Product Description

The First Volume in ibooks' Reissues of the Fantasies by Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Fritz Leiber!

Swords and Deviltry introduces us to a strange world where fantastic but thoroughly flawed anti-heroes Fafhrd and Gray Mouser find the familiar in themselves and discover the icy power of female magic. Three master-magician femme-fatales and a sprightly lad illuminate the bonds between father and son, the relationship between the bravado of the imagination, and the courage of fools. A hedge wizard explains the cold war between the sexes. Mouse and Fafhrd meet again and traverse the smoke and mirrors of Lankhmar learning more and more of the foggy world in which they live, experiencing the pleasures and pains of the City of Sevenscore Thousand Smokers that will lead them to countless more adventures and misadventures.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #582126 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
Fritz Leiber (1910-1992) was equally adept at writing science fiction, fantasy and horror. His works were honored with the Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy awards. He was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and received the Gandalf Grand Master Award for fantasy writing.

Customer Reviews

A Great Book In Any Genré
I've heard of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series for as long as I've been reading fantasy but never bothered to pick them up. I'm always leery of starting long series. I took the opportunity with the new reprints of this series to jump in and start from the beginning. I'm not disappointed in the least.

While all the familiar fantasy trappings are here (the evil wizards, thieves guilds and helpless princess) they are done in a fresh way that makes this older series look more modern than most of the new books out. The cities are well developed and rich with a detailed history that is drawn with a quick sentence or two. Just the description of a mason's office adds a depth that automatically gives the city deep dimensions.

The characters are described as "anti-heros" but they act with honor and a code of conduct. they aren't perfect by any means but are drawn realistically.

The real beauty of the book isn't the swords and sorcery action although there is plenty of that. The great thing about this book is the relationships explored here. Fritz Leiber explores mother/son relations, the yearning of a young boy for a missing father and the longing for escape every teenager growing up in a small town feels. He describes the pain of fear Ivarian feels so exquisitely it almost breaks your heart.

The most amazing thing to me is that Mr. Leiber packs such a dense, rich narrative in only 217 pages. This book feels a lot more entertaining than several of the epic fantasies I've read in the past few years. Like another of my favorite authors, Ray Bradury, Fritz Leiber is succinct and to the point and truly a great storyteller.

True fantasy buffs--welcome to Newhon!
This is the first of the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser books. It includes the origin story for each hero, as well as _Ill Met in Lanhkmar_, a classic novella that no true fantasy fan can afford to miss. It is truly exceptional.

Leiber can write circles around most fantasy writers, just as the Mouser's trusty blades Scalpel and Cat's Claw forever carve deadly arcs of steel lightning around so many hapless foes . . . Welcome to friendship, adventure and dialogue of the first water--welcome to Newhon!

(Note: This one is followed by Swords Against Death & Swords in the Mist. All 3 are available in a book-club edition called The Three of Swords, which is a great intro to Leiber's fantasy world and to "low" fantasy in general.)

Most Underappreciated Fantasy Author
Poor Fritz Leiber. He has never truly received the credit he deserves for fostering the fantasy genre. Along with the old Conan stories and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, this is amongst the most influential works of fantasy fiction.
Fascinating worldbuilding, intrigue and exciting characters abound in these tales, all told with Leiber's exceptional artistic skills. Not only are the plots and personalities compelling, but Leiber has a magical rhythm to his storytelling and descriptions. This is one of the few stories that is on my "reread" list.

Pick this up and you'll love the stories--and when you look at the copyright date of these tales, you'll come to appreciate just how much Leiber has affected the fantasy authors that have come since.