There are philosophers who argue that there is no such thing as evil qua evil; that, discounting spells (which of course relieve an individual of responsibility), when a man commits an evil deed he is a victim himself, the slave of his progeniture and nurturing. Such philosophers might profit by studying Sanctuary.
– from Joe Haldeman’s Blood Brothers
- Title: Thieves’ World
- Author: Robert Asprin, ed.
- Genre: Fantasy/Sword & Sorcery
- Year: 1979
The late Robert Asprin’s Thieves’ World is the granddaddy of the shared-world anthology, and it’s success can be seen in its numerous sequels (the original series ran to twelve anthologies in ten years, plus a few spin-off novels) as well as related matter such as rpg products, in addition to, of course, the many similarly themed anthologies that came out in homage or imitation to the original. In his afterward, ‘The Making of Thieves’ World,’ Asprin describes the shared world idea as a way for many authors to write fantasy without first having to each come up with their own worlds. Imagine, Asprin says, if Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser inhabited the same world as Conan, or if Elric and Kane opposed one another at the head of rival armies. It’s a great, fun idea, and it works well, and it certainly attracted a wide panoply of science fiction and fantasy writers over the decade it ran.
Thieves’ World is the first book in the series, from which the whole derives its name. It centers on the town of Sanctuary, a rats’ nest of rogues and hotbed of skulduggery, a conquered city on the edge of empire rife with competing factions and conflicting religions. It’s a fairly standard fantasy backdrop, at least in this first installment, but it’s also a consistent and well-realized one replete with just enough world-building style details to make the place come alive without the danger of the setting taking over from the plot. Or the characters — and this last is where Thieves’ World really shines.
Each author in the anthology has created his own character, and the book contains a larger-than-life cast of scoundrels, magicians, street folk, and thieves. The ne’er-do-well minstrel Cappen Varra, the cursed magician Enas Yorl, ruthless crimelord and ex-gladiator Jubal, ageless madame Myrtis, and mysterious Lythande, his forehead marked with a glowing blue star that burns with his anger or agitation — just a few of the most prominent personalities of Sanctuary. And while a story might focus on only a few of these characters, they turn up repeatedly again and again in the background of different tales. Indeed, this is part of the fun of the shared world, as different authors handle each other’s characters a bit differently, and even whole scenes from one story may be repeated in another with a twist in perspective. A nice touch, and one that lends the stories the feeling that many lives are brushing up against one another and interconnecting in the world of Sanctuary.
As for the stories themselves, ranging from short story to novella length, some stand out more than others. John Brunner opens the anthology with Sentences of Death, a clever piece centering around apprentice translator Jarveena and her employer, an opportunistic book merchant and scribe. When a magical scroll falls into their hands they decide to profit from it as best they can, and set off a chain of events that involves a strange magician, a foiled assassination attempt, and the fulfillment of Jarveena’s lifelong thirst for revenge. In Poul Anderson’s The Gate of Flying Knives, we have a more traditional sword & sorcery tale, in which the rogue Cappen Verra must venture into another world to rescue his love — and where he discovers that a certain slight-of-hand can be worth more than any sword or spell. In Joe Haldeman’s Blood Brothers the odious One-Thumb, a man confident in his continued existence because of a magician’s curse of damnation on anyone that should ever dare to slay him, meets his comeuppance in a most unusual and ingenious way. In my favorite story of the collection, Asprin’s own The Price of Doing Business, shrewd operator Jubal discovers just how differently those who don’t share his ruthlessly practical outlook see the world, and finds himself confounded first by a child, and then by one of the Emperor’s own elite guardsmen.
Other names that the reader will recognize, such as Marion Zimmer Bradley and Andrew Offutt, also have strong offerings; and overall the anthology is a solid mix of stories from writers of varied sensibilities at different points of their career. But the book is cohesive, the styles complimentary, and the fun firmly at center stage. I can understand how it started something big, especially as it was released before the modern fantasy explosion, and I only wish there was a comparable series today showcasing a similar broad array of talent against a shared world backdrop. One can hope — and in the meantime there is plenty in the Thieves’ World series to satisfy the cravings of sword & sorcery fans.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah, yes. Thieves’ World. I loved, absolutely loved, the first four books of the original series. The rest of the books had their moments, but they couldn’t compare to the earliest four. I still have my original copy of the first book, a paperback picked up nearly 30 years ago. At a time when Tolkein and a young Terry Brooks were the only fantasy to be found in many book stores, Thieves’ World really shined, and opened my eyes to S&S for the first time.
Thank for posting Ty — I especially like to hear your perspective as someone that picked Thieves’ World up when it came out. I never got around to reading it until just now, and wish I had been able to find in in the library as a kid in the mid-eighties when the fantasy selection was really only marginally better than what you describe.
And thanks for the recommendation on the first four — as big as the series is its good to narrow down what’s really worth pursueing in the short term.
I totally agree with Ty. The first four books were really good — a lot of variety in a consistent setting, with interplay between authors’ pet characters developing nicely.
After that, the whole damn series falls apart. Editorial control seems to fall by the wayside, and a small handful of authors seem to be running the entire show. Plots — when there are plots — become convoluted, and the whole thing seems to smack of “Twin Peaks/X Files” disorder: So many oddities piled upon oddities that none of it can ever be resolved in any rational way, so it all gets disguised in a murkiness that no force can ever pierce.
I only read the first one; enjoyed it well enough.
I know I’m living in the wilderness now, as I have not even heard of any of these books nor the author Robert Aspin. I live in a very rural community in Northern Ireland with only one major two half decent bookstores within a fifty mile radius. I guess you always assume that whats on the shelf is what is current. I’m glad I found this site as it offers a portal to books and authors I have never heard of.
Your writing style is excellent. I love the way you convey enthusiasm without giving away details or spoiling in any way. Thanks.