{"ok":true,"trend":{"id":989853,"platform":"mastodon","region":"global","key":"why robert e. howard is the true father of sword and sorcery american writer robert e. howard first emerged as an author","title":"Why Robert E. Howard Is the True Father of Sword and Sorcery American writer Robert E. Howard first emerged as an author","url":"https://mastodon.social/@gutenberg_org/117382694872743283","first_seen":"2026-10-04T13:32:59.696803Z","last_seen":"2026-10-04T13:32:59.696803Z","last_rank":1,"peak_rank":1,"last_volume":24,"peak_volume":24,"seen_count":1,"score":0.739765625,"category_hint":"books","section":"culture","category":"books","summary":"A new essay argues that American writer Robert E. Howard, who rose to prominence in the 1920s as one of the Pulp Era's most celebrated authors, deserves recognition as the true father of the sword and sorcery genre, ahead of contemporaries often credited with it. Readers of classic fantasy and pulp fiction are sharing and debating the piece, revisiting Howard's legacy and his enduring influence on heroic fantasy.","why":"Renewed interest in pulp fiction and Howard's legacy has prompted fresh debate over the origins of the sword and sorcery genre.","tone":"neutral","entities":["Robert E. Howard","Project Gutenberg","The Collector"],"summarized_at":"2026-10-04T13:34:43.971557Z","meta":{"tag":"books","via":"scan","kind":"status","lang":"en","instance":"mastodon.social","tag_uses":393},"nw":null,"promo":null,"kind":null,"importance":null,"hidden":false,"hide_reason":null,"judged_at":null,"title_en":"Robert E. Howard Named True Father of Sword and Sorcery","section_name":"Culture","category_name":"Books","timeline":[{"captured_at":"2026-10-04T13:32:59.696803Z","rank":1,"volume":24}],"posts":[{"platform":"mastodon","url":"https://mastodon.social/@gutenberg_org/117382694872743283","author":"gutenberg_org","title":null,"snippet":"Why Robert E. Howard Is the True Father of Sword and Sorcery American writer Robert E. Howard first emerged as an author in the 1920s and swiftly became one of the greatest writers of the Pulp Era. https://www. thecollector.com/robert-e-howa rd-sword-and-sorcery/ Howard at PG:…","posted_at":"2026-10-04T12:43:00.653000Z","likes":24}],"elsewhere":[],"window":"7d"}}