RIP to Spanish artist Sanjulián (Manuel Pérez Clemente) who has left us at the age of 85.

Fritz Leiber’s Short Story Collection Night's Black Agents is an anthology of his own work. The books title garners its name from Macbeth -"Good things of day begin to droop and drowse, While night's black agents to their preys do rouse".

The book is a compilation of individual short story fictions Leiber wrote and were published across multiple pulp magazines over the preceding decade along with a few new stories. Arkham House price tag for the compilation was 3.00 dollars when it hit the bookshelves; (equivalent to approximately 45.00 today) so no small investment back in 1947.

When Arkham House published Night's Black Agents Hardcover, the collection of stories were primarily horror, However Leiber included a closing section titled "Ancient Adventures," which consisted of two Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser tales, "The Sunken Land" (previously printed in Unknown in 1942), and "Adept's Gambit" first print appearance within this hardcover.

Ballantine Books published the first mass-market paperback edition of Night's Black Agents in June 1961. Ballantine's collection also included "The Sunken Land" and "Adept's Gambit"

When Ace Books compiled the chronological fantasy paperbacks for the characters in 1968, those two specific stories were stripped out of Night's Black Agents so they could be placed chronologically into the definitive seven-volume Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser book series, finding a permanent home in "Swords in the Mist" the third book in Leiber’s sword-and-sorcery series.

I Enjoy having Fritz Leiber’s Night's Black Agents hardcover Within my S&S Collection

Here are more images from the second story in DiGelsomina’s Warrior Angel Saga, entitled “The Bride”. The first story in the series, “Shadows of Nyarlathotep” has raised interest by combining swords and sorcery with extreme horror. Illustrations by renowned horror artist DW Frydendall, stories written by composer/horror author DiGelsomina. Both stories will be published early 2027.

Hey! Came across a bunch of these posters second hand and thought they were so cool. Does anyone have any knowledge on em or know where I can go to get more info? These posters are huge! The last one is signed

An old one, but another first issue: New Edge S&S. It's so nice to have print media in your hands!

I have been wanting to add and their memory was a bitter tree to my collection for quite some time. I made a conscience decision to purchase my copy from "Friends of The San Francisco Public Library"- Through their sales they raise monies for their library as well as fund their "Friends" book program helping to keep over 350 tons of books out of America's landfills and putting them in the hands of book lovers all over the world.

"And survivors of butchered Stygian ships named Bêlit with curses, and a white warrior with fierce blue eyes; so the Stygian princes remembered this man long and long, and their memory was a bitter tree which bore crimson fruit in the years to come."

First The Cover - BROM Nuff said!!!

The book Collects Conan stories originally published in Weird Tales between 1933 and 1936 (including "Queen of the Black Coast"), three poems by Howard, and historical context on the Hyborian Age. The book Features an introduction by Arnie Fenner and an afterword ("In Memoriam: Robert Ervin Howard") written by H.P. Lovecraft. The illustrations Feature artwork and paintings by Frazetta and Brom, alongside a full-color map of the Hyborian Age.

Hi folks!

I've just uploaded this beautiful portrait of Megan Tremethick, who returns as Nemain the Sorceress in the sequel to my film The Slave and the Sorcerer, entitled...

THE SLAVE AND THE TORTURER!

I'm bringing back the heroes from the original film for another perilous quest, inspired by my love of Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft and the wonderful sword and sorcery cinema of the 1980s.

I'll be releasing the film on Blu-ray and digital download through Kickstarter, but for now, I've launched a pre-launch page where you can click "Notify me on launch" to follow the project.

I'm planning to launch the full campaign in early November, and everyone following the page will be notified when it goes live. I've also been working on a rather outrageous new pitch video, starring Megan, which I can't wait to share!

Thanks again to everyone in this subreddit, especially the moderators, for being so supportive of my filmmaking over the years. I hope there are a few fans of The Slave and the Sorcerer here who might fancy joining me for another adventure!

Here's the Kickstarter pre-launch page if you'd like to follow along:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lawriebrewster/the-slave-and-the-torturer-feature-length-fantasy-horror

I was searching for old Sword & Sorcery stories with a strong female protagonist. So far I found this novels:

• Bloodsong by Asa Drake
• By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey
• Daughter of the Bright Moon by Lynn Abbey
• Frostflower by Phyllis Ann Karr
• Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore
• Red Sonja by David C. Smith
• Silverglass by J. F. Rivkin
• Sword and Sorceress by Marion Zimmer Bradley
• Swordmistress of Chaos by Richard Kirk
• Tara of the Twilight by Lin Carter
• The Adventures of Alyx by Joanna Russ
• The Birthgrave by Tanith Lee
• The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
• The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
• The Morgaine Cycle by C.J. Cherryh
• Tomoe Gozen by Jessica Amanda Salmonson

Where should I start? What books should I add to my list?

