Ill Met In Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber - Mar 1999

Gollancz, Mar 1999. Re-issue. Paperback. Fritz Leiber not only invented the phrase "sword and sorcery", but was one of the earliest and wittiest masters of this vein of heroic fantasy. His famous duo--huge Northern barbarian Fafhrd and his nimble, devious companion the Gray Mouser--first saw print in 1947 and pursued their adventures and swordplay for more than 40 years. This is the first British appearance of "Ill Met in Lankhmar", a 1995 omnibus comprising "Swords and Deviltry" and "Swords Against Death" (both 1970), assembled from still earlier shorts. The Hugo-winning title piece relates the heroes' first joint exploit in the inexhaustibly colourful and sleazy city of Lankhmar, moving with breathtaking speed between farce, tragedy, bizarre ruses and desperate swordplay. Also included are tales of both companions' origins and adventures all over their world of Nehwon on dubious commissions or in search of generally booby-trapped treasure. Leiber's own favourite is here: "Bazaar of the Bizarre", his comic-sinister version of the traditional Magic Shop story, where the goods are rubbish disguised by illusion-spells and the haplessly bedazzled Mouser has no idea that the shop's gorgeous caged girls are in reality giant spiders ... This is an excellent introduction to fantasy's best-loved pair of heroic rogues. --"David Langford"