The Sowers of the Thunder
"The Sowers of the Thunder" is a historical fiction short story by American writer Robert E. Howard, originally published in Oriental Stories, Winter 1932. It takes place in Outremer (the Crusader states) in the time of General Baibars and deals with the General's friendly/adversarial relationship with Cahal Ruadh O'Donnell, an Irish Crusader with a troubled past cut in the Howardian mold. Both the Siege of Jerusalem (1244) and the Battle of La Forbie feature in the plot.
| "The Sowers of the Thunder" | |
|---|---|
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| Author | Robert E. Howard |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Historical fiction |
| Published in | Oriental Stories |
| Media type | Pulp magazine |
| Publication date | Winter 1932 |
As is common for Howard's historical fiction, this tale is tragic as much as it is heroic, pitting the protagonist's superhuman strength and resolution against a world that is yet stronger, and too harsh to resist. Another trait of the story common to Howard's historical tales is the mix of historical figures and events (here Baibars, Walter of Brienne, Al-Mansur and others, and the prelude to Baibars' Mamluk empire) with totally imaginary ones (such as deposed "King of Ireland" Cahal). While less known than Howard's fantasy work, this is nonetheless considered a classic among his writings.
External links
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- • The Sowers of Thunder: Full text of the story at Wikisource
- Works of Robert E. Howard: Publication history for The Sowers of Thunder