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Heroic Visions
Contains the stories:
"The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars", by Fritz Leiber (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser)
"Sister Light, Sister Dark", by Jane Yolen (Great Alta)
"Tales Told to a Toymaker", by Phyllis Ann Karr
"Prophecy of the Dragon", by Charles E. Karpuk
"Before the Seas Came", by F.M. Busby
"Thunder Mother", by Alan Dean Foster
"Dancers in the Time-Flux", by Robert Silverberg
"Sword Blades and Poppy Seed", by Joanna Russ
"The Nun and the Demon", by Grania Davis
"Vovko", by Gordon Derevanchuk
"The Monkey's Bride", by Michael Bishop
"The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars", by Fritz Leiber (Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser)
"Sister Light, Sister Dark", by Jane Yolen (Great Alta)
"Tales Told to a Toymaker", by Phyllis Ann Karr
"Prophecy of the Dragon", by Charles E. Karpuk
"Before the Seas Came", by F.M. Busby
"Thunder Mother", by Alan Dean Foster
"Dancers in the Time-Flux", by Robert Silverberg
"Sword Blades and Poppy Seed", by Joanna Russ
"The Nun and the Demon", by Grania Davis
"Vovko", by Gordon Derevanchuk
"The Monkey's Bride", by Michael Bishop
214 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1983
68 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 15, 2023
An ambitious anthology that wants to stretch the range of heroic fantasy, to admit different types of heroic action, to allow writers to experiment or get arty. JAS’s introduction and comments on the stories serve to pull the tales together and guide us as to her intentions. I guess I wish there had been twenty of these, not two, and that heroic fantasy had taken off in a few of these wild directions. High standard of stories, a couple of individual fives for me, in a cogently argued project of an anthology: adds up to five stars.
‘The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars’, by Fritz Leiber
A Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser novelette. The opener and anchor because at this time, JAS observed Fritz Leiber to be the one name that those who scorn heroic fantasy make an exception for. An enjoyable outing for these two, towards the neatly-written end of his scale (on revisit, I’ve found the Fafhrd and Mouser stories patchy style-wise, from gorgeous wordplay to dully garrulous or diffuse). Notable for how cheeky he gets sex-wise, in ways that were to me amusing. The women are all right.
‘Sister Light, Sister Dark’, by Jane Yolen
Tight little tale told and re-told first as myth, then as legend, next as story, lastly as history. A shadow double, a dungeon, a struggle.
‘Tales Told to a Toymaker’, by Phyllis Ann Karr
Toymaker stuck in a shop who half-regrets his choice of an unadventurous life, hears anecdotes from an old friend who went the adventurous path. Ambivalence ensues.
‘Prophecy of the Dragon’, by Charles E. Karpuk
Remarkable for being set in the Tang dynasty around the An Lushan rebellion. Hero is an ascetic. I appreciated the loyal Turkic sidekick, Bilga.
‘Before the Seas Came’, by F.M. Busby
I cannot be the fan of Busby’s that JAS is, neither here nor in Amazons II. JAS says he was often mistaken for a woman because of the feminism in his stories. Maybe in the 70s-80s. This one has what amounts to an aro/ace hero, but it’s a curse and he gets fixed. A loosely West Asian-Central Asian setting. Interesting enough, to be fair.
‘Thunder Mother’, by Alan Dean Foster
A bit so-so as a story, but again a less usual setting: Incan fightback to Spanish invaders after gold. Hero is a musician taken to be an idiot.
‘Dancers in the Time-Flux’, by Robert Silverberg
A highlight. Science fiction on a far-future, alien Earth. Delights in its weird alien details, touches with its quest-journey of two strangers – one an extinct human from our 17th century – who learn to be comrades of a sort. JAS thinks this one of the pieces that scale the walls of that ‘literary’ fortress.
‘Sword Blades and Poppy Seed’, by Joanna Russ
Most valuable story to me. Riffs off an Amy Lowell poem to portray George Sand, 19th-century French novelist, before she seized that pen-name and her weapon of choice. Ends with a stark message to Read Women Writers, damn you.
‘The Nun and the Demon’, by Grania Davis
Tibetan setting. At least two of these stories were flotsam from JAS’s attempt to publish an antho of Asia-set fantasy: I grieve its loss. A vivid story of a nun battling her demons.
‘Vovko’, by Gordon Derevanchuk
A wild tale of a kozak, neglected children and monstrosity, with several creatures and figures out of ‘Slavic lore’. Rather nice.
‘The Monkey’s Bride’, by Michael Bishop
A Capuchin monk who is a capuchin monkey starts this sly, slantwise tale by Michael Bishop, the least likely to be captured by the term ‘heroic fantasy’. It does, however, feature a mock-heroic combat between the monkey’s reluctant bride and her human sweetheart who tried to win her back.