I see that the most will be with a swords woman. Are there also stories with a sorceress?

I´m also looking for comics and graphic novels.

Not strict on S&S, so old adventure and high fantasy (even sci fi) could also count. Older works, so 70s, 80s, 90s (and before). But I would make exeptions for newer stories with an old school vibe.

Captain Malion washes ashore in a foreign land. Haunted by his failures and desperate to return home, he discovers a darker history of the kingdom he has sworn to defend.

As the sapphire’s influence reaches beyond Genlina, Malion must fight alongside new allies and confront the remnants of his past.

A grimdark animal fantasy in the spirit of Redwall, Pigborne: The Speechless Tide is a brutal tale of faith, corruption, and redemption.

The second story in the Pigborne series. 16k words. Available as DRM-free PDF or EPUB. Cover art by Jan and Vlad (Artwins).

https://thomasgrayfson.itch.io/pigborne-the-speechless-tide

Hello all, I have just finished my first draft and first self editing pass-through of my Sword & Sorcery novel "Forsaken Son"

Looking for anyone who might be interested in beta reading.

Prince Niall is the presumptive heir to the throne of Muirgard, a small island kingdom in the stormy and blood soaked waters of the Emerald Sea. On the day he is to officially be named the crown prince, tragedy and conspiracy strike, leading to the arrest of both the prince, and his beloved foster father. Forced to watch the man he loves most in this world die for a crime he did not commit, and exiled from the shores of his home, Prince Niall is left with nothing but a leaky rowboat and an oath to one day return with war. Before his quest for vengeance can even begin however, he is swept up in a conflict on foreign shores and with foreign gods he has no time nor interest in entertaining. Will he be able to settle a holy war centuries in the making and return to his own path?

Perfect for fans of Robert E. Howard, Fritz Lieber and Christopher Buehlman, "Forsaken Son" harkens back to classic Sword & Sorcery, taking place in a unique Norse/Celtic inspired maritime setting. Mad Gods, scheming witches, warrior maidens and plenty of action, what more could you ask? (Content warning: Graphic violence and mentions of/implied (non graphic) sexual violence) (105k words)

Looking for general critiques on voice, pacing, plot, consistency and anything else you might notice needs improvement. No emphasis on spelling and grammar required, but feel free if that's your thing, I am aware it needs work and will be on it.

DM for the link

You can watch the video for more concrete details, but while he says he's not just looking for S&S, he does enjoy the genre, and it certainly fits in with what he is looking for.

He cannot pay the authors, the only payment would be a comp copy of the anthology.

“There comes, even to kings, the time of great weariness. Then the gold of the throne is brass, the silk of the palace becomes drab. The gems in the diadem sparkle drearily like the ice of the white seas; the speech of men is as the empty rattle of a jester's bell and the feel comes of things unreal; even the sun is copper in the sky, and the breath of the green ocean is no longer fresh.” - Mirrors of Tuzan Thune

"The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" was one of Howard's original short stories (and one of my Favorites) about Kull of Atlantis. One of only three Kull stories published in Howard's lifetime.

First published in Weird Tales magazine in 1929, and then again by Arkham House in "Skull-Face and Others" in 1946. (neither I have in my Collection - Perhaps Someday). The Skull-Face and Others collection holds a vital place in the history for fantasy literature as it was the very first hardcover collection of Robert E. Howard's work ever published within in the United States.

The first issue of Avon Fantasy Reader was published in February 1947. It was originally intended to be a quarterly publication but often came out about three times per year. "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" was published in Avon Fantasy reader #2 in May of 1947.

The story next appeared in the 1953 Gnome Press Hardcover "The Coming of Conan". Gnome Press printed between 4,000 and 5,000 first edition copies (of which, this is one). Sci-fi/fantasy artist Frank Kelly Freas illustrated the dust jacket, which famously featured an abstract map of the Hyborian Age crossing over the front panels.

Gary Romeo cites the following on his Blog regarding the Gnome Press publication - "Kull’s world was the direct geological and historical precursor to Conan's world, de Camp decided to place three Kull pieces—"The Shadow Kingdom, "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune," and the poem "The King and the Oak"—at the very front of the book. They were intended to act as a historical prelude before transitioning into the early life of Conan". - Gary Romeo

My initial introduction to the story came from reading Lancer's 1967 King Kull (as it probably did with so with many others of my age). Lancer's cover boasts an awesome painting by fantasy illustrator Roy Krenkel. Inside Lin Carter provided an official map of King Kull’s World. The paperback was released with an initial cover price of 60 cents. (60 cents in 1967 is equivalent in purchasing power of about $5.91 today).

