#11--Published February, 1970
The High Place
James Branch Cabell
Cover Art by Donna Violetti
The more Cabell I read, the more I understand his writing. He has
become one of my very favourite authors. This is yet another in a
brilliant, loosely connected series of novels taking place in the
imaginary medieval kingdom of Poictesme. Our hero is Florian, who had a
dream revelation when he was ten years old. He happened upon a
sleeping beauty in a castle, and the sight affected him for the rest of
his life. At age thirty-five, he sets out to find her at last and
release her from her spell, promising his first-born son by her to the
dark forces that aid him in his quest. He soon has his heart's desire,
the beautiful creature he had once seen in a dream, by the name of
Melior. Then the fun begins! Melior talks. She talks a lot. Florian
soon realizes that he would rather be with anyone else except his
rescued Melior. The feelings are soon mutual.
Once again, Cabell has a field day lampooning marriage and sex,
relationships and religion, philosophy and philology. Florian tries to
live by his father's motto: "Thy shall not offend against the notions of
thy neighbour." Instead, however, he uses historic precedent to
legitimize every action that he performs (most of them morally
questionable if not downright decadent and unsavoury). Logic and
precedent rule Florian's life to such a degree that there is nothing he
can do wrong that cannot be excused by his philosophy, including slaying
his brother and attempting to kill his first-born.
This is, beyond being a very funny story, a truly great good versus evil
discussion, and one certainly undertaken from a most unique angle.
Cabell's wit is non-stop, and even when the reader thinks he has
nothing more of value to say on a topic, he will often return to it
later with much more to say! Cabell is someone who repays re-reading,
as the last two books I have read by him require the first few chapters
to be recalled to explain his unique endings. Since discovering this
master recently, one of his books shall never be far from my reading
shelf! Not suitable or of interest to children.
**** stars.
#12--Published March, 1970
LUD-in-the-Mist
Hope Mirrlees
Cover by Gervasio Gallardo
LUD-in-the-Mist is one of those fantasy novels that loyal readers of the genre always hope to discover. Hope Mirrlees
was a relatively obscure and minor author, and her inclusion in the
Ballantine Adult Fantasy series is a tribute to Lin Carter's superb
taste in fantasy fiction. The 1970 Ballantine edition was published
without the author's permission, as she could not be located, dead or
alive (she was alive). The novel continues to be reprinted by other
publishers (including a beautifully illustrated edition by Callidor Books in French), and along with a few other works by the author, her memory
is now being kept alive. And so it should be. This is one of the best
stand-alone fantasy novels ever written. Part detective story, part
adventure, and part fairy tale, the story offers humour, drama,
excitement, and allows a superbly controlled imagination to tell a
spell-binding story. It would make a fabulous animated film, though I
for one am glad it has never happened. The city and the country have
never been better depicted in fantasy fiction. The hero of the story,
Nathaniel Chanticleer, is not a young man, but he is a wise and curious
one. Living in a city where even the temptation of eating "fairy fruit"
is forbidden (nor can the term be spoken in polite company!), we see a
society that thrives on the business of daily living, and not much else.
In summer, there are parties and social visits where the same jokes
are told and retold. In winter, the people retreat to their hearths and
do little.
Fairy fruit is being smuggled into the city, however, and is
being consumed by the lower classes. When it makes its way into the
local finishing school for young ladies, all hell breaks loose! The
story of how Nathaniel proceeds to rescue the young ladies from their
fate, as well as rescue his own son, leads to an exciting and fitting
climax where the entire town must be saved. LUD is a city that lovers
of fantasy will wish to visit. Readers will also travel to the
countryside and to the farms, encountering strange events there, too.
This is wonderful escapism with an underlying moral that supporters of
the present-day "War on Drugs" will wish to avoid. Though written in
the 1920s, it could easily have been written in 1968. Once again, a big
Thank-You to Lin Carter and the publishers for rescuing this great
little story, and to those who continue to publish it today.
Though there is nothing in the novel from stopping children reading, it is an adult fairy tale with some complexity.
