The Stronger Spell
Encyclopedia
"The Stronger Spell" is a fantasy
story written by L. Sprague de Camp
as part of his Pusadian series
. It was first published in the magazine Fantasy Fiction
for November 1953, and first appeared in book form in de Camp's collection The Tritonian Ring and Other Pusadian Tales
(Twayne, 1953). It has since been reprinted in the anthology The Mighty Barbarians
, edited by Hans Stefan Santesson
(Lancer Books
, 1969). It has also been translated into Dutch
and German
.
Chronologically, "The Stronger Spell" has no settled place in the chronology of de Camp's Pusadian tales. Critic John Boardman
placed it last in the series on the grounds that the handgun represents a technological advance over weaponry seen in the other stories. De Camp himself had no fixed position in mind for the story.
civilization supposedly throve in what was then a single continent consisting of Eurasia
joined with Africa
, and in the islands to the west. It is similar in conception to Robert E. Howard
's Hyborian Age
, by which it was inspired, but more astutely constructed, utilizing actual Ice Age
geography in preference to a wholly invented one. In de Camp's scheme, the legend of this culture that came down to classic Greece
as "Atlantis" was a garbled memory that conflated the mighty Tartessian Empire with the island continent of Pusad and the actual Atlantis, a barbaric mountainous region that is today the Atlas mountain range
.
described the Pusadian series as being "in the Conan
tradition in every sense of the word, though better written."
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...
story written by L. Sprague de Camp
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction and fantasy books, non-fiction and biography. In a writing career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and notable works of non-fiction, including biographies of other important fantasy authors...
as part of his Pusadian series
Pusadian series
The Pusadian series is a sequence of fantasy stories by L. Sprague de Camp, begun in the early 1950s and written under the influence of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. It is also known as the Poseidonis series...
. It was first published in the magazine Fantasy Fiction
Fantasy Fiction (magazine)
Fantasy Fiction was a fantasy and science fiction magazine published in the United States in 1953. It was published by Future Publications out of New York. Between February 1953 and November 1953 they released a total of four issues in the digest format.-Famous contributors:Fantasy Fiction...
for November 1953, and first appeared in book form in de Camp's collection The Tritonian Ring and Other Pusadian Tales
The Tritonian Ring and Other Pusadian Tales
The Tritonian Ring and Other Pusadian Tales is a 1953 collection of stories by science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp, first published in hardcover by Twayne Publishers...
(Twayne, 1953). It has since been reprinted in the anthology The Mighty Barbarians
The Mighty Barbarians
The Mighty Barbarians: Great Sword and Sorcery Heroes is a 1969 anthology of fantasy short stories in the sword and sorcery subgenre, edited by Hans Stefan Santesson...
, edited by Hans Stefan Santesson
Hans Stefan Santesson
Hans Stefan Santesson , was an American editor, writer, and reviewer. He edited the selections of the Unicorn Mystery Book Club in the latter 1940s and early 1950s, the magazines Fantastic Universe from 1956 to 1960, the US edition of the British New Worlds Science Fiction in 1960 and the US...
(Lancer Books
Lancer Books
Lancer Books was a series of paperback books published from 1961 through 1973 by Irwin Stein and Walter Zacharius. While it published stories of a number of genres, it was noted most for its science fiction and fantasy, particularly its series of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian tales, the...
, 1969). It has also been translated into Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
Plot summary
After musical performer Suar Peial rescues the druid Gleokh from a murderous affray, the two celebrate the latter’s deliverance in a local tavern. Gleokh holds forth on his revolutionary new weapon, an experimental gun. A general debate over the gun and its merits, and the threat it might pose to the Bronze Age culture in which the characters live. Midawan, an armorer, is worried it will render his profession obsolete, while Semkaf, a wizard from Typhon, is overcome by greed for the device. His apprentice attempts to kill Gleokh for it, only to be shot by the gun, whereupon Semkaf conjures up an invisible serpent to finish the job his servant started. Suar and Midawan are literally caught in the crossfire, and it falls to the armorer to save them both…Chronologically, "The Stronger Spell" has no settled place in the chronology of de Camp's Pusadian tales. Critic John Boardman
John Boardman
Jack Melton Boardman, commonly known as John Boardman, is an American former professor of physics at Brooklyn College.- Academic career :...
placed it last in the series on the grounds that the handgun represents a technological advance over weaponry seen in the other stories. De Camp himself had no fixed position in mind for the story.
Setting
In common with the other Pusadian tales, "The Stronger Spell" takes place in a prehistoric era during which a magic-based AtlantianAtlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
civilization supposedly throve in what was then a single continent consisting of Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
joined with Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and in the islands to the west. It is similar in conception to Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
's Hyborian Age
Hyborian Age
The Hyborian Age is a fictional period within the artificial mythology created by Robert E. Howard, in which the sword and sorcery tales of Conan the Barbarian are set....
, by which it was inspired, but more astutely constructed, utilizing actual Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
geography in preference to a wholly invented one. In de Camp's scheme, the legend of this culture that came down to classic Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
as "Atlantis" was a garbled memory that conflated the mighty Tartessian Empire with the island continent of Pusad and the actual Atlantis, a barbaric mountainous region that is today the Atlas mountain range
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
.
Critical reception
Groff ConklinGroff Conklin
Edward Groff Conklin was a leading science fiction anthologist. He edited 40 anthologies of science fiction, one of mystery stories , wrote books on home improvement and was a freelance writer on scientific subjects as well as a published poet...
described the Pusadian series as being "in the Conan
Conan
-People:* Conan O'Brien , American talk show host* Saint Conan , bishop of the Isle of Man* Conan I of Rennes , king of Brittany* Conan of Cornwall , medieval bishop...
tradition in every sense of the word, though better written."