/lit/ - Literature

I read The Cloud Of Hate (1963) a Fafhrd and Gray Mouser tale from Fritz Leiber. In an underground vault in Lankhmar, an evil cult summons a fog serpent which begins to creep through the evening streets.

The short story contrasts horrific and humorous scenes. We see the progress of the malevolent cloud as it possesses the various criminals and low-lives in its path; meanwhile, Fafhrd and Gray Mouser bicker and grumble about their lack of fortune in front of a brazier. We get a keen sense of the debauched Lankhmar nightlife, and the amiable friendship of its pair of protagonists. The climactic fight sequence is as good as ever from Leiber, with a memorable monster at its centre. This is one of the better F+GM tales and good entertainment. 4/5 dinosaurs.