Quote from: jeff37923 on May 20, 2024, 02:29:06 PMJust my two cents on Conan.....

Even a very cursory reading of the Conan stories by Howard would show that Conan was never a rapist. In all honesty, from reading about Robert E Howard, I sincerely doubt that he would have written about a hero who forced himself on women in his stories because Howard would have considered that to be villainous.

And the pulps probably wouldn't buy a story with a rape scene in it.

This is one of those "well actually" points, that doesn't in any way contradict what you said about Howard, but the Fritz Leiber story "The Sadness of the Executioner" does contain what is arguably a pretty explicit rape scene, and by one of the protagonists, no less.

Quote from: Fritz LeiberThereafter, twining his legs about hers in such fashion that she could not knee him in the groin, and holding her snapping, spitting head in the crook of his left arm and by an ear—after futilely grasping for hair—and finally mastering with his right hand the wrists of her two sharp-nailed, flailing ones, he proceeded by gradual and not unnecessarily brutal steps to ravage her. As she ran out of spit, she quieted. Her breasts proved to be very small, but doubly delicious.

Granted that was 1973, and a very different landscape than what Howard was writing for in the 30s, and it was published in Flashing Swords!, an anthology rather than a pulp magazine. Plus, I think we're supposed to understand the word "ravish" there in the context you see these things happen in old pirate or James Bond movies, where the hero is just so dashing and manly that he can force himself on a woman, and she will become willing due to his sheer chadness.

The Mouser's sexual appetites are pretty suspect, anyway. I can't recall which story makes it explicit at the moment, but it is made clear at a couple of points that his taste in women trends uncomfortably on the young side. Pretty sure he bangs a human-mouse hybrid in The Swords of Lankhmar, too

Quote from: jhkim on May 20, 2024, 03:15:21 PM

Quote from: Krazz on May 18, 2024, 03:50:03 PMI'm pretty sure he's never read any Howard either. No beauty? Good luck finding an ugly woman in Howard's works. They're there, but few and far between. No grace? In Conan's first story, he's saved at the will of a god to save the world from evil. No romance? Conan often gave up his dreams to save a woman. And these claims of "overt racism" never seem to have any evidence.

I'm not endorsing all the claims of the article from the original post. However, this last claim is ridiculous. There is tons of evidence of racism on the part of R.E. Howard. Here is the start of his story "The Last White Man",

Quote from: R.E. HowardTHE MAN SHIVERED in the coolness of the early morning. He shifted his body to relieve the pressure on his elbows.

Cautiously he peered up over the great boulder in front of him, and down the mountain side. Fire twinkled there and the man cursed. An obscene song floated up to him and his curses deepened. The song was in a rich, guttural voice.

The man was a wonder, physically. Over six feet in height, his chest and shoulders were those of a giant. Weighing far over two hundred pounds, he yet gave the impression of sinuous speed. His face was sullen, savage, almost primitive, small black eyes glittering through tangled strands of sandy hair. In one hand he clutched a rifle. A curved scimitar of surprising proportions lay beside him.

He was a splendid example of a wonderful race. A race which reached physical perfection, sank to the depths of degeneracy and then regained the heights just before their fall. He was the last. He was thinking as he lay there, watching the camps of his enemies.

What heights his race had reached before luxuries, idleness and pleasures had sapped their might; had made of them a race of degenerate weaklings. He cursed beneath his breath.

There had been an age when his race had ruled the world. Their cities dotted the fertile plains. Their ships had furrowed the seas, bringing back the wealth of every land. Their armies had gone forth conquering and subjugating.

And to add a few quotes from later in the story:

Quote from: R.E. HowardAt first the white race held its own.

But not for long. The blacks were physical giants, mighty fighting organisms, whose highest wish was slaughter and plunder.

That century long warfare! The man thrilled with a savage pride as he reviewed the wonderful battle the whites gave, overwhelmed as they were with odds of a hundred to one.

...

Quote from: R.E. HowardThe last white man laughed with savage, unholy glee.

The black race was doomed. They were destroyers, not builders. When they slew the white men, progress ceased. The blacks reverted to savagery. They did not even know the art of making weapons.

