Author Robert E. Howard has long been known has long been known as the father of the Sword and Sorcery fantasy genre and the creator of the iconic Conan the Barbarian character, but what many readers don’t realize is Howard wrote plenty of stories not set in fantastical worlds and stories that were filled with bigger-than-life but quite human characters.

“Boxing Stories,” edited by Chris Gruber, is a collection of Howard’s short stories and poems having to do with the pugilistic trade. The main character in most of these tales is one sailor named Steve Costigan, but there are other characters in some of the tales. And some of the stories which do not feature Costigan and his bulldog buddy are still related to Costigan, these tales often being about friends and foes he has fought.

The writing is strong and gut-wrenching in places, a few of the tales being Howard at his finest, but Sword and Sorcery fans won’t find the darker worlds and darker characters with whom they are more familiar. But that’s not a bad thing. These tales show Howard’s abilities from a different angle, and they allow him to betray burly he-men who can be deadly but aren’t mad nor dark to the point of being anti-heroes.

If you’re a fan of Howard’s and want to learn more about what this awesome writer could write, or if you’re just looking for some good old tales of men duking it out, this one is for you.

Other book reviews

The Battle of Mogadishu, edited by Matt Eversmann and Dan Schilling

The Ruins, by Scott Smith

Battle Royale, by Koushun Takami

Afraid, by Jack Kilborn