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Barbarians
Contains the stories:
"Introduction", essay by Robert Adams
"Scylla's Daughter", novella by Fritz Leiber [Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser]
"Stone Man", novelette by Fred Saberhagen [Berserker]
"Sand Sister", novella by Andre Norton [Witch World]
"Swordsman of Lost Terra", novelette by Poul Anderson
"The Were-Wolf", novelette by Clemence Housman
"Swords Against the Marluk", novelette by Katherine Kurtz [Deryni]
"Not Long Before the End", by Larry Niven [Magic Goes Away]
"Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson", by George Alec Effinger [Maureen Birnbaum]
"Thurigon Agonistes", by Ardath Mayhar
"Vault of Silence", novelette by Lin Carter [Kellory the Warlock]
"The Other One", by Karl Edward Wagner [Kane]
"The Age of the Warrior", by Hank Reinhardt
"Beyond the Black River", novella by Robert E. Howard [Conan]
"Introduction", essay by Robert Adams
"Scylla's Daughter", novella by Fritz Leiber [Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser]
"Stone Man", novelette by Fred Saberhagen [Berserker]
"Sand Sister", novella by Andre Norton [Witch World]
"Swordsman of Lost Terra", novelette by Poul Anderson
"The Were-Wolf", novelette by Clemence Housman
"Swords Against the Marluk", novelette by Katherine Kurtz [Deryni]
"Not Long Before the End", by Larry Niven [Magic Goes Away]
"Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson", by George Alec Effinger [Maureen Birnbaum]
"Thurigon Agonistes", by Ardath Mayhar
"Vault of Silence", novelette by Lin Carter [Kellory the Warlock]
"The Other One", by Karl Edward Wagner [Kane]
"The Age of the Warrior", by Hank Reinhardt
"Beyond the Black River", novella by Robert E. Howard [Conan]
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 7, 1986
1 person is currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Robert Adams
74 books68 followersFranklin Robert Adams (August 31, 1933 - January 4, 1990) was an American science fiction and fantasy writer, formerly a career soldier. He is best known for his "Horseclans" books. He wrote as Robert Adams, an abbreviated form of his full name.
Adams was an early pioneer of the post-holocaust novel. His Horseclans novels are precursors to many of today's attempts at this type of story, many of which do not exhibit his painstakingly detailed world view or extraordinary plot follow-through (many of his Horseclans books are so interlinked that they make sense only when read in order; he did not create many "stand alone" books in the series).
Hallmarks of Adams' style include a focus on violent, non-stop action, meticulous detail in matters historical and military, strong description, and digressions expounding on various subjects from a conservative and libertarian viewpoint.
Adams was an early pioneer of the post-holocaust novel. His Horseclans novels are precursors to many of today's attempts at this type of story, many of which do not exhibit his painstakingly detailed world view or extraordinary plot follow-through (many of his Horseclans books are so interlinked that they make sense only when read in order; he did not create many "stand alone" books in the series).
Hallmarks of Adams' style include a focus on violent, non-stop action, meticulous detail in matters historical and military, strong description, and digressions expounding on various subjects from a conservative and libertarian viewpoint.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 12, 2016
I'm forced to consider the whole as well as the pieces. The pieces range from okay excellent, with a set of anchor stores--Conan, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser, Witch World--of undeniable quality, sprinkled with boutiques of variable worth.
Unfortunately, the packaging. Adams provides an uninspired introduction that starts with describing the history of the word 'barbarian' from the original Greek and ends essentially by saying "Never mind with the history or meaning...Here's some heroic fantasy!"
The theme is expressed entirely in terms of stories containing barbarians, whether as protagonist as Fafhrd / Conan or as antagonist or as background mob character, and in some cases are incidental or hammered to fit. The back cover copy tries to mitigate this by framing the stories in terms of action or heroism, but it's hard to deny that the selection is borderline for the title and introduction.
Which is kind of a shame. The word from its derivation implies 'outsider' and says more about the culture saying the word than the individual being described by it. Fahfrd and Gray Mouser are outsiders in terms of power structure and loyalties. Conan has little truck with the contradictions and hypocrisies of civilization. Kane is a permanent wanderer whose long view makes it impossible for him to join a society.
The second story, "The Stone Man", is a Berzerker story by Fred Saberhagen of all things. Considering the original use of the word 'berserker', you would think that a story in this series could be an interesting fit, showing the perspective of the ultimate outsider who rejects the entire basis of human civilization, indeed human existence itself. But no, it's here because of the paleolithic hero.
The only stories that are well-placed are "The Other One", a Kane story highlighting his 'outsideness' as he rejects the cultural obligations of Andalar...
An excellent story, BTW, whose final twist is a bit too obvious because it is so perfectly appropriate and awesome. Its brevity conceals detail and character and theme and layered meaning. Go find it right now.
...and Robert E. Howard's "Beyond the Black River" which highlights Howard's themes of the failure of civilization and its effects on strength and humanity. (And which, I think, suffers from some thematic problems: Conan has more in common with the Picts than with the Aquilonians. Why is he in service to the Aquilonians, and why does he go above and beyond to warn them of Pictish invasion after the fall of the fort and his employer? It felt like Howard was projecting some White Man / Black Man prejudice into the situation.)