They had destroyed and could not rebuild. And they were going back to bestial savagery, and to a slaughtering of one another which even their animal-like rate of birth could not control.

It was dawning. The last white man looked about him; gathered his weapons. The rush would soon come.

The full story is pretty short. One can read it here:

https://archive.org/details/howard-collector-05-1964-summer/page/22/mode/2up

Now, I still greatly enjoy Howard's writing. I ran several one-shots of the Conan RPG, like this one:

https://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/brawnythews/

Still, the evidence of his racism is impossible to ignore. It's a question of putting it in context and interpreting it.

Except most, probably all, of that is not "evidence" of Howard being racist and you know it.

Quote from: ForgottenF on May 20, 2024, 11:17:16 PM

Quote from: jeff37923 on May 20, 2024, 02:29:06 PMJust my two cents on Conan.....

Even a very cursory reading of the Conan stories by Howard would show that Conan was never a rapist. In all honesty, from reading about Robert E Howard, I sincerely doubt that he would have written about a hero who forced himself on women in his stories because Howard would have considered that to be villainous.

And the pulps probably wouldn't buy a story with a rape scene in it.

This is one of those "well actually" points, that doesn't in any way contradict what you said about Howard, but the Fritz Leiber story "The Sadness of the Executioner" does contain what is arguably a pretty explicit rape scene, and by one of the protagonists, no less.

Quote from: Fritz LeiberThereafter, twining his legs about hers in such fashion that she could not knee him in the groin, and holding her snapping, spitting head in the crook of his left arm and by an ear—after futilely grasping for hair—and finally mastering with his right hand the wrists of her two sharp-nailed, flailing ones, he proceeded by gradual and not unnecessarily brutal steps to ravage her. As she ran out of spit, she quieted. Her breasts proved to be very small, but doubly delicious.

Granted that was 1973, and a very different landscape than what Howard was writing for in the 30s, and it was published in Flashing Swords!, an anthology rather than a pulp magazine. Plus, I think we're supposed to understand the word "ravish" there in the context you see these things happen in old pirate or James Bond movies, where the hero is just so dashing and manly that he can force himself on a woman, and she will become willing due to his sheer chadness.

The Mouser's sexual appetites are pretty suspect, anyway. I can't recall which story makes it explicit at the moment, but it is made clear at a couple of points that his taste in women trends uncomfortably on the young side. Pretty sure he bangs a human-mouse hybrid in The Swords of Lankhmar, too

Greetings!

A Human-Mouse hybrid? *EWWW*. *Laughing*

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: ForgottenF on May 20, 2024, 11:17:16 PM

Quote from: jeff37923 on May 20, 2024, 02:29:06 PMJust my two cents on Conan.....

Even a very cursory reading of the Conan stories by Howard would show that Conan was never a rapist. In all honesty, from reading about Robert E Howard, I sincerely doubt that he would have written about a hero who forced himself on women in his stories because Howard would have considered that to be villainous.

And the pulps probably wouldn't buy a story with a rape scene in it.

This is one of those "well actually" points, that doesn't in any way contradict what you said about Howard, but the Fritz Leiber story "The Sadness of the Executioner" does contain what is arguably a pretty explicit rape scene, and by one of the protagonists, no less.

Quote from: Fritz LeiberThereafter, twining his legs about hers in such fashion that she could not knee him in the groin, and holding her snapping, spitting head in the crook of his left arm and by an ear—after futilely grasping for hair—and finally mastering with his right hand the wrists of her two sharp-nailed, flailing ones, he proceeded by gradual and not unnecessarily brutal steps to ravage her. As she ran out of spit, she quieted. Her breasts proved to be very small, but doubly delicious.

Granted that was 1973, and a very different landscape than what Howard was writing for in the 30s, and it was published in Flashing Swords!, an anthology rather than a pulp magazine. Plus, I think we're supposed to understand the word "ravish" there in the context you see these things happen in old pirate or James Bond movies, where the hero is just so dashing and manly that he can force himself on a woman, and she will become willing due to his sheer chadness.

