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Flashing Swords! #2
Flashing Swords 2 by Lin (editor) Carter
FOUR MORE GREAT STORIES OF SWORD AND SORCERYBOLD!BRUTAL!BRILLIANT!The carpet shuddered; a ripping motion ran along its fringes. Foot by foot, it rose from the pavement, until it was above the heads of those standing in the courtyard. The carpet continued to rise until it towered above the roof of the palace.THE RUG AND THE BULL L. Sprague de Camp Elric's ancestors had made pacts, thousands of years before, with all the elementals who who controlled the animal world. In the past he had summoned help from various of these spirits, but never from the one he now sought to call. From his mouth began to issue the ancient, beautiful, convoluted words of Melniboné's High SpeechTHE JADE MAN'S EYES Michael MoorcockStill watching Trystan, her hands veiling against the play of the ensorcelling light, Hertha saw his lax fingers move, clench into a fist. And then she witnessed the great effort of that gesture, and she knew that he was in battle, silent though he stood.TOADS OF GRIMMERDALE Andre NortonHektor's fingers dug into Brak's eyesockets. They pressed deep. Suddenly Brak touched metal. He closed his fist on the dagger hilt, aimed the point over his shoulder, hurled his fist up and back as Hektor's thumbs pressured his eyeballs into awful agony.GHOUL'S GARDEN John JakesCover Bruce Pennington
Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1973
3 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
Lin Carter
413 books167 followersLin Carter was an American author, editor, and critic best known for his influential role in fantasy literature during the mid-20th century. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, he developed an early passion for myth, adventure stories, and imaginative fiction, drawing inspiration from authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, and J. R. R. Tolkien. After serving in the U.S. Army, Carter attended Columbia University, where he honed his literary skills and deepened his knowledge of classical and medieval literature, myth, and folklore — elements that would become central to his work.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 13, 2016
All of these stories are part of established series, and none are one-offs on the part of the contributor. Is this cynicism on the part of the authors, who wrote something that they retain and was probably pretty easy to churn out, or by the editor, who gets material of known value and reputation?
As far as each of the stories goes...
L. Sprague de Camp's "The Rug and the Bull" is admittedly a confection from his Pusadian series, yet again featuring Gezun of Lorsk. He is now middle-aged, traveling with a wife and children. This in itself is interesting--how many genre stories feature an itinerant scapegrace saddled with a bickering family?--but any potential along those lines is never explored.
Moorcock's "The Jade Man's Eyes" is yet another Elric story, at a time when Moorcock had finished the series but was going around for another pass with adventures inserted between established ones. This is still early enough that the Eternal Champion nonsense hadn't eaten the whole of his writing, but you can start to see it lurking: "Erekosë" makes a cameo appearance.
Norton's "Toads of Grimmerdale"...was a thing. The setup has a sophistication that makes the rest look pathetic. High Hallack (of the Witch World) is in the aftermath of invasion and has been stripped of wealth, labor, leadership, and even agricultural reserves. Through the decimated lands move the remnants of lordless native army and raiding bands of abandoned invaders. There are whole demesnes without proper leadership or protection. A clever and ambitious man can go far. A woman from a far-northern dale seeks her rapist and seeks vengeance or justice against him, but he is not the sort of person she expects, and her only means of identification is a certain personal item. Norton shies away from the potential of the situation--investigation? frisson over having a basically likable man be the perpetrator of something heinous?--for a tidy ending involving a battle with Magic Space Toads (which is just barely not as stupid as it sounds.)
Jake's "Ghoul's Garden" is a Brak the Barbarian story. Brak the Barbarian stories have always struck me as simplistic and charmless and not having any redeeming features. This one is no different. And Brak's lion-skin loincloth is probably pretty disgusting by this point.
As far as each of the stories goes...
L. Sprague de Camp's "The Rug and the Bull" is admittedly a confection from his Pusadian series, yet again featuring Gezun of Lorsk. He is now middle-aged, traveling with a wife and children. This in itself is interesting--how many genre stories feature an itinerant scapegrace saddled with a bickering family?--but any potential along those lines is never explored.