**** stars
#13--Published March 1970
At The Edge of The World
Lord Dunsany
Cover by Ray Cruz
The Ballantine Adult Fantasy series introduced me to the
writings of Lord Dunsany when I was young, as well as many other of the best fantasy
writers. Even when I lost interest in the series for a number of years,
I would still return to Dunsany from time to time. Usually I would
just pick out a story from a volume such as this, sit back and enjoy the
wonderful experience. Reaching #13 in the series brings us to the
first collection of his short stories. His novel was given #2 position
in this series (see above), and one of his short stories made an
appearance in #6 (see above). However, in Volume 13 Lin Carter has
outdone himself in assembling some of the finest short fantasy fiction
ever penned. This is a book to be treasured and kept by the bedside,
reading a story or two at a time. Hurrying through this book will do it
a great disservice.
There are thirty stories here, enough for a month's reading. Each one offers something special and unique. Of course I have favourites. Anything to do with the River Yahn is unparalleled in the world of fantasy fiction. Tales such as "The Hashish Man," "Carcassonne," and "A Shop in Go-by Street" give me the shivers from pure delight at the scope of Dunsany's imagination. Other great feats include stories based on art by Sidney H. Sime (look him up!). Dunsany wrote eight slim volumes of stories, and Carter has chosen carefully from each of them, serving us a wonderful treasure trove of pure delight. Many of them would be suitable for children. I will doubtless continue to reread these stories until I die.
There are thirty stories here, enough for a month's reading. Each one offers something special and unique. Of course I have favourites. Anything to do with the River Yahn is unparalleled in the world of fantasy fiction. Tales such as "The Hashish Man," "Carcassonne," and "A Shop in Go-by Street" give me the shivers from pure delight at the scope of Dunsany's imagination. Other great feats include stories based on art by Sidney H. Sime (look him up!). Dunsany wrote eight slim volumes of stories, and Carter has chosen carefully from each of them, serving us a wonderful treasure trove of pure delight. Many of them would be suitable for children. I will doubtless continue to reread these stories until I die.
**** stars Reviewed July 11th/2011
#14--Published April 1970
Phantastes
George MacDonald
Cover by Gervasio Gallardo
#15--Published May, 1970
Cover art by George Barr
Cover art by Ray Cruz
This is a corker of a fairy tale, one of the finest entries in
the entire Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. This was my third encounter
with MacDonald (see #5 above), and like "Lilith" there is a linear plot
path to follow through a dream world. As in that other novel, the
unexpected twists and turns are very much in the style of actual dreams,
in the way story lines and settings suddenly change. Unlike "Lilith",
this story does not have the Christianity element nearly as prevalent.
Rooted in Medievalism, it makes an interesting counterpart to Morris'
"Well at the World's End." MacDonald wrote before Morris, even though
Morris is considered the father of adult fantasy fiction. The reason
the editor gives for this fact is that MacDonald's fantasy writing is
obviously about dreaming and dream worlds, whereas Morris was the first
to create "real" other worlds, or at least worlds where most natural laws
still hold sway. Either way, both men are pioneers and well worth
seeking out on their own merits, not even counting their historical
importance to the genre. It's true that a little of MacDonald can go a
long way, and for this reason I read a chapter or two each day, rather
than quickly digesting it. There is a lot to think about in each
chapter, as well as stories within stories (as in Morris). The writing
is colourful, lucid and of high quality throughout. There are some
truly bizarre elements (females with wings instead of arms, that go out
and find babies at certain times of the year, to name just one), as well
as visions of extraordinary beauty and unparalleled imagination.
However, MacDonald always keeps firm control, and never allows his
writing to become silly or over the top. Like his Lilith, it is certainly
worth more than a single reading. Highly recommended. Certain parts
could be read to children, especially the short stories within the main
story.
**** stars.
#15--Published May, 1970
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath
H.P. Lovecraft
Cover by Gervasio Gallardo
This is one of three volumes completely authored by Lovecraft in the
Ballantine Fantasy Series, and the stories within this first one are
very much in the tradition of Lord Dunsany. The title novella and
several of the short stories that follow trace the dreaming adventures
of one Randolf Carter. To quote Lin Carter from the introduction:
“…for
herein we see Lovecraft as a master of singing and crystalline prose,
richly studded with exotic and evocative names, and with little of the
dark horrors of the later tales.”