The Mouser's sexual appetites are pretty suspect, anyway. I can't recall which story makes it explicit at the moment, but it is made clear at a couple of points that his taste in women trends uncomfortably on the young side. Pretty sure he bangs a human-mouse hybrid in The Swords of Lankhmar, too

I'm going to have to track down that Fritz Leiber Conan story because I haven't read it. Damn, this place always gives me homework..... 

Quote from: Omega on May 21, 2024, 12:46:18 AM

Quote from: jhkim on May 20, 2024, 03:15:21 PM

Quote from: Krazz on May 18, 2024, 03:50:03 PMI'm pretty sure he's never read any Howard either. No beauty? Good luck finding an ugly woman in Howard's works. They're there, but few and far between. No grace? In Conan's first story, he's saved at the will of a god to save the world from evil. No romance? Conan often gave up his dreams to save a woman. And these claims of "overt racism" never seem to have any evidence.

I'm not endorsing all the claims of the article from the original post. However, this last claim is ridiculous. There is tons of evidence of racism on the part of R.E. Howard. Here is the start of his story "The Last White Man",

Quote from: R.E. HowardTHE MAN SHIVERED in the coolness of the early morning. He shifted his body to relieve the pressure on his elbows.

Cautiously he peered up over the great boulder in front of him, and down the mountain side. Fire twinkled there and the man cursed. An obscene song floated up to him and his curses deepened. The song was in a rich, guttural voice.

The man was a wonder, physically. Over six feet in height, his chest and shoulders were those of a giant. Weighing far over two hundred pounds, he yet gave the impression of sinuous speed. His face was sullen, savage, almost primitive, small black eyes glittering through tangled strands of sandy hair. In one hand he clutched a rifle. A curved scimitar of surprising proportions lay beside him.

He was a splendid example of a wonderful race. A race which reached physical perfection, sank to the depths of degeneracy and then regained the heights just before their fall. He was the last. He was thinking as he lay there, watching the camps of his enemies.

What heights his race had reached before luxuries, idleness and pleasures had sapped their might; had made of them a race of degenerate weaklings. He cursed beneath his breath.

There had been an age when his race had ruled the world. Their cities dotted the fertile plains. Their ships had furrowed the seas, bringing back the wealth of every land. Their armies had gone forth conquering and subjugating.

And to add a few quotes from later in the story:

Quote from: R.E. HowardAt first the white race held its own.

But not for long. The blacks were physical giants, mighty fighting organisms, whose highest wish was slaughter and plunder.

That century long warfare! The man thrilled with a savage pride as he reviewed the wonderful battle the whites gave, overwhelmed as they were with odds of a hundred to one.

...

Quote from: R.E. HowardThe last white man laughed with savage, unholy glee.

The black race was doomed. They were destroyers, not builders. When they slew the white men, progress ceased. The blacks reverted to savagery. They did not even know the art of making weapons.

They had destroyed and could not rebuild. And they were going back to bestial savagery, and to a slaughtering of one another which even their animal-like rate of birth could not control.

It was dawning. The last white man looked about him; gathered his weapons. The rush would soon come.

The full story is pretty short. One can read it here:

https://archive.org/details/howard-collector-05-1964-summer/page/22/mode/2up

Now, I still greatly enjoy Howard's writing. I ran several one-shots of the Conan RPG, like this one:

https://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/brawnythews/

Still, the evidence of his racism is impossible to ignore. It's a question of putting it in context and interpreting it.

Except most, probably all, of that is not "evidence" of Howard being racist and you know it.

By noting most, are you saying that some of that could be evidence of Howard being racist? Let's take the final quote I gave from "The Last White Man". Howard writes:

Quote from: R.E. HowardThe last white man laughed with savage, unholy glee.

The black race was doomed. They were destroyers, not builders. When they slew the white men, progress ceased. The blacks reverted to savagery. They did not even know the art of making weapons.

They had destroyed and could not rebuild. And they were going back to bestial savagery, and to a slaughtering of one another which even their animal-like rate of birth could not control.

