Black God's Kiss (Trade Paperback)

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.

Contents:
• "Where No Man Had Gone Before" (introduction by Suzy McKee Charnas)
• "Black God's Kiss"
• "Black God's Shadow"
• "Jirel Meets Magic"
• "The Dark Land"
• "Hellsgarde"
• "Quest of the Starstone" (with Henry Kuttner—the Northwest Smith crossover story)

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. In 1998 C. L. Moore was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.