Swords and Deviltry (1970) collects four stories about Leiber’s sword & sorcery characters Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, prequels written after Leiber had already written many of their adventures.
Induction
(Two Sought Adventure, 1957)
This is listed as a short story that first appeared in the 1957 collection, Two Sought Adventure, but at not even a page and a half, it feels more like a quick intro than a story.
The Snow Women (2/5)
(Fantastic, April 1970)
A coming-of-age tale about Fafhrd when he was a young barbarian and member of the Snow Clan led by his mother. He has to deal with memories of his father, a controlling mother, and his longing for the civilized word. I liked the ideas presented in this story but not the execution. I have a strong memory of it putting me to sleep when I first read it as a student, and I have a similar experience whenever I re-read it. The story has its fans, but I thought it was too slow moving until the end. I love Leiber’s prose and use of vocabulary, but there are times like this where the story doesn’t work for me.
The Unholy Grail (4/5)
(Fantastic Stories of Imagination, October 1962)
The Gray Mouser’s origin, a story of when he was called Mouse and was an apprentice to an exiled wizard. Mouse is wavering between black and white magic when events put him into a position where he has to choose.
Ill Met in Lankhmar (5/5)
(The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1970)
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser’s first adventure together as freelance thieves in the city of Lankhmar. After they rob a pair of professional thieves, they find themselves targeted by a sorcerer working for the Thieves Guild. An excellent mix of adventure, humor, and darkness. Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novella in 1970 and the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1971.
I couldn’t get into Lieber’s prose in my younger days but now he’s one of my favorite authors.
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