This is pretty clear in its statements about the black race, which are pejorative. Do you think that this section is racist against black people?

Quote from: jhkim on May 21, 2024, 02:46:42 AM

Quote from: Omega on May 21, 2024, 12:46:18 AM

Quote from: jhkim on May 20, 2024, 03:15:21 PM

Quote from: Krazz on May 18, 2024, 03:50:03 PMI'm pretty sure he's never read any Howard either. No beauty? Good luck finding an ugly woman in Howard's works. They're there, but few and far between. No grace? In Conan's first story, he's saved at the will of a god to save the world from evil. No romance? Conan often gave up his dreams to save a woman. And these claims of "overt racism" never seem to have any evidence.

I'm not endorsing all the claims of the article from the original post. However, this last claim is ridiculous. There is tons of evidence of racism on the part of R.E. Howard. Here is the start of his story "The Last White Man",

Quote from: R.E. HowardTHE MAN SHIVERED in the coolness of the early morning. He shifted his body to relieve the pressure on his elbows.

Cautiously he peered up over the great boulder in front of him, and down the mountain side. Fire twinkled there and the man cursed. An obscene song floated up to him and his curses deepened. The song was in a rich, guttural voice.

The man was a wonder, physically. Over six feet in height, his chest and shoulders were those of a giant. Weighing far over two hundred pounds, he yet gave the impression of sinuous speed. His face was sullen, savage, almost primitive, small black eyes glittering through tangled strands of sandy hair. In one hand he clutched a rifle. A curved scimitar of surprising proportions lay beside him.

He was a splendid example of a wonderful race. A race which reached physical perfection, sank to the depths of degeneracy and then regained the heights just before their fall. He was the last. He was thinking as he lay there, watching the camps of his enemies.

What heights his race had reached before luxuries, idleness and pleasures had sapped their might; had made of them a race of degenerate weaklings. He cursed beneath his breath.

There had been an age when his race had ruled the world. Their cities dotted the fertile plains. Their ships had furrowed the seas, bringing back the wealth of every land. Their armies had gone forth conquering and subjugating.

And to add a few quotes from later in the story:

Quote from: R.E. HowardAt first the white race held its own.

But not for long. The blacks were physical giants, mighty fighting organisms, whose highest wish was slaughter and plunder.

That century long warfare! The man thrilled with a savage pride as he reviewed the wonderful battle the whites gave, overwhelmed as they were with odds of a hundred to one.

...

Quote from: R.E. HowardThe last white man laughed with savage, unholy glee.

The black race was doomed. They were destroyers, not builders. When they slew the white men, progress ceased. The blacks reverted to savagery. They did not even know the art of making weapons.

They had destroyed and could not rebuild. And they were going back to bestial savagery, and to a slaughtering of one another which even their animal-like rate of birth could not control.

It was dawning. The last white man looked about him; gathered his weapons. The rush would soon come.

The full story is pretty short. One can read it here:

https://archive.org/details/howard-collector-05-1964-summer/page/22/mode/2up

Now, I still greatly enjoy Howard's writing. I ran several one-shots of the Conan RPG, like this one:

https://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/brawnythews/

Still, the evidence of his racism is impossible to ignore. It's a question of putting it in context and interpreting it.

Except most, probably all, of that is not "evidence" of Howard being racist and you know it.

By noting most, are you saying that some of that could be evidence of Howard being racist? Let's take the final quote I gave from "The Last White Man". Howard writes:

Quote from: R.E. HowardThe last white man laughed with savage, unholy glee.

The black race was doomed. They were destroyers, not builders. When they slew the white men, progress ceased. The blacks reverted to savagery. They did not even know the art of making weapons.

They had destroyed and could not rebuild. And they were going back to bestial savagery, and to a slaughtering of one another which even their animal-like rate of birth could not control.

This is pretty clear in its statements about the black race, which are pejorative. Do you think that this section is racist against black people?

You are trying to gaslight people again, jhkim. You must try harder....

Quote from: reh.world/stories/the-last-white-manIn "The Last White Man," Robert E. Howard portrays a grim and dramatic narrative of racial conflict, set in a speculative future where a once-dominant race faces its downfall due to decadence and external conquests. The story follows the last survivor of this race as he confronts the inevitability of his end amidst the ruins of his civilization.

