281">REH TodayI'm sure people will vehemently disagree, but I'd have to say 'no' in general. There are some pulp writers whose work holds up very well, but I don't think Howard is one of them.It's worth noting here that I've just started reading Conan, so these comments are made on the basis of the first few stories.The prose has flashes of brilliance, but also a lot of flaws: overuse of certain metaphors (blazing eyes), too many cliches, and a tendency to be overwrought. With the exception of Conan and a few select others, the characters are stereotypes. The plots are fairly predictable--partly because Howard defined the S&amp;S plot tropes, but it's nonetheless a flaw when compared to modern fantasy.None of which is to say that the Conan stories aren't exciting entertainment, and vitally important to the genre's history. And if Howard had been born 20 years ago, he might well be writing cutting-edge stuff. But '30s Conan probably wouldn't be published today.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="afreed, post: 1327913, member: 2281"] [b]REH Today[/b] I'm sure people will vehemently disagree, but I'd have to say 'no' in general. There are some pulp writers whose work holds up very well, but I don't think Howard is one of them. It's worth noting here that I've just started reading Conan, so these comments are made on the basis of the first few stories. The prose has flashes of brilliance, but also a lot of flaws: overuse of certain metaphors (blazing eyes), too many cliches, and a tendency to be overwrought. With the exception of Conan and a few select others, the characters are stereotypes. The plots are fairly predictable--partly because Howard defined the S&S plot tropes, but it's nonetheless a flaw when compared to modern fantasy. None of which is to say that the Conan stories aren't exciting entertainment, and vitally important to the genre's history. And if Howard had been born 20 years ago, he might well be writing cutting-edge stuff. But '30s Conan probably wouldn't be published today. [/QUOTE]

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