Basic plot: Robert E. Howard (and I think another pulp SF/Fantasy writer) enter the “afterlife” where (amongst other things I forget) they meet Ernest Hemingway who cannot completely hide a sneer when Howard describes the type of stories he writes. Hemingway manages to say something like “Well, I’m sure you wrote it the best you could.”
Pretty sure it was published in the last 30-35 years.
?
Sir Rhosis
Part of this series I think
In fact, probably this story
Real-life writers Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft feature as characters in the novella.
This review The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg, Volume Six: Multiples, 1983-87 – MarzAat confirms Hemingway is in tbe story
Here’s a quote:
“Weird Tales ,” Hemingway said. “Astounding Stories .” A shadow of distaste flickered across his face. “Mmm. Don’t think I knew those magazines. But you wrote well, did you, gentlemen? You set down what you truly felt, the real thing, and you stated it purely? Of course you did. I know you did. You were honest writers or you’d never have gone to Hell.
Wow, I remember that collection, and even bits of that specific story itself. IIRC, Howard upon meeting Gilgamesh found him a near-perfect incarnation of his vision of Conan. Although I also recall that there was (by modern standards) a rather awkward mention of a sexual attraction element. I may easily be mis-remembering though as I probably last read it around 1990!
Thank you, guys, that’s it. I look forward to rereading it.
Sir Rhosis
I thought this was going to be a later book in the Riverworld series (I only read the first) but I see not!