‘The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars’, by Fritz Leiber
A Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser novelette. The opener and anchor because at this time, JAS observed Fritz Leiber to be the one name that those who scorn heroic fantasy make an exception for. An enjoyable outing for these two, towards the neatly-written end of his scale (on revisit, I’ve found the Fafhrd and Mouser stories patchy style-wise, from gorgeous wordplay to dully garrulous or diffuse). Notable for how cheeky he gets sex-wise, in ways that were to me amusing. The women are all right.
‘Sister Light, Sister Dark’, by Jane Yolen
Tight little tale told and re-told first as myth, then as legend, next as story, lastly as history. A shadow double, a dungeon, a struggle.
‘Tales Told to a Toymaker’, by Phyllis Ann Karr
Toymaker stuck in a shop who half-regrets his choice of an unadventurous life, hears anecdotes from an old friend who went the adventurous path. Ambivalence ensues.
‘Prophecy of the Dragon’, by Charles E. Karpuk
Remarkable for being set in the Tang dynasty around the An Lushan rebellion. Hero is an ascetic. I appreciated the loyal Turkic sidekick, Bilga.
‘Before the Seas Came’, by F.M. Busby
I cannot be the fan of Busby’s that JAS is, neither here nor in Amazons II. JAS says he was often mistaken for a woman because of the feminism in his stories. Maybe in the 70s-80s. This one has what amounts to an aro/ace hero, but it’s a curse and he gets fixed. A loosely West Asian-Central Asian setting. Interesting enough, to be fair.
‘Thunder Mother’, by Alan Dean Foster
A bit so-so as a story, but again a less usual setting: Incan fightback to Spanish invaders after gold. Hero is a musician taken to be an idiot.
‘Dancers in the Time-Flux’, by Robert Silverberg
A highlight. Science fiction on a far-future, alien Earth. Delights in its weird alien details, touches with its quest-journey of two strangers – one an extinct human from our 17th century – who learn to be comrades of a sort. JAS thinks this one of the pieces that scale the walls of that ‘literary’ fortress.
‘Sword Blades and Poppy Seed’, by Joanna Russ
Most valuable story to me. Riffs off an Amy Lowell poem to portray George Sand, 19th-century French novelist, before she seized that pen-name and her weapon of choice. Ends with a stark message to Read Women Writers, damn you.
‘The Nun and the Demon’, by Grania Davis
Tibetan setting. At least two of these stories were flotsam from JAS’s attempt to publish an antho of Asia-set fantasy: I grieve its loss. A vivid story of a nun battling her demons.
‘Vovko’, by Gordon Derevanchuk
A wild tale of a kozak, neglected children and monstrosity, with several creatures and figures out of ‘Slavic lore’. Rather nice.
‘The Monkey’s Bride’, by Michael Bishop
A Capuchin monk who is a capuchin monkey starts this sly, slantwise tale by Michael Bishop, the least likely to be captured by the term ‘heroic fantasy’. It does, however, feature a mock-heroic combat between the monkey’s reluctant bride and her human sweetheart who tried to win her back.
April 18, 2014
Salmonson apparently considered heroic fantasy to be in a rut, and this was an attempt to break from that, bringing in elements of legend and mythology predating the 'brooding barbarian' motif that dominated stories, and finding other voices and styles. I found this to be a strong and diverse collection that makes me want to seek out more by these authors, especially more that is written in the worlds they briefly sketch here.
In particular, that of Phyllis Ann Karr's "Tales Told to a Toymaker", Jane Yolen's "Sister Light, Sister Dark" (apparently expanded into a book series), Michael Bishop's "The Monkey's Bride", and F.M. Busby's "Before the Seas Came". Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser contribution makes me consider locating the final collection in that series.
Salmonson's introductions, unfortunately, rubbed me entirely the wrong way.
In particular, that of Phyllis Ann Karr's "Tales Told to a Toymaker", Jane Yolen's "Sister Light, Sister Dark" (apparently expanded into a book series), Michael Bishop's "The Monkey's Bride", and F.M. Busby's "Before the Seas Came". Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser contribution makes me consider locating the final collection in that series.
Salmonson's introductions, unfortunately, rubbed me entirely the wrong way.
August 28, 2014
Salmonson, in the intro, does not exactly dismiss Robert E. Howard's style, but suggests that heroic fantasy should not epitomize it. While I'm unsure I agree, she does extoll the literary virtue of Leiber, and this I appreciate.
