Tonight at work I've been reading the Sailor Steve Costigan stories by Robert E Howard. Conan is (probably deservedly) the more enduring of Howard's creations, but I have really come to appreciate Howard's fight stories. Howard's approach to narrating the Sweet Science is elegant and precise; he knew boxing a lot better than sword fighting IMHO and so his action sequences thereof are much more badass.
That said, I just love Steve Costigan as a character. How can you not? He's a merchant mariner who loves his dog and knocks some motherfucker's lights out at every port of call between Shanghai and Manila, a man who would live by his wits but lacks the brainpower so he punches all of his problems in the jaw. I can appreciate the dogged tenacity of a dude like that, the "Bulldog Breed" as it were.
If you want to check out the collection, it is on Archive.org in the public domain here It might be, uh, slightly racist, so if even a hint of racism drives all rational thought from your brain, just go back to reading Sandy Vag magazine or whatever and forget it. But if you like a taste of exotic locales slathered liberally with good ol' fashioned maritime ass whoopin' then check it out. You won't regret it, and I'd like to keep Sailor Steve and Iron Mike alive in the popular conciousness. That way, if all fictional realms eventually merge together in some sort of Crisis on Infinite Earths, maybe the gratitude will keep him from punching out my Nephandi
Yeah, I like to plan for the low percentage scenario. What of it?
Dude, he'd punch your Nephandi so hard the fucker'd enter low Earth orbit, no matter how much you try and butter him up...
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