This anthology features a compilation of five thrilling heroic fantasy stories written by members of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a notable literary group of fantasy authors that was active from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Edited by Lin Carter, who was also a member and influential leader of the group, Flashing Swords! #4 Barbarians and Black Magicians includes a comprehensive introduction and detailed introductions to each story.
These captivating novelettes were originally published as part of larger works by their individual authors, some of which were revised versions. For example, Vance's "The Bagful of Dreams" was incorporated into his Dying Earth novel Cugel's Saga (1983), while Anderson's "The Tupilak" was included in his novel The Merman's Children (1979). Jakes's "Storm in a Bottle" can be found in his Brak the Barbarian collection. The Fortunes of Brak appearance in this anthology did mark its first American publication.