Moorcock's "The Jade Man's Eyes" is yet another Elric story, at a time when Moorcock had finished the series but was going around for another pass with adventures inserted between established ones. This is still early enough that the Eternal Champion nonsense hadn't eaten the whole of his writing, but you can start to see it lurking: "Erekosë" makes a cameo appearance.
Norton's "Toads of Grimmerdale"...was a thing. The setup has a sophistication that makes the rest look pathetic. High Hallack (of the Witch World) is in the aftermath of invasion and has been stripped of wealth, labor, leadership, and even agricultural reserves. Through the decimated lands move the remnants of lordless native army and raiding bands of abandoned invaders. There are whole demesnes without proper leadership or protection. A clever and ambitious man can go far. A woman from a far-northern dale seeks her rapist and seeks vengeance or justice against him, but he is not the sort of person she expects, and her only means of identification is a certain personal item. Norton shies away from the potential of the situation--investigation? frisson over having a basically likable man be the perpetrator of something heinous?--for a tidy ending involving a battle with Magic Space Toads (which is just barely not as stupid as it sounds.)
Jake's "Ghoul's Garden" is a Brak the Barbarian story. Brak the Barbarian stories have always struck me as simplistic and charmless and not having any redeeming features. This one is no different. And Brak's lion-skin loincloth is probably pretty disgusting by this point.
December 25, 2020
From the 1960’s on into the 1980’s, a group of fantasy authors participated in a somewhat loosely organized association they called “Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America” or SAGA. It was an informal group begun by Lin Carter and meant to promote the appreciation of the sword and sorcery sub-genre of fantasy fiction. This book collects four long stories by the group’s members, all of which depict their own on-going series characters:
1) “The Rug and the Bull” by L. Sprague de Camp features a Pusadian tale
2) “The Jade Man’s Eyes” by Michael Moorcock features his anti-hero, Elric
3) “Toads of Grimmerdale” by Andre Norton, a Witch World story
4) “Ghoul’s Garden” by John Jakes, a Brak the Barbarian entry
All four stories were good ones even though I hadn’t read any of the larger works by several of these authors. I suppose if I had read some Witch World before, for example, I might have appreciated the characters, the settings, the lore, etc. even more. But as it was they all worked sufficiently for those readers who have no prior anchor points. My favorite of them all was the Brak story, perhaps because I have read those. These are iconic series and characters and I enjoyed the chance to sample those that were new to me.
1) “The Rug and the Bull” by L. Sprague de Camp features a Pusadian tale
2) “The Jade Man’s Eyes” by Michael Moorcock features his anti-hero, Elric
3) “Toads of Grimmerdale” by Andre Norton, a Witch World story
4) “Ghoul’s Garden” by John Jakes, a Brak the Barbarian entry
All four stories were good ones even though I hadn’t read any of the larger works by several of these authors. I suppose if I had read some Witch World before, for example, I might have appreciated the characters, the settings, the lore, etc. even more. But as it was they all worked sufficiently for those readers who have no prior anchor points. My favorite of them all was the Brak story, perhaps because I have read those. These are iconic series and characters and I enjoyed the chance to sample those that were new to me.
July 24, 2008
I have the hardback version. I've got to rate it high because it has a Brak the Barbarian story by John Jakes, and I was a big fan of Brak in the old days.
February 14, 2013
Terrific short fantasy stories by the best authors of the 70s. Not a bad story from cover to cover (including the awesome Frazetta cover)!
October 10, 2019
This was fun to read! Maybe it’s me.
June 28, 2023
As a fan of the Sword & Sorcery genre, finding a few of the "Flashing Swords" paperbacks at a local bookstore was exciting for me, especially since I hadn't heard of the series prior to purchasing those that I found. Out of these few, the second volume was the earliest in chronological order that I had available.
Edited by Lin Carter, volume two of the "Flashing Swords" anthology series features stories by four well-known authors in the Sword & Sorcery genre: L. Sprague de Camp, Michael Moorcock, Andre Norton, and John Jakes. Each story is set in a series that the author is already famous for; L. Sprague de Camp's entry is part of his Pusadian series; Moorcock bases his story on his popular character Elric of Melnibone; Andre Norton writes her story in her well-known Witch World setting; John Jakes tells a tale of his Conan-like Brak the Barbarian. While I am familiar with these authors (either having read some of their other work or having only heard their names and praises), I had not read any part of these four series, so this volume of "Flashing Swords" served as a proper introduction to several key S&S worlds that I had not had the pleasure of yet experiencing.
