Waterfront Fists and Others: The Collected Fight Stories of Robert E. Howard

by Robert E. Howard

Presented here, as they were originally printed, these stories perfectly showcase why Robert E. Howard was one of the greatest adventure writers of the 20th century.

Genres: Short Stories, Adventure, Pulp

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Robert Ervin Howard was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard wrote "over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems of raw power and unbridled emotion" and is especially noted for his memorable depictions of "a sombre universe of swashbuckling adventure and darkling horror."

He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.

—Wikipedia

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really hard to categorize these stories. This is Howard writing boxing stories with humor. The humor is broad and rather slapstick at times, but it's also dead funny. I wouldn't suggest you read a whole bunch of these stories back to back, but reading one or two at a time can sure lighten up a day with a smile.

[Vincent Darlage · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Steve Costigan, REH's best brawler. Robert E. Howard has a quite a way of describing boxing matches, a furious style that shows REH knew what he was writing about. It shows that REH was not only a boxing enthusiast, but also an amateur boxer. These stories are packed with action. In hindsight, though I probably shouldn't have read these straight through like a novel - some of the stories blended together - but should have treated it like I treat most short story collections; I read a story or two between reading other novels.

[Stuart Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boxing stories by the author of Conan. It would seem that a bunch of boing themed stories would get boring, but not when REH takes charge. Includes "Iron Man", the best of the best. The majority are stories of Sailor Steve Costigan and his bulldog Mike. Humorous tales of a not too bright sailor with an iron jaw who solves his problems with his fists. He fights all comers, and ends up facing the Chinese Tong, Chinese revolutionaries, island savages, Irishmen, Swedes, and the occasional tiger, lion, and gorilla. Always there is a woman, because Costigan is a fine looking hunk of man and bears no resemblance to a shaved gorilla despite what others might say. Good fun, exciting action, and tales that keep the reader's attention right up until the end.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Equal parts Rocky, Popeye and the Marx Brothers, the adventures of sailor Steve Costigan and his bulldog, Mike, are a lot of fun.

Steve is near unstoppable in the ring, but in the rest of the world, he's a well-meaning knucklehead.
The minute a woman or somebody with a get rich scheme shows up, you know Steve is in trouble.
Entertaining to see Howard having fun and indulging his sense of humor.

Not a book to be read in one go, as the stories can be formulaic.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard's boxing stories have, I think, his most brutal description of combat in them. The broken bones and bloody faces seem much more visceral in these stories than in his more famous fantasy stories. Sailor Steve Costigan became one of my favorite REH characters after reading this book.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another nice unedited collection of Howard's fight stories. If you are a fan of his character Sailor Steve Costigan this is an excellent book to own. I am an avid Howard fan and the stories here are restored to their original text with no PR editing. Highly recommended