This is a very strong, carefully selected group of tales, including Leiber's novella, "The Curse of the Smalls and Stars", which is less action-oriented and more a canvas for Leiber's stylistic wizardry. Jane Yolen offers a brisk adventure in "Sister Light, Sister Dark", where a quite capable hero travels with her shadowy counterpart to stage a rescue. Phyllis Ann Karr tells three engaging tales in rapid succession in "Tales Told to a Toymaker", as one adventurous brother regales another with his history.
Heroic fantasy takes thoughtful turns as well. Charles E. Karpuk's "Prophecy of the Dragon" is an Eastern legend, with a gentle protagonist who does not himself fight. Robert Silverberg's "Dancers in the Time-Flux" is supremely creative, giving us a 17th-century Dutchman as the eyes through which the estranged world is interpreted; travel itself is heroic and transformative.
One story reveals how splendid and clever fantasy writing can be, and that is "The Monkey's Bride" by Michael Bishop. The story has an oft-written setup of a bride who is set to marry someone she doesn't love, which is as close to that cliché as that story approaches.
The remaining stories by Alan Dean Foster, F.M. Busby, Joanna Russ, Grania Davis, Gordon Derevanchuk, are all worthy and enjoyable; some are head-scratching, all are departures from the expected.
This is a very strong, carefully selected group of tales, including Leiber's novella, "The Curse of the Smalls and Stars", which is less action-oriented and more a canvas for Leiber's stylistic wizardry. Jane Yolen offers a brisk adventure in "Sister Light, Sister Dark", where a quite capable hero travels with her shadowy counterpart to stage a rescue. Phyllis Ann Karr tells three engaging tales in rapid succession in "Tales Told to a Toymaker", as one adventurous brother regales another with his history.
Heroic fantasy takes thoughtful turns as well. Charles E. Karpuk's "Prophecy of the Dragon" is an Eastern legend, with a gentle protagonist who does not himself fight. Robert Silverberg's "Dancers in the Time-Flux" is supremely creative, giving us a 17th-century Dutchman as the eyes through which the estranged world is interpreted; travel itself is heroic and transformative.
One story reveals how splendid and clever fantasy writing can be, and that is "The Monkey's Bride" by Michael Bishop. The story has an oft-written setup of a bride who is set to marry someone she doesn't love, which is as close to that cliché as that story approaches.
The remaining stories by Alan Dean Foster, F.M. Busby, Joanna Russ, Grania Davis, Gordon Derevanchuk, are all worthy and enjoyable; some are head-scratching, all are departures from the expected.
May 8, 2009
A very good collection of heroic fantasy short stories edited by Jessica Amanda Salmonson. Contains stories by Leiber, Silverberg, Yolen, Foster and others.
October 20, 2024
I actually read Heroic Visions II first, and then backtracked to this one. The first volume is middling, with fewer really unreadable stories, but no really good ones, either. The cover art annoyed me, as well, since it seems to be an illustration of the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser story, but it shows Fafhrd as having dark brown hair.
"The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars" by Fritz Leiber 3/5 stars. This was one of the last Fafhrd / Gray Mouser stories written by Leiber (either the second or third to last, depending on how you count); it continues to develop their lives on Rime Isle. Well-written throughout, except for one paragraph where Leiber seemed to throw up his hands and say "Eff this!" Overall, a competent addition to the oeuvre. (Also, this is probably the best of this mediocre anthology.)
"Sister Light, Sister Dark" by Jane Yolen 2/5 stars. While I liked the concept of the titular characters and the fantasy setting, this feels like something from the back of the author's drawer that she gave a minimum of polish before sending off to the editor. It might be more profitable to seek out the later novels based on this fragment.
"Tales Told to a Toymaker" by Phyllis Ann Karr 2/5 stars. The title pretty much says it all: Three brief stories, none of which I found especially interesting.
"Prophecy of the Dragon" by Charles E. Karpuk 3/5 stars. A wistful fantasy set in ancient China. This seems to be the author's only published story, which is a bit of a shame.
"Before the Seas Came" by F. M. Busby 2/5 stars. Another interesting concept about a man suffering and eventually overcoming a curse. I found the prose to be barely serviceable, however.
"Thunder Mother" by Alan Dean Foster 3/5 stars. I read many novels by Foster in my youth (including the Flinx and Icerigger series, as well as his early Star Wars pastiches). If I can say one thing about him, it's that he was, and is, adept at producing readable adventure stories. Here is another example, set in Peru as its being invaded by conquistadors.
"Dancers in the Time-Flux" by Robert Silverberg 1/5 stars. Although there is a sort of quest involved, this isn't fantasy (it's straight-up science fiction), so it doesn't belong here. Also, I didn't think the story was any great shakes.
