...
Title: Thieves' World
Editor: Robert Lynn Asprin
ISBN: 0441805787
Format: Paperback - 308 pages
Rating: Overall Concept - 9/10
Execution - 7/10

Title: Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn
Editor: Robert Lynn Asprin & Lynn Abbey
ISBN: 044180585X
Format: Paperback - 299 pages
Rating: Overall Concept - 8/10
Execution - 7/10

Title: Shadows of Sanctuary
Editor: Robert Lynn Asprin & Lynn Abbey
ISBN: 0441805868
Format: Paperback - 338 pages
Rating: Overall Concept - 8/10
Execution - 7/10

As per the intro to the first book, this was an idea born of beer at a book convention in 1978. This was the first shared world concept for a Fantasy series. It had previously been done with Sci-Fi with Medea (the progenitor of which was Harlan Ellison, and he apologizes about this quite frequently).

I read this series first when I was 13 or so, and never made it past the 2nd book. I am pretty certain that this is due to the fact that the 2nd book ends with a flagrantly blatant portrayal of several homosexual men. At the age of 13 I am certain I was very uncomfortable with the idea. Actually, now that I'm 33 I am questioning as to why the author choose to portray the characters in this matter. I can't really see as to why this was necessary. Not to say that the characters can't be homosexual but why it was portrayed in the very "in your face" method that was chosen.

I need to thank the co-announcer of a web radio show I listen to (Smaug is the co host and the radio show is Mortality.net, a bi-weekly show concerning news and reviews for roleplaying games), for reminding me of this series. However, my wife isn't all that happy that I spent several days and $70 on eBay obtaining the 12 books of the original series, and have now spent $20 on the two new books of the current series.

The entire idea of this series of books (of which there are 12) is that they all take place in or around the 'city' of Sanctuary. This city is best desribed as the 'armpit of all fantasy worlds'. This is due to the fact that it is a 'backwater' city in its world and is filled with 1/3 thief, 1/3 scoundrel, 1/3 con-artists and 100% victims. It is the perfect setting for candlestine fantasy, underhanded dealings and where pimps and thieves can become hereos. Each author submits a story to this world. The first time an author writes, they tend to use characters of their own creation and involve characters of others creation. By the 3rd book there are 25 'main' characters (of which three have died/been reborn).

I find these books to be very entertaining and quite cohesive despite the fact there are 25 different stories written by 15 different authors (in just the first 3 books). The level of magic in these stories is more akin to the styles of Fritz Leiber and low level settings than the High Level magic of settings such as Forgotten Realms. This is quite refreshing, especially since magic seems to have a high price on the user. This creates more of a feeling of 'be careful what you wish for' and a greater moral cost for any magic. Not the shortcut that it seems to be in some of the recent 'bubble gum' fantasy.

I would certainly recommend these books to any reader of fantasy and probably will 'borrow' several ideas from this setting for my on going gaming group. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, isn't it?)