The narrative ends with a poignant reflection on the cyclical nature of empires and the eventual decline of even the mightiest among them, driven by internal decadence and external conquests. The last white man's death symbolizes the end of an era and the complete rise of a new world order.

https://reh.world/stories/the-last-white-man/

Now that doesn't sound so much like a writer who is racist, but like a writer who is using the main character's racism to demonstrate why a society that embraces racism creates weak citizens and is destined to fall.

Quote from: SHARK on May 21, 2024, 12:47:56 AM

Quote from: ForgottenF on May 20, 2024, 11:17:16 PMThis is one of those "well actually" points, that doesn't in any way contradict what you said about Howard, but the Fritz Leiber story "The Sadness of the Executioner" does contain what is arguably a pretty explicit rape scene, and by one of the protagonists, no less.

....

The Mouser's sexual appetites are pretty suspect, anyway. I can't recall which story makes it explicit at the moment, but it is made clear at a couple of points that his taste in women trends uncomfortably on the young side. Pretty sure he bangs a human-mouse hybrid in The Swords of Lankhmar, too

Greetings!

A Human-Mouse hybrid? *EWWW*. *Laughing*

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

In the same story, Fafhrd hooks up with a cannibal woman with transparent skin and organs. The Mouser's dodgy tastes aside, I actually find the fact that Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are so often motivated by their dicks to be weirdly endearing. They get into probably half their adventures because they're trying to get laid, and it's also usually the reason they come out of their adventures with nothing. Leiber said he based the two characters off of himself and a friend when they were young, and I think we all knew guys like that in our 20s.

Quote from: jeff37923 on May 21, 2024, 01:22:52 AM

Quote from: ForgottenF on May 20, 2024, 11:17:16 PMThis is one of those "well actually" points, that doesn't in any way contradict what you said about Howard, but the Fritz Leiber story "The Sadness of the Executioner" does contain what is arguably a pretty explicit rape scene, and by one of the protagonists, no less.

Quote from: Fritz LeiberThereafter, twining his legs about hers in such fashion that she could not knee him in the groin, and holding her snapping, spitting head in the crook of his left arm and by an ear—after futilely grasping for hair—and finally mastering with his right hand the wrists of her two sharp-nailed, flailing ones, he proceeded by gradual and not unnecessarily brutal steps to ravage her. As she ran out of spit, she quieted. Her breasts proved to be very small, but doubly delicious.

I'm going to have to track down that Fritz Leiber Conan story because I haven't read it. Damn, this place always gives me homework..... 

Not a Conan story. Sorry I should have clarified that. I honestly forgot that everyone and their mother has written Conan over the years. It's the first story in the Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser collection Swords and Ice Magic. It's super short. You can read the whole thing here https://www.baen.com/Chapters/ERBAEN0092/ERBAEN0092___1.htm[/quote]

Quote from: jhkim on May 20, 2024, 03:15:21 PMStill, the evidence of his racism is impossible to ignore. It's a question of putting it in context and interpreting it.

I mean, I think I'll just enjoy it right alongside everything else he's written.

But by the modern and overly broad definition of racism, all these men were racist.  In some cases, even by the original definition of racism. And of course, by the future definition of racism, the preview of which everyone here has seen on twitter and such, everyone who is targeted politically is racist, including everyone on this board.

Quote from: ForgottenF on May 21, 2024, 09:47:42 AM

Quote from: SHARK on May 21, 2024, 12:47:56 AM

Quote from: ForgottenF on May 20, 2024, 11:17:16 PMThis is one of those "well actually" points, that doesn't in any way contradict what you said about Howard, but the Fritz Leiber story "The Sadness of the Executioner" does contain what is arguably a pretty explicit rape scene, and by one of the protagonists, no less.

....

The Mouser's sexual appetites are pretty suspect, anyway. I can't recall which story makes it explicit at the moment, but it is made clear at a couple of points that his taste in women trends uncomfortably on the young side. Pretty sure he bangs a human-mouse hybrid in The Swords of Lankhmar, too

Greetings!

