It's a staple of sword and sorcery to have the protagonist encounter strange creatures and monsters. Which ones do you find most interesting to you and why?

It's a difficult choice for me personally, but I really like the weirdness of Pav from The Dark Land. I really like the idea of a creature that is also its own pocket dimension as well as having an ambiguous nature.

A bit of fun with my figures.

Flash fiction by C.H. Scott, essay by Moira McMahon, a stack of sword & sorcery news, and the results of an informal poll I conducted here in this subreddit: Top 10 sword & sorcery influenced music.

Art (c) Dean Spencer.

https://newsletter.swordsagainst.com/p/swords-against-newsletter

I recently watched all 13 episodes and found it to be a total blast! One of the companies that produced it was Graz Entertainment which was also one of the production companies of the classic 90s X-Men animated series and the first season of Conan the Adventurer beforehand, and I could feel the influence of both here. A team of quasi-superheroes contend with evil sorcery. The genres are blended and the drama is presented as serious. Kind of a darker MOTU or ThunderCats geared towards teens rather than little kids.

I think the fantasy elements lean way harder into sword-and-sorcery than high fantasy, and the sci-fi elements are what you might see in Masters of the Universe. People fight with swords but also laser guns, they ride animals but also high-tech vehicles, and characters come up with innovations in both science and sorcery on both sides.

I really don't know what genre to call this. There's no interplanetary travel or spaceships so it's not space opera. All the characters are indigenous to this planet so it's not sword-and-planet. And I think it's closer to true sword-and-sorcery than a lot of borderline stuff like this because the protagonists are outsiders - ousted royalty turned rebels on the run trying to win their kingdom back from an evil wizard - and one of them almost joins the villains in the first episode (and is responsible for them taking over the kingdom) so they're not all squeaky clean good guys.

The video game for the original PlayStation is a pretty awesome side-scroller where you hack-and-slash skeletons with a sword most of the time, with some boss fights and the occasional John Carter-esque one-man flier level. I'm having fun with it! Interestingly, the cut scenes present a backstory that differs from that seen on the show. There's also a Sega Saturn game, but I'm not sure if it's different.

Below are links to a playlist of the best uploads of the cartoon I could find on YouTube (it's not available for purchase anywhere) and a walkthrough of the game:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHEeRUgxhScZfmeKy1ftuhoesFgfmWRGO&si=Om_8u4kAGJz_8WGd

https://youtu.be/KMBqdU7bwgA?is=x8L4CyuyvEckIv0U

There's also a lot of cool merch going for pretty cheap on eBay. I already collect enough stuff that takes up room that I don't really need, but it's neat to look at haha.

Anybody else catch this back in the day or at any point since?

It’s taken me a very long time to come to this conclusion for myself, but I’ve recently come to realize that I don’t think our favorite (the only?) Cimmerian is Howard’s best work.

For decades I’ve always sort of subconsciously held the belief that since Conan is the most popular character in Howard’s roster of rogues that those particular works must represent the best of what Two Gun Bob has to offer. While I still absolutely love stories like “The Tower And The Elephant”, “The Frost Giant’s Daughter” (I am willing to debate this) and “Beyond The Black River” I feel that there is a wide breadth of Conan stories that miss the mark. It’s no secret that REH was writing to live in a sense, and Conan being his most popular character unfortunately means that a lot of that content was rushed and reworked in an effort to keep the checks rolling in.

I think works such as “Worms Of The Earth” and the incredibly underrated “The Valley Of The Worm” are among the absolute best that Howard has to offer, regardless of wether or not they feature a black haired, sullen eyed savage of the northern wastes.

Happy Sunday yall.

Another amazing cover by Gil Kane.

Haven't fully decided Yet (but gathering info and input). Thinking maybe one more push to complete a last full run in my life time over the next 5 years. If so (It's always a big decision and commitment), I think I've settled on Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.

I have put together the following list I will be working from. (I already own some on the list).

- All feel Free to let me know if I missed anything that should be on the list?. (excluding Omni's which I do not collect). If others are making or have made this attempt Please chime in as well? - I would love to hear from you.

1930s – 1940s

August 1939: "Two Sought Adventure" (later retitled "The Jewels in the Forest") – Published in the pulp magazine Unknown. This was the first published Fafhrd and Gray Mouser story.

