WARRIORS (aka WARRIORS 1) is the first volume of a cool, multi-genre, multi-author anthology with stories on the theme of—well, warriors. My contribution to this work is Lord John and the Custom of the Army, a novella featuring Lord John Grey from the Outlander series. WARRIORS is edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. Other authors contributing to this anthology include Peter S. Beagle, Joe Haldeman, Robin Hobb, Cecilia Holland, Robert Silverberg, Carrie Vaughn, Tad Williams, editors George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, and many others. It was first released in hardback in March, 2011.

Here is an excerpt from my Lord John tale:

“On balance, it was probably the fault of the electric eel. John Grey could–and for a time, did—blame the Honorable Caroline Woodford as well. In all justice to the lady, though, she certainly hadn’t meant him to fight a duel, and had been appalled at the outcome. The fact remained that if it had not been for the Honorable Caroline, he wouldn’t be in Canada, hip-deep in Indians and Highlanders, and facing one of the most disagreeable prospects he had encountered in a long career of soldiering. Still no, it was the eel’s fault.””

Thus begins a story that takes us from a duel in London to the Plains of Abraham.

From The Editor, George R.R. Martin

In the introduction to WARRIORS, editor George R.R. Martin writes:

“People have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories. Since Homer first sang the wrath of Achilles and the ancient Sumerians set down their tales of Gilgamesh, warriors, soldiers, and fighters have fascinated us; they are a part of every culture, every literary tradition, every genre. All Quiet on the Western Front, From Here to Eternity, and The Red Badge of Courage have become part of our literary canon, taught in classrooms all around the country and the world. Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and bestselling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing—a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they’re best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in these pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat.”