A Human-Mouse hybrid? *EWWW*. *Laughing*

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

In the same story, Fafhrd hooks up with a cannibal woman with transparent skin and organs. The Mouser's dodgy tastes aside, I actually find the fact that Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are so often motivated by their dicks to be weirdly endearing. They get into probably half their adventures because they're trying to get laid, and it's also usually the reason they come out of their adventures with nothing. Leiber said he based the two characters off of himself and a friend when they were young, and I think we all knew guys like that in our 20s.

Quote from: jeff37923 on May 21, 2024, 01:22:52 AM

Quote from: ForgottenF on May 20, 2024, 11:17:16 PMThis is one of those "well actually" points, that doesn't in any way contradict what you said about Howard, but the Fritz Leiber story "The Sadness of the Executioner" does contain what is arguably a pretty explicit rape scene, and by one of the protagonists, no less.

Quote from: Fritz LeiberThereafter, twining his legs about hers in such fashion that she could not knee him in the groin, and holding her snapping, spitting head in the crook of his left arm and by an ear—after futilely grasping for hair—and finally mastering with his right hand the wrists of her two sharp-nailed, flailing ones, he proceeded by gradual and not unnecessarily brutal steps to ravage her. As she ran out of spit, she quieted. Her breasts proved to be very small, but doubly delicious.

I'm going to have to track down that Fritz Leiber Conan story because I haven't read it. Damn, this place always gives me homework..... 

Not a Conan story. Sorry I should have clarified that. I honestly forgot that everyone and their mother has written Conan over the years. It's the first story in the Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser collection Swords and Ice Magic. It's super short. You can read the whole thing here https://www.baen.com/Chapters/ERBAEN0092/ERBAEN0092___1.htm

[/quote]

Oh, cool! I'm a big fan of Baen Publishing.

Did jhkim just derail this thread and call REH racist? Does he have an actual fucking life?

Quote from: jeff37923 on May 21, 2024, 04:24:51 AMYou are trying to gaslight people again, jhkim. You must try harder....

Quote from: reh.world/stories/the-last-white-manIn "The Last White Man," Robert E. Howard portrays a grim and dramatic narrative of racial conflict, set in a speculative future where a once-dominant race faces its downfall due to decadence and external conquests. The story follows the last survivor of this race as he confronts the inevitability of his end amidst the ruins of his civilization.

The narrative ends with a poignant reflection on the cyclical nature of empires and the eventual decline of even the mightiest among them, driven by internal decadence and external conquests. The last white man's death symbolizes the end of an era and the complete rise of a new world order.

https://reh.world/stories/the-last-white-man/

Now that doesn't sound so much like a writer who is racist, but like a writer who is using the main character's racism to demonstrate why a society that embraces racism creates weak citizens and is destined to fall.

In your own link, this is what Howard wrote in a letter to his friend Tevis Clyde Smith:

Quote from: R.E. HowardI shall write a story entitled "The Last Man" as a warning to the white races. If the West falls before the East, it won't be because I haven't warned the white races. Well, maybe if I progress, which I doubt much, in a few years I'll become such a nuisance that the Dalai Lama will take notice of me and my career will end suddenly.

Again, this isn't part of a story, this is Howard writing to his friend.

Have you read the story? Again, it isn't long, and I gave a link earlier to the collection it is in.

https://archive.org/details/howard-collector-05-1964-summer/page/22/mode/2up

In another letter, Howard wrote (regarding a rape trial in Honolulu):

Quote from: R.E. HowardI know what would have happened to them in Texas.  I don't know whether an Oriental smells any different than a nigger when he's roasting, but I'm willing to bet the aroma of scorching hide would have the same chastening effect on his surviving tribesman.