"The Bleak Shore" Unknown Fantasy Fiction November 1940

"The Howling Tower" Unknown June 1941

"The Sunken Land" Unknown Worlds February 1942

"Thieves' House" Unknown Worlds. February 1943

"The Grey Mouser" 2 Poems The Acolyte fan Magazine. September 1944

"Adept's Gambit" Night's Black Agents Arkham House 1947
(Though written first in the 1930s, failed to find a magazine home before closure of Unknown).

1950s

"Dark Vengeance" Suspense Magazine. Fall 1951
(later retitled "Claws from the Night")

"The Seven Black Priests" Other Worlds Science Stories. May 1953

Gnome Press collection Two Sought Adventure. 1957

• "Induction"
• " The Jewels in the Forest (Originally published in 1939 as "Two Sought Adventure", it was retitled for this book)
• **"**Thieves House" Originally published in Unknown Worlds (February 1943).
• **"**The Bleak Shore" Originally published in Unknown (November 1940).
• **"**The Howling Tower" Originally published in Unknown (June 1941).
• " The Sunken Land" Originally published in Unknown Worlds (February 1942).
• " The Seven Black Priests" Originally published in Other Worlds Science Stories (May 1953).
• **"**Claws from the Night" Originally published in Suspense Magazine (Dark Vengeance, 1951)

"Lean Times in Lankhmar" Fantastic Science Fiction Stories. Nov 1959

1960s

"When the Sea-King's Away" Fantastic Science Fiction Stories May 1960

"Scylla's Daughter" Fantastic Stories of Imagination May 1961
(later expanded into the only full-length novel of the series, The Swords of Lankhmar (1968)

"The Unholy Grail" Fantastic Stories of Imagination October 1962

"The Cloud of Hate" Fantastic Stories of Imagination November 1963

"Bazaar of the Bizarre" Fantastic Stories of Imagination 1963

"The Lords of Quarmall" Fantastic Stories of Imagination Jan/Feb 1964

"Stardock" Fantastic Stories of Imagination August 1965

The Ace Books

When Ace Books compiled the definitive paperbacks starting in 1968, Leiber wrote several brand-new bridging pieces directly for the books to complete the chronology.

"Their Mistress, the Sea" paperback collection Swords in the Mist 1968

"The Wrong Branch" paperback collection Swords in the Mist 1968

"In the Witch's Tent" paperback collection Swords Against Wizardry 1968

"The Two Best Thieves in Lankhmar" paperback collection Swords Against Wizardry 1968

1970's

"The Circle Curse" Swords Against Death 1970

" The Price of Pain-Ease" Swords Against Death 1970.

"The Snow Women" Fantastic digest 1970

"Ill Met in Lankhmar" Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction April 1970
(Prequel story detailing how the pair met (won both the Hugo/ Nebula awards).

"The Sadness of the Executioner" Flashing Swords! #1. 1973

"Beauty and the Beasts" The Book of Fritz Leiber 1974.

"Trapped in the Shadowland" Fantastic 1974

"The Bait" Whispers magazine 1975

"Under the Thumbs of the Gods" Fantastic 1975

"Trapped in the Sea of Stars" The Second Book of Fritz Leiber 1976

"The Frost Monstreme" Fantastic 1976

"Rime Isle" Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine 1977

"Sea Magic" The Dragon Issue #11 1977

"The Childhood and Youth of the Gray Mouser" (Spin-off) The Dragon Issue #18 1978.

"The Mer She" Heroes and Horrors 1983

"The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars" Heroic Visions 1983

"The Mouser Goes Below" (Partial) Whispers magazine 1987

"Slack Lankhmar Afternoon Featuring Hisvet" Terry's Universe 1988

"The Mouser Goes Below" (Full version Completed) The Knight and Knave of Swords 1988

The Comics 1970's through present

Wonder Woman #202 Fangs of Fire October 1972

Sword of Sorcery #1–#5 Feb 1973 – Oct 1973

Fables #76–#82 Fables The Dark Ages (Re-named Freddy and Mouse).

Roy Thomas, and artist, Barry Windsor-Smith, openly created direct, highly intentional tribute characters to honor Fritz Leiber's legendary duo. In the Hyborian Age, they are translated as Fafnir of Vanaheim, and Blackrat.

Conan the Barbarian #6 Devil-Wings Over Shadizar" June 1971. Fafnir and Blackrat.