I do not individually rate short stories when I make reviews for anthologies, and the same rule applies for this review. However, I will, of course, note my general impressions. Overall, volume two of the "Flashing Swords" series was very fun to read, and each author crafted quality stories with engaging characters and colorful and unusual worldbuilding. As is typical of the Sword & Sorcery genre, none of the stories included in this anthology had any particular deep meaning; instead, the stories were written purely for entertainment purposes, and in this context they have greatly achieved their purpose.
While each of the four stories were well-written and highly entertaining, an extra benefit of this anthology, as stated previously, is that it serves as an introduction to other Sword & Sorcery series; indeed, not only will I make it a point to read the other "Flashing Swords" volumes, but I will now be on the lookout for more books related to Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone and Jake's Brak the Barbarian.
I would certainly recommend this book to fans of Sword & Sorcery, but I would especially recommend it for newcomers to the genre, as this anthology is a great place to start.
Edited by Lin Carter, volume two of the "Flashing Swords" anthology series features stories by four well-known authors in the Sword & Sorcery genre: L. Sprague de Camp, Michael Moorcock, Andre Norton, and John Jakes. Each story is set in a series that the author is already famous for; L. Sprague de Camp's entry is part of his Pusadian series; Moorcock bases his story on his popular character Elric of Melnibone; Andre Norton writes her story in her well-known Witch World setting; John Jakes tells a tale of his Conan-like Brak the Barbarian. While I am familiar with these authors (either having read some of their other work or having only heard their names and praises), I had not read any part of these four series, so this volume of "Flashing Swords" served as a proper introduction to several key S&S worlds that I had not had the pleasure of yet experiencing.
I do not individually rate short stories when I make reviews for anthologies, and the same rule applies for this review. However, I will, of course, note my general impressions. Overall, volume two of the "Flashing Swords" series was very fun to read, and each author crafted quality stories with engaging characters and colorful and unusual worldbuilding. As is typical of the Sword & Sorcery genre, none of the stories included in this anthology had any particular deep meaning; instead, the stories were written purely for entertainment purposes, and in this context they have greatly achieved their purpose.
While each of the four stories were well-written and highly entertaining, an extra benefit of this anthology, as stated previously, is that it serves as an introduction to other Sword & Sorcery series; indeed, not only will I make it a point to read the other "Flashing Swords" volumes, but I will now be on the lookout for more books related to Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone and Jake's Brak the Barbarian.
I would certainly recommend this book to fans of Sword & Sorcery, but I would especially recommend it for newcomers to the genre, as this anthology is a great place to start.
April 17, 2021
This is the second volume of Carter's original anthology series presenting stories from members of SAGA, the Swordsmen and Sorcerers Guild of America, a loose and informal group that apparently included England honorarily. I enjoyed it more than the initial book, though I thought de Camp's story, especially, was more of a regular fantasy tale than representative of the Swords & Sorcery sub-genre. There's a nice story by John Jakes featuring his character Brak the Barbarian and a fine story of the Witch World by Andre Norton. My favorite was The Jade Man's Eyes, a good Elric story by Michael Moorcock.
January 17, 2018
Editor Lin Carter puts forward 4 more stories written by members of his created drinking and Sword & Sorcery Guild, SAGA (Sword & Sorcery Guild of America). Funny. Not all members were American.
“The Rug and the Bull” by L Sprague de Camp is in his Pusad series. This was an amusing story. Other than de Camp’s pastiche Conan, I have read little of him. I was impressed enough with this fun story that I later read the first book in his Pusad series, The Tritonian Ring. Do not make the same mistake as I.
“The Jade Man’s Eyes”, by Mike Moorcock is an Elric tale, and a good adventure yarn that makes me want to revisit Elric and soon.
