Special Fiction Feature: “The Whoremaster of Pald”
Zed runs a friendly, profitable business in Pald’s foreign quarter — kept that way by his seeming willingness to avoid conflict at all costs. But beneath this carefully constructed cowardly exterior beats the heart of a shrewd businessman, one who will go to any lengths to protect both his business and his employees. But he’ll need every resource at his disposal when he finds himself up against an unknown opponent who wants him dead… an opponent with very powerful allies, and deadly Lisk stitch magic at his fingertips.
Harry James Connolly’s “The Whoremaster of Pald,” praised for “vivid prose strongly reminiscent of Jack Vance” (Tangent Online), was one of the most popular and acclaimed tales in Black Gate‘s second issue. Now we are proud to present it online, complete in its entirety, with the original art and sketches by Chris Pepper. If you enjoy it, be sure to read Connolly’s second tale of swordplay and magic in the decaying city of Pald, “Another Man’s Burden,” in the Winter 2002 issue of Black Gate!
What have the reviewers been calling Black Gate magazine? “Ambitious” (Interzone), “Wonderful” (RPGNet), “Spectacular” (Tangent Online), and “The Best Thing to happen to fantasy since Robert E. Howard faked his own death, moved to England, and took on a new identity as J.R.R. Tolkien” (The Wall Street Journal).
A trio of adventurers scheme to steal a deadly enchanted sword… a dwarven detective stumbles on an ingenious new scam in a very old casino… a deadly worm terrorizes the helpless inhabitants of an ancient sky city… and the Lord of the Underworld tracks a child murderer across a chilling landscape where spiders lurk in hidden lairs and ghosts are hunted for sport — all in the 
As our big Winter issue heads to press — with new fiction from Mike Resnick, Elaine Cunningham, Darrell Schweitzer, and much more — we continue to receive a wide array of comments and suggestions on the first two issues of Black Gate.
So much to read, so little time… if you’re like us, there’s a lot of attractive titles on the shelves commanding your attention. If you’re a fan of heroic fantasy, we’re here to help.
Are you an author or artist with a passion for epic fantasy? Have you thought about submitting to Black Gate? Some of the finest stories we’ve accepted have come from new writers, including some who’ve never published before.
Time to stock up your winter reading shelf… and there’s a lot of great material to choose from. This week we take a look at new novels and collections from Jack Vance, Robert Jordan, Gene Wolfe, David & Leigh Eddings, R.A. Salvatore, and many more.