''The Spell of Seven'' is an
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...
of
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
short stories in the
sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the ...
subgenre, edited by
L. Sprague de Camp and illustrated by
Virgil Finlay
Virgil Finlay (July 23, 1914 – January 18, 1971) was an American pulp fantasy, science fiction and horror illustrator. He has been called "part of the pulp magazine history ... one of the foremost contributors of original and imagi ...
. It was first published in paperback by
Pyramid Books
Jove Books, formerly known as Pyramid Books, is an American paperback and eBook publishing imprint, founded as an independent paperback house in 1949 by Almat Magazine Publishers (Alfred R. Plaine and Matthew Huttner). The company was sold to ...
in June 1965, and reprinted in December 1969.
It was the second such anthology assembled by de Camp, following his ''
Swords and Sorcery'' (1963).
Summary
The book collects seven sword and sorcery tales by various authors, with an overall introduction by de Camp.
Contents
*"Introduction: Wizards and Warriors" (
L. Sprague de Camp)
*"
Bazaar of the Bizarre
"Bazaar of the Bizarre" is a sword and sorcery novelette by American writer Fritz Leiber and part of the canon of stories chronicling Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.
First published in 1963 in ''Fantastic'', it has been reprinted several times, i ...
" (
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...
)
*"
The Dark Eidolon
"The Dark Eidolon" is a sword and sorcery short story by American writer Clark Ashton Smith, forming part of his Zothique cycle of stories. It was first published in '' Weird Tales'' in 1935 and has been variously republished, notably in the antho ...
" (
Clark Ashton Smith
Clark Ashton Smith (January 13, 1893 – August 14, 1961) was an American writer and artist. He achieved early local recognition, largely through the enthusiasm of George Sterling, for traditional verse in the vein of Swinburne. As a poet, Smi ...
)
*"
The Hoard of the Gibbelins
"The Hoard of the Gibbelins" is a fantasy short story by Anglo-Irish writer Lord Dunsany. It was first published in ''The Sketch'' in London and in ''The Book of Wonder'' in 1912. It was also reprinted in the anthology '' The Spell of Seven'', e ...
" (
Lord Dunsany
Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (; 24 July 1878 – 25 October 1957, usually Lord Dunsany) was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist. Over 90 volumes of fiction, essays, poems and plays appeared in his lifetime.Lanham, M ...
)
*"
The Hungry Hercynian" (
L. Sprague de Camp)
*"
Kings in Darkness
"Kings in Darkness" is a sword and sorcery short story by English writer Michael Moorcock. It was first published in ''Science Fantasy'' No. 54 in 1962. It has been reprinted as part of the Elric sagas and also reprinted in the anthology ''The Spe ...
" (
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has worke ...
)
*"
Mazirian the Magician "Mazirian the Magician" is a sword and sorcery short story by American writer Jack Vance. It was first published in 1950 as part of ''The Dying Earth'', a collection of loosely linked tales. It has been reissued in numerous anthologies since 1965, ...
" (
Jack Vance
John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names.
...
)
*"
Shadows in Zamboula
"Shadows in Zamboula" is one of the original stories by Robert E. Howard about Conan the Cimmerian, first published in ''Weird Tales'' in November 1935. Its original title was "The Man-Eaters of Zamboula".
The story takes place over the course ...
" (
Robert E. Howard)
Relation to other works
Four of the seven authors represented in the anthology were members of the
Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America
The Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America or SAGA was an informal group of American fantasy authors active from the 1960s through the 1980s, noted for their contributions to the "Sword and Sorcery" kind of heroic fantasy, itself a subgenre of ...
(SAGA), a somewhat informal literary group of fantasy authors active from the 1960s to the 1980s, making the book a precursor of the five ''
Flashing Swords!
''Flashing Swords!'' is a series of fantasy anthologies published by Dell Books from 1973 to 1981 under the editorship of Lin Carter. It showcased the heroic fantasy work of the members of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a ...
'' anthologies of SAGA-member works edited by
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. ...
from 1973 to 1981.
Notes
1965 anthologies
Fantasy anthologies
L. Sprague de Camp anthologies
Pyramid Books books
{{1960s-fantasy-story-collection-stub