''The Mighty Warriors'' is an
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
of
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
short stories in the
sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tale ...
subgenre, edited by
Robert M. Price
Robert McNair Price (born July 7, 1954) is an American New Testament scholar. His most notable stance is arguing in favor of the Christ myth theorythe claim that a historical Jesus did not exist. Price is the author of a number of books on bi ...
. It was first published in trade paperback and ebook by
Ulthar Press in May 2018,
and was a homage to the similar early sword and sorcery anthologies ''
The Mighty Barbarians'' (1969) and ''
The Mighty Swordsmen
''The Mighty Swordsmen'' is a 1970 anthology of fantasy short stories in the sword and sorcery subgenre, edited by Hans Stefan Santesson. It was first published in paperback by Lancer Books in December 1970, and was a follow-up to the earlier Lanc ...
'' (1970) edited by
Hans Stefan Santesson
Hans Stefan Santesson (July 8, 1914, Paris – February 18, 1975, Edgewater, New Jersey)[Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Early life
Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and Amelia Bush (c. 1834–1911), the ...]
's
Elak of Atlantis
''Elak of Atlantis'' is a collection of sword and sorcery short stories by American author Henry Kuttner (1915-1958), gathering together all his tales featuring the title character. It was first published in trade paperback by Gryphon Books in Mar ...
,
Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Algernon Charles Swinburne ...
's
Zothique
''Zothique'' is a collection of fantasy short stories by Clark Ashton Smith, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books as the sixteenth volume of its Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in June 1970. It was the firs ...
,
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...
's
Thongor Thongor is a character in a series of sword-and-sorcery novels and stories written by Lin Carter, stylized after Conan the Barbarian and set in ancient Lemuria. The character was picked up by Marvel Comics in the 1970s for its series ''Creatures on ...
,
David C. Smith's Oron,
Charles R. Saunders
Charles Robert Saunders (July 12, 1946May 2020) was an African-American author and journalist, a pioneer of the "sword and soul" literary genre with his Imaro novels.Tattrie, Jon.The extraordinary inner world of Charles R. Saunders, father of ...
's
Imaro
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
,
Richard L. Tierney
Richard Louis Tierney (August 7, 1936 – February 1, 2022) was an American writer, poet and scholar of H. P. Lovecraft, probably best known for his heroic fantasy, including his series co-authored (with David C. Smith) of Red Sonja novels, fe ...
's Simon of Gitta (based on the legendary
Simon Magus
Simon Magus (Greek Σίμων ὁ μάγος, Latin: Simon Magus), also known as Simon the Sorcerer or Simon the Magician, was a religious figure whose confrontation with Peter is recorded in Acts . The act of simony, or paying for position, is ...
), Milton J. Davis' Changa, Charles R. Rutledge's Karrn, and Ken Asamatu's Ikkyū, among others. Some are by the authors associated with the original works and others are pastisches written by later writers.
Contents
*"Know, O Prince: An Introduction" (
Robert M. Price
Robert McNair Price (born July 7, 1954) is an American New Testament scholar. His most notable stance is arguing in favor of the Christ myth theorythe claim that a historical Jesus did not exist. Price is the author of a number of books on bi ...
)
*"Spawn of the Sea God" (Elak of Atlantis) (
Adrian Cole)
*"The Corpse's Crusade" (
Zothique
''Zothique'' is a collection of fantasy short stories by Clark Ashton Smith, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books as the sixteenth volume of its Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in June 1970. It was the firs ...
) (Cody Goodfellow])
*"Thongor in the Valley of Demons" (
Thongor Thongor is a character in a series of sword-and-sorcery novels and stories written by Lin Carter, stylized after Conan the Barbarian and set in ancient Lemuria. The character was picked up by Marvel Comics in the 1970s for its series ''Creatures on ...
) (
Robert M. Price
Robert McNair Price (born July 7, 1954) is an American New Testament scholar. His most notable stance is arguing in favor of the Christ myth theorythe claim that a historical Jesus did not exist. Price is the author of a number of books on bi ...
)
*"The Shadow of Dia-Sust" (Oron) (
David C. Smith)
*"Amudu's Bargain" (
Imaro
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
) (
Charles R. Saunders
Charles Robert Saunders (July 12, 1946May 2020) was an African-American author and journalist, a pioneer of the "sword and soul" literary genre with his Imaro novels.Tattrie, Jon.The extraordinary inner world of Charles R. Saunders, father of ...
)
*"The Secret of Nephren-Ka" (Simon of Gitta) (
Robert M. Price
Robert McNair Price (born July 7, 1954) is an American New Testament scholar. His most notable stance is arguing in favor of the Christ myth theorythe claim that a historical Jesus did not exist. Price is the author of a number of books on bi ...
)
*"The Temple of Light" (Changa) (Milton J. Davis)
*"Kiss of the Succubus" (Karrn) (Charles R. Rutledge)
*"The Living Wind" (Ikkyū) ()
*"The Last Temple of Balsoth" (Gondar) (Cliff Biggers)
*"Lono and the Pit of Punhaki " (Lono) (Paul R. McNamee)
*"Appendix One"
*"Appendix Two: An Adrian Cole Bibliography"
*"Appendix Three: Karrn the Barbarian" (Charles R. Rutledge)
Reception
Morgan Holmes, reviewing to book at castaliahouse.com, notes its mixture of revived and new characters and concludes "
you like sword and sorcery and want to support the genre, buy this book. After reading the contents, it makes the case that homage is greater than pastiche."
[Holmes, Morgan.]
The Mighty Warriors
(review at castaliahouse.com, July 29, 2018).
Relation to other works
In addition to following up the original Santesson anthologies, the anthology was originally intended to have its own follow-up, to be titled ''The Mighty Adventurers'' and showcase some of the same authors. According to Price, Bob McLain, prospective publisher of the volume, suggested it instead be billed as a revival of
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. L ...
's ''
Flashing Swords!
''Flashing Swords!'' is a series of fantasy anthologies published by Dell Books from 1973 to 1981 under the editorship of Lin Carter. It showcased the heroic fantasy work of the members of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a so ...
'' series;
[Flashing Words - Robert M. Price Answers his Critics]
(YouTube interview, Aug. 16, 2020). it duly appeared as such, under the title ''
Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! #6'', from
Pulp Hero Press
Pulp Hero Press is a small publisher active since 2017. The press was founded by Bob McLain. It is primarily a paperback and ebook publisher, initially specializing in non-fiction relating to Robert E. Howard and sword and sorcery before branc ...
in July 2020.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mighty Warriors, The
2018 anthologies
Fantasy anthologies