Review: Blood and Thunder by Mark Finn

A warts and all look at Robert E. Howard, his life and literary legacy

[Editor’s note: Yes, we usually do fiction and only fiction. For the creator of Conan et al, we made an exception.]

Summary

While just about everyone knows the name of the barbarian Conan, few know the name of his maker. And by Crom, Mark Finn will make that right. With his book, Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard (now in its second edition), Finn set out to write the definitive biography of the larger than life Texan. What he gives us is a deep understanding of an American literary icon.

The Story

This is a little different from what we usually cover at Upstream Reviews in that Finn’s book is nonfiction. Many of things said about Howard since his untimely death are fictional at best, hearsay and outright lies at worst. Not a hagiography, Finn gives us the tragic story of Howard as he was, flaws and all. From his early education in spinning yarns, always feeling out of place in his hometown of Cross Plains, and the letters he wrote to his friends and lover, the truth emerges. Finn does an excellent job of helping us understand all the man and all his complexities.

While it’s Howard’s story, it’s also the story of small-town Texas. The American west has always been a crucible of sorts, and Howard’s experience growing up there was no different. The child was refined into a man through his difficult environment, and from his experiences he made legends. By placing the colorful boxer/pulp writer/humorist/son in the context of his time, family history, and the oral tradition of the early 20th century, we get a clearer picture of the fragile human being Howard actually was.  

After Howard’s death his writing took on a life of its own. That could probably make for a second book, but Finn condenses it down to a single chapter which lays out the various legal twists and turns. Though much of the information will be familiar to fans, Finn does an excellent job of untangling it for the uninitiated.

The Characters

Aside from Robert himself, we also learn much about his father, Isaac, and mother, Hester.

Howard’s father was a doctor who dragged his family around the state, chasing the oil boom and the money that came with it. Dr. Howard never understood his son, nor was he a good family man, often leaving his sick wife and lonely son for extended periods of time. Young Robert was devoted to his mother, a devotion which kept his grand ambitions bottled up until they finally, tragically, exploded with a self-inflicted bullet days before her death.

Howard had a few close friends who shaped his life, and a prodigious correspondence with H.P. Lovecraft, who gets his own chapter. And of course, no biography of him could be complete without another chapter devoted to his difficult romance with Novalyne Price. 

The World

Texas during the oil boom was a strange place. Civilized society was still taking shape out of the wild west, and Howard struggled perhaps more than anyone to find his footing. 

The Politics

No politics to speak of, aside from Howard’s apparent preference for individualism, if not anarchy, over organized government.

Content Warning

Finn confronts Howard’s racism head-on, which always makes even his most devoted fans uncomfortable. There’s also his relationship with his mother (not as indecent as it’s often made out to be) and suicide to address.

Who is it for?

First and foremost, it’s for fans of Robert E. Howard who want to go beyond Conan the Barbarian. But it’s also for anyone who appreciates the American storytelling tradition and Texas history.

Why read it?

Finn’s biography is effortlessly readable, entertaining, and informative. He accomplishes his goal of painting a clear picture of his subject with honesty and pathos.