Robert E. Howard and Fritz Leiber were the two most important writers of Sword and Sorcery. Howard, more or less, invented the genre though there were some stories like “The Sword of Welleran” by Lord Dunsany that could be argued are early examples of the genre. Leiber named it in a letter to Michael Moorcock (who is probably the third most important writer.)

Howard created the heroes Kull, Bran Mak Morn, and, of course, Conan. Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser probably is the most important post-Howard S&S series (though one could argue for Moorcock’s Elric.)

Both Howard and Leiber worked in other genres, particularly horror. Leiber also wrote a lot of science fiction. Howard also wrote straight adventure. Both corresponded with H. P. Lovecraft. Howard and Lovecraft’s argument on the merits of civilization and barbarism is legendary among their fans. At the end of his life Lovecraft was somewhat of a mentor to Leiber.

Yet despite this they were in some ways very different writers. While both wrote for the pulps, Howard was more “pulpy” and Leiber more “literary.” Now the line between Pulp and Literature is very thin, but I think that can be said. By this I mean Howard relied a lot on Blood and Thunder and Leiber had a lot of stylistic nuance. That is not to say there is no artistry in Howard’s prose nor, for that matter, there is no Blood and Thunder in Leiber’s stories. I am also not saying one was better than the other, just different. Leiber’s prose was smoother, but Howard’s more energetic. They were both good at creating atmosphere.

I think another difference is the environments that they grew up in. Howard grew up in an oil boom town. Seeing the transformation of Cross Plains from quiet little town to boom town seems to have influence his beliefs about the rise and fall of civilization. Leiber was born in Chicago and always seemed to live in one city or another. This undoubtedly influenced the creation of what is probably the greatest city in fantasy, Lankhmar.

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are more urban than Conan. Yes, Leiber’s Twain got out of Lankhmar often and Conan lived in cities in stories like “The Tower of The Elephant” and “Rogues in the House” but Conan probably preferred not to. Fafhrd, a fellow barbarian, seemed to adapt fairly well to the city. Mouser wouldn’t have it any other way.

That being said, there probably is an influence from Howard’s portrayal of The Maul in “The Tower of the Elephant” on Leiber’s Lankhmar.

Aside from being more urban, Leiber is more urbane. There is a lot of wit and irony in his stories. These were not absent in Howard’s work. One only had to read one of Howard’s Sailor Steve Costigan tales to know that he could be hilarious, but his sword and sorcery tends to the grim.

I think Howard’s upbringing gave his work a certain rawness. Oil boom towns were rough, sometimes violent, places. His father was a doctor so he probably saw oil field injuries. Fights also would not be uncommon in this environment. This gave his work a certain edge to it.

Leiber was the son of a Shakespearean actor who did some Hollywood work. The Bard would influence Leiber’s work.

Howard was a fan of Macbeth, but I think one of his main influences was history, particularly the bloody parts. He loved the Celts (obviously), the Medieval Ages, and the history of the American Southwest. He also loved historical adventure fiction like that of Harold Lamb.

It could be said that the Hyborian Age Conan lived in is made up of different parts of history. The setting of “Beyond the Black River” bears a resemblance to the American Frontier. Aquilonia is based on Medieval France.

Howard took his love of history and adventure fiction and melded it with horror. He did this first with his Solomon Kane stories. Now the Kane stories are probably more proto-sword and sorcery than proper sword and sorcery, but they were where Howard started to mix swashbuckling with horror. With the writing of “The Shadow Kingdom” he created an ancient age undreamt of and with it the genre.

The Hyborian Age allowed a variety of settings based on various times and places. This allowed Conan to be the ultimate adventurer. He could be a pirate, a knight, a Cossack, or a frontiersman. Even the more formulaic Conan stories were varied.

Leiber named the genre. He did more, though. He infused the elements of swashbuckling and horror with humor. He also created a very interesting Secondary World in Nehwon. It is still one of the most original fantasy lands.

Howard and Leiber both also wrote horror. They were both influenced by H. P. Lovecraft. That said they both had their own voices. Howard wrote the great “Pigeons from Hell” to prove that the South could be as good a setting for horror as Lovecraft’s New England. Leiber did a lot to bring horror away from graveyards to modern urban settings. Stories like “Smoke Ghost” and Our Lady of Darkness proved modern cities could be as scary as any haunted castle.

Now, my estimation of the writings of Howard and Leiber is high for both of them. I think Howard was the most consistent. Both authors were uneven, like all writers, but even in Howard’s worst story there is the raw power that he did so well. Leiber wrote stories I loved and some I hated. I think highly of, say, “Thieves’ House,” but “The Mouser Goes Below” made me want to bang my head on a wall. That said I think Swords Against Death is probably the best Sword and Sorcery collection I’ve read. Either way I am glad I found both writers.