Original Post: Sunday, April 10, 2022 SELindberg on Black Gate
Sorcery Against Caesar: The Complete Simon of Gitta Short Stories (cover art by Steven Gilberts) Pickman’s Press, 2020, 405pages.
Greg Mele recently paid
tribute to Richard L. Tierney at Black Gate. That
memorial post covers the author’s life and bibliography very well, so check
that out; Tierney co-authored books with David C. Smith will be echoed here.
The Goodreads
S&S group is hosting a two-month group read of his work presently
(March-April 2022), which spurred me to read Scroll of Thoth; Simon
Magus and the Great Old Ones.
That book lingered way too long on my shelf. It was packaged
as horror influenced by history, with a mage protagonist; however, having read
it now, I argue that it is more Fantasy than Horror or Historical Fiction. If
assigning genre categories floats your boat, then Sword & Sorcery is more
accurate.
As the post title indicates with “Sica and Sorcery,” Simon
often fights with a Thracian long-dagger/short-sword called a sica, and evil
sorcery abounds. With cover art by H. E. Fassel (below), Scroll of
Thoth has all twelve Tierney-written, short stories tracking Simon of
Gitta with comprehensive essays from Robert M Price for each; he covers both
the actual history drawn from, as well as the Lovecraftian and Howardian (REH)
mythos call-outs. The collection was published by Chaosium in 1997 and inspired
(or augmented) their Call of Cthulhu role-playing
game; in 2009, the Cthulhu
Invictus campaign (6th ed) released, and that, in
turn, spawned a 2015 collection of similar “Sica and Sorcery” (Tierney did not
contribute, but Robert M. Price did).
With Sorcery Against Caesar: The Complete Simon of
Gitta Short Stories (cover art above by Steven Gilberts, Pickman’s
Press 2020), readers are treated to all 12 stories and essays in Scroll
of Thoth (with an abridged version of the introduction), plus 4 more
tales that are pastiche or co-authored tales (also with contextual essays).
Pickman’s Press also released a novel-length Simon of Gitta adventure
penned by Tierney called Drums of Chaos (originally published
in 2008, available now with cover art by Zach McCain, published 2021), which
would have been too big to include with the short stories. In short, both Sorcery
Against Caesar and Drums of Chaos are available in
print and electronic form. This review covers the short stories, but Drums
of Chaos is included in the tour guide below. According to the
essays by Price, even more Simon of Gitta stories were planned but,
unfortunately, are left in limbo.
Sorcery Against Caesar: The Complete Simon of Gitta Short
Stories, official blurb:
A REBEL AGAINST ROME.
Simon of Gitta, an escaped slave turned magician, roves the
Roman Empire battling dark magic and demons, all the while pursued by Caesar’s
soldiers. Join Simon as he flees across the ancient world evading cultists and
Legionaries, outwitting sorcerers and Centurions, and fighting gladiators and
gods, even the deities of the Cthulhu Mythos. Yet all these foes cannot prepare
him for his greatest challenge: the pursuit of his lost soul-mate Helen, a love
so deep even death can’t stand in its way for long.
Who is Simon of Gitta?
For the non-history and non-religious folk, Simon is
actually a biblical character. The Christian Bible’s Acts of the Apostle
presents him as a Samaritan magus. Tierney presents Simon similarly, a mage
hailing from Tyre (modern-day Lebanon), but has his heroic origins emerge from
being an enslaved gladiator. Essentially, Tierney rebranded Simon as
genuinely as Karl Edward Wagner did the biblical Cain (with his Kane tales); in
fact, Tierney emphasized this by having the characters meet in the “The Blade
of the Slayer” story.
Having excelled at fighting, Tierney’s Simon is skilled at
the sica and hand-to-hand combat. The first tale “The Sword of Spartacus” has
him escaping the pits and starting his studies as a mage. Frankly, he casts few
spells himself. He does ally with many other active mages (his mentors),
and he applies his knowledge of the arts frequently (low-level actions like
casting illusions and enhancing disguises, letting his companions do the heavy
spellcasting). Even though a mage describes his character well, he is much more
of a rogue gladiator/fighter. Simon’s companions are more sorcery-focused and
include the mages Dositheus and Menophar, and even a raven named Carbo.
“…I studied the arts of the mages at Persepolis, but before
that I was trained as a gladiator — sold into the profession by the Romans, who
slew my parents in Samaria because they could not pay the taxes imposed on them
by a corrupt regime. I escaped, after two years of fighting for my life — of
spilling blood for the Roman mob —!” The character Simon explains
Simon is completely fascinated with two goals: (1) seeking
revenge against Rome, and (2) seeking out his love named Helen. The villains are
usually Roman Emperors like Tiberius, Claudius, and Gaius (aka Caligula), or
they are subordinates or Senators seeking more power. The antagonists are
constantly summoning eldritch gods with grand rituals that are completely over
the top, and wonderful (we are talking’ coliseums full of sacrifices’ and
‘mating rituals with Star Gods’!). As Simon ventures, he learns his True Spirit
has existed beyond/before his current life and that he is always paired with
the same female companion who also pervades time; this approach reminded me of
Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion with a love interest. Even though each
short story is stand-alone, these two themes persist across all.
Style
Sorcery Against Caesar really is a splendid
mashup of history from Ancient Roman times, with lore from Judaism,
Zoroastrianism, polytheistic Etruscan & Egyptian religions, and more…
all equally weighted with Lovecraftian Mythos, Robert E,
Howard’s Hyborian Age history, and even lore from David C. Smith’s Attluma
cycle. For most readers, there will be instances in which determining which
gods are based on historical deities or fictional ones will be difficult (for
me it started right away with the summoning of Tuchulcha in the first story;
that daemon is based on Etruscan myths, not a Lovecraftian
Elder). Like Lovecraft, Tierney reinforces a pseudo-real mythos by referencing
faux books like the Necronomicon with reverence; here we have the Sapientia
Magorum written by Ostanes, the titular Scroll of Thoth, and the Tomb
Texts of Ani.
For the Howard fans, you will enjoy entire stories that
build on Conan’s first story “The Phoenix on the Sword.” Both the Ring of Set
mentioned therein as well as the Phoenix on the Sword get full stories; also
for the Kull of Atlantis fans, delight in the “The Dragons of Mons Fractus”
tale that features Pontius Pilate exhibiting Vlad the Impaler vibes along with
Valusian serpent people. “The Scroll of Thoth” reinforces the Pain Lords from
the Red Sonja Books (co-authored by Tierney and David C. Smith).
Even though there is a ton of sorcery, most of it is
redirected toward evil Emperors, Simon usually is not the sorcerer.
He is a fighter who hangs out with friendly sorcerers while taking down the
evil ones. The fight scenes and action reminded me of Howard’s action-packed
Sword & Sorcery. Anyway, don’t expect dry history or old-style, meandering
pre-pulp gothic horror. Expect (a) bloody melee, (b) fantastical
sorcery, and (c) links to Howardian and other fictional mythos. Excerpts below
the Tour Guide reinforce these.
Roman-inspired adventure
by Chaosium and related Call of Cthulhu content
Table of Contents (and Chronological Tour Guide of Simon’s
Tales)
* content in Sorcery Against Ceaser (i.e.,
not in Scroll of Thoth). All stories by Richard L. Tierney
unless noted.
- “Sword
of the Avatar” Introduction (by Robert M. Price); the unabridged version
is in The Scroll of Thoth.
- “The
Sword of Spartacus” first published in Swords Against Darkness #3
(Zebra Books, 1978).
- “The
Fire of Mazda” first published in Orion’s Child #1
(May-June 1984).
- “The
Seed of the Star-God” first published in Crypt of Cthulhu #24
(Lammas 1984).
- “The
Blade of the Slayer first published in Pulse-Pounding Adventure
Stories #1 (December 1986).
- * “The
Throne of Achamoth” by Richard L. Tierney & Robert M. Price, first
published in Weirdbook #21 (Autumn 1985).
Drums of Chaos is a separate novel-length, Simon
of Gitta adventure by Tierney (originally published in 2008,
available now via Pickman’s Press 2021, 415pages) that occurs chronologically
after “The Throne of Achamoth.” Here’s the blurb (cover below):
CAN A HANDFUL OF HEROES STOP AN APOCALYPSE CENTURIES IN THE
MAKING?
Escaped gladiator-slave Simon of Gitta returns to Judea —
during the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth — on a mission to avenge the deaths of
his parents, seeking revenge in blood against the Roman officials who committed
the murders and sold Simon into slavery. But as Simon travels the Holy
Lands with his mentor Dositheus and their students Menander and llione, they
gradually become entangled in a complex occult plot designed to call down a
monstrous alien entity to herald a new aeon on Earth. The mysterious time
traveler John Taggart (from Tierney’s The Winds of Zarr) also becomes involved
with Simon as their separate quests converge toward a common goal of saving all
life on Earth from extinction.
But can a handful of travelers really thwart a covert scheme
backed by the power of the Roman Empire? As the apocalyptic supernatural events
slowly unfold, Simon and his allies are in a race against time to prevent the
devastation of the world. Using mystery cults and early Christian
Gnosticism as his vehicle, with meticulously researched Roman history and Biblical
scholarship, this is author Richard Tierney’s magnum opus: an epic Lovecraftian
alternate history dark fantasy novel that features Tierney’s most famous
characters, Simon of Gitta and John Taggart. This novel will appeal to
fans of historical fantasy and sword & sorcery fiction in the vein of
Robert E. Howard, and the elements of cosmic horror and the Cthulhu Mythos will
satisfy many fans of H.P. Lovecraft.
- * “The
Emerald Tablet” by Robert M. Price; first published in Strange
Sorcery #24, Rainfall Books (August 2017).
- “The
Soul of Kephri” first published in Space & Time #66
(Summer 1984).
- “The
Ring of Set” first published in Swords Against Darkness #1
(Zebra Books, 1977).
- “The
Worm of Urakhu” first published in Weirdbook #23
(December 1988).
- “The
Curse of the Crocodile” first published in Crypt of Cthulhu #47
(Roodmas 1987).
- “The
Treasure of Horemkhu” first published in Pulse-Pounding
Adventure Stories #2 (December 1987).
- * “The
Secret of Nephren-Ka” by Robert Price, published first in The Mighty
Warriors (Ulthar Press, 2018).
- “The
Scroll of Thoth” first published in Swords Against Darkness #2
(Zebra Books, 1977).
- “The
Dragons of Mons Fractus” first published in Weirdbook #19
(Spring 1984).
- * “The
Wedding of Sheila-Na-Gog” by Richard L. Tierney & Glenn Rahman, first
published in Crypt of Cthulhu #29
(Candlemas 1985).
- “The
Pillars of Melkarth Vengeance Quest” first published in Space
& Time #78 (Summer 1990).
- * “Vengeance
Quest” poem, originally published in The Cimmerian #7
(October 2004).
More Simon of Gitta from Tierney?
Robert M. Price writes in the essay for “The Pillars of
Melkarth” this context hinting at an unpublished, but already written, novel,
and several other tales that likely were never finished:
Readers may notice a large time lapse between the events of
“The Pillars of Melkarth” (spring equinox, A.D. 50) and those of the previous
story set in A.D. 42. This is because those years were taken up with the events
of the novels Path of the Dragon (forthcoming from Pickman’s
Press) in A.D. 42 and The Gardens of Lucullus (Sidecar
Preservation Society, 2001) in A.D. 48. Other stories were planned during this
time period as well. Richard Tierney intended some German adventures in A.D. 46
– 47, as well as entertaining another collaboration with Glenn Rahman on a pair
of novels set on the western Roman frontier, one centered on the Claudian
invasion of Britain, the other involving the Picts in Scotland. Sadly, none of
these stories were ever written — yet.
Drums of Chaos (cover
art by Zach McCain) Pickman’s Press, 2021
Excerpts. Expect:
A) Lots of “Sick” Sica Melee
Simon roared and struck out; his fist cracked sharply
against the face of the nearest guard, who flopped to the cobbles without a
cry. Quick as a panther he crouched and whirled, barely in time to avoid a
murderous blow from a second guard’s staff; his sharp-bladed sica, already in
hand, shore through the guard’s neck as Simon completed his whirl, and the man
went down with a dying gurgle.
and…
The door was only large enough for two abreast and Simon met
the first two with steel, expertly parrying, slashing, stabbing. One collapsed
mortally wounded from a sword-thrust in the guts; the other leaped back,
suddenly fearful, but was pushed forward again by the surging mob — to die
instantly on the point of the sica. Simon howled with mad rage, swinging and
thrusting; a bludgeon glanced heavily off his left shoulder and a knife-point
nicked his flank, but three more of his enemies went down with blood gushing. A
pike ripped his tunic and gashed the side of his ribcage; he roared and smote
in return, cleaving a snarling face with his sword. Fierce exultation suddenly
filled him; if he must die, this was how he preferred it, fighting and slaying
Romans to the very end —
B) Unraveling Emperor Plans to Meddle with Cosmic Sorcery
“I think I know what you learned. Tiberius’ purge of his
enemies is no secret, and Carbo recently brought me another message from
Senator Junius, who has been recalled from exile in Lesbos to house arrest in
Rome. The senator told me about Prodikos and his daughters, and I have learned
much more here in Ephesos.”
Simon stopped eating. “What have you learned of Prodikos?”
“Much, Simon, but mainly that in this city renowned for its
sorcerers, he is the most powerful and feared of them all.”
A serving-girl entered with an amphora of wine, and
Dositheus ceased speaking. When she had gone Simon filled his goblet. “Go on,”
he said.
“Prodikos had several children by various slave women, but
all were sons save Helen and Ilione. These sons he long ago sold into slavery,
but his daughters he kept — for an evil purpose, as it turns out. Simon, it is
no mere incestuous lust that drives Prodikos. He means to force Ilione to join
with him in a monstrous ritual that shall release forces this world has not
seen since it emerged from the last great darkness of the All-Night.”…
… “The rite of the Impregnation and the Slaying — an act of
sympathetic magic that shall cause the seed of the Star-god to unite with the
Great Mother, thereby generating a horrendous spawn that will overwhelm this
world.”
Simon gripped his goblet tensely. His scalp tingled as he
recalled reading of just such a black ritual in the Sapientia Magorum of
the ancient Persian magus Ostanes. “Gods of Hades! How could the girl’s own
father even think of such perverse madness —?”
Dositheus drew a deep breath. ‘‘He may no longer be her true
father, Simon. Have you not read of Sakkuth, King of Night, and his evil
Master?”
Simon felt the tingling extend down his spine. Sakkuth the
King, servitor of Kaiwan the Star-god — both evil beings cursed by the ancient
prophets yet still furtively worshipped by sorcerers in his own native Samaria…
“The wizards of Acheron and Stygia and even older civilization
cycles knew them by other names,” Dositheus went on. “To the nations of primal
Attluma they were Kossuth and Assatur. It is said that every thousand years
Sakkuth attempts to destroy civilization, and that he succeeds unless powerful
magic is used to stop him. It was he who plunged the world into the All-Night
after the Atlantean and Hyborian cataclysms. And to initiate such times, his
master Kaiwan, who dwells amid the stars near the Eye of Taurus, sends to earth
his seed to unite with the Great Mother, thereby enabling her to spawn the
Thousand Abominations that will overwhelm the world.”
C) An Abundance of R.E. Howard Hyborian Age References
Instantly the sword hilt in his hands shrilled with a
supernatural energy, and a blade of golden light sprang forth — a blade that
must, Simon somehow knew, be equal in length to the sword blade when it was
first wielded ages ago by the Aquilonian King!
“The Phoenix!” gasped Nephere, falling to his knees. “The
soul of civilization — the hope of mankind…”
The great bird — if bird it was — had wheeled about and was
now settling down, flapping its wide and glittering pinions, coming to rest
atop the ancient pyramidal stone behind the flaming altar. It perched there and
folded its wings, gazing down upon the flames where — so Nephere had said — its
parent had just been cremated.
Simon could only stare in awe. He suddenly realized that he
had never known true beauty before. He had seen vast mountain landscapes that
had taken his breath away, and many fire-emblazoned sunsets, and had known a
number of beautiful women — even one that had shared with him and the fallen
gods his own soul-nature. But never, until now, had he felt the presence of the
very Soul of Beauty.
Yet, despite the mood that was upon him, despite the lingering
chords of celestial music in his heart, he could still see actual, objective
features of the being. It was about the size and shape of a large eagle, and
this fact had doubtless formed the basis of the legends that had surrounded it.
But it was no bird, Simon knew — nor any creature of earth or its environs.
Those scales or feathers, gleaming like a thousand luminous gems, only slightly
resembled the scales or feathers of earthly creatures; that gently curved bill,
glowing like translucent pearl, only resembled something between the beaks of
ibis and eagle; the golden spray of filaments about its head and throat only
resembled the inferior crowns and gorgets of earthly kings and queens. And the
great eyes, round and limpid and swirling with obscure colors, bright with
transcendent life and supermundane intelligence — these resembled nothing he
had ever seen…
Richard L. Tierney
Richard L. Tierney (1936 – 2022) was a poet, author, and
editor of adventure fiction, mainly in the realm of dark fantasy. Since his
mid-teens, he had been both a fan and scholar of H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E.
Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and other great names from the pulp fiction era. In
2010, he was nominated for the Science Fiction Poetry Association’s Grandmaster
Award. In 1961, Tierney earned a degree in Entomology (Iowa State College) and
served for many years with the U.S. Forest Service in several of the western
states and Alaska. A haunter of archaeological ruins by instinct, he had
traveled widely, especially in Mexico, Central, and South America. Many of the
ideas and images that he employed in his stories were inspired by his extensive
travels. His major works include Collected Poems (1981, Arkham
House), The House of the Toad (1993, Fedogan and
Bremer), Sorcery Against Caesar: The Complete Simon of Gitta Short
Stories (Pickman’s Press, 2020), The Drums of Chaos (2008,
Mythos Books, 2021 Pickman’s Press), and Savage Menace and Other Poems
of Horror (2010, reprint 2021, P’rea Press).