And as far as the remaining pieces...
I've heard of the "Maureen Birnbaum" stories and have set aside thought to the collection, but no more. I doubt the series could squeeze out a second laugh. Especially since the narrator is damn annoying.
Ardath Mayhar has the second best name in sword and sorcery writing and her "Thurigon Agonistes" was a find. The world is ruled by sorcerers, who have fallen into decadence and cruelty and the piper is about to be paid. She has other works out there, but I don't know how much it resembles this.
"Swordsman of Lost Terra" by Poul Anderson is a remarkable one-off and a lot of fun. That the superweapon appears to be a set of bagpipes makes it all the more entertaining.
My first impression of "The Were-Wolf" was that it was very old fashioned, which proved very accurate. It was written in 1896.
Unfortunately, the packaging. Adams provides an uninspired introduction that starts with describing the history of the word 'barbarian' from the original Greek and ends essentially by saying "Never mind with the history or meaning...Here's some heroic fantasy!"
The theme is expressed entirely in terms of stories containing barbarians, whether as protagonist as Fafhrd / Conan or as antagonist or as background mob character, and in some cases are incidental or hammered to fit. The back cover copy tries to mitigate this by framing the stories in terms of action or heroism, but it's hard to deny that the selection is borderline for the title and introduction.
Which is kind of a shame. The word from its derivation implies 'outsider' and says more about the culture saying the word than the individual being described by it. Fahfrd and Gray Mouser are outsiders in terms of power structure and loyalties. Conan has little truck with the contradictions and hypocrisies of civilization. Kane is a permanent wanderer whose long view makes it impossible for him to join a society.
The second story, "The Stone Man", is a Berzerker story by Fred Saberhagen of all things. Considering the original use of the word 'berserker', you would think that a story in this series could be an interesting fit, showing the perspective of the ultimate outsider who rejects the entire basis of human civilization, indeed human existence itself. But no, it's here because of the paleolithic hero.
The only stories that are well-placed are "The Other One", a Kane story highlighting his 'outsideness' as he rejects the cultural obligations of Andalar...
An excellent story, BTW, whose final twist is a bit too obvious because it is so perfectly appropriate and awesome. Its brevity conceals detail and character and theme and layered meaning. Go find it right now.
...and Robert E. Howard's "Beyond the Black River" which highlights Howard's themes of the failure of civilization and its effects on strength and humanity. (And which, I think, suffers from some thematic problems: Conan has more in common with the Picts than with the Aquilonians. Why is he in service to the Aquilonians, and why does he go above and beyond to warn them of Pictish invasion after the fall of the fort and his employer? It felt like Howard was projecting some White Man / Black Man prejudice into the situation.)
And as far as the remaining pieces...
I've heard of the "Maureen Birnbaum" stories and have set aside thought to the collection, but no more. I doubt the series could squeeze out a second laugh. Especially since the narrator is damn annoying.
Ardath Mayhar has the second best name in sword and sorcery writing and her "Thurigon Agonistes" was a find. The world is ruled by sorcerers, who have fallen into decadence and cruelty and the piper is about to be paid. She has other works out there, but I don't know how much it resembles this.
"Swordsman of Lost Terra" by Poul Anderson is a remarkable one-off and a lot of fun. That the superweapon appears to be a set of bagpipes makes it all the more entertaining.
My first impression of "The Were-Wolf" was that it was very old fashioned, which proved very accurate. It was written in 1896.
May 26, 2022
This is a very good anthology of fantasy stories featuring barbarians. The editors did a nice job of including a wide range of styles rather than simply picking traditional swords & sorcery adventures. There's a Kane story by Karl Edward Wagner, an Andre Norton set on Witch World, a good Fritz Leiber tale about Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser, a Deryni story by Katherine Kurtz, an hilarious introduction to Maureen Birnbaum by George Alec Effinger, one of Larry Niven's great Magic stories, one of my favorite Poul Anderson stories, Swordsman of Lost Terra, and several others, ranging from the 1890's to the 1980's. The book concludes with a story about the greatest barbarian of them all, Beyond the Black River by Robert E. Howard, and the eerily appropriate (for the theme of this book) final paragraph: "Barbarism is the natural state of mankind," the borderer said, still staring somberly at the Cimmerian. "Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph." (As a soundtrack to the book, I commend to your attention a 1975 Robert Calvert album called Lucky Leif and the Longships. It was produced by Brian Eno and has several Hawkwind-adjacent musicians on it, not to mention Michael Moorcock on banjo. The second song has a Barbarians chorus to the tune of The Beach Boys' Barbara Ann.)
December 31, 2008
A collection of heroic fantasy stories edited by Robert Adams, Greenberg, and Charles Waugh. Contains one of Robert E. Howard's best Conan stories, "Beyond the Black River."
September 8, 2014
Good collection of short stories. Recommended
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August 22, 2008Barbarians by Robert Adams (1986)
October 29, 2010
A compilation of short stories. Fun, whets your appetite for the originators of the fantasy genre. Leiber, Howard, Niven, Norton, etc. A true murderers row.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews