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Niall of the Far Travels Collected
All 10 short stories have finally been collected. Originally published in Dragon magazine, this was Gardner F. Fox's final attempt of capturing the magic that is Sword & Sorcery. Before creating Niall, Fox had created two other Conan clones, Kothar and Kyrik, in addition to the suspiciously named Crom the Barbarian for comic books. Mr. Fox was well regarded by Gary Gygax and he's listed in Gygax's Appendix N. Appendix N was a list of authors that inspired Mr. Gygax to create Dungeons & Dragons. These short stories are all Sword & Sorcery classics.
Transcribed by Kurt Brugel - 2017
Order a copy from the source https://www.gardnerfrancisfoxlibrary....
Transcribed by Kurt Brugel - 2017
Order a copy from the source https://www.gardnerfrancisfoxlibrary....
- GenresSword and SorceryFantasy
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2017
14 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Gardner Francis Fox
1,192 books90 followersGardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic book historians estimate that he wrote more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC Comics.
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"
Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"
Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 29, 2018
Competent & entertaining sword & sorcery short stories from the tail end of Gardner Fox's career. These stories all appeared in Dragon Magazine between 1977 & 1981 -- one story (the final one, The Coming of the Sword, although it's actually a prequel to the rest of the series) would have appeared in an issue that I actually own.
Most of the stories were surpringly PG-13, considering where they appeared; although I guess maybe in its early days, Dragon (the official TSR house magazine for D&D and other pen & paper role-playing games) would've been aiming for a slightly older audience?
Most of the stories were surpringly PG-13, considering where they appeared; although I guess maybe in its early days, Dragon (the official TSR house magazine for D&D and other pen & paper role-playing games) would've been aiming for a slightly older audience?
July 6, 2018
Saying "if you've read one, you've read them all" is a little strong. You would have to read _three_: the first, the last, and anything in the middle. Collecting them in one place only reinforces the similarities and repeated themes. Women being sacrificed and women with hidden agendas or abilities; ruins or labyrinths; a deus ex machina; interplay of gods and goddesses and demons and whatnot.
The pattern evolves even as the stories flatten and become more extemporaneous. The first are about evil wizards, then demons, then gods, and then beings beyond-from-outside. And the final story is a prequel and Fox reins it back in to an evil wizard again.
In reverse, Emelkartha is introduced as a complicated figure, the ruler of her Eleven Hells and possibly an evil being infatuated or indebted to Niall. Her motivations later are clouded and possibly being set up for entertaining betrayal or revelation, but this gets whitewashed and she becomes little more than a jealous though powerful girlfriend with connections. This is a real shame, as the series flirts with 'Big Evil' as either a matter of perspective or marketing or an issue irrelevant to Niall and Emelkartha.
I don't really think Fox had much invested in any of it, and you can see it as the stories progress and get sloppier. In one story, this pseudo-medieval world suddenly has refrigeration. In another, Niall literally stumbles into the evil being of the piece while knocking down walls in his wine cellar.
But through all of it there are touches that I wish Fox had run with. The planetary ring of a broken moon is referenced. Gods and demons reside in places that might be other planets or other dimensions, and it is never clear which, or if there's a difference. Fox constructs a masterful cosmic image of gods pouring interdimensional stars into an artifact, and starts to describe a complicated hierarchy of demons and gods. And there is a continuity through the stories, though Niall's career stalls as an unspecified and spectacularly un-busy 'general'. And Fox is a master of coming up with unusual yet pronounceable names.
The pattern evolves even as the stories flatten and become more extemporaneous. The first are about evil wizards, then demons, then gods, and then beings beyond-from-outside. And the final story is a prequel and Fox reins it back in to an evil wizard again.
