I know that REH has a high regard for CAS's "The Charnel God" but I was wondering if Smith ever indicated a favorite story of Howard's. For that matter, I'd be interested if Lovecraft ever expressed having a favorite story by Howard also.

Any replies are appreciated. Thanks

Manco

I think HPL was partial to the Bran Mak Morn stories -- anyway he preferred them to Conan.

REH also was very taken with Smith's Ebony and Crystal; in fact, CAS noted that Howard "evidently understood it as few people have done" (Selected Letters of CAS, p. 219).

The stories which CAS mentions with evident appreciation, at least as included in that letters volume, are: "The Worms of the Earth" (p. 193), "The Tower of the Elephant" (p. 199, 200n4), and "The Pool of the Black One" (p. 229), with a general favorable take on the Conan tales as a whole ("Howard is a rather surprising person, and I think he is more complex, and is also possessed of more literary ability, than I had thought from many of his stories. The Conan tales, in my opinion, are quite in a class by themselves." -- p. 219).

HPL thought highly of the Kull tales, as well, saying in a letter to E. Hoffmann Price (SLV.278) that he thought they "probably form a weird peak" in Howard's writing, though he, too, had some kind words for at least some of the Conan tales, noting that in general they didn't reflect a true falling off from the Kull stories, and especially singling out The Hour of the Dragon as a fine example of Howard's weird work (ibid.)

If I remember right, Lovecraft was quite passionate (relatively speaking) about Solomon Kane (also my favourite REH creation). Howard was fond of Kane too, and the stories have a polish sort of missing from his other writings (maybe Bob enjoyed writing them more, or identified more with the character). To wander from the subject, good news about the reprint of CAS's Complete Poetry. Somebody said they were skint when the books first came out: so was I, but I sold my grandmother: the house is a lot quieter and I can enjoy the books more.