“Toads of Grimmerdale” by Andre Norton is a Witch World Story. I have been meaning to get to WW and it’s unfortunate that this was my first experience with it. Many other reviewers liked this story, it was not my favorite. It was better than the Brak tale, but many things are. I won’t judge Witch World by this. I have read other Norton stories and enjoyed them.
“Ghouls Garden” by John Jakes. Brak the Barbarian. That honestly is the most I can remember about this story. To be fair I’m writing this up a full six months after having read it, but not remembering much has been my experience with all of the Brak stories I have read. It is always amusing for me to read Clonan stories. This was the weakest of the 4.
Queerly enough, my ranking of liked the most to liked the least is as the order they appeared in the book.
“The Rug and the Bull” by L Sprague de Camp is in his Pusad series. This was an amusing story. Other than de Camp’s pastiche Conan, I have read little of him. I was impressed enough with this fun story that I later read the first book in his Pusad series, The Tritonian Ring. Do not make the same mistake as I.
“The Jade Man’s Eyes”, by Mike Moorcock is an Elric tale, and a good adventure yarn that makes me want to revisit Elric and soon.
“Toads of Grimmerdale” by Andre Norton is a Witch World Story. I have been meaning to get to WW and it’s unfortunate that this was my first experience with it. Many other reviewers liked this story, it was not my favorite. It was better than the Brak tale, but many things are. I won’t judge Witch World by this. I have read other Norton stories and enjoyed them.
“Ghouls Garden” by John Jakes. Brak the Barbarian. That honestly is the most I can remember about this story. To be fair I’m writing this up a full six months after having read it, but not remembering much has been my experience with all of the Brak stories I have read. It is always amusing for me to read Clonan stories. This was the weakest of the 4.
Queerly enough, my ranking of liked the most to liked the least is as the order they appeared in the book.
July 18, 2019
Flashing Swords @2 is a collection of four novella featuring sword and sorcery characters. It’s graced with a famous Frazetta cover, an introduction to the genre and each story by editor Lin Carter. Like many of the paperback anthologies of the 70’s, it strives to take the place of fiction magazines, which were fading by the late 60’s and early 70’s, and provide a market for short stories and novellas.
Story #1 is The Ring and the Bull by L. Sprague De Camp, a simple fantasy story that suffers from a pretentious writing style and dialogue that tries to make what is a simple story of magic revenge into more than it is. I would have liked this story much more if it would have been told in plain, straightforward prose, but as is it comes across as a plain present in expensive packaging.
Story #2 is The Jade Man’s Eyes from Michael Moorcock, and is one the Elric stories. Elric always felt like the opposite of average sword and sorcery stories and this one is no different as Elric and his companion are recruited for a treasure hunting expedition that goes off the rails. Moorcock uses big concepts in his fantasy, but grounds it in expertly drawn characters and deft writing. I read this story as part of the Elric books, but it had been a long time since I had read it, and loved a chance to see the story where it was first published.
Story #3 is Toads of Grimmerdale by Andre Norton, which is set in the Witch World series. I have not read those books, and this story did not entice me. A tale of mistaken identity and revenge, the story took too long to get started, and suffered from the perspective shifting from character to character without a demarcation of any kind, making the story confusing at times. Andre Norton is normally a much better writer than this, so I was surprised at how little I cared for this story.
Story #4 is Ghoul’s Garden by John Jakes. This is Brak the Barbarian story, and Brak had limited success in the 60’s and 70’s. A Conan clone it has all of the standard parts of a sword and sorcery story, a terse brawny hero, an evil wizard, a woman in peril and lots of fighting. Fast paced, there’s nothing new to the story and it comes across as going through the motions with no surprises or twists.
All-in-all, the only great story in the batch is the Moorcock Elric piece, with the rest being somewhat standard examples of run of the mill sword and sorcery stories from the early 1970’s.
Story #1 is The Ring and the Bull by L. Sprague De Camp, a simple fantasy story that suffers from a pretentious writing style and dialogue that tries to make what is a simple story of magic revenge into more than it is. I would have liked this story much more if it would have been told in plain, straightforward prose, but as is it comes across as a plain present in expensive packaging.