In reverse, Emelkartha is introduced as a complicated figure, the ruler of her Eleven Hells and possibly an evil being infatuated or indebted to Niall. Her motivations later are clouded and possibly being set up for entertaining betrayal or revelation, but this gets whitewashed and she becomes little more than a jealous though powerful girlfriend with connections. This is a real shame, as the series flirts with 'Big Evil' as either a matter of perspective or marketing or an issue irrelevant to Niall and Emelkartha.
I don't really think Fox had much invested in any of it, and you can see it as the stories progress and get sloppier. In one story, this pseudo-medieval world suddenly has refrigeration. In another, Niall literally stumbles into the evil being of the piece while knocking down walls in his wine cellar.
But through all of it there are touches that I wish Fox had run with. The planetary ring of a broken moon is referenced. Gods and demons reside in places that might be other planets or other dimensions, and it is never clear which, or if there's a difference. Fox constructs a masterful cosmic image of gods pouring interdimensional stars into an artifact, and starts to describe a complicated hierarchy of demons and gods. And there is a continuity through the stories, though Niall's career stalls as an unspecified and spectacularly un-busy 'general'. And Fox is a master of coming up with unusual yet pronounceable names.
December 16, 2018
Never would have known about this character if the Gardner F Fox Library hadn't collected these stories and printed them all together. I'm too young to have known what Dragon magazine was, or any of the backstory like other reviewers.
The stories are redundant, especially if you read them back to back. Although, they kept me entertained during my current moonlighting gig. Niall isn't stupid, but he does rely on his sword to solve all of his problems. When it gets too hot, Emelkartha, usually steps in an saves Niall's bacon. It's never a bad thing to have a Goddess as a patron and lover.
I found it strange that in the last story, The Coming of the Sword, Niall references several Norse gods. This keeps with his geographic origins, but they are not referenced in any of the other stories. My understanding is that this was the last published Niall story, so why the change?
Recommended!
P.S. This edition has some typos, this is being addressed and corrected as I write this.
The stories are redundant, especially if you read them back to back. Although, they kept me entertained during my current moonlighting gig. Niall isn't stupid, but he does rely on his sword to solve all of his problems. When it gets too hot, Emelkartha, usually steps in an saves Niall's bacon. It's never a bad thing to have a Goddess as a patron and lover.
I found it strange that in the last story, The Coming of the Sword, Niall references several Norse gods. This keeps with his geographic origins, but they are not referenced in any of the other stories. My understanding is that this was the last published Niall story, so why the change?
Recommended!
P.S. This edition has some typos, this is being addressed and corrected as I write this.
April 8, 2018
Conan meets Lovecraft
By Charles van Buren on April 7, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Mr. Fox, a prolific author, seems to be better known today for his comic book work than for his stories and novels. In spite of this, he wrote hundreds of stories and novels in multiple genres including sci-fi, westerns, historical fiction and even erotica. A generalist rather than a specialist, Fox collected information, filing it away in his brain and his archives. He then used facts and obscure words to enliven his writing. One does not often encounter words such as kaunake, cantraips, cacodemon, umbrageous, and phylogenetic to name just a few, much less find a dozen or more of them in just ten short stories.
These stories, collected here into one volume for the first time, were originally published in a TSR publication, Dragon. There is something of a sameness about them which was probably not so noticeable when they were published over a period of time in the magazine. I found myself reading a story or two, going on to something else, then returning to Niall. As a teenager, Gardner Fox's sci-fi fantasy novels were among those I purchased from paperback racks. I find that I still enjoy his writing.
The universe which Mr. Fox created for Niall and his adventures is full of gods, goddesses, demons and magic. Upon closer examination these turnout to be, not supernatural, but creatures from worlds separated from that of humans by space. time, and dimensions. Their similarities to the creatures of H. P. Lovecraft are obvious. Just as obviously, the character of Niall owes much to Robert E. Howard's Conan. However, Niall is no carbon copy of Conan. For one thing, Conan's nothern god, Crom, does not take an active roll in Conan's life. Niall on the other hand can't avoid the gods and goddesses of his world. They play an active part in each of these ten adventures.
There are several noticeable typographic errors throughout this edition. Most are very minor and did not overly distract me. I downloaded this book via Kindle Unlimited.
By Charles van Buren on April 7, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Mr. Fox, a prolific author, seems to be better known today for his comic book work than for his stories and novels. In spite of this, he wrote hundreds of stories and novels in multiple genres including sci-fi, westerns, historical fiction and even erotica. A generalist rather than a specialist, Fox collected information, filing it away in his brain and his archives. He then used facts and obscure words to enliven his writing. One does not often encounter words such as kaunake, cantraips, cacodemon, umbrageous, and phylogenetic to name just a few, much less find a dozen or more of them in just ten short stories.
These stories, collected here into one volume for the first time, were originally published in a TSR publication, Dragon. There is something of a sameness about them which was probably not so noticeable when they were published over a period of time in the magazine. I found myself reading a story or two, going on to something else, then returning to Niall. As a teenager, Gardner Fox's sci-fi fantasy novels were among those I purchased from paperback racks. I find that I still enjoy his writing.
The universe which Mr. Fox created for Niall and his adventures is full of gods, goddesses, demons and magic. Upon closer examination these turnout to be, not supernatural, but creatures from worlds separated from that of humans by space. time, and dimensions. Their similarities to the creatures of H. P. Lovecraft are obvious. Just as obviously, the character of Niall owes much to Robert E. Howard's Conan. However, Niall is no carbon copy of Conan. For one thing, Conan's nothern god, Crom, does not take an active roll in Conan's life. Niall on the other hand can't avoid the gods and goddesses of his world. They play an active part in each of these ten adventures.
There are several noticeable typographic errors throughout this edition. Most are very minor and did not overly distract me. I downloaded this book via Kindle Unlimited.
October 30, 2022
Fun barbarian sword and sorcery fantasy stuff. This series of short stories was written for Dragon Magazine in the 1980s by long-time comic book, fantasy, sci fi, and war stories author Gardner Fox. When working for the company that would become DC Comics, Gardner Fox invented Barbara Gordon, the original Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Zatanna and the original Sandman.
He also created the world's first superhero team in the Justice Society of America (most recently seen in the film Black Adam), and later recreated the team as the Justice League of America.
The Niall stories are simple and fun entertainment, with twists and turns and some very original concepts. Niall is very god-bothered with several deities of the world Gardner created taking a special interest in him, especially one female that likes his barbarian muscles.
Each story is self-contained but also is a sequence, presented in the order written for Dragon, ending with what is in essence Niall's origin story.
He also created the world's first superhero team in the Justice Society of America (most recently seen in the film Black Adam), and later recreated the team as the Justice League of America.
The Niall stories are simple and fun entertainment, with twists and turns and some very original concepts. Niall is very god-bothered with several deities of the world Gardner created taking a special interest in him, especially one female that likes his barbarian muscles.
Each story is self-contained but also is a sequence, presented in the order written for Dragon, ending with what is in essence Niall's origin story.
July 25, 2018
OK, I enjoyed these. two and a half stars. They flashed me back to my youth reading Fox's tales of Kothar and Kyrik and others. However, objectively, they are definitely not Fox's best work and seemed a bit perfunctory, as if he were mostly going through the motions. There are quite a few stories here, "Shadow of a Demon," Beyond the Wizard Fog," "The Stolen Sacrifice," "The Thing from the Tomb," "The Eyes of Mavis Deval," "The Cube from Beyond," "The Cup of Golden Death," "Out of the Eons," "The Lure of the Golden Godling," and "The Coming of the Sword." Unaccountably, to me, the last one was chronologically the first tale and might have been better to start the collection. Except for the first one, each tale has the blond, northern barbarian at odds with witches, sorcerers, and demons, but with a twist in that he has his own demon lover, who protects him. This might have been OK for a story or two but it really ended up weakening most of the stories to me in that Niall didn't really do a lot on his own. He always had magical help to get him out of any hot spots. For this reason, I much preferred Fox's older stories about the characters of Kyrik and Kothar.
January 8, 2023
Gardner Fox is best known as the creator of many popular characters and concepts for DC Comics from the 40s through the 60s, including the Flash, Hawkman, Batgirl, Doctor Fate, the Sandman, Zatanna, the Justice Society, the Justice League, and the whole idea of a comic book multiverse, but he received little recognition in his lifetime. After work dried up at DC he turned to writing a wide variety of pulp paperback novels, from sleazy erotica to barbarian fantasy starring a variety of Conan knockoffs. Niall is one of the latter, written near the end of his life and serialized in the official Dungeons & Dragons periodical, Dragon Magazine.
Despite its less than impressive pedigree, I had a lot of fun reading Niall's adventures. They're creative, capable adventure tales by a career wordsmith. They do get pretty repetitive: in the first tale Niall, who is basically just Blond Conan, falls in love with a demon goddess; in almost every story he single-handedly massacres a whole score of flesh-and-blood enemies before going up against some god or demon beyond his power to harm, whereupon his divine girlfriend bails him out and sets everything aright. Even so, it remains an entertaining read full of action and adventure.
My only real complaint is that the edition I bought is absolutely riddled with typos on every page. It seems to be hastily converted to print from a PDF, complete with underlined hyperlinks in the table of contents (with no page numbers) and a note to "click here" to access a webpage at the end. I hope this will be fixed if there is a second edition.
Despite its less than impressive pedigree, I had a lot of fun reading Niall's adventures. They're creative, capable adventure tales by a career wordsmith. They do get pretty repetitive: in the first tale Niall, who is basically just Blond Conan, falls in love with a demon goddess; in almost every story he single-handedly massacres a whole score of flesh-and-blood enemies before going up against some god or demon beyond his power to harm, whereupon his divine girlfriend bails him out and sets everything aright. Even so, it remains an entertaining read full of action and adventure.
My only real complaint is that the edition I bought is absolutely riddled with typos on every page. It seems to be hastily converted to print from a PDF, complete with underlined hyperlinks in the table of contents (with no page numbers) and a note to "click here" to access a webpage at the end. I hope this will be fixed if there is a second edition.
September 16, 2025
Great series
Alternate universe, fantasy barbarian swordsman, magic
These stories were originally featured in The Dragon magazine during the 1980s, and were accompanied by artwork of differing quality. The stories were quite polished at this stage of Fox's career. While I laud having all these stories in one place, they are in need of attention, as these were scanned by OCR software and currently there are numerous errors crept in that were absent in the original tales.
There are ten tales here, some of which I missed the first time around; the last one, his origin tale, was incredibly sad. Would that there were more, as I enjoyed Niall and his many adventures of saving the kingdom or the world from ancient wizards and other threats to the cosmos. I have not read his Kyrik series, and have read three of the five books (which are actually short story collections) in the Kothar series. I have just recently finished the Zanthadon series, written in homage to ERB's Pellucidar series. Thus far, Niall is the best. Enjoyed.
Alternate universe, fantasy barbarian swordsman, magic
These stories were originally featured in The Dragon magazine during the 1980s, and were accompanied by artwork of differing quality. The stories were quite polished at this stage of Fox's career. While I laud having all these stories in one place, they are in need of attention, as these were scanned by OCR software and currently there are numerous errors crept in that were absent in the original tales.
There are ten tales here, some of which I missed the first time around; the last one, his origin tale, was incredibly sad. Would that there were more, as I enjoyed Niall and his many adventures of saving the kingdom or the world from ancient wizards and other threats to the cosmos. I have not read his Kyrik series, and have read three of the five books (which are actually short story collections) in the Kothar series. I have just recently finished the Zanthadon series, written in homage to ERB's Pellucidar series. Thus far, Niall is the best. Enjoyed.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews