Fritz Lieber as an inspiration?

[Brian G Turner]

I've just started reading a collection of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Lieber, and even in the first of four stories, I'm struck by similarities in terms of references and names to GRRM's ASoFaI work.

For example, references to hedge-wizards, "three members of the Slayers Guild from Bravos", and evil Duke Karstak.

Dating can a bit confusing, as Lieber was apparently writing Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser from 1940, and the stories are not published in order of publishing date, but instead as a kind of general story arc. Most seem to have come from the late 60's and early 70's.

Just wanted to ask if anyone else here as read Lieber, and if so, am I recognising an inspiration for GRRM, or simply now established fantasy tropes?

 

[The Imp]

I've just started reading a collection of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Lieber, and even in the first of four stories, I'm struck by similarities in terms of references and names to GRRM's ASoFaI work.

For example, references to hedge-wizards, "three members of the Slayers Guild from Bravos", and evil Duke Karstak.

Dating can a bit confusing, as Lieber was apparently writing Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser from 1940, and the stories are not published in order of publishing date, but instead as a kind of general story arc. Most seem to have come from the late 60's and early 70's.

Just wanted to ask if anyone else here as read Lieber, and if so, am I recognising an inspiration for GRRM, or simply now established fantasy tropes?

I've read Fritz, but none of the books you mentioned. The one book of his that stands out for me is Gather Darkness. I highly recommend it.

 

[Werthead]

In DREAMSONGS Martin names Lieber as an influence and an author he enjoyed, though he's not a primary inspiration (as he names Tolkien, Tad Williams and Jack Vance).

 

[Ray Pullar]

Just wanted to ask if anyone else here as read Lieber, and if so, am I recognising an inspiration for GRRM, or simply now established fantasy tropes?

I read most of Leiber's Swords stories as a lad plus a few others (such as A Spectre is haunting Texas & The Big Time - SF works). Yes, Leiber was regarded back in the 70s and early 80s as a seminal American fantasist and many of the elements present in his Lankhmar stories became cliches of the sword and sorcery genre (such as Thieves and Assassins guilds warring, a street of the Gods with religion as a kind of business, inscrutable wizard patrons, Death as an enemy of the heroes). The popularity of Dungeons & Dragons during the 70s and early 80s promulgated these tropes even further. Even the central conceit of D & D - a huge, underground complex filled with monsters, traps and treasure stems in part from Leiber because of his novella "The Lords of Quarmall" which features just such an underworld divided between two rival factions. Much of Terry Pratchett's early work owed a debt to Leiber. He has influenced a multitude of writers.

P.S. It is also worth mentioning that Leiber pioneered in the area of modern urban fantasy as well (Conjure Wife [1943], "The Girl with the hungry eyes")