I used to say that my reading came and went. At times I devoured books, at other I rarely read anything else than stuff online.
No more. English isn’t my native language, so I’m always looking to further expand it. What better way than reading books?
Also, it’s obviously something I enjoy.
I decided to pay a visit to the city of Lankhmar in the fantasy world of Nehwon, created by sword and sorcery legend Fritz Leiber (1910-1992). A bookstore recommended the Fantasy Masterworks series and The First Book of Lankhmar, which felt like a great place to start.
You see, 13 years or so ago, I read a Swedish translation of one of the numerous books about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. It sported the Mouser being shrunk to a rat’s size, and parts of it played out in a rat kingdom. I remember I enjoyed it.
That particular book isn’t one of the four - the first about the two adventurers - books included in this anthology. Swords and Deviltry starts it all, Swords Against Death follows, then the pretty weird Swords in the Mist which is partly set in our world, and finally Swords Against Wizardry. Fritz Leiber sure loved his swords.
He also enjoyed lighthearted adventures and short stories, obviously, since that’s what I’m getting. No surprises there, being of the same era as Robert E. Howard and other writers formed by the short story magazines that circulated in the US, the stories of this kind - the amazing action adventures that is - were usually short.
There’s nothing wrong with that. A good story is a good story, and besides, I enjoy short stories.
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser are good characters, as is most of the creatures that turn up in these four books. I enjoy Leibers colorful yet sober writing style, and I’m glad that none of the epic teenage fantasy can be found in this. While there are lustrous ladies (and worse), damsels in distress, and mortal combat, it still feels mature rather than childish.
If you want a piece of fantasy history, and one of the ground breaking works for the sub-genre of sword and sorcery, then this is a must. At least it reads better today than the dry words of Robert E. Howard. Conan might be a great character and his world just as rich as Nehwon is, but when it comes to storytelling, Fritz Leiber is by far the master.
Get the book! Buy The First Book of Lankhmar
Fritz Leiber is a great writer, I enjoy his stories a lot. This is a great introduction to his work, and that’s for around just $13. A must, I’d say, if you’re a fantasy fan.