F/SF

F/SF

I picked this up with fond memories of loving this series as a kid. There are legitimate heavy-hitters who contributed: Joe Haldeman, Poul Anderson, Jon Brunner, Robert Asprin, and Marion Zimmer Bradley. Lots of Nebulas and Hugos there. But this was terrible. The worst '70s fantasy dreck, as if they dashed something off in a an old spiral notebook at a convention after a few drinks at the bar. ( )

This is the first shared world anthology I've ever read back in the late 1970's, it may be the first ever published, lots followed like Wild Cards and Merovingen Nights two of my favorites.

My favorite stories from this first volume are Poul Anderson and Marion Zimmer Bradley, my favorite character is the thief Shadowspawn by Andrew Offutt who went on to write a standalone novel Shadowspawn.

This one paragraph from Anderon's story says more about the series then 10,000 words from myself could ever say.
Beneath a westering sun, the bazaar surged and clamoured. Merchants, artisans, porters, servants, slaves, wives, nomads, courtesans, entertainers, beggars, thieves, gamblers, magicians, acolytes, soldiers, and who knew what else mingled, chattered, chaffered, quarrelled, plotted, sang, played games, drank, ate, and who knew what else. Horsemen, camel-drivers, waggoners pushed through, raising waves of curses. Music tinkled and tweedled from wine-shops. Vendors proclaimed the wonders of their wares from booths, neighbours shouted at each other, and devotees chanted from flat rooftops. Smells thickened the air, of flesh, sweat, roast meat and nuts, aromatic drinks, leather, wool, dung, smoke, oils, cheap perfume. ( )

First read in 1982 I remember being really impressed with these morally ambiguous fantasy stories, an anthology with characters inhabiting a shared universe (Thieves’ World) and all stories occurring in the down-at-heel town of Sanctuary, which is similar to Leiber’s Lankhmar, but with a seedier feel.
Rereading them now, having recently read Janet Morris’ Tempus novels which are set in the same world, these original short stories are an enjoyable introduction to Thieves’ World, but are more memorable for each story being told from a different character’s point of view in the same setting, rather than the originality of the stories themselves.
Robert Asprin’s introduction, story and afterword describing the genesis of the anthology provide a useful framework for the stories as a whole, but this anthology now reads as good introduction to the series as a whole, rather than having any great stories in itself.
Contents:
• "Introduction" by Robert Lynn Asprin
• "Sentences of Death" by John Brunner
• "The Face of Chaos" by Lynn Abbey
• "The Gate of the Flying Knives" by Poul Anderson
• "Shadowspawn" by Andrew Offutt
• "The Price of Doing Business" by Robert Lynn Asprin
• "Blood Brothers" by Joe Haldeman
• "Myrtis" by Christine DeWees
• "The Secret of the Blue Star" by Marion Zimmer Bradley
• Essay: "The Making of Thieves World" by Robert Lynn Asprin ( )