His girlfriend Novalyne Price wrote about a conversation with him where he told her, "I guess you know if a Negro is found on the streets after dark in Coleman, Santa Anna, and several other towns around here, they run him out of town.  Chances are they might tar and feather him." When Novalyne reacted negatively, Howard elaborated, "Let me tell you something, girl, that you don't seem to know.  Those people come from a different line.  They have different blood -"

Quote from: jhkim on May 21, 2024, 11:51:02 AM

Quote from: jeff37923 on May 21, 2024, 04:24:51 AMYou are trying to gaslight people again, jhkim. You must try harder....

Quote from: reh.world/stories/the-last-white-manIn "The Last White Man," Robert E. Howard portrays a grim and dramatic narrative of racial conflict, set in a speculative future where a once-dominant race faces its downfall due to decadence and external conquests. The story follows the last survivor of this race as he confronts the inevitability of his end amidst the ruins of his civilization.

The narrative ends with a poignant reflection on the cyclical nature of empires and the eventual decline of even the mightiest among them, driven by internal decadence and external conquests. The last white man's death symbolizes the end of an era and the complete rise of a new world order.

https://reh.world/stories/the-last-white-man/

Now that doesn't sound so much like a writer who is racist, but like a writer who is using the main character's racism to demonstrate why a society that embraces racism creates weak citizens and is destined to fall.

In your own link, this is what Howard wrote in a letter to his friend Tevis Clyde Smith:

Quote from: R.E. HowardI shall write a story entitled "The Last Man" as a warning to the white races. If the West falls before the East, it won't be because I haven't warned the white races. Well, maybe if I progress, which I doubt much, in a few years I'll become such a nuisance that the Dalai Lama will take notice of me and my career will end suddenly.

Again, this isn't part of a story, this is Howard writing to his friend.

Have you read the story? Again, it isn't long, and I gave a link earlier to the collection it is in.

https://archive.org/details/howard-collector-05-1964-summer/page/22/mode/2up

In another letter, Howard wrote (regarding a rape trial in Honolulu):

Quote from: R.E. HowardI know what would have happened to them in Texas.  I don't know whether an Oriental smells any different than a nigger when he's roasting, but I'm willing to bet the aroma of scorching hide would have the same chastening effect on his surviving tribesman.

His girlfriend Novalyne Price wrote about a conversation with him where he told her, "I guess you know if a Negro is found on the streets after dark in Coleman, Santa Anna, and several other towns around here, they run him out of town.  Chances are they might tar and feather him." When Novalyne reacted negatively, Howard elaborated, "Let me tell you something, girl, that you don't seem to know.  Those people come from a different line.  They have different blood -"

Sounds more like you desperately want to convince people that Robert E Howard was racist and will cherry pick anything in order to gaslight them into believing that. Tell me that this isn't part of your well known modus operendi.

The story reads like a Cautionary Tale. A shorter and more ham fisted To Kill A Mockingbird or Huckleberry Finn.

Quote from: Brad on May 21, 2024, 11:43:29 AMDid jhkim just derail this thread and call REH racist? Does he have an actual fucking life?

Not that I've ever seen.

Quote from: jhkim on May 20, 2024, 05:13:28 PM

Quote from: Eirikrautha on May 20, 2024, 04:48:30 PMThe post you quoted specifically referred to racism in Conan (by Howard), which was the topic being discussed.  You provided an example of a story by Howard, but having nothing to do with Conan.  Either you can't read, or you are just trying to change the subject.  Please provide evidence of racism in Conan if you wish to dispute the post.

Fair enough. Here are some excerpts from "Shadows in Zamboula".
...

I note that you don't explain what is racist about any of those quotes. I would discuss it with you, but I remember when it transpired that WOTC had records of the race of everybody who had ever written a D&D product, and had chosen to hire only POCs for a new product, you refused to accept that as an example of racism, but instead dropped out of the conversation. So I won't waste my time having the same discussion twice.

Quote from: jhkim on May 20, 2024, 03:15:21 PMI'm not endorsing all the claims of the article from the original post. However, this last claim is ridiculous. There is tons of evidence of racism on the part of R.E. Howard. Here is the start of his story "The Last White Man",

That post-Apocalyptic story is about the decline of Western civilization due to its degeneracy and rise of African and Arab empires to replace it.  It is NOT racist to write such a story.
That story happens to be highly prescient.