A READER'S GUIDE TO SWORD & SORCERY MAGAZINES

FANTASTIC STORIES (1952-1980)

Many of the top Fantasy writers of the 1960s were published in Cele Goldsmith and later Ted White's Fantastic. Cele was able to convince Fritz Leiber to bring Fafhrd & Grey Mouser out of retirement for her magazine. Also Elric, Brak and Dilvish all found homes here. Ted White published shorter versions of good novels such as Avram Davidson's Ursus of Ultima Thule and Alexei and Cory Pansin's Earthmagic. L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter serialized their book Conan of Aquilina in four parts as well. Despite such talent the magazine that fought long and hard for readership fizzled out in 1980. Before going they published Darrel Schweitzer's amazing novel The White Isle first. Others who found a market for Fantasy here wer Fred Saberhagen, Jack Vance, Dean R. Koontz, and Denis More (Keith Taylor). The magazine was dedicated to S&S to the point of bearing the title "Fantastic: Sword & Sorcery and Fantasy Stories" in the 1970s. Covers and interior artwork featured artists like Stephen Fabian, Jeff Jones, Gray Morrow, and of course, some poor Frazetta imitations.

Fritz Leiber's Newhon

John Jakes' Brak the Barbarian

Roger Zelazny's Dilvish the Damned

Michael Moorcock's Elric and Count Brass

L. Sprague de Camp & Lin Carter's Conan

Other Fantasy