Fantasy: The early days

[taran]

Now, of course, fantasy is one of the leading genres in fiction, with thousands of fantasy titles weighing down bookshelves all over the world.

However, there was a time when this was not so.

For a long while, writers of fantasy were a close-knit group. From J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis to the writers of the pulps, people kept regualr contact with eachother to support them in their attempt to uphold a fledgling market.

No more is this evident than in America, where Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian) and H.P. Lovecraft wrote regular letters to each-other, where Fritz Leiber (Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser) and Michael Moor-c-o-c-k * (Elric) participated in discourse. It was a community with members as diverse as Jack Vance.

I want us all to take a look back at those early days, when fantasy was only beginning to lift out of the market, and name the best titles of the early era.

Is there an obscure fantasy novel you wish to discuss from the thirties? A writer of fantastic short stories? Sword & Sorcery novels which transcended their sterotypes in the days of pulp fiction?

Post their names here. And let us all bask in their glory.

* Moor-c-o-c-k becomes "Moorthingy" when posts are autimatically censored. Sorry for the confusion.

[TheBlackWizard]

These censored words are really getting to be a hassle .



Well, I've always wanted to read The well at the world's end By William Morris. It was one of the first works of Modern Fantasy, but I can never seem to get my hands on one. Is it good? What's it about?

[SizarieldoR]

Pardon, but aren't the early days of Fantasy back at the time of the first Knight Novels? :-) I mean, there are heres, and dragons, and whatnot, so those books do seem to me like the grandfather of modern fantasy (Great-grandfather would be the Illiad)

[taran]

You mean the "romances", a la Mallory? Yes, I suppose you could say that, and talk about Sigurd Dragonslayer too.

But what I meant was the "early days of modern fantasy"

[Majimaune]

The thing with the sensored words is because we're a younger people and like to swear alot.

[taran]

Perhaps we should return to topic and ignore the censorship for now...

William Morris is extremely hard to get your hands on now. It was part of the "Adult Fantasy" series printed by Ballantine (I think) in the 50's/60's, but I think that was the last printing. Hopefully, though, new editions will be available: the original Conan Stories by Robert E. Howard have been released in a three-part collection, extracting all the editing and modifications by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, so there's hope for Morris!

"The Dying Earth", by Jack Vance, will always remain a classic collection of short stories. It's easier to find than others--but even Jack Vance is suffering from rarity.

I'd suggest the Gollancz prints of the masters of modern fantasy to be a good starting point for anyone looking for rare works...they don't have all of them, but they've made a good compendium.

[fanficfan]

well, it's more science fiction or science fantasy than proper Fantasy. But H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds is a really good read.
The Chronicles of Narnia is also a great collection (haven't read the last 2 yet though)
Lord of the Rings goes without saying on this forum I think...
hmmm, if I think of any others I'll be sure to let you know.

[Majimaune]

Read the last two, their good. Never read the War of the Worlds but have been told they are good.