Zebra, 1978

Swords Against Darkness: III continues a five-book 1970s anthology series of "heroic fantasy in the tradition of Robert E. Howard," and edited by Andrew J. Offutt, creator of Hanse called Shadowspawn in the Thieves World books.

Offutt’s stated goal in the introduction of Swords Against Darkness: III is to deliver sword-and-sorcery that shows a wide range of storytelling and solid characterizations. It’s a laudable goal, considering that the short story is, to many readers, the best home for the pace and intensity of heroic fantasy. Offutt’s anthology is the kind of book genre fans sorely miss today. Fortunately, Pitch-Black Books, Carnifex Press and others are rising to produce such anthologies.

Here is what you’ll find in Swords Against Darkness: III:

The Pit of Wings by Ramsey Campbell

This is another tale of Ryre, the loneswordsman whose adventures stood out in the first two volumes of this series. This time out, Campbell follows more traditional sword-and-sorcery lines: A scornful glance and a bully’s taunt pave the road to a horrific encounter. This tale succeeds largely on the strength of Campbell’s prose and on Ryre’s character. Ryre is drawn into danger simply because he is Ryre—a tough but very human character. A less sympathetic character might have avoided the terrors that imperil him; a more hot-tempered hero might have scotched the whole thing with a lot of bloodshed early on. But Ryre is Ryre, fortunately for us. And because Campbell is Campbell, the story travels a dark and frightening path. Another excellent tale, and a fine link between this volume and the two that came before it. "Wings" starts Swords Against Darkness: III with a solid kick.

The Sword of Spartacus by Richard Tierney

Another character returning from previous SAD volumes, Simon of Gitta battles dark magic in the Roman Empire. In each of the the previous volumes, Simon is depicted as a highly skilled agent working undercover to thwart dark forces; he employs such skills as ventriloquism, hypnosis, disguise, etc., as often and as accurately as he swings his blade. This time out, Tierney gives us a tale of Simon’s early days. He is a criminal sentenced to gladiatorial combat, and has survived two years in the arena. His hatred of the Romans and his success as a fighter embroil him in a wizard’s plot of vengeance. The action propels toward a dark and horrific finish in a story that rises to the standard set by Campbell’s opener.

Servitude by Wayne Hooks

This short piece features a hunchback swordsman named Harkol, who lives under a terrible curse. The story shows a hint of Moorcock influence in its dark theme and dark resolution. It’s not quite up to the standard of the first two stories, but it’s an entertaining and gloomy read that tugs you along by revealing bits and pieces of the whole picture. The protagonist and background are intriguing. "Servitude" also is an example of the sword-and-sorcery to be found in small press publications. Offutt first read this one in "Space and Time," and thought it worthy of wider distribution. It’s another indication of Offutt’s strength as an editor, and his willingness to seek out stories that saw limited readership is a service to sword-and-sorcery fans.

Descales’ Skull by David C. Smith

This is a darkly-wrought be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable. Its colorful descriptions and no-holds-barred violence are enjoyable, but ultimately fail to save a story that adheres so strongly to its well-worn thematic path. There simply are no surprises, no real variations on an oft-used theme.

In The Balance by Tanith Lee

This is a very short and entertaining piece, and a change of pace from the stories thus far presented in Swords Against Darkness: III. This one chronicles a young acolyte’s test of faith. It doesn’t include the kind of action promised by the book’s Frazetta-esque cover painting of a fair-haired swordsman battling briny beasties from the deep, but it is a well-told story of reality and perception, right and wrong.

Tower of Darkness by David Madison

This tale brings us back to the sword-slinging mode after Lee’s palate cleanser. Madison’s Diana and Marcus are a pair of roguish lovers looking for a place to stay the night. We get interesting characters, witty dialogue, bloody mayhem, a spooky setting, depths of despair and an unexpected resolution. "Tower" is highly entertaining.

The Mantichore by David Drake

Drake’s merchant character, Dama of Cappadocia, appeared in Swords Against Darkness: I in the tale, Dragon’s Teeth. Here Dama must cope with necromancy. This story does not play into Drake’s military expertise to the degree much of his fiction does, but it’s a rock solid action yarn that keeps you reading.

Revenant by Kathleen Resch

I’m not sure why this is in the anthology. First, it’s a poem. Second, it’s not really heroic fantasy. But it’s short, and quite good, so I won’t complain overmuch. Had Offutt gone further down this road, I’d have bemoaned the space taken away from legitimate sword-and-sorcery, but as it is I enjoyed this short, spooky poetic interlude.

Rite of Kings by Jon DeCles

This story simply did not appeal to me. It’s more a mood piece than a heroic fantasy, with a protagonist journeying through a mysterious setting and making choices along the way—with the future hanging upon the wisdom of his choices. As often happens in such tales, the protagonist does not really know much of what he needs to know in order to make his choices wisely, rendering the mystical game somewhat unfair and thus marring, for me, any sense of justice or irony I was supposed to feel by the story’s end. It’s a problem shared with "Descales’ Skull" in this same volume. DeCles also employs a somewhat indirect style of storytelling that I found disconcerting.

The Mating Web by Robert E. Vardeman

"Web" brings the anthology back into full-bore sword-and-sorcery mode, and does it with humor. This one pairs very unlikely adventurers on a rather odd quest. It offers surprises, action, original characters and deftly-handled chuckles. It’s nice to see a bit of humor in a genre so often lacking it. Absurdity is inherent in much fantasy, and Vardeman ably demonstrates how to embrace that absurdity without nose-diving into farce.

The Guest of Dzinganji by Manly Wade Wellman

Dzinganji is a god, of sorts, and his guest is Kardios, the lone survivor of Atlantis making his third Swords Against Darkness appearance. If you described the protagonist and plot of any of these Kardios tales, it would be easy to dismiss them as Conan stories with names changed to protect the plagiarist. But Kardios has an upbeat personality, gentle humor and devil-may-care attitude that quickly banish such thoughts upon reading, and Wellman has a habit of embracing the genre’s tropes and rendering them in fresh ways. This time out, there’s a bit of weird science fiction tossed into the mix. If you’re a Conan fan who has passed on Kardios before based on fears of Conan cloning, do yourself a favor and give Kardios a try.

The Hag by Darrell Schweitzer

A knightly tale, with Arthurian-style magic, a believable central character and hints of a bloody future for Sir Julian. It’s another example of the truly wide range of tone possible within heroic fantasy.

A Kingdom Won by Geo. W. Proctor

An entertaining look back at the early wandering days of Proctor’s Nalcon, the hero he introduced us to in the first volume of this series.

Swordslinger by M.A. Washil

A straight-forward tough guy story, with an Old West kind of feel to it. Enjoyable action, and an ending many writers might not have gone with. A solid effort by Washil, and one that makes me want to look up more.

On Thud and Blunder by Poul Anderson

Swords Against Darkness: III ends not with a story, but with an excellent essay. Anderson took a breather from writing his own exciting adventure fiction and produced this primer for heroic fantasy writers. He examines the tropes and traps that so often spoil a writer’s efforts as he discusses weapons, fighting, horses, ancient economies and more. An excellent chaser for a fine anthology.