Howell Calhoun

Born in 1920 and dying in 2007, Howell Vincent Calhoun is remembered as an American poet whose work appeared in the world of early speculative fiction. He is especially associated with The Lost Temples of Xantoos, a poem that later became widely accessible through Project Gutenberg.

Available records also identify him as a World War II veteran, and his burial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific reflects that service. While not a major literary celebrity, he remains an interesting figure for readers who enjoy forgotten writers from the pulp-magazine era.

Calhoun's surviving reputation rests on atmosphere more than fame: dreamlike imagery, otherworldly settings, and the kind of strange, colorful imagination that gave classic fantasy magazines much of their charm. For audiobook listeners and vintage genre fans, he offers a small but memorable glimpse into that tradition.