Again I cite Gary Romeo's Blog - Following Gnome Press’s 1953 move to "sandwich" Kull stories into Conan anthologies, Lancer Books decided to undo that confusion. Because their own Conan paperbacks (with the iconic Frank Frazetta covers) were massive commercial successes, Lancer realized they had enough market power to launch a dedicated King Kull paperback series. "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" was finally framed correctly as part of Kull’s distinct prehistoric Thurian Age. - Gary Romeo

The Magic of Atlantis was a 191-page paperback collection of seven fantasy stories centered around the lost continent of Atlantis. Ron Walotsky created the cover art. Ron had long and prolific career painting book and magazine covers. He also illustrated cards for Magic the Gathering. Lin Carter used the story to anchor the collection's theme because Kull was originally an Atlantean exile. Pairing it alongside other legendary pulp authors writing about the sunken continent, including Clark Ashton Smith, Henry Kuttner, and Edmond Hamilton. Carter viewed "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" as a crucial masterwork of the sword-and-sorcery genre at that time.

Roy Thomas adapted "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" as a Conan story. "The Mirrors of Kharam-Akkad" was released in Conan the Barbarian #25 in April of 1973. Issue 25's cover art was created by Gil Kane in collaboration with Ralph Reese. The interior art was primarily John Buscema Pencils and Sal Buscema Inks. Some work was also accredited to John Severin on a couple of pages with Barry Windsor-Smith received a plotting credit for the story. Note - I do not have issue 25 in my collection. (Someday I may get around to tracking down an issue).

Marvel's next adaptation of Howard's story featuring Tuzun Thune was published in The Savage Sword of Conan issue #34 in October of 1978. Ernie Chan created the issue's cover. A sequel/follow-up story titled "The Many Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" was also published in The Savage Sword of Conan. It appeared in Issue #223 with a cover date of July 1994 (which I will most likely track down some day to add to my collection).

For The Audiophiles - The heavy metal band Arkham Witch covered the tale in a song of the same name. - The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune, Arkham Witch. You can listen to it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7EfNRxQ5tM (Not my kind of music but to each their own I say).

Note 1: Gary Romeo's site provides a much more professional historical write-up of this story here than I could ever convey - https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/2022/11/03/the-lancer-kull-series-the-mirrors-of-tuzun-thune-by-robert-e-howard/

Note 2: For those new, or unfamiliar with Gary's Blog - I highly encourage you to explore it. It covers everything from Sword and Sorcery, to Conan, Kull, Lancers, Gnome Press ect...ect...

However, be forewarned Gary's writings and historical perspectives are nothing short of exceptional, and you will become engrossed for hours exploring his blog which he continuously updates and keeps current.

So set some time aside prior to your Trip, and strap in for a great experience. Gary's Home page is here for those interested -https://spraguedecampfan.wordpress.com/ Then select "Index of Articles". or just start reading from his Home page.

I hope you enjoyed The Mirrors of Tunzan Thune walkabout through My Sword and Sorcery Barbarians Among Us Collection. - Peace

I hope this isn't too specific, but I’m looking for something original, not based on a book. A comic that takes place entirely in a fictional world. I really love world-building. And if there are queer characters, that would be a nice bonus, though it’s not a must.

Our Kickstarter campaign is on its final stretch! Click here if you want to join the Headless Horselord on his epic quest- Headless Horselord: Sword & Sorcery Graphic Novel by Deepak Thomas » Headless Horselord: Sword & Sorcery Graphic Novel by Deepak Thomas — Kickstarter

A Cursed Kingdom. A Monster King. A Headless Saviour. 164 pages of full-colour, action-packed fantasy inspired by medieval India. If you're a fan of Conan, the Witcher or Beserk, experience this fresh new tale of a monster slayer in a never before seen setting. Written by Deepak Thomas, Illustrated by Hazem Ameen and lettered by Marco Della Verde.

Broken Katana is live on Kickstarter!

What is Broken Katana?

After the moon shattered and half the moon crashed into earth, reality cracked open. Centuries later, humanity survives by trying to regrow and replenish the earth or by scavenging the ruins of civilization.

Magic and bioengineering have run amok, changing the very nature of humanity itself. In this future of waste, renewal, and hypertech, some make a living hunting monsters to keep the remnants of humanity safe.

Welcome to the world of Broken Katana.

What is in this campaign?

