Though life is lost, one thing will outlive us: memory sinks not beneath the mould.
Till the Weird of the World stands unforgotten, high under heaven, the hero’s name.

–Hrolf Kraki’s Saga, Poul Anderson

Where there was once a cold unmarked plot of land in Halifax, Canada, now stands the headstone of a warrior.

After dying alone and unknown in May of this past year, his death unreported until September, author Charles Saunders of Imaro fame has, through the actions of fans, received recognition worthy of his contributions to sword-and-sorcery.

If you’ve missed this sad story, I recommend you pause here and head over to this fine piece by the New York Times, “A Black Literary Trailblazer’s Solitary Death: Charles Saunders, 73.” Saunders died at age 73 during the COVID-19 lockdown, and, as the medical examiner could not locate any immediate family, was eventually buried in an unmarked grave.

Fortunately this sad story now has a happier ending.

Some four months ago a fundraising team spearheaded by organizer Jon Tattrie and team members Milton Davis, Sherri Borden Colley, and Taaq Kirksey launched a Kickstarter to purchase both a grave marker for Saunders and an accompanying monument celebrating his literary life.

I contributed to this project, and as with all things Kickstarter, you enter them accepting a degree of risk, not knowing if they will ever come to fruition. I need not have worried; the project was funded within 24 hours of its launch, earning more than $17,000.

All credit to the likes of Davis, the author of some fine “sword-and-soul” works of his own, and the rest of this dedicated team to getting the effort across the finish line. You can view the course of the project here. The latest update: Both the grave marker for Saunders and the accompanying rock monument to Imaro have arrived in Nova Scotia. They will be installed when weather permits.

Imaro is an important figure in sword-and-sorcery. While Saunders was influenced by Robert E. Howard and Imaro bears some resemblance to Conan, the stories contain a higher degree of characterization. Whereas Conan fights his way to the crown of Aquilonia in a headlong charge for kingship, Imaro relentlessly searches for meaning in his past. We meet Imaro as a youth. His mother is banished after birthing Imaro out of wedlock outside the Ilyassi tribe, an irredeemable taboo. Imaro finds himself a despised outsider, unwelcome among the fierce warriors despite his unmatched strength and warrior prowess. The experience haunts him throughout his adventures. Although the stories in Imaro stand alone and can be read in isolation, each reveals a bit more of Imaro’s heritage and his hard outer shell begins to chip away.

I hope that these great stories receive wider recognition in the coming years. They are excellent, worth tracking down. I regret not reaching out to Saunders while he still lived to thank him for his great stories. But I take in comfort in that the fact that, although he now lies beneath the mould, his stories will live on.

Note: The guys over at Rogues in the House did a nice podcast on the life and works of Saunders, which in part prompted me to write this post. Listen here.

Brian Murphy is the author of Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery (Pulp Hero Press). Learn more about his life and work on his website, The Silver Key.