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To Leave a Warrior Behind: The Life and Stories of Charles R. Saunders, the Man Who Rewrote Fantasy
Discover the untold story of Charles R. Saunders, the little known figure who wrote groundbreaking fantasy worlds and redefined an entire genre. Blending biography with a tribute to Saunders’ forgotten literary legacy, To Leave a Warrior Behind uncovers the life of an enigmatic recluse, and the worlds he left behind.
He was the “Father of Sword and Soul”—a sub-genre in fantasy writing, built on Black heroes, steeped in African myth and history. He spun vast worlds and created characters that directly challenged totemic figures such as Tarzan and Conan the Barbarian. He rewrote what fantasy could look like. Yet, when he passed away in Nova Scotia in 2020, few knew the name Charles R. Saunders, his past accomplishments largely forgotten.
Jon Tattrie worked alongside Charles for two years at the Halifax Daily News. He knew him as an imposing figure, a skilful editor, and as an eccentric character, but he wasn’t aware of Charles’ secret life as a literary trailblazer. After hearing about his old colleague’s death, Tattrie reaches out to various people in Charles’ life, and begins his own journey, piecing together two parallel one of Charles’ tumultuous beginnings as a Black man in America who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War; and the fantasy world of Imaro, the Black hero forced to fend for himself in search of his own life’s purpose.
Part biography of a man adamant to change the way we look at fantasy, part preservation of the influential epic works that have become largely unknown, To Leave a Warrior Behind is Tattrie’s memorial to a larger-than-life figure, an intimate goodbye to a friend, and a remembrance of a writer who should not be forgotten.
He was the “Father of Sword and Soul”—a sub-genre in fantasy writing, built on Black heroes, steeped in African myth and history. He spun vast worlds and created characters that directly challenged totemic figures such as Tarzan and Conan the Barbarian. He rewrote what fantasy could look like. Yet, when he passed away in Nova Scotia in 2020, few knew the name Charles R. Saunders, his past accomplishments largely forgotten.
Jon Tattrie worked alongside Charles for two years at the Halifax Daily News. He knew him as an imposing figure, a skilful editor, and as an eccentric character, but he wasn’t aware of Charles’ secret life as a literary trailblazer. After hearing about his old colleague’s death, Tattrie reaches out to various people in Charles’ life, and begins his own journey, piecing together two parallel one of Charles’ tumultuous beginnings as a Black man in America who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War; and the fantasy world of Imaro, the Black hero forced to fend for himself in search of his own life’s purpose.
Part biography of a man adamant to change the way we look at fantasy, part preservation of the influential epic works that have become largely unknown, To Leave a Warrior Behind is Tattrie’s memorial to a larger-than-life figure, an intimate goodbye to a friend, and a remembrance of a writer who should not be forgotten.
- GenresBiography
336 pages, Hardcover
Published January 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 21, 2025
Shamefully, I had never heard of Charles R. Saunders or soul & sorcery before he was inducted into the CSFFA hall of fame this year, and that speaks to not just my own ignorance but the fickleness of the publishing industry and the SFFH community. A legend in his time, he wrote groundbreaking fantasy about an imagined Africa and was a huge influence on many of the authors I'm obsessed with today. He was also a journalist and a fascinating person. And he died poor, obscure, and was buried in an unmarked grave. Tattrie, thanks to their own friendship with Saunders and the many letters that the author sent over the years to friends, fans, and collaborators, does an incredible job of reconstructing his life and works for a compelling, engrossing read. I normally don't care much for bios; this one is well worth your time.
January 21, 2026
I read quite eclectically, but fantasy isn’t a genre I’m usually drawn to, so I wasn’t sure how much I’d connect with Jon Tattrie’s To Leave a Warrior Behind.
I couldn’t put it down!!
This is unlike any other biography I’ve read and may be the best thing Tattrie has written. It tells the story of Charles R. Saunders—a man whose achievements often lived in silos. Those who knew him as the father of Sword and Soul fantasy didn’t always realize he was also a respected journalist in Nova Scotia, and vice versa. This book weaves those parallel lives into one extraordinary, deeply human story.
Framed by Tattrie’s attempt to locate Saunders during the pandemic and the shock of learning of his death, the book becomes both an investigation and an act of care. As Tattrie uncovers the scope of Saunders’ influence—from his iconic character Imaro, to the many lives he touched—I finished the book in tears, grateful that a life so important to literature was honoured with the dignity it deserved.
I couldn’t put it down!!
This is unlike any other biography I’ve read and may be the best thing Tattrie has written. It tells the story of Charles R. Saunders—a man whose achievements often lived in silos. Those who knew him as the father of Sword and Soul fantasy didn’t always realize he was also a respected journalist in Nova Scotia, and vice versa. This book weaves those parallel lives into one extraordinary, deeply human story.
Framed by Tattrie’s attempt to locate Saunders during the pandemic and the shock of learning of his death, the book becomes both an investigation and an act of care. As Tattrie uncovers the scope of Saunders’ influence—from his iconic character Imaro, to the many lives he touched—I finished the book in tears, grateful that a life so important to literature was honoured with the dignity it deserved.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews