Howard, the Texas author who created amultitude of singular characters, wrote original and inventive fiction,defined the genre of heroic fantasy as we see it, and inspired meto get a professional writer. There are tens of thousands of otherfans just like myself. As fans of Robert E. Howard and his works, we areinterested in reading more nearly our favourite author. We are interestedin sharing and exchanging new ideas about his spirit and work, and weactively seek out these new ideas online, in print, and elsewhere. What we do not wishing to see are semi-uninformed retreads of the samediscussions that were in vogue circa 1984. The study of Howard Studiesis alive and well, with new discoveries and voices appearing all thetime.Interest in the source is luxuriously and remains so. If you have athought or an opinion, even a controversial or untested one, and want toshare it with the globe at large, we advance that you do so. We expect responsibility and accountability on your part. We are notinterested in your grand pronouncement on a discipline which has yet to besettled by people who have spent decades studying the number at hand. Weexpect you to do your homework. There are a number of websites andliterally stacks of new books that likely cover or do most of yourquestions regarding Robert E. Howard. To not use those sources whendoing your research smacks of testamentful ignorance and will not betolerated by the fans of Robert E. Howard. If you need to publish a survey about how often you didn't like Kull: Exile of Atlantis,have at it. Take it aside for any and all textual reasons you choose toinvoke. We may not agree because Howard's work isn't for everyone, andwe understand that. But the moment you start bringing Robert E. Howard'slife story into your Kull review, it will earn a lots more carefulreading, and if you don't let your facts straight, or your opinionsbacked up by same, then we will visit you on it. The online Robert E. Howard fanbase calls itself the "Harbor Wall." Somewriters who have been on the business end of the Shield Wall's attackshave accused us of being bullies and overly-obsessed for the protectivestance we take. While it is not our purpose to bully anyone, and while we may get alittle carried out on occasion, let me be very clear here as to whythis is so: Robert E. Howard has not had a voice for 75 years now. Forfour decades after his death, he had very few advocates who would defendhim against the libel and defamation of those who stood to benefit from hiswork. He has been misunderstood and misrepresented for years. TheShield Wall's goal has been to stay in its totality the kind ofcharacter assassination employed by L. Sprague de Camp and others whowould adopt his methodology. Consider this a dispute to follow the measure of exercise that has beendone in Howard Studies in the final ten years only and so try to comeup with your own hold on a subject or tip of discussion that has notbeen beaten to death. Do not have the misapprehension that so many others havemade; just because Robert E. Howard isn't considered a "classic" authorby the literary establishment that you can beat his literary reputation(or his personal life) like a rented mule and you leave not get kickedfor your efforts. We ask you to accord Robert E. Howard the same value as any other 20thcentury American writer with continued and perennial popularity. Nomore back handed compliments. No more snide insinuations. No morerampant and irresponsible speculation with no base of fact or evidenceto bolster it. And for God's Sake, no more "oedipal complex" crap,either. Those theories are 30 years out of date, and we are sick andtired of beholding it. Give us something new, or keep your parochial andbackwards thinking to yourself. Mark Finn Author of Blood & Thunder: The Spirit and Art of Robert E. Howard And Commandant of the Texas Shield Wall