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PZO8004

Black God's Kiss (Trade Paperback)
Paizo Publishing, LLC

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by C.L. Moore, with an introduction by Suzy McKee Charnas

First published in the pages of Weird Tales in 1934, C.L. Moore’s Jirel of Joiry is the first significant female sword-and-sorcery protagonist and one of the most exciting and evocative characters the genre has ever known.

Published alongside seminal works by H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, the five classic fantasy tales included in this volume easily stand the test of time and often overshadow the storytelling power and emotional impact of stories by Moore’s more famous contemporaries. A seminal work from one of fantasy’s most important authors, Black God’s Kiss is an essential addition to any fantasy library.

224-page softcover trade paperback ISBN: 1-60125-045-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-045-2

"For those who have never read the wondrous adventures of the First Lady of Sword-and-Sorcery from the First Lady of Sword-and-Sorcery... oh, gods, how I envy the dark pleasures before them," says Ryan Harvey of Black Gate magazine. Harvey's essay, "Jirel of Joiry: Mother of Us All," gives a terrific overview of the character's history and contribution to sword and sorcery fiction.

"Rich with lush description"—Dave Truesdale, Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine

About the Author

Twenty years after her death, Catherine Lucille Moore (1911–1987) remains one of the most influential female fantasy authors of all time. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Moore published her first story in Weird Tales in 1933, where it met with immediate success and earned praise from contemporaries such as H.P. Lovecraft. In a time when female authors were still marginalized and practically unheard of in genre fiction, Catherine hid her gender by publishing under the name C.L. Moore. She proceeded to write high-profile stories for Weird Tales and Astounding for the next decade, earning particular acclaim for her characters Jirel of Joiry, the first strong female protagonist in the sword and sorcery genre, and daring spaceman Northwest Smith. Moore met science fiction author Henry Kuttner in 1936 when he wrote her a fan letter, mistakenly believing her to be a man, and in 1940 the two were married. Together the couple collaborated on numerous stories and scripts for television shows under their own names and at least 17 pseudonyms, of which Lewis Padgett and Keith Hammond are the most recognized.

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Product Reviews

Average product rating: FullStarFullStarFullStarFullStarFullStar (3.8) based on 6 reviews

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FullStarFullStarFullStarFullStarFullStar Set the stage for Cherryh, Bradley, Lackey, etc.
Reviewer: tadkil

Moore writes in tight and fine prose and animates characters that are well defined. The world she constructs has a consistent and authentic texture and is bolstered by rock solid, practical, internal logic.

Jirel is the seminal female protagonist of fantasy fiction. She exists on her own terms and in her own world. She is strong and fearless and gets to that place on her own terms. She is not a harlot, or shrew or any other male stereotype of female strength. Rather, she is a powerful woman who lives her life on her terms.

As fiction, it is fine and stands alone. As an excellent example of what the genre was built upon, it is outstanding.

FullStarFullStarFullStarFullStarFullStar
Reviewer: mf_v1

I can only say that after the pre-read hype (word of mouth, forum discussion and the introduction writing) I was both prepared for the worst and hoping for the best here.

Thankfully I didn't get what I feared I might, some better-than-men feminist power-trip... Though maybe it appeared as such back when it was written.

Jirel is a well-rounded character. Simple, true, but with the right amount of guts, inner conflict and charm. Not like the copy/paste 'hard girls' I seem to see in films these days, but an actually compelling woman warrior. Very refreshing.

The stories themselves are fine, fun and benefit from the prose style of the 'cosmic weird' writers of H.P.L's circle. I like it, a lot of effort goes into conveying weirdness and wonder, something I enjoy.

Definitely enjoyable, it is only a shame I didn't get a chance to read these stories before now

FullStarFullStarFullStarFullStarFullStar Ahead of its time
Reviewer: Shade

I just finished the book last night, and found it to be an enjoyable read.

The first thing that stood out to me is Ms. Moore's writing style. Despite being from an earlier era, it rarely felt dated, and made for a fast read.

Of the stories, "Hellsgarde" was definitely my favorite. "Jirel Meets Magic" and "Black God's Kiss" were great as well. "Quest for the Starstone" was fun, but it felt a bit disconnected from the rest.

Jirel is an interesting character...tough as most men of sword & sorcery, but with a definite female perspective which sets her apart from her contemporaries.

The atmosphere of these stories is fantastic! Well worth a read.

FullStarFullStarFullStarFullStarFullStar Mixed
Reviewer: janxious

I found Moore's stories to be very good from an atmosphere perspective, and I think the characters take a back seat to the atmosphere in some of the stories.

It was a good read, but I didn't connect to the main character very much. I can usually connect with characters in other stories in the genre.

The cover art is very cool!

FullStarFullStarFullStarFullStarFullStar An RPG Resource Review
Reviewer: Megan Robertson

Skip the pathetically sexist introduction and dive straight in to some cracking good swords & sorcery tales. While Jirel of Joiry obviously earned her fame in conventional battle, the stories herein spread their net wider as she is called on to pit her wits against weird dimensions and their denizens... and ultimately her own nature.

FullStarFullStarFullStarFullStarFullStar Fun read
Reviewer: B_Wiklund

You'll get what you expect from this. A light easy read of gold old fashioned sword and sorcery. I picked this up out of curiousity as I had never read C.L. Moore. Its nothing revolutionary but some solid writing and atmospheres.
And the whole cheesy crossover with Moore's other space character is a hoot (And I mean that in a good way). I recommend it. It won't make you reevaluate fantasy lit but it will remind you why you enjoy it.


Product Discussion
6 posts. See all discussion for this product.

Black God's Kiss (Trade Paperback)
Carl Meyer,

Coin avatar

Wow! What a cover! I can't wait to get my hands on this. The couple of Jirel stories I have read are just fantastic. It may be blasphemy, but I am hard pressed to determine whether I prefer Moore's or Howard's writing.

Erik Mona (Publisher),

Rel avatar

Carl Meyer wrote:
Wow! What a cover! I can't wait to get my hands on this. The couple of Jirel stories I have read are just fantastic. It may be blasphemy, but I am hard pressed to determine whether I prefer Moore's or Howard's writing.

I'm not. Moore is far superior, in my opinion. That she is not better known is a crime against literature, and against sword and sorcery in particular.

I am really hoping this book finds its audience, because C.L. Moore is absolutely great.

--Erik

Carl Meyer,

Coin avatar

Well, I'll take your word for Moore's superior writing (I've only been able to read one of her stories so far). Perhaps Howard overshadowing her work is due to his sort of Kurt-Cobain-type tragic story. Maybe just because he wrote a lot more stories in the genre. Either way, I am glad I discovered her work (Thanks suggested reading lists in back of the DMG!), and I couldn't be happier to be getting the rest of the Jirel stories from Paizo.
I know you hear it a lot, but thanks, you guys are the best!

Erik Mona (Publisher),

Rel avatar

I think it's definitely due to Howard publishing more stories, doing it earlier (for the most part), and doing it very, very well. I don't mean to undersell Howard at all by saying I prefer Moore. Both are exemplary authors.

--Erik

Sir Oliver,

Smenk avatar

Erik, I'd just like to thank you for your recommendation. Your praise of C. L. Moore's writing got me interested into buying the Fantasy Masterworks edition of her stories available in my local book shop. I expected sword & sorcery in the vein of Leiber (which I really enjoy 'cause it's as D&D-ish as it can get) or Howard (whom I find quite entertaining). Instead I got these wonderfully moody and atmospheric stories about alien worlds. It was a bit like reading Lovecraft, except C. L. Moore actually sounds like she writes in the 20th Century. :-D

I especially enjoyed "Black God's Kiss" and "Black God's Shadow" whose eerie landscape would make any Shadow Plane denizen proud. It's damn shame Moore didn't wrote more stories about Jirel of Joiry and these worlds.

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