Bridging the gaps between classic fantasy, low fantasy, and speculative realism, these six tales show that sometimes our own preconceptions, doubts, and self-delusions can prove more troublesome than any magical or sword-wielding foe. "Tricks of the Blade" is a short story collection by Eric Lewis, published by Mannison Press.

By day, Eric Lewis is a research scientist weathering the latest rounds of mergers and layoffs and still trying to remember how to be a person again long after surviving grad school. His short fiction has been published in "Nature," "Electric Spec," "Allegory," "Bards and Sages Quarterly," the anthologies "Into Darkness Peering," "Best Indie Speculative Fiction Vol. 1," and the upcoming "Crash Code," as well as other venues detailed at ericlewis.ink. His debut novel "The Heron Kings" is due out in 2020 from Flame Tree Press.