Fritz Leiber

bropous · 03-12-2007, 02:12 PM

Going through more of the old authors who are seeing a bit of a Renaissance:

Fritz Leiber and his "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" series.

"Swords and Deviltry" has been reissued, and I do recommend the series. Kind of a tale of two run-of-the-mill fellows in a medieval type fantasy world. No royal intrigue, no competing powers and fulfillments of ancient prophecies. Fafhrd and Grey Mouser just live their lives in the City of a Thousand Smokes, stealing or renting out their services as they just try to get by.

The fact that no magical weapon or long-lost heir to the throne was involved made the books rather refreshing when I read them back in the 70s. I'm glad to see that Fritz' works are making a comeback.

brownjenkins · 03-12-2007, 02:25 PM

He was a favorite back in my early school years. I'll have to pick up a copy, as it has been ages since I read them.

***Earniel*** · 03-12-2007, 02:38 PM

Hm, I think I've actually read some of this. Did those two characters also feature in one or two short stories? I think I've come across one or two in fantasy anthologies.

GrayMouser · 03-26-2007, 10:59 AM

That's Gray Mouser, thank you very much- Leiber was American.

My favourites, obviously. There are enough short stories to fill six volumes, plus one novel. The time frame is more Hellenistic than medieval, I think- the one story set in our world was in Alexandrian times.

More light-hearted than Conan, way more cynical than Tolkien, and like everything Leiber wrote, always some kinky sex. What's not to like?

ringbearer · 04-25-2007, 11:35 PM

A good read by my account...just great stories...find them and read them!

03-12-2007, 02:12 PM	#1
bropous EIDRIORCQWSDAKLMED DCWWTIWOATTOPWFIO Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 1,176	Fritz Leiber Going through more of the old authors who are seeing a bit of a Renaissance: Fritz Leiber and his "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" series. "Swords and Deviltry" has been reissued, and I do recommend the series. Kind of a tale of two run-of-the-mill fellows in a medieval type fantasy world. No royal intrigue, no competing powers and fulfillments of ancient prophecies. Fafhrd and Grey Mouser just live their lives in the City of a Thousand Smokes, stealing or renting out their services as they just try to get by. The fact that no magical weapon or long-lost heir to the throne was involved made the books rather refreshing when I read them back in the 70s. I'm glad to see that Fritz' works are making a comeback. __________________ "...[The Lord of the Rings] is to exemplify most clearly a recurrent theme: the place in 'world politics' of the unforeseen and unforeseeable acts of will, and deeds of virtue of the apparently small, ungreat, fogotten in the places of the Wise and Great (good as well as evil). A moral of the whole (after the primary symbolism of the Ring, as the will to mere power, seeking to make itself objective by physical force and mechanism, and so also inevitably by lies) is the obvious one that without the high and noble the simple and vulgar is utterly mean; and without the simple and ordinary the noble and heroic is meaningless." Letters of JRR Tolkien, page 160.

03-12-2007, 02:25 PM	#2
brownjenkins Advocatus Diaboli Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Reality Posts: 3,767	He was a favorite back in my early school years. I'll have to pick up a copy, as it has been ages since I read them. __________________ Your reality, sir, is lies and balderdash and I'm delighted to say that I have no grasp of it whatsoever.

03-12-2007, 02:38 PM	#3
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	Hm, I think I've actually read some of this. Did those two characters also feature in one or two short stories? I think I've come across one or two in fantasy anthologies. __________________ We are not things.

03-26-2007, 10:59 AM	#4
GrayMouser Elf Lord Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ilha Formosa Posts: 2,068	That's Gray Mouser, thank you very much- Leiber was American. My favourites, obviously. There are enough short stories to fill six volumes, plus one novel. The time frame is more Hellenistic than medieval, I think- the one story set in our world was in Alexandrian times. More light-hearted than Conan, way more cynical than Tolkien, and like everything Leiber wrote, always some kinky sex. What's not to like? __________________ Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep. Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them? "I like pigs. Dogs look up to us, cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals."- Winston Churchill

04-25-2007, 11:35 PM	#5
ringbearer Elf Lord Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: St. Louis, Mo. USA Posts: 561	A good read by my account...just great stories...find them and read them! __________________ Ringbearer Hide Witch, hide! The Good Folks come to burn thee! Their keen enjoyment hid behind A Gothic mask of duty!

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