Story #2 is The Jade Man’s Eyes from Michael Moorcock, and is one the Elric stories. Elric always felt like the opposite of average sword and sorcery stories and this one is no different as Elric and his companion are recruited for a treasure hunting expedition that goes off the rails. Moorcock uses big concepts in his fantasy, but grounds it in expertly drawn characters and deft writing. I read this story as part of the Elric books, but it had been a long time since I had read it, and loved a chance to see the story where it was first published.
Story #3 is Toads of Grimmerdale by Andre Norton, which is set in the Witch World series. I have not read those books, and this story did not entice me. A tale of mistaken identity and revenge, the story took too long to get started, and suffered from the perspective shifting from character to character without a demarcation of any kind, making the story confusing at times. Andre Norton is normally a much better writer than this, so I was surprised at how little I cared for this story.
Story #4 is Ghoul’s Garden by John Jakes. This is Brak the Barbarian story, and Brak had limited success in the 60’s and 70’s. A Conan clone it has all of the standard parts of a sword and sorcery story, a terse brawny hero, an evil wizard, a woman in peril and lots of fighting. Fast paced, there’s nothing new to the story and it comes across as going through the motions with no surprises or twists.
All-in-all, the only great story in the batch is the Moorcock Elric piece, with the rest being somewhat standard examples of run of the mill sword and sorcery stories from the early 1970’s.
October 15, 2019
Flashing Swords #2, edit by Terry Car, is the genetic material of the modern gaming world. These are the very writers and authors, whose stories and humor directly led to D&D, and all its quirky humor, especially in those early days. Back then, writers had great fun with sword and sorcery, with not even the Elric taking itself too seriously. I think as kids that we added more seriousness to these tales than they deserved.
The collection opens with a roguish tale by L. Sprague de Camp set in Atlantean times, somewhere in Iberia. In some ways, the story is overly realistic, but in most ways, it's a fine tall tale. It doesn't quite progress as I thought it would, but I enjoyed the humor nonetheless.
The tale by John Jakes about a sex-crazed demented wizard, an actress, and a consent respecting barbarian rather amused me. Even the barbarian saw rapish behavior as wrong, even by barbarian standards. Add in a little poorly explained magic, and you've got a fine popcorn tale.
The standout tale is an Elric story, written by Michael Moorcock, who struts his literary stuff. He penned a good tale, one both engaging and adventurous. I especially admire his mechanic that Elric's ancestors made pacts with many beings, meaning that Elric can come up with new help in any particular story, and testy gods being what they are, means that they won't necessarily help him again.
The tale by Andre Norton didn't please me at all, but her writing rarely pleases me. In this tale, a woman seeks revenge for her rape, and so sets up her assaulter with a terrible fate. I found this the slowest moving and most boring of all the tales. Nothing of this story engenders popcorn. To me, the tale just didn't feel like it truly belonged with the other stories
The collection opens with a roguish tale by L. Sprague de Camp set in Atlantean times, somewhere in Iberia. In some ways, the story is overly realistic, but in most ways, it's a fine tall tale. It doesn't quite progress as I thought it would, but I enjoyed the humor nonetheless.
The tale by John Jakes about a sex-crazed demented wizard, an actress, and a consent respecting barbarian rather amused me. Even the barbarian saw rapish behavior as wrong, even by barbarian standards. Add in a little poorly explained magic, and you've got a fine popcorn tale.
The standout tale is an Elric story, written by Michael Moorcock, who struts his literary stuff. He penned a good tale, one both engaging and adventurous. I especially admire his mechanic that Elric's ancestors made pacts with many beings, meaning that Elric can come up with new help in any particular story, and testy gods being what they are, means that they won't necessarily help him again.
The tale by Andre Norton didn't please me at all, but her writing rarely pleases me. In this tale, a woman seeks revenge for her rape, and so sets up her assaulter with a terrible fate. I found this the slowest moving and most boring of all the tales. Nothing of this story engenders popcorn. To me, the tale just didn't feel like it truly belonged with the other stories
June 26, 2017
A fun enough read of fantasy from the 70s. The first two tales, by L. Sprague DeCamp and by Michael Moorcock were my favorites, while the last two were my least. For whatever reason, Andre Norton has never clicked with me, and John Jakes’ Brak the Barbarian is a perfect example of the worst of post-Howard macho Conanism.
