“I weren’t to blame for what happened. Breaking Joel Gordon’s laig was a mistake, and Erath Elkins is a liar when he says I caved in them five ribs of his’n plumb on purpose. And I don’t take no blame for Jim Gordon’s ear which Jack Grimes shot off, neither. I figger everybody was more to blame than I was, and I stand ready to wipe up the earth with anybody which disagrees with me.” -- Brekinridge Elkins
Robert E. Howard is, of course, well known for creating the epic characters of Conan the Barbarian, Bran Mak Morn, Solomon Kane, El Borak, and many more. His fantasy worlds are legendary. But far fewer people are aware of his other creations and perhaps may not appreciate his versatility as a writer.
This volume reprints all 23 of Robert E. Howard’s stories ever printed in “Action Stories” pulp magazine. They are presented in order of publication from the original dates of 1931 to 1937, including the original accompanying artwork. Five stories feature his boxing hero Sailor Steve Costigan while the remaining 18 are about western mountain man, Brekinridge Elkins. These yarns are filled with humorous situations and packed with glorious fights that tend toward tickling the funny bone rather than brutal violence.
Howard should get credit for inventing a whole new type of story, especially with the Brekinridge Elkins stories. They can probably best be described as “Tall Tales”, with characters displaying extremely over-the-top abilities (like Brekinridge getting shot directly in the chest with a shotgun blast but with skin so tough it serves only to make him think the gun-wielder must have been sore at him). Both Brekinridge and Steve Costigan are far from the brightest bulbs but their lack of intellect is more than balanced with skill with their fists. Best of all, these tales are pure fun to read. More than once I laughed out loud and I had to stop and read aloud so my wife could be in on what was so funny.
Robert E. Howard certainly knew how to tell a tale and these are no exception. Fans of his more famous works will want to be sure to give these a go as well.
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