Flashing Swords 2 in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Jan 05, 2016 Derek rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sword-and-sorcery

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 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. ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Jul 18, 2008 Charles rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

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. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review