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Message: <blockquote data-quote="afreed" data-source="post: 1329675" data-attributes="member: 2281">Let's try to stay civil, here, huh?When I said cliches, I meant just that. Overused phrases and images that have lost their meaning. 'Blur of blinding speed.' 'Mop of unruly hair.' 'Swayed like a sapling in the wind.' Howard didn't create these. They are, to my mind, a flaw in his prose.And I freely acknowledge his influence. (I also wouldn't call any of those authors my 'idols,' thanks.) But when the question is whether or not his work holds up today, I don't think it's unreasonable to point out his problems.In some cases, yes. But there are places where he repeats the same image not just in one story, but in one paragraph.It's only as irrelevant as any other attempt at judging literary merit. Saying that Howard's work doesn't hold up against contemporary fantasy doesn't take away from everything he did to define the genre. He's done far more than Jordan and Martin to influence fantasy. (Well, Jordan deserves credit / blame for helping to spur the market for huge fantasy series, but that's a minor point.)I'm not canonizing or demonizing anyone. Howard had some great characters (Conan himself), some wonderful bits of prose (the 'ghostly tryst' image from the start of 'Frost Giant's Daughter' comes to mind), and some clever plots. He also had a lot of stereotypes, awkward writing, and predictable plots. If you find that his merits outweigh his flaws, that's wonderful. But the flaws are there, and worth noting in a discussion of his work.</blockquote>

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