"Sword Blades and Poppy Seed" by Joanna Russ 1/5 stars. An homage to the works of Amy Lowell. There is no story here, just a plea to read her novels.
"The Nun and the Demon" by Grania Davis 3/5 stars. The unusual Tibetan setting and unexpected ending elevate this brief story to being one of the few memorable ones in this collection.
"Vovko" by Gordon Derevanchuk 1/5 stars. Again, an unusual setting based on Slavic mythology. Many years ago, Roger Zelazny made his career with novels based on Greek (This Immortal), Indian (Lord of Light), Egyptian (Creatures of Light and Darkness), and Navajo mythology (Eye of Cat), as well as made-up alien mythology (Isle of the Dead). These days, I guess that would be called cultural appropriation. I wanted to like this story more than I did, all the more because Derevanchuk seems to have been a somewhat mysterious character. After publishing a handful of stories (this was one of the last), he went on to write in partnership with a comic book illustrator. Then he seems to have disappeared in the early 90s.
"The Monkey's Bride" by Michael Bishop 1/5 stars. The editor heaps praise on this one, for no reason that I can discern. Bishop was a big name in the field, but I found his prose to be perfunctory and the story uninspiring. The plot is similar enough to Who Made Stevie Crye? that I wonder if this wasn't a sort of rough draft for that novel, which I think is a better bet than this story.
"The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars" by Fritz Leiber 3/5 stars. This was one of the last Fafhrd / Gray Mouser stories written by Leiber (either the second or third to last, depending on how you count); it continues to develop their lives on Rime Isle. Well-written throughout, except for one paragraph where Leiber seemed to throw up his hands and say "Eff this!" Overall, a competent addition to the oeuvre. (Also, this is probably the best of this mediocre anthology.)
"Sister Light, Sister Dark" by Jane Yolen 2/5 stars. While I liked the concept of the titular characters and the fantasy setting, this feels like something from the back of the author's drawer that she gave a minimum of polish before sending off to the editor. It might be more profitable to seek out the later novels based on this fragment.
"Tales Told to a Toymaker" by Phyllis Ann Karr 2/5 stars. The title pretty much says it all: Three brief stories, none of which I found especially interesting.
"Prophecy of the Dragon" by Charles E. Karpuk 3/5 stars. A wistful fantasy set in ancient China. This seems to be the author's only published story, which is a bit of a shame.
"Before the Seas Came" by F. M. Busby 2/5 stars. Another interesting concept about a man suffering and eventually overcoming a curse. I found the prose to be barely serviceable, however.
"Thunder Mother" by Alan Dean Foster 3/5 stars. I read many novels by Foster in my youth (including the Flinx and Icerigger series, as well as his early Star Wars pastiches). If I can say one thing about him, it's that he was, and is, adept at producing readable adventure stories. Here is another example, set in Peru as its being invaded by conquistadors.
"Dancers in the Time-Flux" by Robert Silverberg 1/5 stars. Although there is a sort of quest involved, this isn't fantasy (it's straight-up science fiction), so it doesn't belong here. Also, I didn't think the story was any great shakes.
"Sword Blades and Poppy Seed" by Joanna Russ 1/5 stars. An homage to the works of Amy Lowell. There is no story here, just a plea to read her novels.
"The Nun and the Demon" by Grania Davis 3/5 stars. The unusual Tibetan setting and unexpected ending elevate this brief story to being one of the few memorable ones in this collection.
"Vovko" by Gordon Derevanchuk 1/5 stars. Again, an unusual setting based on Slavic mythology. Many years ago, Roger Zelazny made his career with novels based on Greek (This Immortal), Indian (Lord of Light), Egyptian (Creatures of Light and Darkness), and Navajo mythology (Eye of Cat), as well as made-up alien mythology (Isle of the Dead). These days, I guess that would be called cultural appropriation. I wanted to like this story more than I did, all the more because Derevanchuk seems to have been a somewhat mysterious character. After publishing a handful of stories (this was one of the last), he went on to write in partnership with a comic book illustrator. Then he seems to have disappeared in the early 90s.
"The Monkey's Bride" by Michael Bishop 1/5 stars. The editor heaps praise on this one, for no reason that I can discern. Bishop was a big name in the field, but I found his prose to be perfunctory and the story uninspiring. The plot is similar enough to Who Made Stevie Crye? that I wonder if this wasn't a sort of rough draft for that novel, which I think is a better bet than this story.
March 27, 2025
Not nearly as good as I wanted it to be.
May 31, 2009
Contains the excellent Fritz Leiber tale, The Curse of the Smalls and the Stars, with Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. So pleasurable every time!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews