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theesotericcamel's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely an interesting collection as a majority of the stories collected in this anthology are hard to find otherwise. Although, I would not call it an especially successful anthology. Part of the problem is that it attempts to present a very wide cross-section of what the editor, Lin Carter, believes to be great examples of fantasy for adults. There is no doubt that Lin Carter was a well-read man, and he even considers himself to be part of this literary canon as he "humbly" includes two of his own stories in the collection... They are the weakest stories of the bunch. That is not to say they are bad, but they do pale in comparison to some of the more choicer morsels of fiction included within. It is evident that Lin Carter has a wide and researched appreciation for adult Fantasy, but I find his appreciation to be too wide, and this is evident in the collection of stories itself which seem to be arranged fairly chronologically to when they were first published. The earlier stories show much more craft and subtlety in their written style and ideas, whereas the later half of stories feel more like pulp fiction publications trying to recreate the older style, and not always successfully.
There are some gems in the anthology that I feel are worth a special mention. Right off the bat, the collection started out strong with "Zulkaïs and Kalilah" by William Beckford. This is a "lost" episode that was originally supposed to be part of his famous novel "Vathek." This particular episode was never finished, although Beckford left notes on how he planned to conclude the story. The version included in this anthology IS finished and by another eminent Fantasy luminary Clark Ashton-Smith no less, who also translated the version here from French to English. This story alone was for me worth the price of admission. However, there is more...
"The Fall of Babbulkund" by Lord Dunsany was another standout story for me. He manages to conjure up a fantastical ancient city, the likes of Babylon or even Irem, the mythical city of pillars from Arabic folklore. The writing style Lord Dunsany employs also evokes the same feeling as a Biblical Old Testament story, or the Epic of Gilgamesh. Although a short story, we are led to picture the grandeur and beauty of this ancient city and we feel a great loss for when the city ends up being destroyed. And Lord Dunsany is able to bring this feeling out in us in the span of only a couple of pages.
"Jiril Meets Magic" by C.L. Moore was another favourite of mine, although rather pulply in feel, much more in line with Robert E. Howard's style of Sword and Sandal type of fantasy fiction. (One of his stories also makes an appearance in this collection too.) C.L. Moore's style rivals that of Howard. Making the protagonist, Jiril, a female Barbarian was also a nice touch, especially because her depiction was not overly sexualised as they often tend to be in this genre. She is presented as a strong and capable leader, rivalling Conan the Barbarian in bravery and wits. My first introduction to this Jiril and C.L. Moore and I am interested in reading more of her adventures.
So in conclusion, while not a spectacular anthology it is undoubtedly an interesting one containing rare curiosities that perhaps fell by the wayside of popularity for a reason. (See for example the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, and the unpublished Chapter from "Titus Groan" by Mervyn Peake.) Still for fans of adult fantasy there is much to enjoy here.
There are some gems in the anthology that I feel are worth a special mention. Right off the bat, the collection started out strong with "Zulkaïs and Kalilah" by William Beckford. This is a "lost" episode that was originally supposed to be part of his famous novel "Vathek." This particular episode was never finished, although Beckford left notes on how he planned to conclude the story. The version included in this anthology IS finished and by another eminent Fantasy luminary Clark Ashton-Smith no less, who also translated the version here from French to English. This story alone was for me worth the price of admission. However, there is more...
"The Fall of Babbulkund" by Lord Dunsany was another standout story for me. He manages to conjure up a fantastical ancient city, the likes of Babylon or even Irem, the mythical city of pillars from Arabic folklore. The writing style Lord Dunsany employs also evokes the same feeling as a Biblical Old Testament story, or the Epic of Gilgamesh. Although a short story, we are led to picture the grandeur and beauty of this ancient city and we feel a great loss for when the city ends up being destroyed. And Lord Dunsany is able to bring this feeling out in us in the span of only a couple of pages.
"Jiril Meets Magic" by C.L. Moore was another favourite of mine, although rather pulply in feel, much more in line with Robert E. Howard's style of Sword and Sandal type of fantasy fiction. (One of his stories also makes an appearance in this collection too.) C.L. Moore's style rivals that of Howard. Making the protagonist, Jiril, a female Barbarian was also a nice touch, especially because her depiction was not overly sexualised as they often tend to be in this genre. She is presented as a strong and capable leader, rivalling Conan the Barbarian in bravery and wits. My first introduction to this Jiril and C.L. Moore and I am interested in reading more of her adventures.
So in conclusion, while not a spectacular anthology it is undoubtedly an interesting one containing rare curiosities that perhaps fell by the wayside of popularity for a reason. (See for example the poem by Edgar Allen Poe, and the unpublished Chapter from "Titus Groan" by Mervyn Peake.) Still for fans of adult fantasy there is much to enjoy here.
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