It’s the omnibus collection of these first three novels in my Howl series, which will include a fourth, as yet unpublished novel. You’ll be receiving all four of these books in one convenient package in paperback or hardcover.

Why should I back now?

For one thing, there's a 10% discount for the first 48 hours of the campaign for the signed hardcover edition! For another, it's the best way to catch up on the series and the only way to get the fourth novel, which completes this first arc of the story!

I hope you check out the campaign and help make this come to life! In the first half hour, we're already a third of the way towards our funding goal so I'm hoping we can hit some stretch goals to add illustrations to this beauty!

Broken Katana by edward rathke

Lin Carter published a multi-part history of Sword and Sorcery in Savage Sword of Conan; all four parts are included in this post. Carter had already provided a definition of S&S in Flashing Swords #1 (1973):

• An action-oriented story descended from pulp adventure.
• Set in a land or age or world of the author's invention.
• A setting in which magic and supernatural powers genuinely exist.
• A capable warrior as protagonist.
• Direct conflict between that warrior and supernatural evil.

While he doesn't explicitly define it again here, he broadens it to put a much greater emphasis on the fusion of adventure and fantasy:

[Howard] took the Clark Ashton Smith sort of yarn laid in fabulous, glimmering dawn kingdoms of magic and sorcery, and the Lovecraftian horror tale of prehuman, eldritch evil, and grafted them onto the swashbuckling heroica of Harold Lamb and Rafael Sabatini.

I found this interesting because Elric or Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser might not fit his strict 1973 definition, but they unquestionably do here.

Anyway, the whole thing's worth reading. Enjoy.

Sorry pic failed to upload last time for some reason.

I got this haul at a thrift store because i liked the covers wondered if any were good

It's a staple of sword and sorcery to have the protagonist encounter strange creatures and monsters. Which ones do you find most interesting to you and why?

It's a difficult choice for me personally, but I really like the weirdness of Pav from The Dark Land. I really like the idea of a creature that is also its own pocket dimension as well as having an ambiguous nature.

I recently watched all 13 episodes and found it to be a total blast! One of the companies that produced it was Graz Entertainment which was also one of the production companies of the classic 90s X-Men animated series and the first season of Conan the Adventurer beforehand, and I could feel the influence of both here. A team of quasi-superheroes contend with evil sorcery. The genres are blended and the drama is presented as serious. Kind of a darker MOTU or ThunderCats geared towards teens rather than little kids.

I think the fantasy elements lean way harder into sword-and-sorcery than high fantasy, and the sci-fi elements are what you might see in Masters of the Universe. People fight with swords but also laser guns, they ride animals but also high-tech vehicles, and characters come up with innovations in both science and sorcery on both sides.

I really don't know what genre to call this. There's no interplanetary travel or spaceships so it's not space opera. All the characters are indigenous to this planet so it's not sword-and-planet. And I think it's closer to true sword-and-sorcery than a lot of borderline stuff like this because the protagonists are outsiders - ousted royalty turned rebels on the run trying to win their kingdom back from an evil wizard - and one of them almost joins the villains in the first episode (and is responsible for them taking over the kingdom) so they're not all squeaky clean good guys.

The video game for the original PlayStation is a pretty awesome side-scroller where you hack-and-slash skeletons with a sword most of the time, with some boss fights and the occasional John Carter-esque one-man flier level. I'm having fun with it! Interestingly, the cut scenes present a backstory that differs from that seen on the show. There's also a Sega Saturn game, but I'm not sure if it's different.

Below are links to a playlist of the best uploads of the cartoon I could find on YouTube (it's not available for purchase anywhere) and a walkthrough of the game:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHEeRUgxhScZfmeKy1ftuhoesFgfmWRGO&si=Om_8u4kAGJz_8WGd

https://youtu.be/KMBqdU7bwgA?is=x8L4CyuyvEckIv0U

There's also a lot of cool merch going for pretty cheap on eBay. I already collect enough stuff that takes up room that I don't really need, but it's neat to look at haha.

Anybody else catch this back in the day or at any point since?

Here are the first images from the second story in DiGelsomina’s Warrior Angel Saga, entitled “The Bride”. The first story in the series, “Shadows of Nyarlathotep” has raised interest by combining swords and sorcery with extreme horror. Illustrations by renowned horror artist DW Frydendall, stories written by composer/horror author DiGelsomina. Both stories will be published early 2027.

A bit of fun with my figures.

Flash fiction by C.H. Scott, essay by Moira McMahon, a stack of sword & sorcery news, and the results of an informal poll I conducted here in this subreddit: Top 10 sword & sorcery influenced music.

Art (c) Dean Spencer.

https://newsletter.swordsagainst.com/p/swords-against-newsletter