The narrative of the title story, sometimes difficult to keep in
focus, wanders through many strange and fabulous cities, though the
finest part begins during the second half when Carter enters Ngranek and
the darker visions of dream. Beyond lies Pnoth, possibly the darkest
area of dream ever imagined, and one has to wonder how much opium might
have affected Lovecraft, either self-induced or learned from other travelers. Perhaps not as dark as some of his later horror tales, the
blackness encountered in this little fantasy novella is wonderfully
disturbing enough. The reader must allow himself to be carried along,
much as in a truly magnificent dream. By surrendering oneself to the
narrator, the journey will remain unforgettable.
The Silver Key, a short story connected to several of the others in this book, is Lovecraft's outspoken defense of dreaming and dreamers, and should be read once a year by most adults. Recommended.
The final story is The Strange High House in the Mist and could
very well be the finest short fantasy story ever written! Read this
one slowly, and savour every moment. It certainly begs an illustration
or two, but probably the best pictures will come from inside the
reader's head, and will remain there long after the story is at an end.
This is a spectacular conclusion to a very worthwhile book, and proves
that Lovecraft holds a very high place within the Fantasy genre. Not
recommended for young readers.
***1/2 stars
#16--Published June 1970
Zothique
Clark Ashton Smith
Cover art by George Barr
Zothique is not a novel, but a series of very loosely connected
short stories originally published in Weird Magazine. Each and every
story is amazing (and weird) in its own way, and though they often have similar
themes, they are different enough to keep readers enthralled throughout
all sixteen of them. While I do not necessarily have favourites, there
are a few that really stand out. Zothique is the last surviving
continent in a distant future dying earth. On the mainland and among
the surrounding islands, necromancy is rife and very powerful. The
encroaching desert has crowded civilization into fewer and fewer cities,
and thus no man's land has expanded to include most of the remaining
surface. "Xeethra" makes a very good opening story, giving a good idea
of how the continent is dying and what it had been once, a long time
ago. "Necromancy in Naat" will appeal to lovers of zombie stories,
though this one is dark beyond most people's wildest dreams. "Empire of
the Necromancers" continues the zombie theme, and here it is likely
taken about as far as it could. While all of these stories are dark
beyond dark, some offer hope, and even happy endings, of a sort.
Likewise with "Master of the Crabs." One can even imagine the cover
illustration in Weird Tales for each of these stories by Smith as they
were published. I will not continue on with describing the remainder of
the stories, but think crypts, rotting bodies (some still alive, of
sorts), evil sorcery, torture, and of course some truly marvelous adult
fantasy. "The Weaver in the Vault" spins a tale featuring two
swordsmen and heroes that remind me very much of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd
and Grey Mouser, though they don't last as long. "The Black Abbot of
Puthuum" once again shows two heroes, somewhat luckier than the earlier
pair, who encounter an adventure that must have been inspiration for
Leiber. "The Isle of the Torturers" is outrageous in its premise, and
certainly lives up to its title. There is a lot of death and suffering
in the "Zothique" volume, and you will read about some things you wish you
hadn't! The final story, "The Voyage of Euvoran," is like a tale from
Sinbad, and contains possibly the most frightening attack on a fleet
of ships that I have ever read. Watch out for the island with tall,
black cliffs! This is a fabulous volume, and I will be rereading it
often! Definitely not recommended for children.
**** stars.
#17--Published July 1970
The Shaving of Shagpat
George Meredith
Cover art by Ray Cruz
This is one fantastic book, in every sense of that word! Actually,
it's two books. One is the strange and delightfully bizarre tale that
the title describes, while the second consists of dozens of wise sayings
interjected throughout the text and written in smaller print. Examples
of these delightful little poetic sayings are everywhere, but I will
quote just a few:
"Every failure is a step advanced
"Every failure is a step advanced
To him who will consider how it chanced."
Another favourite: "His weapon I'll study, my own conceal;
So with two arms to his one shall I deal."
The story is one of purest fantasy, though it may take a few
pages of reading until this is discovered. Having already digested a
good selection of "The Arabian Nights," this story fits in nicely among
those original tales. There are genies good and bad, magic weapons,
sorceresses, spells, lands of magic and myth, as well as plenty of
intrigue, plotting and carousing. The archaic writing style is perfect
for the tale, which is also filled with humour and wit and charm. It
may take some getting used to for readers of modern fantasy novels (and
it's the same with the incomparable James Branch Cabell), but it is well
worth reading this novel until the very last page. Lin Carter puts it
very succinctly in his introduction:
"The Shaving of Shagpat is told with such delicious irony and humor, in such bejeweled and polished prose, with so few concessions to the Ordinary Reader, that one might think it the production of the lectured, latter years of a successful and world-famous novelist. Such, however, is not the case."
"The Shaving of Shagpat is told with such delicious irony and humor, in such bejeweled and polished prose, with so few concessions to the Ordinary Reader, that one might think it the production of the lectured, latter years of a successful and world-famous novelist. Such, however, is not the case."
Even
as the 17th entry of this unique series, the novel still strikes us as
original, wildly imaginative, worth multiple readings, and thus a
perfect candidate for inclusion in the Ballantine canon. As with
several of the latter books in this series I collected, this one was
difficult to find and thus one of the last into my collection. It is
now a treasure among treasures! It might have appeal to younger ones if
read aloud as an on-going bedtime story.
****stars.
#18--Published July 1970
The Island of the Mighty
Evangeline Walton
Cover Art by Bob Pepper
"The Island of the Mighty" (original title "The Virgin and The
Swine") is the first of four novels the author wrote based on "The
Mabinogian," tales from early Welsh mythology. As this novel concerns
itself with the fourth branch of those tales, chronologically it is
last. The stories concern Math and Gwydion, their conflict with
Pryderi, as well as the birth of Gwydion's son Llew and his coming of
age. The volume is divided into three parts, the first dealing with the
swine mentioned in the original title. Gwydion, a bard (and thus a
Druid and magician), tricks Pryderi into handing over his prized swine.
Once the trick is discovered, war results. The first part is a "there
and back again" adventure, with Gwydion's mission to capture the swine
successful. However, the entire host of the enemy follows closely at
his heels, and once they have entered Gwydion's lands, a terrible war
results.
I found the first section difficult to get into. It could just
be me, but the prose was thick, the names were long and
unpronounceable, and the plot did not move along very much. However,
once the swine thieves arrived at Pryderi's castle, things picked up
quickly and the book became difficult to put down. So hang in there for
the first few chapters!
The second section deals with the birth and childhood of Llew,
son of Gwydion and his sorceress sister Arianrhod (the virgin from the
original title). Don't even ask about the strange birth (she had
twins), or the moral issues involved with striving to be known as a
virgin, and having to disown, hate and curse her two male children.
This is the kind of woman you do not
want to upset, even if she is your sister and best friend. While
Gwydion gets what he wants from her (a son), he pays the rest of his
life for it. Each time she puts a curse on Llew, Gwydion must try to
outwit her and undo the curse. Each time he succeeds, Arianrhod grows
more and more evil, until, in the third volume, she shows just how nasty
she can be!
In fact, women do not come off too well in this mythology.
Llew eventually marries (a woman made from flowers by Gwydion and Math,
using their wizardry). She betrays Llew, has him killed, and takes up
with another man. This does not go unnoticed by Gwydion, Llew's ultra
powerful dad. He spends years in search of the boy's soul, in the hopes
of bringing him back from the land of the dead. Only after he has
found him does he seek revenge on Llew's ex-wife.
The stories are so bizarre, and the characters so alien to most
fantasy readers, this novel may find it has detractors. However, Ms.
Walton's prose is so seductive and attractive, and she understands this
world so perfectly, that I had difficulty putting the book down (after a
slow start). I am greatly looking forward to reading the other three
books in the series she has written (two are in the Adult Fantasy
series).
Recommended for adults, though a good storyteller could easily adapt and summarize the basics for a series of bedtime stories for children (ages 8 to 11).
Recommended for adults, though a good storyteller could easily adapt and summarize the basics for a series of bedtime stories for children (ages 8 to 11).
***1/2 stars
#19--Published August 1970
Dernyi Rising
Katherine Kurtz
Cover art by Bob Pepper
The first volume in a new (at the time) multi-volume fantasy
series excited me to no end when I first encountered it. It was likely
the first fantasy volume I'd ever read that was penned by a woman. More
than that, it promised new material from the publisher, instead of
writing that was decades old. This, in turn, meant that the series
could go on in perpetuity, and someday I would own hundreds, if not
thousands, of this type of book. For the Ballantine Adult Fantasy
series as a whole, it was the second volume in a row written by a woman,
and must have been seen as something of a risk. This feat no doubt
helped open the world of fantasy writing to females, giving them hope of
being published and taken seriously within the genre. Science fiction
publishing had not been so kind to females. Ah, if it only had....
The story, writing, characters and setting are gripping, to say
the least. This was my second reading, but I remembered virtually
nothing of my earlier attempt as a late teen. There is no epic voyage
in the story, no elves, hobbits or dragons. There are some pretty
impressive magicians, however (the Deryni), a gloomy and enormous
castle, good guys and bad guys galore, intrigue upon intrigue and, as in
Walton's book (see #18, above) two pretty nasty females. It is
doubtful if any man could have created the four heroines from this book,
and in the previous title by Walton, in all their resplendent hatred,
beauty and cold-heartedness. Kudos for some truly imaginative female
villains!
Though the hero of our story is a boy of fourteen (never
underestimate children in fantasy novels), it is doubtful if a teen
would enjoy this book. The plot at first appears static, like the
location. There are no epic battles fought by huge armies led by mad
and merciless generals. There are, however, stabbings in the dark,
great plottings, poisoning, much political discussion, and even a fair amount of
sleeping and resting. However, the novel is so gripping that I found it
hard to put down, even amidst a very busy time in my life. This is
classic adult fantasy (no sex, either; sorry) written by a person that
knows how to fill a page and encourage the reader to turn to the next
one. Three of Ms. Kurtz's Dernyi novels were published in the
Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, and I look forward to rereading all of
them. However, there are now some twenty novels in the series! Not sure I'll make it that far.
**** stars
#20--Published August 1970
The Well at The World's End, Volume One
William Morris
Cover art by Gervasio Gallardo
By combining the two novels, an amazing three-part cover emerges!
William Morris was in the forefront of the Arts and Crafts
Movement in England, and had his artistic hand in many pies in the
1800s. Learning a bit about him and his environment (visiting Red House in
Bexleyheath, London is a good place to begin) will go a long way in gaining
an appreciation of his writing. The biggest influence on his medieval
fantasy fiction was the Pre-Raphaelite painters, best represented in the Tate Britain gallery in London and elsewhere. A glance at several of these masterpieces and Morris' novels will then suddenly come into sharper focus.
This is the book that got me hooked on the Ballantine Fantasy
Series, and I first read it at about 17 or 18 years of age. No doubt
lured to the book by the astonishing wrap-around cover art (three panels
when both Vol. 1 and 2 were combined) Ralph, the hero, was as much an
inspiration to me as was Aragorn or Tarzan or Lessingham. Rereading it
nearly forty years later, what could I expect? Would the book be just a
teenager's inspiration, leaving an older, far more cynical adult
unmoved?
Morris is a magical story-teller of the first rank, and I rank him
up there with Tolkien, who was apparently inspired greatly by the books
of Morris, as was C.S. Lewis. Being a lover of maps, I do long for a
large colour map of Morris' wonderful world described so aptly here, but
other than this oversight I can find no fault with Vol. 1. There are
two books within the volume (Tolkien again?), and the leisurely start to
Book 1 again puts us in mind of The Fellowship of the Ring. Once the
journey is underway, the reader becomes seduced by the description of
landscape, the cities and villages, the people and their deeds. Unlike
Tolkien, it is hard to determine for a long while who is on the side of
good (besides Ralph, of course) and who is evil. I greatly admire how
Morris can tell stories within stories. He will often take up several
chapters having Ralph listen to a story from another character. This
goes some way to slowing the main narrative, but the weaving and
interweaving of the additional stories make the tapestry that much
richer and more colourful. Besides, the reader is not in any hurry to
get to the World's End as long as Morris seduces us with his medieval
magic.
The story is a long one, and the printing in both volumes is
miniscule. Undoubtedly it would have been better to publish the series
as four books, the way Tolkien wanted his "trilogy" to be six. The first
volume leaves Ralph at the end of the known world, though not yet at
World's End, having traveled to places of greater and greater peril.
Having lost his first true love earlier in the story, he is now
pursuing his second.
Like a long journey, I prefer covering the novel in shorter
sections, and usually read only two chapters each day. This gave the
work a grand epic feel, which I think it more than deserves. My second
reading is proving to be at least as captivating as the first, and I
can't wait to begin Volume Two once more. It's nice to know that at
least in some ways I haven't changed very much, and that I still admire
chivalry and genuine goodness in a person. It should also be said that
Morris' women are very strong heroines. The novels would be tough going
for young readers.
**** stars
#21--Published September 1970
The Well at the World's End, Volume Two
William Morris
Cover art by Gervasio Gallardo
Mapman Mike
When Vol 1 and 2 are combined, a splendid three-part cover emerges!
It takes Morris three quarters of the two-volume, 4-book story to
finally arrive at the Well, which occurs right at the end of Book 3. I
like this pacing; it feels right. It also respects the Golden Mean
rule, and allows plenty of time to get back home. Tolkien was also
impressed by this pacing, and was likely influenced enough to take time
to write about the adventures that still awaited the Hobbits once they
returned home at the end of Return of the King.
Book Three takes Ralph from his thralldom to the Lord of Utterbol,
to the off-road adventure of a lifetime with Ursula, the maiden from
Bourton-Abbas he met at the beginning of his journey. This part of the
novel is very much a travelogue of their adventures across mountains,
plains, deserts and lava fields, until at last they arrive at the sea
and discover what it was they came to find. Before arriving, they spend
an entire winter living in a cave in the Vale of Chestnuts. Even more
memorable than their visit to the sacred Well was their earlier
discovery of the Dry Tree and the poisonous pool of water, depicted so
imaginatively by Gallardo on the covers of both books.
In Book Four the happy couple, now even more god-like than before
they drank from the Well, make their return journey to Upmead. They
make it back as far as the abode of the Sage near Utterbol before winter
arrives once again, and they tarry until spring. From here they move
towards Utterbol, and though a new and friendlier ruler now dwells
there, we are still not destined to enter those walls, even as in Volume
One. However, Ralph does meet all his old allies here, and Morris does
a remarkable job of tying up loose ends in this part of the world. In
fact, some serious and heroic work needs to be done by Ralph back in
Upmeads, as the land is in the process of being invaded as the couple
return (Tolkien again). Morris does a great job of keeping the interest level
high to the very end of the series by having Ralph face this threat
head on. The book could have easily ended at the Well itself, or simply
drifted into nothingness with a simple and brief return home. Tolkien
took notice of Morris' ending when he had Hobbiton overcome by invaders
at the very end of Lord of the Rings, who were soon sent on their way by
our ver y experienced Halfling heroes.
In conclusion, Morris is a master storyteller who knows his way
around characters, places and plot. A second reading confirms what I
knew when I was 17--this is one hell of a good read for lovers of
medieval fantasy, and in fact was the actual origin for the genre!
Savour each chapter and each story within story. I predict a third
reading for me at some point. The material is appropriate for younger
readers, though the writing style likely won't appeal to them.
Recommended for mid-to-upper teens and adults.
**** stars
Mapman Mike
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