Clash of Steel: Book One—Reluctant Hero

Edited by Armand Rosamilia
Stories by Patrick Weekes, Erin McKay, Shauna Roberts, Robert J. Santa, and Steve Losee Carnifex Press, 2005

Reviewed by Ryan Harvey

The small press has taken up the slack in the publication of short speculative fiction ever since the demise of the pulp magazines in the 1950s. When the pulps went belly-up after the three-combination punch of World War II paper shortages, comic books, and television, most of the pulp writers switched to the lucrative new market of paperbacks. But this format suited novels far better than shorter works. Today, the small presses battle heroically to keep the short story alive; considering how rarely genuine sword and sorcery manages to squeak into mainstream fiction magazines (can you imagine Realms of Fantasy buying a Conan story, even if Howard came back from the dead and wrote one for them?), the small press and the online magazine represent the best hope for the genre.

Clash of Steel: Book One—Reluctant Hero arrives from Carnifex Press as the latest offering of heroic fantasy from the underground world of the small press. In chapbook format it delivers five stories of "epic fantasy" (as the cover claims). It suffers from the customary faults of the small press chapbook: stapled, filled with typos (some often damaging the syntax), rough-edged paper. But of the five stories inside, four are worth reading, that's a pleasant ratio for an anthology.

However, the collection's title doesn't accurately describe the contents. Readers searching for action-packed heroic adventure and slashing swords might feel disappointed with the more cerebral pieces here. Most of the tales are only marginally heroic fantasy or sword-and-sorcery. Three contain no supernatural elements and only fall within the definition of fantasy by virtue of their imaginary medieval settings. Two have no action in them at all, except in the memories of their tired and worn heroes. And not all the heroes are reluctant, either.

Ironically, the story that best fits the anthology's title is also its weakest. "A Duel of Fathers and Sons" by Patrick Weekes has a reluctant hero, and steel certainly clashes, but this opening piece might deter readers from moving on to the other stories. Although "Duel" begins with a flood of names, warring groups, and back-story about a priest forced into ritualized combat, this is only set-up for a minutely detailed, prolonged sword duel fought under water. Since the writer (according to his brief bio) has worked on incorporating underwater training into the martial arts, it seems that this story exists as an explication of the techniques he has developed. But it is possible to know too much about a topic, and that's exactly what happens here with Mr. Weekes: he dwells on so much minutiae in his blow-by-blow reporting of the duel that it reads robotically and without dramatic impact. It feels like a step-by-step choreography guide, not an exciting fight. The confusing setting and exposition leading up to the duel can't compensate for these weaknesses.

Readers looking for a traditional sword-and-sorcery experience should skip to the last story, "Nightshadows" by Steve Losee, which fits comfortably into the heroic fantasy genre. This adventure would have felt right at home in the pages of Weird Tales sixty years ago…although the hard-boiled humor might have edged it toward the domain of Unknown, the prime competitor to Weird Tales. The setting is 'medieval noir,' a grimy city of back-alley backstabbers and thieves, rich corrupt patrons, and paid cutthroats. Fans of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser will recognize the territory immediately. Losee doesn't throw anything unique at the reader, but he entertains anyway in this story about a dark-alley expert who finds that his new employer's assignment might not have his best interests at heart. You've seen this plot before in countless P.I. mysteries on the page and screen, but it's a classic premise for a good reason.

The other three stories take place in fictional settings with militaristic backdrops, but contain no overt fantasy elements. "An End to Tyranny," by Robert J. Santa features the best blood and thunder action writing in the anthology. However, this account of a castle under siege isn't focused on battle itself but on exploring the irony of the role of the 'little soldier' in the fortunes of war. Santa offers up a modest but readable fable.

The strongest stories, "Hero Home" by Shauna Roberts, and "The Brotherhood's Redemption" by Erin McKay, have physical action only in the reminiscences of their protagonists, men who have lived beyond their days as heroes and attempt to 'go back home'—with very different results. These stories are introspective but well-done ruminations on the place of the hero in a society caught in the political upheavals of war. Roberts's story examines how hero-worship grows until the legend outstrips the original. As in the classic Western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, the common folks don't want to hear the truth, only the legend. Jaspert, the titular hero of "Hero Home," makes this startling discovery when he returns to his homeland where folks celebrate his exploits in exaggerated tales around tavern hearths. Robert's lively writing keeps the story moving, even if she stumbles at the end with an optimistic coda that goes against the grain of the tragic theme that posterity matters more than the flesh-and-blood hero.

"The Brotherhood's Redemption" is Clash of Steel's most memorable story. A former lord and general who has crumbled into poverty and despair during the twelve years after the fall of his beloved monarch finds himself in the hands of the monastic order whose betrayal led to the king's defeat. The twist finale won't surprise most readers, but McKay forces her protagonist to face a tough challenge: asking himself what he would have surrendered in order to save his king. His answer might startle the reader, and it leads to an emotionally fulfilling climax.

Fans of action-oriented heroic fantasy may find the low-key nature of the stories in this first installment of Clash of Steel a letdown. However, there's enough quality material here to satisfy readers who want to find something different from the fantasy work they customarily see in the professional magazine market.