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books tagged “Classic Fantasy”
books tagged “Classic Fantasy”
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The Amber Spyglassby Philip PullmanISBN 0375823352 (0-375-82335-2)
Softcover, Random House Childrens Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Amber Spyglass'Book summary:From the very start of its very first scene, The Amber Spyglass will set hearts fluttering and minds racing. All we'll say here is that we immediately discover who captured Lyra at the end of The Subtle Knife, though we've yet to discern whether this individual's intent is good, evil, or somewhere in between. We also learn that Will still possesses the blade that allows him to cut between worlds, and has been joined by two winged companions who are determined to escort him to Lord Asriel's mountain redoubt. The boy, however, has only one goal in mind--to rescue his friend and return to her the alethiometer, an instrument that has revealed so much to her and to readers of The Golden Compass and its follow-up. Within a short time, too, we get to experience the "tingle of the starlight" on Serafina Pekkala's skin as she seeks out a famished Iorek Byrnison and enlists him in Lord Asriel's crusade:
A complex web of thoughts was weaving itself in the bear king's mind, with more strands in it than hunger and satisfaction. There was the memory of the little girl Lyra, whom he had named Silvertongue, and whom he had last seen crossing the fragile snow bridge across a crevasse in his own island of Svalbard. Then there was the agitation among the witches, the rumors of pacts and alliances and war; and then there was the surpassingly strange fact of this new world itself, and the witch's insistence that there were many more such worlds, and that the fate of them all hung somehow on the fate of the child.
Meanwhile, two factions of the Church are vying to reach Lyra first. One is even prepared to give a priest "preemptive absolution" should he succeed in committing mortal sin. For these tyrants, killing this girl is no less than "a sacred task."In the final installment of his trilogy, Philip Pullman has set himself the highest hurdles. He must match its predecessors in terms of sheer action and originality and resolve the enigmas he already created. The good news is that there is no critical bad news--not that The Amber Spyglass doesn't contain standoffs and close calls galore. (Who would have it otherwise?) But Pullman brings his audacious revision of Paradise Lost to a conclusion that is both serene and devastating. In prose that is transparent yet lyrical and 3-D, the author weaves in and out of his principals' thoughts. He also offers up several additional worlds. In one, Dr. Mary Malone is welcomed into an apparently simple society. The environment of the mulefa (again, we'll reveal nothing more) makes them rich in consciousness while their lives possess a slow and stately rhythm. These strange creatures can, however, be very fast on their feet (or on other things entirely) when necessary. Alas, they are on the verge of dying as Dust streams out of their idyllic landscape. Will the Oxford dark-matter researcher see her way to saving them, or does this require our young heroes? And while Mary is puzzling out a cure, Will and Lyra undertake a pilgrimage to a realm devoid of all light and hope, after having been forced into the cruelest of sacrifices--or betrayals.
Throughout his galvanizing epic, Pullman sustains scenes of fierce beauty and tenderness. He also allows us a moment or two of comic respite. At one point, for instance, Lyra's mother bullies a series of ecclesiastical underlings: "The man bowed helplessly and led her away. The guard behind her blew out his cheeks with relief." Needless to say, Mrs. Coulter is as intoxicating and fluid as ever. And can it be that we will come to admire her as she plays out her desperate endgame? In this respect, as in many others, The Amber Spyglass is truly a book of revelations, moving from darkness visible to radiant truth. --Kerry Fried [via]
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The Avram Davidson Treasuryby Robert Silverberg, Avram Davidson, Grania DavisISBN 0312867298 (0-312-86729-8)
Hardcover, St Martins Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Avram Davidson Treasury'Book summary:The Avram Davidson Treasury may be the most satisfying short-story collection of the decade. Davidson (1923-1993), one of science fiction and fantasy's greatest writers, was "a master shaper of small stories," writes Alan Dean Foster in his introduction to "Or the Grasses Grow." Foster is joined in introducing the stories by dozens of extraordinary authors, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, William Gibson, Poul Anderson, and many others. Davidson was clearly adored, and often emulated, despite his reputation for being somewhat curmudgeonly. His mastery of language was exquisite, and his stories glittered like diamonds. Each of the 38 tales in this collection spanning five decades is a self-contained wonderland. One of the most famous (and most often plagiarized) short stories in science fiction appears here: "Or All the Seas with Oysters," tells of slightly sinister safety pin pupae, coat hanger larvae, and bicycle adults in a world where machines are more than they seem.
