The Sacred Band of Stepsons
Encyclopedia
The Sacred Band of Stepsons is a fictional ancient cavalry
unit created by Janet Morris
and based on the historical Sacred Band of Thebes
, an elite strike force of paired lovers and friends that flourished during the fourth century BCE in ancient Greece, where sexuality was a behavior, not an identity. The Sacred Band of Stepsons series of fantasy novels and stories take place in a myth
-like milieu that mixes historical places such as Nisibis
, Mygdonia and Chaeronea
; warriors such as Theagenes
(commander of the Theban Sacred Band at Chaeronea); gods such as Enlil
, Maat
and Harmonia
; philosophers such as Heraclitus
and Thales
; cavalry tactics and customs such as homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece
with those that exist only in fantasy
. The exploits of the Stepsons are chronicled in eleven short stories and eight novels (as of 2010). In a fantasy context, this series explores the difficulties facing war-fighters in personal relationships and the enduring questions surrounding the military's historical mixing of homosexuals and heterosexuals in combat.
's Sacred Band
concept of an elite homosexual war-band (Hieròs Lókhos) to readers. "A Man and His God" was subsequently reprinted in one other anthology, Thirteen Short Fantasy Novels, edited by Asimov
, Greenberg, Waugh and Charles; in the Thieves' World omnibus Sanctuary, Robert Asprin, ed.; and in Janet Morris's collection Tempus.
Because Thieves' World was a "shared universe" where many writers could use the same characters, others wrote stories featuring the Stepsons and their immortal commander, Tempus. Notable authors who wrote stories featuring characters from the Sacred Band of Stepsons include Chris Morris
, Robert Asprin
, Lynn Abbey
, Andrew Offutt, and C.J. Cherryh.
For nearly a decade, Janet Morris wrote stories and novels, some with Chris Morris, about Tempus and his Sacred Band. Morris's first Sacred Band of Stepsons novel, Beyond Sanctuary, was the first "authorized" Thieves' World spin-off novel and was published in hardcover by Baen Books
and then the Science Fiction Book Club. Beyond Sanctuary was reviewed by Library Journal
and by Publishers Weekly
. Next came "Beyond the Veil," also a Baen hardcover and Science Fiction Book Club Selection. Beyond the Veil was reviewed by Kirkus Reviews
and by Fantasy Review. The Baen hardcover and Science Fiction Book Club publication of Beyond Wizardwall completed publication of the trilogy. Three additional Stepsons novels and a short story per year followed until 1990, when the Morrises ceased production until 2010. In the latest Stepsons novel, The Sacred Band (2010), the Stepsons rescue twenty-three couples of the historical Sacred Band of Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea
and bring them, with their Greek Fates
and gods, to Sanctuary.
's man-devouring white horses from Troy
. Tempus's leopard-skin mantle and boar's-tooth helmet, his choice of panoply and mount and food and drink, and many other allusions and references hark back to Homer
's Iliad. Edgeworth discusses Tempus's choices in detail:
The web of connectivity to classical sources in this series is extensive. As Edgeworth explores at length, the authors mix historicity
, philosophy and myth. Tempus quotes the philosophers Heraclitus and Thales and some other characters call him 'Tempus Thales
.' The milieus in which the Stepsons find themselves sometimes resemble but seldom duplicate our own. Paired Sacred Banders such as Critias
and Straton
have historical counterparts in ancient Greece; the witch who stalks Nikodemos through many novels and stories is called Roxane, who shares that name with the wife of Alexander the Great of Macedon
. Many other parallels exist, along with a wealth of detail evoking our classical world. And yet, as Edgeworth points out, knowledge of the ancient world and its history is not necessary to understand the stories, which can be read purely as fantasy.
In Tempus's Band, heterosexual Stepsons and Sacred Band pairs fight side by side. There is no requirement to be part of a couple to serve among the Stepsons, and single mercenaries initially outnumbered the Sacred Band pairs.
The Stepsons are principally a cavalry (hippeis
) squadron, not heavy infantry (hoplites) as the Theban Sacred Banders primarily were. While the three-hundred-strong Theban Sacred Band was constituted by Theban
law-givers and maintained by the Theban state (according to Plutarch
's "Life"
of Pelopidas
), the Sacred Band of Stepsons is loyal only to its members and its commander, Tempus. Among the Stepsons, fathers and sons and Platonic
couples, as well as single male and female fighters, can serve. In this mixed company, couples and individual cavalry and infantry fighters are recruited as circumstances required. To this end, the Stepsons rescued twenty-three pairs from the doomed Theban Sacred Band at the Battle of Chaeronea and integrated the survivors into their force. At full strength, the Stepsons number as many as three hundred and sixty fighters and have fought in three major campaigns.
's Jackie Cassada said in her 1985 review of Beyond Sanctuary: "The first novel to emerge from the Thieves' World stories features one of the notorious city of Sanctuary's most complex and problematical residents: Tempus, a warrior who cannot die and cannot enjoy his immortality. Sworn to defend the Rankan Empire from its northern enemies, Tempus leads a band of mercenaries, wizards, and an extraordinary woman against the mages of Wizardwall. While showing a fine flair for the sword-and-sorcery genre, Morris succeeds as well in making her more-than-human characters more than entertaining."
Kirkus Reviews
said of Beyond the Veil: "sword and sorcery reign supreme...main thrust here concerns the effort of immortal, sleepless, accursed Tempus, the junior wizard Randal, the knightly Critias to counter the evil conspiracies of the spirited witch Roxane -- a power struggle complicated by an assortment of slaves, walking undead, rogues, slavering beasties, aloof wizards, pregnant warriors, vile devils, demonic avatars, and meddlesome gods...absorbing and enjoyable fantasy."
OtherRealms reviewer Chuq von Rospach described Beyond Sanctuary as "By far the worst book in the series so far, readable only by Thieves' World completists and addicts". Von Rospach gave Beyond the Veil three out of five stars, and Beyond Wizardwall as well, stating it "is significantly better than its predecessors, and it shows a polish that I haven't seen before."
With the reboot of the series 20 years later, Dan L. Hollifield of Aphelion had this to say about The Sacred Band: "I was impressed with the lyrical quality of the writing. Even before I got deep enough into the story to get a handle on the characters and plot I knew I was reading something that was profoundly excellent."
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
unit created by Janet Morris
Janet Morris
Janet Ellen Morris is an American author of fiction and nonfiction, best known for her fantasy and science fiction and her authorship of a nonlethal weapons concept for the U.S. military.-Writing:...
and based on the historical Sacred Band of Thebes
Sacred Band of Thebes
The Sacred Band of Thebes was a troop of picked soldiers, consisting of 150 male couples which formed the elite force of the Theban army in the 4th century BC. It was organised by the Theban commander Gorgidas in 378 BC and played a crucial role in the Battle of Leuctra...
, an elite strike force of paired lovers and friends that flourished during the fourth century BCE in ancient Greece, where sexuality was a behavior, not an identity. The Sacred Band of Stepsons series of fantasy novels and stories take place in a myth
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
-like milieu that mixes historical places such as Nisibis
Nisibis
Nusaybin Nisêbîn) is a city in Mardin Province, Turkey, populated mainly by Kurds. Earlier Arameans, Arabs, and Armenians lived in the city. The population of the city is 83,832 as of 2009.-Ancient Period:...
, Mygdonia and Chaeronea
Chaeronea
Chaeronea is a village and a former municipality in Boeotia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Livadeia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,218...
; warriors such as Theagenes
Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC)
The Battle of Chaeronea was fought in 338 BC, near the city of Chaeronea in Boeotia, between the forces of Philip II of Macedon and an alliance of Greek city-states...
(commander of the Theban Sacred Band at Chaeronea); gods such as Enlil
Enlil
Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
, Maat
Maat
Maat is a naval rank of the German navy equivalent to the army rank of Unteroffizier. A Maat is considered the equivalent of a junior Petty Officer in the navies of many other nations....
and Harmonia
Harmonia (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal goddess of harmony and concord. Her Roman counterpart is Concordia, and her Greek opposite is Eris, whose Roman counterpart is Discordia.-Origins:...
; philosophers such as Heraclitus
Heraclitus
Heraclitus of Ephesus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor. He was of distinguished parentage. Little is known about his early life and education, but he regarded himself as self-taught and a pioneer of wisdom...
and Thales
Thales
Thales of Miletus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Miletus in Asia Minor, and one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regard him as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition...
; cavalry tactics and customs such as homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece
Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient Greece
When the topic of homosexuality in the militaries of Ancient Greece is discussed, the Sacred Band of Thebes is usually considered as the prime example of how the Ancient army use homoerotic or homosexual relationships between soldiers in a troop to boost the fighting spirit of their militaries, or...
with those that exist only in fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
. The exploits of the Stepsons are chronicled in eleven short stories and eight novels (as of 2010). In a fantasy context, this series explores the difficulties facing war-fighters in personal relationships and the enduring questions surrounding the military's historical mixing of homosexuals and heterosexuals in combat.
Evolution of the fictional Sacred Band of Stepsons
The Sacred Band of Stepsons first appeared as shock troops in the Thieves' World series in 1981 with the story, "A Man and His God," a novella introducing PlatoPlato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's Sacred Band
Sacred band
The term Sacred Band, also Sacred Company or Sacred Squadron can refer to one of the following military units:In the ancient world:* Sacred Band of Thebes* Sacred Band of Carthage...
concept of an elite homosexual war-band (Hieròs Lókhos) to readers. "A Man and His God" was subsequently reprinted in one other anthology, Thirteen Short Fantasy Novels, edited by Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
, Greenberg, Waugh and Charles; in the Thieves' World omnibus Sanctuary, Robert Asprin, ed.; and in Janet Morris's collection Tempus.
Because Thieves' World was a "shared universe" where many writers could use the same characters, others wrote stories featuring the Stepsons and their immortal commander, Tempus. Notable authors who wrote stories featuring characters from the Sacred Band of Stepsons include Chris Morris
Chris Morris (author)
Christopher Crosby Morris is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc...
, Robert Asprin
Robert Asprin
Robert Lynn Asprin was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, best known for his humorous MythAdventures and Phule's Company series.- Background :...
, Lynn Abbey
Lynn Abbey
Lynn Abbey is an American computer programmer and author.-Background:Born in Peekskill, New York, Abbey was daughter of Ronald Lionel and Doris Lorraine . She attended the University of Rochester, where she began as an astrophysics major. She earned a A.B...
, Andrew Offutt, and C.J. Cherryh.
For nearly a decade, Janet Morris wrote stories and novels, some with Chris Morris, about Tempus and his Sacred Band. Morris's first Sacred Band of Stepsons novel, Beyond Sanctuary, was the first "authorized" Thieves' World spin-off novel and was published in hardcover by Baen Books
Baen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
and then the Science Fiction Book Club. Beyond Sanctuary was reviewed by Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
and by Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
. Next came "Beyond the Veil," also a Baen hardcover and Science Fiction Book Club Selection. Beyond the Veil was reviewed by Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
and by Fantasy Review. The Baen hardcover and Science Fiction Book Club publication of Beyond Wizardwall completed publication of the trilogy. Three additional Stepsons novels and a short story per year followed until 1990, when the Morrises ceased production until 2010. In the latest Stepsons novel, The Sacred Band (2010), the Stepsons rescue twenty-three couples of the historical Sacred Band of Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea
Battle of Chaeronea (338 BC)
The Battle of Chaeronea was fought in 338 BC, near the city of Chaeronea in Boeotia, between the forces of Philip II of Macedon and an alliance of Greek city-states...
and bring them, with their Greek Fates
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
and gods, to Sanctuary.
History, myth, and philosophy meet fantasy
Classical correspondences abound, as analyzed in detail by Edgeworth. The Band's commander, Tempus, rides a Tros horse, akin to the IliadIliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
's man-devouring white horses from Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
. Tempus's leopard-skin mantle and boar's-tooth helmet, his choice of panoply and mount and food and drink, and many other allusions and references hark back to Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's Iliad. Edgeworth discusses Tempus's choices in detail:
He wears a helmet crowned with boar's teeth (Tempus [1987] 273), as does OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
in Iliad X, and a "leopard-skin mantle...from ancient times" (Tempus 273), as does Paris in Iliad VI. For a beverage he favors a mixture of wine and barley and cheese ("High Moon" 223, in The Face of Chaos [1983; cf. Beyond Wizardwall [1986] 111), which is what HecamedeHecamedeAccording to the Iliad, Hecamede , daughter of Arsinoos, was captured from the isle of Tenedos and given as captive to King Nestor. Described as "skilled as a goddess", "fair" and "proud", Hecamede was not a concubine but a serving woman. In her most prolonged mention, she serves Nestor and Prince...
serves to NestorNestor (mythology)In Greek mythology, Nestor of Gerenia was the son of Neleus and Chloris and the King of Pylos. He became king after Heracles killed Neleus and all of Nestor's siblings...
and Patroclus in Iliad XI. And he rides on one of the finest horses in the universe, known as a "Tros" horse. In antiquity the finest horses were thought to have been owned by the royal house of Troy, whose eponymous founder was named Tros.
The web of connectivity to classical sources in this series is extensive. As Edgeworth explores at length, the authors mix historicity
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, philosophy and myth. Tempus quotes the philosophers Heraclitus and Thales and some other characters call him 'Tempus Thales
Thales
Thales of Miletus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Miletus in Asia Minor, and one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regard him as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition...
.' The milieus in which the Stepsons find themselves sometimes resemble but seldom duplicate our own. Paired Sacred Banders such as Critias
Critias
Critias , born in Athens, son of Callaeschrus, was an uncle of Plato, and a leading member of the Thirty Tyrants, and one of the most violent. He was an associate of Socrates, a fact that did not endear Socrates to the Athenian public. He was noted in his day for his tragedies, elegies and prose...
and Straton
Straton
Straton or Strato may refer to:* Strato II, Indo-Greek king* Strato of Lampsacus Greek philosopher* Straton of Sardis, Greek poet and anthologist...
have historical counterparts in ancient Greece; the witch who stalks Nikodemos through many novels and stories is called Roxane, who shares that name with the wife of Alexander the Great of Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
. Many other parallels exist, along with a wealth of detail evoking our classical world. And yet, as Edgeworth points out, knowledge of the ancient world and its history is not necessary to understand the stories, which can be read purely as fantasy.
Composition
The Sacred Band of Stepsons is a multinational force, and eventually includes twenty-three couples from the Sacred Band of Thebes who fought at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BCE. Like the historic Sacred Band of Thebes (378-338 BCE), the Stepsons serve as an elite strike force. Unlike today's prevailing vision of the Theban Sacred Band, the Stepsons mix pairs and individual war-fighters in a single unit. Both Sacred Bands adhere to the ancient military model of the Sacred Bands, special units who prize honor above all and die in battle rather than desert their partners, lovers or beloveds.Constitution of the Stepsons
The Sacred Band of Stepsons was developed by their fictional commander, Tempus, from an original ten pairs of lovers and friends, plus thirty single mercenaries. These original pairs of Stepsons followed the social model of the Sacred Band of Thebes, and so did other pairs recruited subsequently. Edgeworth says of Tempus's Sacred Band:He commands a group known as the "Sacred Band," warriors who pair off for life, obviously inspired by the similar Sacred Band of Thebes {....} Homosexual relations were not unknown in either group ("High Moon" 223, 242). The Band was founded by Abarsis, a priest from the North ("A Man and his God" 571, 589 in Shadows of Sanctuary [1981]), whose name differs by only one letter from Abaris, a priest from the North said by HerodotusHerodotusHerodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
(Book IV) to have visited Greece.
In Tempus's Band, heterosexual Stepsons and Sacred Band pairs fight side by side. There is no requirement to be part of a couple to serve among the Stepsons, and single mercenaries initially outnumbered the Sacred Band pairs.
The Stepsons are principally a cavalry (hippeis
Hippeis
Hippeis was the Greek term for cavalry. The Hippeus was the second highest of the four Athenian social classes, made of men who could afford to maintain a war horse in the service of the state. The rank may be compared to Roman Equestrians and medieval knights. Among the Athenians, it referred to...
) squadron, not heavy infantry (hoplites) as the Theban Sacred Banders primarily were. While the three-hundred-strong Theban Sacred Band was constituted by Theban
Thebes, Greece
Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. It played an important role in Greek myth, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and others...
law-givers and maintained by the Theban state (according to Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
's "Life"
Parallel Lives
Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, commonly called Parallel Lives or Plutarch's Lives, is a series of biographies of famous men, arranged in tandem to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings, written in the late 1st century...
of Pelopidas
Pelopidas
Pelopidas was an important Theban statesman and general in Greece.-Athlete and warrior:He was a member of a distinguished family, and possessed great wealth which he expended on his friends, while content to lead the life of an athlete...
), the Sacred Band of Stepsons is loyal only to its members and its commander, Tempus. Among the Stepsons, fathers and sons and Platonic
Platonic love
Platonic love is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual.-Amor Platonicus:The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino. Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has...
couples, as well as single male and female fighters, can serve. In this mixed company, couples and individual cavalry and infantry fighters are recruited as circumstances required. To this end, the Stepsons rescued twenty-three pairs from the doomed Theban Sacred Band at the Battle of Chaeronea and integrated the survivors into their force. At full strength, the Stepsons number as many as three hundred and sixty fighters and have fought in three major campaigns.
Reception
Library JournalLibrary Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
's Jackie Cassada said in her 1985 review of Beyond Sanctuary: "The first novel to emerge from the Thieves' World stories features one of the notorious city of Sanctuary's most complex and problematical residents: Tempus, a warrior who cannot die and cannot enjoy his immortality. Sworn to defend the Rankan Empire from its northern enemies, Tempus leads a band of mercenaries, wizards, and an extraordinary woman against the mages of Wizardwall. While showing a fine flair for the sword-and-sorcery genre, Morris succeeds as well in making her more-than-human characters more than entertaining."
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
said of Beyond the Veil: "sword and sorcery reign supreme...main thrust here concerns the effort of immortal, sleepless, accursed Tempus, the junior wizard Randal, the knightly Critias to counter the evil conspiracies of the spirited witch Roxane -- a power struggle complicated by an assortment of slaves, walking undead, rogues, slavering beasties, aloof wizards, pregnant warriors, vile devils, demonic avatars, and meddlesome gods...absorbing and enjoyable fantasy."
OtherRealms reviewer Chuq von Rospach described Beyond Sanctuary as "By far the worst book in the series so far, readable only by Thieves' World completists and addicts". Von Rospach gave Beyond the Veil three out of five stars, and Beyond Wizardwall as well, stating it "is significantly better than its predecessors, and it shows a polish that I haven't seen before."
With the reboot of the series 20 years later, Dan L. Hollifield of Aphelion had this to say about The Sacred Band: "I was impressed with the lyrical quality of the writing. Even before I got deep enough into the story to get a handle on the characters and plot I knew I was reading something that was profoundly excellent."
Novels
- Beyond Sanctuary, (1985)
- Beyond the Veil, (1985)
- Beyond Wizardwall, (1986)
- TempusTempus (novel)Tempus With His Right Side Companion Niko is a novelized collection of fourteen previously-published short stories in the Sacred Band series by Janet Morris. Originally published in 1987 by Baen, it was reissued in 2011 by Paradise Publishing....
, (1987) - City at the Edge of Time, (1988) (with Chris Morris)
- Tempus Unbound (1989), (with Chris Morris)
- Storm Seed (1990), (with Chris Morris)
- The Sacred Band (2010), (with Chris Morris)
Short stories
- “Vashanka’s Minion,” Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn (1980), Asprin, ed.
- “A Man and His God,” Shadows of Sanctuary (1981), Asprin, ed.
- “Wizard Weather,” Storm Season (1982), Asprin, ed.
- “An End to Dreaming,” Whispers #5 (1982), Schiff, ed.
- “High Moon,” Face of Chaos, (1983), Asprin and Abbey, ed.
- “What Women Do Best,” Wings of Omen (1984) (with Chris Morris), Asprin and Abbey, ed.
- “Hell to Pay,” The Dead of Winter (1985) Asprin and Abbey, ed.
- “Power Play,” Soul of the City (1986) (with Lynn Abbey and C.J. Cherryh)
- “Pillar of Fire,” Soul of the City (1986) (with Lynn Abbey and C.J. Cherryh)
- “Sanctuary is for Lovers,” Blood Ties (1986) (with Chris Morris), Asprin and Abbey, ed.
- “Wake of the Riddler,” Aftermath (1987), Asprin and Abbey, ed.
- “Red Light, Love Light,” Uneasy Alliances, (1988) by Chris Morris, Asprin and Abbey, ed.
Reviews
- Beyond Sanctuary
- Publishers Weekly, May 3, 1985, Volume 217, Number 18, page 64
- P. Hernlund, Fantasy Review, May 1985, Volume 5, Number 5, page 16
- Jackie Cassada, Library Journal, June 15, 1985, Volume 110, Issue 11, page 75
- R. Green, Booklist, August 1985, Volume 81, Number 22, pages 1637-1638
- R. Coulson, Amazing Science Fiction, November 1985
- Chuq von Rospach, OtherRealms, July 1986, Volume 1, Number 6
- R. Green, Far Frontiers, Fall 1986, Volume 6, pages 227-228
- Beyond the Veil
- Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 1985, Volume 53, Number 22, pages 1226-1227
- R. Green, Booklist, February 1, 1986, Volume 82, Number 11, page 795
- W.D. Stevens, Fantasy Review, March 1986, Volume 9, Number 3, page 20
- Chuq von Rospach, OtherRealms, July 1986, Volume 1, Number 6
- R. Green, Far Frontiers, Fall 1986, Volume 6, pages 227-228
- Don D’Ammassa, Science Fiction Chronicle, October 1986, Volume 8, Number 1, page 49
- Beyond Wizardwall
- R. Green, Booklist, July 1986, Volume 82, Number 21, page 1587
- S. Nickerson, Fantasy Review, September 1986, Volume 9, Number 8, page 29
- R. Green, Far Frontiers, Fall 1986, Volume 6, pages 227-228
- Chuq von Rospach, Electronic OtherRealms, July 1987, Number 17
- TempusTempus (novel)Tempus With His Right Side Companion Niko is a novelized collection of fourteen previously-published short stories in the Sacred Band series by Janet Morris. Originally published in 1987 by Baen, it was reissued in 2011 by Paradise Publishing....
- J. Hanson, Voice of Youth Advocates, August/September 1987, Volume 10, Number 3, page 179
- E. Bryant, Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, October 1987, Volume 7, Number 4, pages 12-13
- City at the Edge of Time
- R. Green, Booklist, November 15, 1988, Volume 85, Number 6, page 544
- Don D’Ammassa, Science Fiction Chronicle, May 1989, Volume 10, Number 8, page 38
- Storm Seed
- R. Green, Booklist, November 1, 1990, Volume 87, Number 5, page 504
- The Sacred Band
- Dan L. Hollifield, Aphelion, The Webzine of Science Fiction and Fantasy, October 2011, Issue 156, Volume 15
See also
- GorgidasGorgidasGorgidas was the first known Theban military leader of the Sacred Band of Thebes.Plutarch chronicled their exploits. Gorgidas, around 378 BC, first established the Sacred Band by choosing couples from his army...
- Lochos
- Homosexuality in the militaries of ancient GreeceHomosexuality in the militaries of ancient GreeceWhen the topic of homosexuality in the militaries of Ancient Greece is discussed, the Sacred Band of Thebes is usually considered as the prime example of how the Ancient army use homoerotic or homosexual relationships between soldiers in a troop to boost the fighting spirit of their militaries, or...
- Homosexuality in Ancient GreeceHomosexuality in ancient GreeceIn classical antiquity, writers such as Herodotus, Plato, Xenophon, Athenaeus and many others explored aspects of same-sex love in ancient Greece. The most widespread and socially significant form of same-sex sexual relations in ancient Greece was between adult men and pubescent or adolescent boys,...
External links
- http://www.wildeoats.com/Emergence, Emergence: Gay and Lesbian Characters in SF and Fantasy, Robert M. Tilendi, in Wild Oats, Spring 2010
- http://sffrd.library.tamu.edu/search/?q=Janet+Morris+reviews&page=1&search=Search
- http://www.zauberspiegel-online.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7615&Itemid=504, Tempus Thales Article, Zauberspiegel-Online Magazine, 29 June 2011
- http://www.zauberspiegel-online.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7969&Itemid=491, Tempus Thales interviewed along with Janet MorrisJanet MorrisJanet Ellen Morris is an American author of fiction and nonfiction, best known for her fantasy and science fiction and her authorship of a nonlethal weapons concept for the U.S. military.-Writing:...
and Chris MorrisChris Morris (author)Christopher Crosby Morris is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc...
in Zauberspiegel-Online Magazine, 10 July 2011 - http://www.ranker.com/list/sacred-band-of-stepsons-books-list/reference, Ranker.com's listing of novels starring The Sacred Band of Stepsons
- http://www.ranker.com/list/books-about-the-subject-bisexuality/reference, Ranker.com's bisexuality/LGBT book lists Reference List (not open/fan list).