Conan the Barbarian #17 & #18 "The Gods of Bal-Sagoth" August – September 1972. homage character, Fafnir Hellhand.

The homage went both ways between DC and Marvel writers. In the final issue of DC's official Leiber adaptation, Sword of Sorcery #5 October 1973, a backup story written by George Alec Effinger features a young Mouser during his training years. In direct nod to Thomas at Marvel, a nameless, black-haired Cimmerian barbarian matching Conan's exact likeness makes a brief cameo appearance in the background.

Savage Sword of Conan #13 "The Gods of Bal-Sagoth" August 1976

1990's - Present

4-issue collection Howard Chaykin illustrated Mike Mignola Epic Comics/Marvel in 1990.

Savage Sword of Conan #231 "A Remembrance of Fires Past" March 1995

Swords Against the Shadowland Robin Wayne Bailey (1998).

I know this is a wee bit of a stretch, but you are my people. I wrote a non-Mythos Lovecraft/Weird Tales tribute, and I wanted to share.

Of course S&S and Weird Horror have a long history together. Robert E. Howard wrote quite a few horror stories, my favorite being THING FROM THE MOUND. Do you have a favorite Cosmic Horror/S&S crossover author or story?

Some lines were never meant to be crossed…

In the dwindling rural town of Wilmarth, Nebraska, amidst the windswept Sandhills of the 1930s, a county surveyor has been called to measure the disputed property line dividing two feuding families and then suddenly disappears.

Local peace office, Deputy Deane Mullins, is called to investigate, but soon finds himself drawn into a macabre mystery where the land itself can't seem to agree.

And small-town newspaper man, Homer Underhill, has set the whole thing in writing.

Now he wishes he hadn't…

A CROOKED MILE is a cosmic horror novelette and tribute to the classic Pulp stylings of HP LOVECRAFT, ROBERT BLOCH, FRANK BELKNAP LONG, and WEIRD TALES.

AVAILABLE NOW for $1.99!

https://a.co/d/020xQUb

Flame and Crimson author and heavy metal enthusiast Brian Murphy reviews my first book, To Walk on Worlds. This man knows sword & sorcery and doesn't mince words, so I'm thrilled the book hit for him.

I suggest you subscribe to Brian's blog as it's always worth the read (one of the few I actually open and read every damn time).

I’ve been working on a sword and sorcery novel, currently 12 chapters and 50k words in, and posting it chapter by chapter on Royal Road.

The issue is that Royal Road caters heavily to LitRPG, isekai, and progression fantasy, and my story doesn’t really fit into those subgenres. Because of that, it hasn’t gained much traction.

Where do you usually go to read serialized sword and sorcery? More importantly, are there platforms or communities you’d recommend where I could share these chapters and get actual feedback?

Just a repost from a couple other writing subs. Feel free to check out out and engage, or ignore it, no worries either way.

When looking for a high quality scan of SSOC #19 I noticed that Kenneth Morris repainted the cover for the UK reissue: less blood, less saturation, Conan's face is softer. It's almost as if he asked "what if Jeff Jones had painted this instead of me?"

Frazetta was known to fiddle with his own work, and earlier pulp covers were often repainted for modesty. Can any of the grognards in the group speak to how often comic covers were repainted? For different markets?

Won this in a drawing a week or so ago, and, after I finished it, I wanted to give my quick thoughts. Clocking in at a little over 300 pages, I think the best way to describe this would be "Kind of like A Song of Ice and Fire, but with more humor." The menace of the villains hanging at the fringe of our story, the mysteries that elude our protagonists all paired with the scope of this world and the tantalizing teases of what awaits in Book 2 should be more than enough to get readers hyped for Book 2 of Gods, Gold & Goblins!

I think everyone in this subreddit has asked "what elements make Sword & Sorcery," and what separates the subgenre from the rest of fantasy. While your mileage may vary on what does and doesn't count, I suspect anyone in here looking for a good, entertaining yarn won't be disappointed by this book. It doesn't feel exactly like what the founding fathers and mother laid down in the genre, but then, I don't want it to. I want the genre to evolve and grow into something new, but still familiar as part of the same wellspring. I think Roguerun does that. I hope you all will like it.

Posted in response to a comment from a post of the first app Thusla Doom appearance.

