‘The Swordsmen Of Varnis’ by Clive Jackson

For reasons know only to themselves, the editors have included a page-long joke that originally appeared in a fanzine and was written by someone who only published two other stories. It is nicely tongue in check but doesn’t add anything to the anthology (it is firmly in the sword and sorcery tradition). It is also the last story the editors select from the period. Pickings were obviously slim? Did EE “Doc” Smith not write anything short enough?

Quality: **
Operaticality: *

Oh, if you want to know what the joke is, well, it is done rather better here: