A Gent from Bear Creek

A Gent from Bear Creek is a collection of Western short stories published in 1937 by Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian. The stories follow Breckinridge Elkins, a massive six-foot-six Nevada hillbilly who navigates life in the Humboldt mountains with his colorful family and neighbors. The linked tales feature Elkins' encounters with feuds, fights, and romantic misadventures in the American frontier. His preferred method of conflict resolution involves fists and brute strength rather than guns, leading to chaotic brawls that often leave both opponents and buildings worse for wear. The narrative includes his partnership with Cap'n Kidd, an untameable horse that only Elkins can ride. The collection presents slapstick violence and comedy through Elkins' first-person narration as an unschooled but good-hearted mountain man. His interactions with love interest Glory McGraw and various feuding parties form the backbone of many stories in the series. The book stands as a unique entry in Western fiction, combining broad humor with folkloric elements of the American frontier tall tale tradition. Howard's creation of Elkins offers a counterpoint to his better-known sword-and-sorcery works while maintaining his characteristic focus on physical prowess and action.

Readers appreciate the humor and lighthearted tone of these interconnected Breck Elkins stories. The tales blend Western action with comedic exaggeration, featuring over-the-top brawls and outlandish situations that entertain without taking themselves seriously. Fans highlight Howard's skill at writing action sequences and his ability to maintain consistency across the connected stories. Multiple reviews note the stories provide an enjoyable break from Howard's more serious works. Some readers find the dialect writing tiresome and the humor repetitive across stories. A few mention the stories work better read individually rather than collected together. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (124 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (21 ratings) "Fun pulp entertainment that doesn't pretend to be anything else" - Goodreads reviewer "The dialect gets old fast but the action keeps you reading" - Amazon reviewer "Perfect light reading when you need a laugh" - LibraryThing review

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Big Foot Wallace: King of the Lariat by Stanley Vestal Historical fiction based on the real-life Texas frontiersman William Wallace, chronicling his adventures and feats of strength in the Old West.

The Adventures of Big-Foot Wallace by John Duval First-person narrative of Texas ranger and frontier figure Wallace, told in a similar vernacular style to Howard's Elkins stories.

Tales of the Mountain Men by Barton Barbour A compilation of frontier stories about real mountain men and their encounters with nature, natives, and fellow settlers in the American West.

🌟 Robert E. Howard is better known as the creator of Conan the Barbarian, making Breckinridge Elkins a surprising departure from his usual sword-and-sorcery tales 🌟 The stories were originally published separately in Action Stories magazine between 1935 and 1936, before being collected into a single volume 🌟 The character of Breckinridge Elkins was partially inspired by American tall tales and folklore heroes like Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill 🌟 Despite being a comedy series, the stories accurately reflect many historical aspects of Nevada frontier life in the late 1800s 🌟 The book was one of the last works published during Howard's lifetime - he died by suicide in 1936 at just 30 years old, shortly after its release