Karl Edward Wagner, fantasy/horror writer, psychiatrist, and hard drinker would have been 70 years old on December 12th. I first discovered Wagner in a book shop in florida in 1984, when I picked up a paperback copy of Darkness Weaves. Attracted by the Frank Frazetta cover, there was no way I could resist. Darker and grimmer than Howard's Conan, Kane was an antihero in the vein of Moorcock's Elric. No noble savage, Kane was a Machiavellian swordsman, who also dabbled in sorcery to further his frequent goals of world conquest. I was hooked, and quickly sought out the rest of Wagner's Kane stories. The novels are a bit of a mixed bag, but I think it's in the short stories where Wagner's writing really shined. Sadly, Wagner died at 48. I should very much liked to see where his writing would have gone.
