The First Book of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber

Containing the four short-story collections “Swords & Deviltry”, “Swords against Death”, “Swords in the Mist” and “Swords against Wizardry”, The First Book of Lankhmar is a must-read for any serious lover of Fantasy. Fritz Leiber’s Sword & Sorcery has to be counted among the many who created the clichés of the genre, especially as Leiber to a large degree reinvents the tropes that had become stereotypes already by his time. His Fafhrd, for example, is a subversion of Howard’s Conan to match Moorcock’s Elric. Furthermore, Leiber produced what must be seen as some of the most influential characters in fantasy history in Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, something which is evident if you look at nearly any fantasy rogue, such as Lynch’s recent and lauded Locke Lamora.

But the stories do of course have value beyond that of historical perspective. Leiber has created a wholesome, solid world which seems almost all too real — a short detour into our own world in “Swords in the Mist” actually feels much shallower and more fictional than does the world of Nehwon. Leiber’s prose could have something to do with this; his style is so evocative and feels so alive, I sometimes had to read the same sentence again and again and again, just to properly enjoy its phrasing.

Of course, as someone who enjoys the more epic and megalomaniac spectre of fantasy, the Lankhmar series didn’t appeal to me quite as much as it perhaps could have. The short stories, while both thrilling in their own right and also often at least decently metaphorical, suffered of the same maladies as all short stories, namely a lack of continuity and a lack of complexity. An author as skilled as Leiber does naturally manage to squeeze in both a bit of continuity and some complexity — admirable amounts of both, in fact — but I often felt that the characters Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser would truly have flourished in a longer narrative, wherein they truly could have showed off their prowess and cunning as thieves (there is disappointingly few thefts in these stories), their skill and strength as fighters, and their boldness and ingenuity as adventurers.

Still, all in all a seriously solid set of stories, filled to the brim with sensual sword and sorcery. Although the sheer amount of willing slave girls could be a bit over the top from time to time. 8.0/10.