October 4, 2020
These are actually pretty good!
December 13, 2021
(review coming)
May 15, 2024
All of these are five star stories from legends in sword and sorcery but if I had to choose I would pick L.Sprage de Camp’s The Rug and the Bull as the winner and the one you should check out
June 25, 2021
I'm always up for some good S&S tales and I think these FS collections got it write by telling novella length stories. I would have liked a little more action in this collection but some of the added humor and depth to a couple of the stories make this a fine collection.
June 16, 2015
Perhaps I'm reading a bit too much of this stuff without a break.
Actually, the first two stories were quite good. L. Sprague de Camp's The Rug and the Bull was a nice bit of light, clever story-telling, and Michael Moorcock's Elric tale, The Jade Man's Eyes a good piece of moody atmosphere.
The next two were largely dreck. Andre Norton's Toads of Grimmerdale was the more tedious of the two, if only because John Jakes tale of Brak the Barbarian, Ghoul's Garden, was laughably bad. The introduction to the story by Lin Carter, which promised it would set those rumors about Brak not really being interested in women to rest, prepared the reader well for the awkward "romance" of a bashful barbarian. The real laughs came from just the writing though: "Head completely submerged, he didn't dare breathe."
Makes one wish he was a bit more daring a barbarian.
Actually, the first two stories were quite good. L. Sprague de Camp's The Rug and the Bull was a nice bit of light, clever story-telling, and Michael Moorcock's Elric tale, The Jade Man's Eyes a good piece of moody atmosphere.
The next two were largely dreck. Andre Norton's Toads of Grimmerdale was the more tedious of the two, if only because John Jakes tale of Brak the Barbarian, Ghoul's Garden, was laughably bad. The introduction to the story by Lin Carter, which promised it would set those rumors about Brak not really being interested in women to rest, prepared the reader well for the awkward "romance" of a bashful barbarian. The real laughs came from just the writing though: "Head completely submerged, he didn't dare breathe."
Makes one wish he was a bit more daring a barbarian.
July 23, 2013
The Toads of Grimmerdale was the story that got me interested in reading more of Andre Norton's work - and the Elric story was the first Michael Moorcock I'd ever read (I still haven't read much - I came across the really trippy 1960s stuff and chickened out at that point, but I understand that some of his later stuff is very good indeed).
Back when it was hard to know where to start in fantasy, though, these books were invaluable. Thank you, Lin Carter.
Back when it was hard to know where to start in fantasy, though, these books were invaluable. Thank you, Lin Carter.
May 15, 2010
This is a real Sword and Sorcery anthology in the best sense of the word, with stories from some of the best authors in the field, unfortunately, they dont really deliver.
It basically gets its second star because of the Elric story. Elric is a favorite character of mine, the Eternal Champion is... one of a kind!
It basically gets its second star because of the Elric story. Elric is a favorite character of mine, the Eternal Champion is... one of a kind!
March 9, 2011
I preferred this, the second volume of Lin Carter's Flashing Swords series of anthologies, to Flashing Swords #1 simply because I'd not yet read half the stories already. Otherwise, this swords and sorcery business is simply not a kind of literature I've related to very well since a childhood infatuation with Edgar Rice Burroughs.
August 20, 2011
The Rug and the Bull: ***
The Jade Man's Eyes: ****
Toads of Grimmerdale: *
Ghoul's Garden: **
The Jade Man's Eyes: ****
Toads of Grimmerdale: *
Ghoul's Garden: **
Read
August 22, 2008Flashing Swords! #2 by Lin Carter
July 8, 2011
This is my first time reading about Moorcock's mopey Melnibonian magician - I liked it. The L. Sprague de Camp story was my favorite of the four.
December 17, 2012
I was given this book in a box of others and finally opened it when I was desperate for a new read. It's old, and I usually find the older fant/scifi to be lacking... But this was good! Wow
Want to read
April 12, 2014I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12396024
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12396024
February 6, 2017
Hey, I liked all of these! Oddly, the one I looked forward to the most (the Brak one) was the one I enjoyed the least.
August 19, 2012
Moorcock's Elric story and the Frazetta cover were the only real things of interest.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews