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Heroic Fantasy
Contains the stories:
"Sand Sister" by Andre Norton (Witch World)
"The Valley of the Sorrows" by Galad Elflandsson
"Ghoul's-Head" by Donald J. Walsh, Jr.
"Commentary on Swords and Swordplay", essay by Hank Reinhardt
"Astral Stray", by Adrian Cole (The Voidal)
"Blood in the Mist" by E. C. Tubb (Malkar)
"Commentary on Armor", essay by Hank Reinhardt
"The Murderous Dove", by Tanith Lee (Cyrion)
"Death in Jukun", by Charles R. Saunders (Imaro)
"The De Pertriche Ring", by H. Warner Munn
"Commentary on Courage and Heroism", essay by Hank Reinhardt
"The Hero Who Returned", by Gerald W. Page
"The Riddle of the Horn", by Darrell Schweitzer (Julian)
"The Age of the Warrior", by Hank Reinhardt
"The Mistaken Oracle", by A. E. Silas
"Demonsong", by F. Paul Wilson (The Secret History of the World)
"The Seeker in the Fortress", by Manly Wade Wellman (Kardios)
"Sand Sister" by Andre Norton (Witch World)
"The Valley of the Sorrows" by Galad Elflandsson
"Ghoul's-Head" by Donald J. Walsh, Jr.
"Commentary on Swords and Swordplay", essay by Hank Reinhardt
"Astral Stray", by Adrian Cole (The Voidal)
"Blood in the Mist" by E. C. Tubb (Malkar)
"Commentary on Armor", essay by Hank Reinhardt
"The Murderous Dove", by Tanith Lee (Cyrion)
"Death in Jukun", by Charles R. Saunders (Imaro)
"The De Pertriche Ring", by H. Warner Munn
"Commentary on Courage and Heroism", essay by Hank Reinhardt
"The Hero Who Returned", by Gerald W. Page
"The Riddle of the Horn", by Darrell Schweitzer (Julian)
"The Age of the Warrior", by Hank Reinhardt
"The Mistaken Oracle", by A. E. Silas
"Demonsong", by F. Paul Wilson (The Secret History of the World)
"The Seeker in the Fortress", by Manly Wade Wellman (Kardios)
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 3, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 14, 2026
This was a very good anthology of fourteen heroic fantasy/swords & sorcery stories along with a few essays by Hank Reinhardt. The main attraction was a Witch World novella by Andre Norton, but among my favorites were a new Kardios story by Manly Wade Wellman (I think all of the earlier ones appeared in andrew j. offutt's Swords Against Darkness series), The Murderous Dove by Tanith Lee, and Astral Stray by Adrian Cole. I remember liking the stories by Galad Elflandsson and F. Paul Wilson, too, but my favorite was Blood in the Mist by E.C. Tubb. You'd never figure the British space opera king to write good fantasy. Conversely, the best-known old-time fantasist of the bunch was probably H. Warner Munn, and I didn't care for his story here at all.
January 30, 2020
For me this is easily a five star book.
Homerun.
Reading this in 2020 it's very hard to imagine some of these fantastic authors were just getting started back when this book was published in 1979. The table of contents reads like a who's who of tried and true DAW published authors from the 70s and 80s.
Everything is original to this anthology, and honestly, there are only a few stories I have encountered elsewhere. Norton's Witch World, Cole's Voidal, Lee's Cyrion, Saunder's Imaro, Schweitzer's Sir Julien, and Wellman's Kardios all have stories in this collection.
E.C. Tubb has a story called Blood in the Mist that was perhaps my favorite. Never knew Tubb had penned S&S. The introduction to the story states that there were two other stories one published in Weird Tales and one in Witchcraft and Sorcery. I would really like to read those. Some folks on FB helped me to discover that two paperbacks were published about Malkar: Death God's Doom and The Sleeping City. Both are outrageously priced but Amazon offers them both in digital.
The editors Gerald W. Page and hank Reinhardt also have stories in this collection and I enjoyed both.
Several authors were new to me: Don Walsh, A. E. Silas, and F. Paul Wilson. I look forward to learning more about them.
I feel like this collection is a must have for any S&S collection.
Recommended!
Homerun.
Reading this in 2020 it's very hard to imagine some of these fantastic authors were just getting started back when this book was published in 1979. The table of contents reads like a who's who of tried and true DAW published authors from the 70s and 80s.
Everything is original to this anthology, and honestly, there are only a few stories I have encountered elsewhere. Norton's Witch World, Cole's Voidal, Lee's Cyrion, Saunder's Imaro, Schweitzer's Sir Julien, and Wellman's Kardios all have stories in this collection.
E.C. Tubb has a story called Blood in the Mist that was perhaps my favorite. Never knew Tubb had penned S&S. The introduction to the story states that there were two other stories one published in Weird Tales and one in Witchcraft and Sorcery. I would really like to read those. Some folks on FB helped me to discover that two paperbacks were published about Malkar: Death God's Doom and The Sleeping City. Both are outrageously priced but Amazon offers them both in digital.
The editors Gerald W. Page and hank Reinhardt also have stories in this collection and I enjoyed both.
Several authors were new to me: Don Walsh, A. E. Silas, and F. Paul Wilson. I look forward to learning more about them.
I feel like this collection is a must have for any S&S collection.
Recommended!
January 5, 2016
This is an excellent collection, and one that made me keep asking "Who the hell is that?" followed by "Where the hell can I find more of that?" My to-read list now includes Adrian Cole's Voidal tales and E. C. Tubb's stories of Malkar, as well as A. E. Silas, F. Paul Wilson, and Don Walsh. The others--Charles Saunders, Tanith Lee's Cyrion stories, and so forth--were there already. (The Cyrion collection in particular, which I dug out of storage and dropped on the top of the pile.) Even the contributions by the editors themselves, usually the weakest of a collection, held their own.
Really, all of these are gems, with the possible exception of "Sand Sister", Andre Norton's Witch World appendage. It never quite worked for me, with a tone that didn't speak to high adventure and a sluggish sort of pacing. H. Warner Munn's "The De Pertriche Ring" tended to the overdramatic and a bit too long getting to the obvious.
The three commentaries focus on the technical matters of weaponry, armor, and heroism in an "On Thud and Blunder" sense. Their brevity provides only a taste of the subject matter, only enough to give a reader the sense of the problems in other writings. This appeared to be their intent: the commentaries and the introduction held heavy contempt for Clonan-style writing prevalent for the time period.
Really, all of these are gems, with the possible exception of "Sand Sister", Andre Norton's Witch World appendage. It never quite worked for me, with a tone that didn't speak to high adventure and a sluggish sort of pacing. H. Warner Munn's "The De Pertriche Ring" tended to the overdramatic and a bit too long getting to the obvious.
The three commentaries focus on the technical matters of weaponry, armor, and heroism in an "On Thud and Blunder" sense. Their brevity provides only a taste of the subject matter, only enough to give a reader the sense of the problems in other writings. This appeared to be their intent: the commentaries and the introduction held heavy contempt for Clonan-style writing prevalent for the time period.
March 9, 2024
Well, they just don’t make them like this anymore. What a fantastic collection of heroic fantasy/sword and sorcery stories by a great group of authors. You know it’s good when Sci Fi master E.C. Tubb penned an excellent sword and sorcery piece. If you don’t have this, or haven’t read it, I certainly recommend finding it. Great anthology with no duds at all.
May 8, 2009
One of my favorite heroic fantasy anthologies. Contains great stories by Adrian Cole, Charles R. Saunders, E. C. Tubb, Gerald Page and F. Paul Wilson, among others. Highly recommended.
August 14, 2020
Heroic fantasy was a term someone coined, IIRC as a classier-sounding name for sword and sorcery stories. Under any name, this is a good collection, though tending to the grim side, with tragic, hardbitten, emotionally drained protagonists. And with the exception of Andre Norton's "Sand Sister," the heroes are all male.
That said this is a good selection of stories including medieval tales, secondary worlds, Charles Saunders' fantasy version of Africa, Norton's Witch World and writing by multiple other excellent authors (though I don't think most of them are as well-known today as they were at the time). There are also three good essays on armor, swords and the nature of heroism.
That said this is a good selection of stories including medieval tales, secondary worlds, Charles Saunders' fantasy version of Africa, Norton's Witch World and writing by multiple other excellent authors (though I don't think most of them are as well-known today as they were at the time). There are also three good essays on armor, swords and the nature of heroism.
April 9, 2019
An older collection of stories, some good and some indifferent. I was hanging on to this for only a few tales. I've reread them and I'll bid this book farewell now.
April 15, 2020
Don't now how many times I have read this collection. Think it might be time to get it out again!
February 3, 2023
This is a terrific compilation of stories, there isn"t a single dud in the batch.
October 18, 2024
You can watch my video review of Heroic Fantasy by clicking the following link: https://youtu.be/nqvRfxYt9ZI?si=hexuH...
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August 22, 2008Heroic Fantasy by Gerald W. Page (1979)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews