Review | Swords in the Mist by Fritz Leiber

After Audible Frontiers published the entire collection of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories, I eagerly listened to the first volume, Swords and Deviltry. I enjoyed the stories, but not enough to rush headlong into the rest of the series. Recently, however, I’ve returned to the world of Nehwon, the fictional setting for most of the tales, and in spite of some uneven writing and characterization am slowly falling in love with it. After reading the third installment, Swords in the Mist, I’m hungry for more.

Swords in the Mist
By Fritz Leiber; Read by Jonathan Davis
Audible Download – 8 hours [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: Audible Frontiers
Published: 2008
Print: 224 Pages, Dark Horse

Although it’s a collection, Swords in the Mist nevertheless presents a very loose story arc involving its two protagonists, Fafhrd the barbarian and Gray Mouser the rogue. Additionally, there’s a thematic connection in that several of the stories present the two main characters in conflict with one another.

The book opens on a high point. “The Cloud of Hate” is a short and sweet action story that showcases the visceral power of Leiber’s writing and the strength of the swords-and-sorcery genre.

“Lean Times in Lankhmar” finds the two heroes on the outs with one another for unexplained reasons, though several hypotheses are put forth. The most humorous of these is that the two quarrelled over the spelling of Fafhrd’s name, the name’s owner arguing for its original spelling while the Gray Mouser suggesting a simplification to “Faferd”. Whatever the cause, both find themselves in the service to various figures in Lankhmar’s seedy convoluted religious infrastructure. These scenes showcase Leiber’s capacity for satire as he lambasts organized religions and their avarice.

The next few stories in the collection find the two antiheroes together again sailing the inner sea. Like a fizzy beverage, these stories are fun and refreshing but don’t really leave a lasting impression.

The book’s closing novella, Adept’s Gambit, is unique in that it brings Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser into our own world, a century or so after the death of Alexander the Great. The preceding vignette, “The Wrong Fork”, explains that Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser made a wrong turn while journeying through the labyrinthine home of Fafhrd’s patron warlock, Ningauble of the Seven Eyes, and end up in Gaia, in which their home world of Nehwon becomes only a dream. This framework was not present in Leiber’s original 1947 novella.

On Earth, they do eventually meet with Ningauble, who sends them on a series of quests with the ultimate aim of curing their romantic woes. The novella reads like a “Who’s Who” of ancient Near-East mythology, with allusions to Babylon, Socrates, Zoroaster, and Alexandria to name only a few. The tale again finds Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser at odds with each other, this time over a love interest. Early on, the novella reads like one of Chaucer’s comedic tales, with just a touch of Lovecraftian creepiness. The story holds immense promise, but sadly bogs down in exposition, bringing the novella, and the book, to a less-than-perfect close.

In some ways, Leiber’s writing is showing its age. His language is often stilted, and occasionally he uses adverbs like “horrifiedly” and “whistlingly” that would make even the most open-minded writing instructor wince. These deficits are offset, however, by a plethora of charm. Leiber’s attention to detail and his subtle sense of irony bring the city of Lankhmar, the wider world of Nehwon, and even our own ancient past, alive in vibrant color.

All seven Fafhrd and the Gray Moser audiobooks published by Audible Frontiers feature charming, insightful introductions by Neil Gaiman and stellar performances by Jonathan Davis, who adds a new dimension to the titular characters.

These stories are meant to stand alone, and readers could probably begin their Leiber experience with Swords in the Mist without feeling left behind. However, the editors of these collections were careful to place the stories in a rough sequence, so it’s probably best to begin with Swords Against Deviltry. Fans of Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories will enjoy Leiber’s work, and those unfamiliar with swords-and-sorcery will find Leiber an excellent introduction.