Book Review: 'Thieves' World' edited by Robert Lynn Asprin
'Thieves' World' (308 pp.) was published by Ace Books in October, 1979. The cover art is by Walter Velez.
'Thieves' World' is one of the earliest and most successful Shared World series in sci-fi / fantasy publishing. As of 2012, there were 14 anthologies in the series, with at least 15 or more spinoff novels and short story collections.
During the 1980s a rather mediocre line of black-and-white comics was issued by indie publisher Starblaze, along with several Thieves' World-branded board games and role-playing games from Chaosium and Mayfair Games.
I was aware of the franchise during the 1980s, as its volumes were ever-present on the shelves of the sci-fi section of Waldenbooks, B. Dalton, Coles, Borders, etc. But I never picked up and read any title until just recently, when I sat down with the very first entrant in the series, 'Thieves' World'.
Copies of the original paperback can be hard to find. An omnibus edition, published by the Science Fiction Book Club in 1982, and titled Sanctuary, contains 'Thieves' World', 'Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn' (1980) and 'Shadows of Sanctuary' (1981), and may be a more accessible way to gather the initial entries in the series.
In his Afterword to 'Thieves' World', titled 'The Making of Thieves' World', editor Asprin provides insight into how, in the Fall of 1978, he conceived of the idea of a shared world devoted to a fantasy theme, and set about recruiting sci-fi authors in his circle for contributions. The response to his pitch was so fulfilling that before the first volume in the series was printed, Asprin had sufficient tales for a second volume already assembled.
As for the stories in 'Thieves' World', they all are set in the decrepit city of Sanctuary, the most isolated metropolis in the Rankan Empire. Sanctuary's isolation has allowed it to become the Empire's preferred abode for would-be fortune-seekers, criminals, reprobates, and ne'er-do-wells.
But as 'Thieves' World' opens, the city's residents, long accustomed to (mis)governing themselves, learn that Prince Kadakithis has been appointed to govern Sanctuary. With Kadakathis comes change, for the Prince, a man of rectitude, has ambitions to turn Sanctuary into a respectable city.............one that generates considerable taxable income for the Rankan Empire...........
My capsule summaries of the contents:
Sentences of Death, by John Brunner: Jarveena the scribe comes into possession of a magic scroll, one that may offer leverage over the Guardsmen of the Governor's Mansion. But blackmail can be a dangerous enterprise in Sanctuary.......Brunner's prose is straightforward, but the story suffers from an underwhelming denouement.
The Face of Chaos, by Lynn Abbey: Illyra the fortune-teller agrees to help a young woman who is destined to be sacrificed to one of the more odious of the Gods of Sanctuary. A competent tale.
The Gate of the Flying Knives, by Poul Anderson: Cappen Varra the bard learns that his love, Danlis, has - along with Lady Rosande - disappeared from the most secure tower in Sanctuary. Investigating the disappearance will mean crossing paths with entities best avoided.
Anderson's use of straightforward prose and a well-composed plot makes this a rewarding entry.
Shadowspawn, by Andrew Offutt: Shadowspawn the thief finds himself entangled in a plot to steal an valuable artifact from Prince Kadakithis......but trusting fellow thieves is never a good idea in Sanctuary..........
Offutt clearly wrote this lengthy story with an eye towards impressing his fellow contributors with his authorial elegance. Readers will encounter the words 'horripilation' (goose-pimples), 'falcate' (curved or hooked), and the phrase 'cupiditous concubine' (which sounds like a title for one of Offutt's sleaze novels). He lards the narrative with wordsmithings and turns of phrase designed to display his cleverness.
Over-written and over-plotted, 'Shadowspawn' is not one of Offutt's better stories.
The Price of Doing Business, by Robert Lynn Asprin: Jubal, an ex-pit fighter and Sanctuary's most powerful crime lord, gets word that someone has information that would be of considerable value to him. But in Thieves' World, information always comes with a high price.......featuring a well-written segment of violent combat, this is another of the better tales in the anthology.
Blood Brothers, by Joe Haldeman: One-Thumb the tavern-owner seeks the culprit behind the theft of a brick of hashish. One-Thumb is never shy about using murderous violence to achieve his aims, but this time, has he met adversaries as ruthless as he is ?
Haldeman starts his story with three pages of conversational exchanges rendered in interposed italic and regular font text. There are no speakers identified, leaving it to the reader to gradually parse out who is saying what. This is a New Wave - era literary affectation that was trendy in the 1970s, but seems awkward and contrived nowadays.
Anyways, once Haldeman adopts a more traditional diction, the story becomes more engaging and ends on an imaginative note.
Myrtis, by Christine DeWees: Myrtis is the proprietress of Sanctuary's premiere brothel, Aphrodesia House. When Captain Zalbar, commander of the Royal Guard, demands a steep tax payment from Myrtis, she must use all her cunning and guile to find a resolution that lets the House stay in business. One of the better-plotted stories in the anthology.
The Secret of the Blue Star, by Marion Zimmer Bradley: Lythande the mage, one of the more enigmatic and mysterious personages of Sanctuary, comes to the aid of a maltreated urchin. This story has a surprise ending that I at first found contrived, but when I went back and examined the story in detail, it was clear that Bradley had carefully crafted the ending's rationale. So informed, I then concluded that 'Blue Star' is the best entrant in the anthology.
Finishing 'Thieves' World', I thought it clear that Asprin had met his goal of freeing contributors from the need to labor on world-building in composing their entries, thus allowing them to focus solely on storytelling. As a result, all of the contributors successfully leveraged the grittier, even sordid atmosphere inherent in the 'Thieves' World' concept. Those who like late 70s - early 80s fantasy literature packaged into shorter, more digestible stories will find this anthology worth reading.
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