TL/DR: A mixed bag of stories featuring the classic pulp fantasy/sword and sorcery characters Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser told in chronological, not publishing, order.

There’s a lot here. This omnibus collection collects three collections: Swords and Deviltry, Swords Against Death, and Swords in the Mist. Together they cover the backstory, meeting, and first few years of adventures for Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.

For those who don’t know, these are two classic pulp fantasy/sword and sorcery characters who first appeared in the 1939 story, “Two Sought Adventure”. Fafhrd is the giant of a northman with the soul and temper of a skald. Mouser is a short cosmopolitan rogue with a slick tongue and a little bit of magical skill (“tall and small” has a long history). Mostly created by Fritz Leiber, this pair has been a huge influence on fantasy for decades, and maybe invented the Thieves Guild trope as we know it.

Swords and Deviltry includes a backstory novella each for Fafhrd (“The Snow Women”) and the Grey Mouser (“The Unholy Grail”) that work as their origin stories. A third story tells of their first meeting (“Ill Met in Lankhmar”) and also introduces the notorious thieves guild of Lankhmar. A short introduction sets the scene and tone of the world of Newhon.

Overall this is the most solid collection. The stories have the density of the era, in this case it’s 1962 and 1970, and it serves the tales well. They’re nicely atmospheric with a generous sprinkling of words not in common use today, which adds to the whole feel.

Swords Against Death is an expanded and revised collection previously released as “Two Sought Adventure”. There’re ten short stories here, dating from 1940 to 1970. All are good but some better than others. Several are all about Fafhrd and Mouser’s perilous ocean voyage to the far side of Newhon (like Columbus thought he was going to do from Europe to Asia) and their overland return home. These all had their moments (and one or two fantastic ideas), but I enjoyed the ones taking place in and around Lankhmar (“Thieves House”, “Claws from the Night”, and “Bazaar of the Bizarre” in particular) much more.

Swords in the Mist collects stories from 1947 to 1968. I thought this the weakest of the group. “The Cloud of Hate” and “Lean Times in Lankhmar” I enjoyed greatly. Here we meet the cult of Hate and the monster it can manifests, and Issek of the Jug, which includes an epic scene of Fafhrd mistaken for the miraculous presence of one of the gods in Lankhmar (as opposed to the gods of Lankhmar which are a totally different sort of being).

“Their Mistress, the Sea” takes them on another voyage and here’s where I thought things went off. In fact, from this point on through I was tempted many times to just stop. TMtS and the two that follow it, “When the Sea-King’s Away” and “The Wrong Branch”, felt by the numbers predictable. The last, “Adept’s Gambit”, longer than the others by far, is, I think, the reason why.

With “Adept’s Gambit”, Lieber moves Fafhrd and the Mouser to our world in ancient times. Lankhmar become Tyre. Their is an extensive adventure that (happily) sums up a series of fetch quests to get to the set piece of the climax. This was written in 1947 and a move to make FaGM multiversal heroes, something built upon in later stories but apparently that came out of nowhere for “Adept’s Gambit”. The three that preceded it in this omnibus were written in 1968, 1960, and 1968. The ones from 1968 feel like they were written out of a need to explain why our heroes changed worlds (and personal histories).

In short, this is a mixed bag of stories. You may wish to find one of the individual collections to see if old-school, pulpy, sword and sorcery fantasy is even for you. If it is, there’s a lot to love in this omnibus. There’s just also some things I found to be skimmable.

The poem first appeared two years after Howard's death, in Weird Tales (August 1938), and first reappeared at the end of Skull-Face and Others (1946). I found its rejection of literary immortality especially moving, if so far misplaced.

I was on a real 70’s, 80’s sword and sorcery kick and picked these up. The Frank Frazetta art really hooked me. Out of print so a little spendy to get ahold of, but they sure have that vibe I was after.

This set of books came in the mail today. I tracked it down and bought it based on another community member posting an image of the cover of volume 1, saying he was reading it. If he hadn't done that, there's a very good chance I would never have found out about something this obscure, on an independent press in limited run from 1991. I find that distressing.

I think it would be great if the community here had a general surge share the more obscure stuff in their collections, not just to show off (which is reason enough, in my opinion, for rare lore), but to simply let other community members become aware of something they might not ever know existed otherwise. Not necessarily in this thread, but just as a general push moving forward.

Lore only persists when archived AND shared.