Lovecraftiana: Swords and Sorcery, 1963

Chrispy has been busy. I just obtained a rare copy of the 1963 de Camp anthology. [1]


This has a lengthy introduction and series of story prefaces for :

The Valor of Cappen Varra, Poul Anderson
Distressing Tale of Thangbrind the Jeweller, Lord Dunsany
Shadows in the Moonlight, R E Howard
The Citadel of Darkness, Henry Kuttner
When the Sea King's Away, Fritz Lieber
The Doom that Came to Sarnath, Lovecraft
Hellsgarde, C. L. Moore
The Testament of Athammaus, C. A. Smith (our beloved KlarkashTon)

Most exciting is that it illustrated ... by ... omg ... Virgil Finlay !! The black and white reproductions resemble wood cuttings, so I have a mixed feeling about them. They are eerie in a gothic sense, but Finlay always should get the best reproduction media. Still, it was 1963.

I'll share more of the contents in a future HPLblog-post.

Swords & Sorcery, ed. L. Sprague de Camp, Pyramid, 1963 [The cover price is 50 cents!]