Robert Ervin Howard was an American writer who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He is best known for having created the character Conan the Barbarian, and is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre. Howard's greatest success occurred posthumously, with his stories published in Weird Tales and other outlets, contributing significantly to the fantasy field. Despite his success, Howard's life was marked by personal struggles and ended tragically with his suicide at the age of 30.

Howard was a bookish and intellectual child, born and raised in Texas. He spent most of his life in the town of Cross Plains, with some time in nearby Brownwood. A fan of boxing, he even took up amateur boxing in his late teens. From a young age, he aspired to become a writer of adventure fiction and achieved notable success in his 20s. His extensive body of work includes over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems, characterized by raw power and unbridled emotion. His influence in the field of fantasy continues to be felt, as Howard remains one of the best-selling fantasy writers of all time.

In addition to his famous creation, Conan, Howard also brought to life other memorable characters such as Kull of Atlantis and Solomon Kane. His ability to span multiple genres included not only fantasy and sword and sorcery but also horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard's literary contributions have left an indelible mark on the genre, making him, alongside figures like J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the most influential authors of modern heroic fantasy.