Dark Valley Destiny: the Life of Robert E. Howard
Encyclopedia
Dark Valley Destiny: the Life of Robert E. Howard is a biography
of the writer Robert E. Howard
by science-fiction writer L. Sprague de Camp
in collaboration with Catherine Crook de Camp
and Jane Whittington Griffin, first in hardcover published by Bluejay Books in 1983. An E-book
edition was published by Gollancz
's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form.
The work, an examination of the famous fantasy
writer and creator of Conan the Barbarian
, was the first major independent biography of Howard. It is an expansion of de Camp's earlier study The Miscast Barbarian: a Biography of Robert E. Howard
(1975), itself an expansion of his article "The Miscast Barbarian", which appeared in the magazine Fantastic
in June, 1971.
as unflattering and unbalanced. For instance, Mark Finn
, author of Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard
, argues that De Camp deliberately framed his questions about Robert Howard in order to elicit answers which matched his Freudian theories about the "neurotic" and "Oedipal" Howard.
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of the writer Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
by science-fiction writer L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
in collaboration with Catherine Crook de Camp
Catherine Crook de Camp
Catherine Crook de Camp, was an American science fiction and fantasy author and editor. Most of whose work was done in collaboration with her husband L. Sprague de Camp, to whom she was married for sixty years. Her solo work was largely non-fiction.-Life:Catherine Crook was born Catherine Adelaide...
and Jane Whittington Griffin, first in hardcover published by Bluejay Books in 1983. An E-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
edition was published by Gollancz
Victor Gollancz Ltd
Victor Gollancz Ltd was a major British book publishing house of the twentieth century. It was founded in 1927 by Victor Gollancz and specialised in the publication of high quality literature, nonfiction and popular fiction, including science fiction. Upon Gollancz's death in 1967, ownership...
's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form.
The work, an examination of the famous fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
writer and creator of Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
, was the first major independent biography of Howard. It is an expansion of de Camp's earlier study The Miscast Barbarian: a Biography of Robert E. Howard
The Miscast Barbarian: a Biography of Robert E. Howard
The Miscast Barbarian: a Biography of Robert E. Howard is a 1975 biography of the writer Robert E. Howard by science-fiction writer L. Sprague de Camp, first published by Gerry de la Ree....
(1975), itself an expansion of his article "The Miscast Barbarian", which appeared in the magazine Fantastic
Fantastic (magazine)
Fantastic was an American digest-size fantasy and science fiction magazine, published from 1952 to 1980. It was founded by Ziff-Davis as a fantasy companion to Amazing Stories. Early sales were good, and Ziff-Davis quickly decided to switch Amazing from pulp format to digest, and to cease...
in June, 1971.
Controversy
De Camp's "warts and all" approach to his subject has been branded by some fansFan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
as unflattering and unbalanced. For instance, Mark Finn
Mark Finn
Mark Finn is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, a science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright...
, author of Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard
Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard
Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard is a biography of the writer Robert E. Howard by Mark Finn, first published in November 2006 by MonkeyBrain Books. It includes an introduction by suspense writer Joe R...
, argues that De Camp deliberately framed his questions about Robert Howard in order to elicit answers which matched his Freudian theories about the "neurotic" and "Oedipal" Howard.