Publication History |
During the 1930s, Fritz Leiber and a friend invented the classic sword and
sorcery characters, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Leiber quickly took over the
characters, penning nearly 40 stories over a 50 year period. "The Second Book
of Lankhmar" contains the novel "The Swords of Lankhmar" along with stories
(first published in magazines) that had been previously collected in two
volumes: "Swords and Ice Magic" and "The Knight and Knave of Swords."
Many of the comments and criticisms applicable to "The First Book of
Lankhmar" are equally applicable here. For example, the publisher provides no
commentary on Leiber and his incredible contributions to the genre, leaving
the uninitiated reader without a thorough appreciation of the work.
The adventures of Fafhrd (a towering barbarian from the north) and the Gray
Mouser (an apprentice hedge wizard turned bravado) contained in this volume
were written later than those in "The First Book of Lankhmar," and Leiber does
something with them that's rarely been repeated—-he aged his heroes. They
become progressively more contemplative as the pair of rogues reflect upon
their aging, face their regrets, and generally grow up as they turn from the path
of roguery to building respectable lives.
Again, readers will note that the stories vary radically in tone. A notable change
is the increasingly level of sexuality. "The Second Book of Lankhmar" features
detailed scenes of sex, sexual abuse, and voyeurism, among other activities.
While it is fairly easy to gloss over these elements in the first book, they are
impossible to ignore in the second. Any reader for whom these passages may be
a concern is well advised to pass them over and focus instead on Leiber's
commentaries on religion, politics, and other issues and well as his rich
characterizations, plot surprises, and clever storytelling.
Despite its drawbacks, "The First Book of Lankhmar" is a must-read for fantasy
(particularly sword and sorcery) fans. I rate it a 9 out of 10.
sorcery characters, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Leiber quickly took over the
characters, penning nearly 40 stories over a 50 year period. "The Second Book
of Lankhmar" contains the novel "The Swords of Lankhmar" along with stories
(first published in magazines) that had been previously collected in two
volumes: "Swords and Ice Magic" and "The Knight and Knave of Swords."
Many of the comments and criticisms applicable to "The First Book of
Lankhmar" are equally applicable here. For example, the publisher provides no
commentary on Leiber and his incredible contributions to the genre, leaving
the uninitiated reader without a thorough appreciation of the work.
The adventures of Fafhrd (a towering barbarian from the north) and the Gray
Mouser (an apprentice hedge wizard turned bravado) contained in this volume
were written later than those in "The First Book of Lankhmar," and Leiber does
something with them that's rarely been repeated—-he aged his heroes. They
become progressively more contemplative as the pair of rogues reflect upon
their aging, face their regrets, and generally grow up as they turn from the path
of roguery to building respectable lives.
Again, readers will note that the stories vary radically in tone. A notable change
is the increasingly level of sexuality. "The Second Book of Lankhmar" features
detailed scenes of sex, sexual abuse, and voyeurism, among other activities.
While it is fairly easy to gloss over these elements in the first book, they are
impossible to ignore in the second. Any reader for whom these passages may be
a concern is well advised to pass them over and focus instead on Leiber's
commentaries on religion, politics, and other issues and well as his rich
characterizations, plot surprises, and clever storytelling.
Despite its drawbacks, "The First Book of Lankhmar" is a must-read for fantasy
(particularly sword and sorcery) fans. I rate it a 9 out of 10.
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| The Second Book of Lankhmar (Fritz Leiber) By SC Bryce |
First Printing:
FantasyBookSpot.com (Dec. 2, 2005).
FantasyBookSpot.com (Dec. 2, 2005).
Second Printing:
SCBryce.com (Dec. 22, 2006).
SCBryce.com (Dec. 22, 2006).
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