No Cowherders Wanted, and Pilgrims to the Pecos

Robert Ervin Howard, an influential American pulp writer, is renowned for creating the iconic character Conan the Cimmerian, whose legacy rivals that of Tarzan and Sherlock Holmes. His literary journey was shaped by voracious reading and the mentorship of teachers, with notable influences from authors like Jack London and Rudyard Kipling. Despite his talent, Howard struggled with severe depression from a young age, and his friends noted his unsettling views on suicide as a release from suffering, highlighting the complex interplay between his creativity and personal turmoil.