Barbarians, edited by Robert Adams and Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh, and
Barbarians II, edited by Pamela Crippen Adams, Robert Adams, and Martin H. Greenberg
(Signet New American Library, January 1986 and February 1988). Covers by Ken Kelly

Besides editing the Friends of the Horseclans books (discussed here last week), Robert Adams also edited — along with others — two thick anthologies from Signet entitled Barbarians (1985) and Barbarians II (1988). Covers by Ken Kelly. I bought these when they came out because they each have a Robert E. Howard story, and I was an REH completist at the time. I liked both of these collections, although the concept of “Barbarian” is stretched very broadly.

For example, in the initial volume you have a mostly SF story by Fred Saberhagen and a Witch World fantasy tale by Andre Norton. Both are good stories but have little to do with any concept I might have of barbarians. There’s a Fritz Leiber Fafhrd and Mouser story that fits the concept, and the truly excellent “Swordsman of Lost Terra” by Poul Anderson, which also has a lot of Sword & Planet elements.

[Click the images for Barbarian-sized versions.]

Back covers for Barbarians and Barbarians II

There’s a Lin Carter tale and a Karl Wagner Kane story that are darn good, and the last tale in the book is one of Robert E. Howard’s best Conan stories — “Beyond the Black River” — but there’s also a story by George Alec Effinger in his Maureen Birnbaum Barbarian Swordsperson humor series.

I knew George and he was a heckuva fellow and a good writer, but I never told him when he was alive that I didn’t really like his Maureen Birnbaum tales. You’re the first audience to hear me say that in public.

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, February 1986, containing
“Maureen Birnbaum at the Earth’s Core,” and Maureen Birnbaum, Barbarian Swordsperson:
The Complete Stories (Swan Press, June 1993). Covers by G. P. Lendino and Peggy Ranson

Barbarians II has another Leiber story, an Anderson tale, and Karl Wagner’s “Misericorde,” a very good Kane story, and one of my favorite REH non Conan tales, “The Valley of the Worm.” It has another Maureen Birnbaum piece and some other works that don’t quite fit the theme.

And, disappointingly, Adams’ introduction for Volume II is identical with the one from the first volume except for changing Barbarians to Barbarians II.

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Charles Gramlich administers The Swords & Planet League group on Facebook, where this post first appeared. His last article for Black Gate was Robert Adams was a Master of Narrative Drive.