#22--Published October 1970
GOLDEN CITIES, FAR
Lin Carter, ed.
Cover art by Ralph Iwamoto and Kathleen Zimmerman
Like the previous world tale collection in this series (see #7: "Dragons, Elves and Heroes"), Lin Carter has put together a marvelous volume that can not only be enjoyed in its own right, but should lead the reader to many other sources as well. Whetting the appetite for more is hardy praise for such a book. This particular volume has been in my collection since my teens, and it always was graced by my favourite title of the entire series. However, until now I had never read it!! In addition to an introductory essay for the collection, Carter presents each of the thirteen tales with a proper introduction. I would also like to say a word or two about each of the stories, by way of a review.
How Nefer-Ka-Ptah Found the Book of Thoth, from an Egyptian papyri and retold by Brian Brown, tells the tale of a king's son, an avid reader, and his pursuit of the ultimate book. How he achieves this marvelous feat, and at what cost, makes for a short but sweet beginning to this volume. If you like this opening story, as I did, then you will likely enjoy the rest of the book.
The Descent of Ishtar to the Netherworld is a short poem (translated by Carter himself), and is a bit pedestrian by comparison. However, it has all the ingredients of a great fantasy epic, proving beyond a doubt that authors from any age are capable of unleashing their imagination in ways that can still be appreciated by readers distant in time and location.
Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou is a tale from the Arabian Nights, though not one published by Burton. Though loosely connected, it is in two distinct parts, and they each make good separate tales. The second one is the better of the two, and really captures the spirit of these rich tales nicely. I have not read any of the Arabian Nights tales now in many years, but will soon undertake some of them again. A loyal son, distrusted and abused by his father the Sultan, goes well out of his way to make his unique way in the world. This is one of the best stories in the present volume.
Of course the Thousand and One Nights stories became hugely popular, ushering in an age of Orientalism in Europe that was to last over a century. James Ridley wrote a volume of original tales entitled "The Persian Tales of the Genii," and Carter has selected The Merchant Abudah's Adventure with the Ivory Box for this volume. Nearly as rich and captivating as the original Arabian Nights tale above, we follow Abudah's various bizarre adventures as he searches for the talisman of Oromanes, egged on by a tiny old hag that pops out of a tiny ivory box every night to torment him. We follow our hero/merchant through four significant adventures, each one stranger and more fantastic than the previous one. I enjoyed all of it right up until the final paragraph...
Wars of the Giants of Albion is from the Welsh Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth. The tale told here describes how Britain came to be settled and ruled. Though a lot of the material I have reviewed so far might sound a tad on the dry side, it is anything but. Almost all of the stories, and this one in particular, are easy to read by the lover of fantasy writing. If you are interested in writing fantasy, you will also learn a lot about storytelling from these wonderfully imagined tales!
Forty Singing Seamen is a ballad on an old legend by Alfred Noyes, telling a fantastic tale that could be real or could be imagined.
We move next into Carolingian literature. Huon of Bordeaux is a medieval French romance translated by Sir John Bourchier and retold by Robert Steele. If you like Arthurian romance or other tales of chivalry, this story will please greatly. The Shadowy Lord of Mommur is the title of this excerpt. I have not talked much about the humour in many of the stories. This tale is a good example of that aspect, which many of the others also share. The hero is given a cup and a horn by King Oberon, and their magic is interwoven throughout the story. The cup will always be filled with wine for all who are thirsty. The horn, if blown, will immediately summon King Oberon and his army to aid the hero. He is not to use it unless circumstances are exceedingly dire, upon pain of death and much suffering. Of course our hero must try it out to see if it really works...
Olivier's Brag is a modern treatment of the Carolingian theme by Anatole France. This one features Charlemagne himself, along with his twelve cohorts, as they are guests of a certain King. Later that night, housed in their quarters, they take turns bragging (all in fun) about what exploits they might achieve next day, many of which are very hostile and unflattering to their host, including destroying his castle and making off with his daughter. The King overhears their brags, and next day forces each of them to fulfill his boast or die. Very short and very amusing!
The White Bull is the second tale by Voltaire to make it into this series (the other is in "Dragons, Elves and Heroes"), and is a highlight of the collection. The tale concerns a princess whose lover has been turned into a great white bull, and her efforts to restore him to his former self. Told in eleven short chapters, this is a "do not miss" part of the volume. Highly recommended.
The Yellow Dwarf is a French fairy tale. Fairy tales these days are aimed mostly at children, but that was not their original intended audience. Bellissima is the only surviving daughter of the Queen, and is sought after by every prince in the land. At her tender age of fifteen, she has no immediate need of a husband, nor any plans of falling in love with any of the princes who have come to court her. The mischievous dwarf (aren't they all?) has plans of his own, and entraps the mother, getting her to promise Bellissima to him. He then traps the girl, making her promise to marry him before he releases her. This is a witty tale that would no doubt be quite frightening to young children (therefore they would undoubtedly like it). Happy endings were later additions to fairy tales by Disney. Don't look for a happy ending here, though it is certainly a good ending.
Arcalaus the Enchanter is thought of so highly by Lin Carter (as are the fantasy tales of Voltaire) that he had plans to publish entire volumes in the Adult Fantasy series for each of them. I am now a firm believer that Arcalaus, from a Portugese epic entitled "Amadis of Gaul," is one of the most imaginative adventures I have ever read. There is a fair amount of jousting, a visit to a very nasty dungeon, and an enchantment that holds our hero captive. Great imagination is unleashed here.
The Isle of Wonders is a second tale from "Amadis of Gaul," and is very much in the tradition of "The Sword in the Stone." Only one person can claim the prize. I plan on finding more of these delightful stories soon.
The Palace of Illusions, from "Orlando Furioso" by Ariosto and translated by Richard Hodgens, was another masterwork that Lin Carter wanted to bring into the series. He did manage to get one volume in, though he had plans for others, too. This is easily the finest tale of the thirteen in "Golden Cities, Far," and I can't wait to read the volume published later under the sign of the unicorn. Giants, a magic ring, a naked maiden chained to a rock, a hypogriff, a magic entrapment, a horn that when blown, terrifies anyone who hears it, and many other prime fantasy elements combine to make a great and highly entertaining tale!
In conclusion, Lin Carter has outdone himself with this fabulous collection of tales from historical and modern sources. One of the best in the whole series.
***** stars.
#23--Published November 1970
BEYOND THE GOLDEN STAIR
Hannes Bok
Cover art by Gervasio Gallardo
This is the second complete novel by Bok in the Ballantine
Adult Fantasy Series, following publication a year earlier of "The
Sorcerer's Ship". At the time, that novel did not make a great
impression on me, but images from it keep coming back to me. I will
likely reread it. The introduction to "Golden Stair" by Lin Carter is
fascinating, as we get a good behind-the-scenes peek at a (at the time)
living fantasy writer. This may be a good time to introduce some
thoughts on the series' cover art. Just about every aspect of this
cover is derived from an actual descriptive passage in the novel. This
has long been one of my favourite covers in the entire series. At this
point in my reviews, I have decided to go back and include both front
and back covers of panoramic scenes such as this. Watch for previously
reviewed two-sided covers to begin appearing. The covers of "Well at
the World's End", along with that beautiful title, are what first attracted me
to the series as a teen, and I am just as fascinated now as I was then.
The story divides into three parts. Part 1 deals with events
that lead our dysfunctional group of lead characters to the stairway.
Part 2 deals with the actual climbing of the stairs, while Part 3 takes
us to the magical and fantastic place that lies at the top of the
stairs. A short Coda at the very end brings us back down the stairs
again.
Part 1 is quite amazing and fun to read, as three criminals on
the lam escape into the Florida Everglades with a hostage in tow. The
three criminals, far from being portrayed in one dimension, are far more
interesting that the Utopian folk we meet later on. Frank, Carlotta
and Burke never disappoint us with their greed, violence, and petty
banter. Our captured hero, Hibbert, is a WW11 vet with a bum leg, and
is out of his league with this trio of low life, though he just barely
manages to hold his own in most situations.
Part 2 can be envisioned by looking at Gallardo's amazing cover
art. I think Bok would have been very pleased had he lived to see this
publication. The only real discrepancy between the written word and
the visual art is that Bok stressed that the stairs were moss-covered.
We meet the blue flamingo, and without giving away any of the plot, it
is not the same flamingo when we return to the blue pool at the end of
the novel.
Part 3 is a good example of the purest form of fantasy writing,
a bit like the writing in "A Voyage to Arcturus." I label this kind of
writing as the "I had a fantastic dream last night and I'm going to
tell you all about it!" type. If you think that listening to other
people's dreams is the highest form of bliss, then you will love every
sentence of Part 3. If, however, like me, you begin to yawn within
seconds of such events, then Part 3 may be a bit of hard going. Bok's
tale is somewhat saved by the three villainous characters of Scarlatti,
Carlotta and Burke, as they are made to reveal the reasons behind why
they turned out as they did. Frank Scarlatti manages to keep his past
to himself, no doubt much to our relief. To see how criminal buffoons
would react in Utopia is somewhat edgy writing. We keep wishing that
the intelligent, peaceful hosts would just put them out of their misery!
No such luck. Like many a Star Trek episode, the Utopian dwellers
(it's called "Khoire" here) do not interfere directly with the evil
characters, which turn out to be Carlotta and Scarlatti. They are left
alone to destroy themselves, and it happens in a way that is once again
reminiscent of a Star Trek episode. Burke manages to save himself
through great personal sacrifice, after committing a truly horrible
deed.
I enjoyed the novel, especially Parts 1 and 2. Part 3 is well
done and all, but to me it was anti-climactic. Half the fun was staring
at the cover and imagining what might be at the top of those stairs.
Bok's version is quite good, but so is mine! While
the cover art would be of interest to children, it is doubtful if the
story would. Show them the cover and make up your own bedtime story
about it. They will certainly love that.
*** stars.
#24--Published January 1971
THE BROKEN SWORD
Poul Anderson
Cover art by George Barr
This novel is an amazingly good read! The Ballantine Fantasy
Series itself is one of the most brilliant feats of fiction publishing
ever undertaken, and it is a book such as this one that makes the whole
undertaking worthwhile. This is the first fantasy fiction I have read
by Anderson, and it is an eye-opening experience. It is closest in
theme to the works of Tolkien and Walton (#18, above), though not very
close to either of them. Anderson knows his northern mythology as well
as either of those authors, however, and possesses one of the greatest
gifts of story-telling this reader has ever encountered. There are
gods, elves, dwarves, goblins, witches, trolls, giants, and even some
humans, but they are vastly different from such creatures encountered
anywhere, except perhaps in the original Norse myths. The Elven women
are especially interesting, being vastly different from Tolkien's
ladies.
Broken swords are common in myths, though this is the most
powerful one I have ever encountered. Getting it reforged is possibly
the most intriguing and entertaining part of the entire story, which
tells of two "brothers" and their hatred for one another, and how their
two stories intertwine and eventually, and fatefully, intersect. The
reforging part of the tale brought back memories of "Worm Ouroboros."
The many fierce battles, the cold blooded murders, treachery, revenge
and passion go far beyond that story, however, and even beyond Tolkien.
Such evil deeds happen to such good people that it almost seems real.
The story moves along at a rapid pace, and once going it is hard to put
the book down. Though spring and summer feature in the book, it is the
many wintry parts that I will long remember.
Snow, ice and bone-chilling cold feature prominently. One of the finest and purest fantasy tales I have ever read. Not suitable for children.
Snow, ice and bone-chilling cold feature prominently. One of the finest and purest fantasy tales I have ever read. Not suitable for children.
**** stars.
#25--Published February 1971
THE BOATS OF THE GLEN CARRIG
William Hope Hodgson
Cover art by Robert LoGrippo
I love well written sea adventure stories, and am a great fan of Joseph
Conrad novels, as well as Kenneth Bulmer's Fox series. Hodgson knows as much or more about the sea and sailing,
and has the power to put us in the boats with the stranded crew. This
is a spine-tingling adventure, containing one of my favourite opening
chapters. If, like me, you love Chapter One and what it promises, then
you will love the rest of the book. It is a short novel, easily read in
a weekend, and indeed it is hard to put down once begun. This was one
of the first Ballantine Adult Fantasy novels to enter my collection, way
back in my late teens. It was read and enjoyed not just by me, but
made the rounds of several appreciative friends, too. Like many of the
other stories in this series, it would undoubtedly make a great movie.
However, I find my own imagination quite adequate and up to the
challenge. Hodgson paints vivid pictures, especially night ones, and
the reader has no trouble envisioning the setting, characters and mostly
unseen horrors that plague the crew. This is a fun book to read, and
one can easily understand why Lovecraft had such great praise for it.
Jacket blurbs on books can't give much higher recommendation than
that! Not suitable for young children (as indicated by the author in the final sentence of the novel).
***1/2 stars.
#26--Published February 1971
THE DOOM THAT CAME TO SARNATH
H.P. Lovecraft
Cover art by Gervasio Gallardo
This
book of short stories by the master covers the years 1917 through 1924,
and does a fine job of showing Lovecraft's range. Nothing in here is
very earth-shattering, but there are many delights to sample. As usual,
Carter does a fine job of introducing these gems, and often allows
Lovecraft to speak for himself.
The Other Gods
is a very short story that opens the volume, telling the story of a
vain priest trying to achieve too much in his quest for the gods. His
discovery includes an unpredicted eclipse, in which he sees just a
little too much... A nice opening for this book, though nothing too
memorable for sophisticated readers.
The Tree
is a rather juvenile tale, though with an interesting setting.
Lovecraft rarely set any stories in ancient Greece. At this point, the
only thing that might keep a non-Lovecraft lover going is that the very
next tale is the title story. Let's give it one more try.
The Doom That Came to Sarnath
is a memorable tale, and Gervasio Gallardo's cover painting gives a
sneak peak into a great city's ultimate demise. It takes rather a long
time for events to finally catch up to Sarnath. Something fun in
Lovecraft is that in other stories he will occasionally mention events
and places from some of his other tales, and Sarnath appears elsewhere
more than once.
The Tomb
is a very Poe-like tale, almost lifted from that master's oevre. These
days we would label this as "fan fic." Still a fun read, but would
likely be ignored if it weren't by Lovecraft.
Polaris is a story about a man's guilt complex at involuntarily aiding the destruction of his once fabulous city. Not very memorable.
Beyond the Wall of Sleep
is a slightly longer tale, telling of the strange person named "Joe
Slater." Studied closely by our hero, an asylum worker where Joe is
kept, there are some key theories espoused by Lovecraft in this readable
piece, especially concerning dreams.
Memory
is a one-page piece in which a genie of the moon comes down to speak to
the demon of the valley, inquiring about the stone ruins that are
scattered about. The story is a trifle, but is a good reminder of how
insigficant it all can seem, depending on one's perspective.
What the Moon Brings
is a mere two pages in length. How could anyone hate the moon?
Perhaps someone who is a lunatic, and sees things that the rest of us
do not.
Nyarlathotep stretches to three pages, and has at least one prophetic passage!
"There
was a demoniac alteration in the sequence of the seasons--the autumn
heat lingered fearsomely, and everyone felt that the world and perhaps
the universe had passed from the control of known gods or
forces to that of gods or forces which were unknown."
The tale speaks of a person who comes out of Eygpt with
knowledge of things old and full of mystery, after sleeping for over 27
centuries. The Egyptian (who looks Pharoanic) invites the citizens to a
showing of shadows and electrical wonders. It takes some time, but
once realization of what was seen sets in, the end isn't far behind. I
like this little story because of those shadows--the horrors are hinted
at, but the repercussions are made obvious.
Ex Oblivione
is another two-page quickie, this time concerning another who is tired
and living and seeks his way through the secret gate. With the use of
drugs and dreams he is finally able to enter the gate, though he gets a
bit more (or rather less) than he first expected. Nicely done, though
nothing too original.
The Cats of Ulthar
also appears in "The Young Magicians" (#6, above), and like, Doom That
Came to Sarnath, is a tale of vengeance, albeit belated. Score a big
point for the cats!
Hypnos
is another one of those great little tales where the sighted horrors
are not described to the reader, but merely hinted at. Finding a fallen
stranger and looking after him ("...a stranger who seemed to be "a
faun's statue out of antique Hellas, dug from a temple's ruins and
brought somehow to life in our stifling age..."). Studying unworldly
subjects together, traveling in dream to places never before seen.
This is a poetic tale of woe, and at seven pages it reads like a two
pager, with a fun "surprise" ending.
Nathicana
is a short poem, and to be perfectly honest I would rather have a
mediocre one page story. Poe could write prose and poetry, but
Lovecraft's poetry, at least in this instance, should be left alone.
Either give more examples or none at all.
From Beyond
introduces the reader to a machine that will allow us to "...overleap
time, space and dimensions, and without bodily motion peer to the bottom
of creation." Of course that is the easy part: staying sane afterwards
is infinitely more difficult. This a fun tale of a former friend who
breaks off relations from everyone, but calls his best friend back to
show him his machine and what it can reveal. Some things are best left
unseen.
The Festival tells
of a Yuletide visit by one man to his ancestral town, and of the quiet
welcome he receives. The town he visits is not the one intended,
however. This would have made a terrific Twilight Zone episode,
especially with its surprise ending. We get a good look at the Necronomicon, and not just the one borrowed from the library at Miskatonic University at the end of the tale.
The Nameless City
is one of the best stories in the book, and a superb example of
Lovecraft's imagination unleashed and carefully under the control of his
unique writing craft. It reminds me of Clark
Ashton Smith, but with a much more distinct flavour of Lovecraft himself. The ending is
nicely linked to a small detail near the beginning. Definitely read
this one.
The Quest of Iranon
also appears in Vol #6, above. I'm not sure if Iranon is Lovecraft's
way of saying "irony," but this sad tale of a dreamer--whose dream is
exposed for what it is--is quite stunning, and ironic. The stories are
becoming better and better now.
The Crawling Chaos
is the first of three concluding stories that were collaborations with
others. This tale concerns the travels of an opium user, and has the
feel of authenticity to it. The destruction of all things is witnessed
and described, and includes some of Lovecraft's most colourful and vivid
descriptions.
In the Walls of Eryx
is a science fiction story, something quite rare in Lovecraft's oevre.
Again we have the makings of a decent Twilight Zone episode, as we
accompany a mineral gatherer on Venus as he wends his way to his unique
destruction. Though flawed, the story is no worse than much pulp sci fi
that was being published at the time, and though the idea is sound, not
enough care was taken to make it completely believable. Would this
person really have been out all on his own in such a hostile
environment? Why was he not carrying any type of communication or
signalling device? Also, the motives of the aliens were not made clear
enough. With just a bit more thought this could have been much more
satisfying, though I still enjoyed it. This is the longest story in the
volume, but it reads easily and quickly.
Imprisoned With the Pharaohs
comes from an idea by Harry Houdini, but turned into a minor
masterpiece by Lovecraft. There are no loose ends or obvious flaws with
this tale of an escape artist being tricked and kidnapped, then lowered
(and lowered) deep into a tomb in Egypt. This is classic Lovecraft,
with definite elements of Poe lingering in the atmosphere.
While the volume is a must for Lovecraft fans, many of the
stories are just not memorable enough to convince non-fans of his great
talent. However, by selecting a few of the stories (Nameless City,
Imprisoned with the Pharaohs, The Crawling Chaos, The Festival) it
should be easy to prove Lovecraft as one of the greatest fantasy writers
who ever lived.
*** stars
#27--Published March 1971
SOMETHING ABOUT EVE
James Branch Cabell
Cover Art by Bob Pepper
Ballantine Books printed several of the very best works by
Cabell, and this novel is right at the top of them all. Since I began
"to get" Cabell's writing (something I was unable to do on a few
previous attempts, including with this book), they are among the most
looked-forward to volumes in the series, as I read them all for the
first time, in published order. I'm not so sure I would begin with this
volume if I were a Cabell neophyte. I would recommend Figures of Earth
first, then any of the others. I am not certain how easy these books
would be to read if English is your second language, and am even less
certain how things would go if Cabell were translated.
Something About Eve concerns the travels of a 20th C.
descendant of Dom Manuel. His epic fantasy voyage leads him to
adventures of the Cabell sort, with dialogue to die for and characters
and situations one could never encounter with another writer. The
peculiarities of situation and character are what drives Cabell's
stories, and this is perhaps the finest of them all. We encounter many
famous persons from history along the road, and the conversations are
sublime and divine, to say the least. The goal of our hero lies, of
course, at the end of the road, though whether he makes it there becomes
less and less significant as the story moves along.
This is very, very sophisticated writing, but do not be put
off. Every word is important, and every page worth reading twice, but
even a quick reading at first is better than no reading at all. If this
is your first Cabell, then I wish you luck. Being my fourth or fifth, I
am now an avid fan, and will seek out other works by the author beyond
this Ballantine series. The book is of no interest whatsoever to
children.
**** stars.
#28--Published March 1971
RED MOON AND BLACK MOUNTAIN
Joy Chant
Reprint Cover Art by Ian Millar
Original Cover Art by Bob Pepper
Not only is this a seriously flawed novel, but it is not, by any definition, adult fantasy. Despite
Lin Carter's assurances to the contrary, this novel is aimed directly
at early teens. One must understand those heady days after Tolkien had
completed Lord of the Rings. Everyone and their animal companions were
writing another Tolkien masterpiece (including yours truly). Most of us
did not see our great masterpieces of fantasy fiction reach
publication, but somehow a few others squeaked through. Publishers were
desperate to discover the next Tolkien, and Chant's first novel is
certainly not it. I could spend a long time discussing the weak points
of this novel, but I will only name a few. This is a bad pastiche of
parts of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and others who were writing heroic fantasy
at the time. It is clumsy storytelling, and should never have been
included in this series. It is not Joy Chant's fault that she does not
measure up to Tolkien, Dunsany, Morris, Lovecraft, Smith and others in
this series, and I do not hold this novel against her. However, what
were Carter, Ballantine and Unwin and Allen thinking??!!
We soon have a battle between white eagles and black eagles
taking place (good grief!). We are never told why this battle is taking
place, nor why the people watching do not assist the whites. A few
well-placed archers could have been a big help here. Then the eagles
are promptly forgotten and never reappear again. The battle, which is
well crafted by Ms Chant, has no significance whatsoever to the rest of
the tale. The tale soon becomes so formulaic as to be actually tedious
at times (woman and girl imprisoned in high castle tower, rescued by man
who can shoot arrows and climb like a monkey, and get through all
manner of security), and I find it somewhat hard to believe it won the
Mythopoeic Award for 1971. One must wonder about the competition that
year. The three children that were transported here somehow are in
every scene, either singly, in pairs, or as a threesome. One soon
begins to wonder where Aslan the Great Lion is at. We do have a miraculous
horse (with a unicorn horn) that seems to know everything about
anything, and Galadriel and Celeborn seem to be there, too. Strider
appears as "The Borderer," surely one of the most awkward character
names in fantasy fiction (though, like Strider, he is a pretty cool
fella, who appears then promptly disappears again).
I will skip over any number of minor flaws and jump to the main
battle near the end of the book. It appears that the captain of the
dark things wants to come outside, and not to play nice with his
friends. No; quite surprisingly he wants to rule the world, and will
cheat and do almost anything to gain this title. It would really be to
his advantage if the battle could be fought when his moon (the red one)
is full and their moon (the silver one) is just beginning to wane. So,
of course, the good guys have no choice but to give him his wish.
Wouldn't want to upset him, after all. He might become even nastier.
The good guys send in their 16 year old hero, Oliver, from somewhere
else. He is really, really scared, despite having been trained to fight
and already coming from a previous battlefield quite successfully. In
case we didn't get the message, we are told again and again how scared
he is of fighting against the main bad dude. The bad dude uses evil
magic to confuse Oliver, and even when our hero strikes the winning
blow, it doesn't count since the dark magician cannot be hurt by weapons
or people from this world. Oliver's sword melts or something after he
stabs the bad guy. Good thing Oliver is from a different world, and has
a knife with him from somewhere else, too. Despite being at a huge
disadvantage (one could even say the dark guy was cheating
considerably), Oliver kills the dark leader in single combat in front of
both armies.
Boy, does he ever regret it later. He feels terrible at having
killed someone. Really terrible. Really really bad. And we are told
again and again. He really shouldn't have killed that nasty, cheating,
creepy dark magician who wanted to rule the world. Perhaps Oliver
thought a little chat would have solved everything. Despite their
leader literally going up in smoke, the dark army still attacks, though
they lose the battle. Oliver feels worse and worse about things, until
he can barely function. Finally, at the very end, he offers himself as a
sacrifice to bind the earth magic (or some such thing). Lucky for him
he doesn't really die, but he and his brother and sister are taken back
to their own time and world. The end.
To be fair to Chant, there are times when she writes well,
especially near the end. But the lack of finesse and basic storytelling
skills are so lacking much of the time (we never actually learn
anything about the bad guy, other than he is bad and wants to rule the
world), and his army lives and dies as just an unknown amorphous blob.
The map that comes with the book is less than helpful (likely partly
Ballantine's fault), and is filled with places we never find anything
about or visit. Most of the action takes place in one little corner of
this giant continent. Then there is the dizzying array of names we must
learn, most of them beginning with the letter "K". A glossary would
have been most helpful, though even so there are just too many names for
this length of book. Many of the names are not that important to the
story anyway.
In conclusion, the novel reeks of "first published book," and
not in a good way. I would much rather re-read any of the Narnia books
than this novel. However, seven years later Chant published a prequel
to "Red Moon and Black Mountain." "The Grey Mane of Morning," at least
in my copy, has a much better map, and it has a glossary!! It also has
an introduction by Betty Ballantine, and is illustrated throughout by
Martin White. Published by Bantam Books, it is rather a handsome
paperback edition. In fairness to outraged fans of Joy Chant who might
be reading this review and plotting my death by dark magic, I am going
to attempt this second novel. However, in fairness to me, I am going to
give my honest opinion of it right here, as soon as I am done reading
it...
*1/2 stars. Suitable for young teens.
The Grey Mane of Morning
Joy Chant has created a minor masterpiece with her brilliant,
well-thought out and very carefully paced 2nd novel. No doubt had the
Ballantine series continued indefinitely, this book would have been
included. It is so vastly different and so much more mature than the
first novel, it seems as if someone else had written it. Ms. Chant
certainly polished her writing skills before allowing this to be
published. The story has nothing whatsoever to do with Red Moon and Black Mountain,
other than being in the same world but in a very different time. I
highly recommend this novel to adult fantasy lovers, even if you (like
me) did not like her previous novel very much. This one is completely
original in concept, and handled well on almost every page. There is
only one chapter I did not find up to the same standards as the rest of
the book. Chapter 21 has Mor'anh (the hero) literally meet and talk
with his God. Rather shabbily done. That, for me, was the only low
point.
***1/2 stars. Not recommended for children, though older teens might like it.
When Voiha Wakes
This short novel (160 pages) is once again a flawed product,
making me wonder who really wrote that 2nd book! I find it amusing that
this book and the first one won Ms Chant the Mythopoeic awards for their
respective years, but her best work (Grey Mane) was runner up. This is
a "women's" fantasy book, which is certainly not bad in itself.
However, we are expected to accept a very civilized society where women
rule, men sleep in a different city than the women, there is no love
between them, there is no violence anywhere, and there is no such thing
as real music or musicians, at least in most parts of this world. All a
bit of a hard pill to swallow. There are plenty of beautiful boys,
though, and any amount of pottery and woodwork. Give this one a miss.
*1/2 stars.
#29--Published April 1971
Hyperborea
Clark Ashton Smith
Cover art by Bill Martin
Smith has become one of my favourite fantasy authors since I
began embarking on my collecting and reading/rereading project of the
Ballantine series. I had never read any Smith before last year. I
think it is very appropriate that Fritz Leiber gets the back cover blurb
(the cover is not damaged; I scanned it at a bad angle and had to lose
some perspective when I straightened the image on Photoshop). These
stories remind me very much of the Lankhmar adventures, and though Smith
never uses the same hero throughout as does Leiber, the adventures have
a familiar ring to them. Since Leiber is one of my very favourite
authors of all time, particularly his sword and sorcery tales, I dove
into this book like it was a box of chocolates. As in the previous
Smith volume (Zothique, #16, above),
Carter has collected all the tales by Smith from a certain continent,
and has even taken it upon himself to include a map again. Not all the
stories are of equal quality, but the good ones are very, very good.
(This is the eve of a long vacation for me, so I will not be
writing about each tale at this time--when I return in early Sept. I
will try and make sense of my notes and talk about all of them then).
For now, I would just like to mention my favourite ones. There seems
to be more humour in this volume, though the horrors can be just as
terrifying. "The Coming of the White Worm" is a great tale of woe.
"The Door to Saturn" is really strange, like a bad LSD trip. "The Ice
Demon" features two thieves whose adventures are strongly reminiscent of
those of Fafhrd and Mouser, while "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros" and
"The Theft of the Thirty-Nine Girdles" continue in this vein, with a
strong flavour of Arabian Nights. The latter two tales feature the same
hero, the first a story from his youth, and the second from later
years, and both are classic Smith at his very best. The cover painting
illustrates a scene from the first main story, "The Seven Geases," one
of many that features strong irony, especially in the way it ends.
Hyperborea itself is supposed to resemble Greenland millions of
years ago when it was steamy and warm. We see it then and also as the
ice advances. If Hyperborea does not have the same level of paranoia as Zothique,
it has just as many elements of surprise, wonder, horror and creative
style to make the book worth several readings. As the Hyperborea
stories are rather short and few in number, Carter has included a few
other snippets by Smith to fill out the number of pages. In my view, it
wasn't necessary to do this, but I am glad he did. Not recommended for
young readers.
***1/2 stars.
#30--Published May 1971
Don Rodriguez: Chronicles of Shadow Valley
Lord Dunsany
Cover art by Bob Pepper
Not to take anything away from this wonderful story, Lin Carter
was stretching things just a little by including this volume in the
adult fantasy series. Firstly, the location is firmly set in Spain and
the Pyrenees. Though the date is a little ambiguous, we know it is near
the time when gunpowder was first being used in battle. Very little
magic is involved. In fact, only one of the twelve short chronicles
could be classified as purest fantasy. Everything else that happens in
the book could have actually happened as described, though the last
chronicle, describing the building of Don Rodriguez's castle, does
stretch reality to the limit.
Since it is a moot point to discuss whether the book should or
should not have been included in the series, I will limit my discussion
to a critique of the novel itself. It is Dunsany's first full-length
novel (he wrote ten), and I must say it is a very good one. Each
chronicle describes a minor or major adventure our hero must survive.
The first is a chilling horror tale, worthy of Poe or Lovecraft, and
this short tale really put me in the mood to read the rest of them.
None of the others reach the same level of decadence, but the fourth
tale details how Don Rodriguez and his companion (think Frodo and Sam--there is
also an awful lot of traveling in these pages; on foot, horseback and
small watercraft) travel to the Mountains of the Sun. If, like me, you
are an enlightened person with a good working knowledge of science, and
you think that the sun does not have mountains, then think again. They
do, and Don Rodriguez has seen them. This tale is a highlight for me,
one of the finest short fantasy pieces I have ever come across. And
it's made me think of solar flares and sunspots with a whole new imagery
arsenal!
Though Don Rodriguez is a very serious man, there is humour
aplenty within these pages. Morano's frying pan has a lot to do with
it, and soon becomes a third companion on the voyages. The duel between
Don Rogriduez and a better swordsman will never be forgotten once it is
read. Don Rodriquez's mandolin is also an important component of the
novel, becoming more-so as the story progresses. Don Rodriquez has a
goal throughout, and he sticks to it religiously, letting nothing
interfere. He wants to go to war and win a castle for himself. After a
long search he does find his war, but the castle that he wins is not
all he expected. The war will not be what the reader expects, either.
Dunsany's prose here is probably one of the finest examples of
understated word power I have ever come across. Though there are flaws,
especially in the final chronicle, the writing is probably among the
best things Ballantine ever published. "Daydream-like" does not capture
what Dunsany achieves, but it is a start. As usual for this series, I
really took my time reading, especially as a long journey is involved in
the story. I wanted to feel as if I was on that journey, and if I read
the book in one night or afternoon, then it is hard to feel that way. By reading
one Chronicle each day, however, the book becomes the epic it was
intended. I highly recommend the book--just don't expect a lot of
fantasy. Children would not likely be impressed.
**** stars
Mapman Mike
