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A READER'S GUIDE TO SWORD & SORCERY M-O

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Norvell W. Page (1904-1961)

Norvell W. Page was a Pulp-writing machine. He wrote 91 of the Spider Magazine novels under the house name of Grant Stockbridge. He also wrote two of the best S&S adventure novels to appear in Unknown. Using historical clues and a little logic he created a plausible and exciting story for one of history's mysteries, Prester John.

Hurricane John Series (1969)

1. Flame Winds (Unknown, June 1939)
2. Sons of the Bear God (Unknown, November 1939)

Alexei & Cory Panshin (1940 - )

Alexei Panshin is famous for his sf novel Rite of Passage and his unsympathetic criticism of Heinlein and the Old Guard writers. He has written only one S&S novel, with his wife, Cory. As first attempts go, it’s a good one. Unfortunately he never followed it up.

1. Earthmagic (1978)

Steve Perry (1947- )

Conan Series

1. Conan the Fearless (1986)
2. Conan the Defiant (1987)
3. Conan the Indomitable (1989)
4. Conan the Formidable (1990)
5. Conan The Free Lance (1990)

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Seabury Quinn (1889-1969)

1. "Roads" (Weird Tales, January 1938)

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Quinn Reade (Pseudonym of Ben Haas (1926-1977)

Ben Haas wrote under many pseudonyms including John Benteen, Thorne Douglas and Richard Meade, though Sword & Sorcery only under Quinn Reade and Richard Meade. He wrote three novels between 1969-1970 before moving onto more literary stuff under his real name. Hack work but not unreadale.

1. Quest of the Dark Lady (1969)

Michael Reaves (1950-)

Darkworld Detective Series

1. Darkworld Detective (1982) - S&S satire

John Maddox Roberts (1947 - )

The Conan Series

1. Conan the Champion (1987)
2. Conan and the Treasure of Python (1993)
3. Conan the Valorous (1985)
4. Conan the Marauder (1987)
5. Conan the Bold (1989)
6. Conan the Rogue (1991)
7. Conan and the Manhunters (1994)
8. Conan and the Amazon (1995)

Stormlands Series

1. The Islander (1990)
2. The Black Shields (1991)
3. The Poisoned Lands (1992)
4. The Steel Kings (1993)
5. Queens of Land and Sea (1994)

Joanna Russ (1937 - )

Russ’ single collection of S&S stories proves again what C. L. Moore proved in the 1930’s, that S&S need not be a male-dominated, male-oriented sub-genre. Russ’ Alyx attacks just about every S&S stereo-types, making the Alyx series something of a parody without sacrificing serious story-telling. Even though Alyx never lacks for action, these stories are the best constructed in S&S, taking their place next to Fritz Leiber’s for sheer artistic craft. Alyx later leaves her S&S milieu for an sf one in "Picnic on Paradise". The SF nature was ever-present for she sold most of these stories to Damon Knight's SF anthology series Orbit.

The Alyx Series

1. Alyx (1976) a: The Adventures of Alyx which contains

2. "Bluestocking" (as "The Adventuress") in Orbit 2 1967
3. "I Thought She was Afeard Until She Stroked My Beard" (as "I Gave Her Sack and Sherry") in Orbit 2 1967
4. "The Barbarian" in Orbit 3 1968
5. "Picnic on Paradise" 1968
6. "The Second Inquisition" Orbit 6 1970