Of "Dagon," John Clute writes, "It is as vicious as the world of a fish, and wise. It is masterly.... it cannot be read. It can only be re-read." On the surface, this is the story of an American military officer in Peking in 1945, but lurking underneath are ancient gods, Chinese magicians, and the obscene torpor of hell. As Ray Bradbury writes in his afterword, "Many of these stories are complete mysteries, puzzles. Avram Davidson starts us in a fog and lets us orient ourselves slowly.... His knack for a proper pace is that of a true teller of tales." But all of Davidson's stories aren't dark--far from it. He was a satirical genius, able to poke fun at sacred cows and turn a comic phrase with the best of them. Some of these stories will make you laugh out loud.
To the fan of great literary short fiction: Don't skip over this deeply fulfilling treasury because Avram Davidson was "only" a science fiction author. He's been compared to Rudyard Kipling, Saki, John Collier, and G.K. Chesterton, if you need a literary excuse.
And to the science fiction or fantasy fan: This amazing and creative Hugo, Edgar, and World Fantasy Award winner, nominated for seven Nebula Awards by his fellow writers, will astound and amaze you. --Therese Littleton [via]
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The Avram Davidson Treasury : A Tribute Collectionby Avram Davidson, Robert Silverberg, Grania Davis, Ray Bradbury, Harlan EllisonISBN 031286731X (0-312-86731-X)
Softcover, Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom
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The Best of L. Sprague De Campby L. Sprague de CampISBN 0345329309 (0-345-32930-9)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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Beyond the Fields We Knowby Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett DunsanyISBN 0345097440 (0-345-09744-0)
Hardcover, Pan/Ballantine
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Blood of Amberby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380896362 (0-380-89636-2)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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The Book of Lost Talesby J. R. R. TolkienISBN 0345375211 (0-345-37521-1)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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The Book of Merlynby Terence Hanbury WhiteISBN 029270769X (0-292-70769-X)
Softcover, Univ of Texas Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Book of Merlyn'Book summary:FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. [via]
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Changing Landby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0345344413 (0-345-34441-3)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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The Complete Grimm's Fairy Talesby Wilhelm Grimm, Brothers Grimm, Josef ScharlISBN 0394709306 (0-394-70930-6)
Softcover, Random House Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales'Book summary:210 traditional tales with accompanying explanatory and historical material. [via]
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Complete Worksby Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel, Alexander WoollcottISBN 0394716612 (0-394-71661-2)
Softcover, Knopf Publishing Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Complete Works'Book summary:This is a carefully edited text of the writer's chief work and selections from his lesser writings and letters without which it would be impossible to form a picture of his life's work and genius. [via]
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Complete Works of Lewis Carrollby John TennielISBN 0370005074 (0-370-00507-4)
Hardcover, Random House Inc
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The Complete Works of Lewis Carrollby Lewis Carroll, John TennielISBN 0394604857 (0-394-60485-7)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll'Book summary:This is a carefully edited text of the writer's chief work and selections from his lesser writings and letters without which it would be impossible to form a picture of his life's work and genius. [via]
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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Courtby Mark Twain, M. Thomas IngeISBN 0192839020 (0-19-283902-0)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'Book summary:Hank Morgan awakens one morning to find he has been transported from nineteenth-century New England to sixth-century England and the reign of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Morgan brings to King Arthur's utopian court the ingenuity of the future, resulting in a culture clash that is at once satiric, anarchic, and darkly comic. Critically deemed one of Twain's finest and most caustic works, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is both a delightfully entertaining story and a disturbing analysis of the efficacy of government, the benefits of progress, and the dissolution of social mores. It remains as powerful a work of fiction today as it was upon its first publication in 1889. [via]
More editions of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court:
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: ISBN 0375757805 (0-375-75780-5)
Softcover, Random House Inc - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: ISBN 0393951375 (0-393-95137-5)
Softcover, W W Norton & Co Inc - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: ISBN 0195101413 (0-19-510141-3)
Hardcover, Oxford Univ Pr - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: ISBN 0192839020 (0-19-283902-0)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court: ISBN 0375757805 (0-375-75780-5)
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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889by Mark Twain, Shelley Fisher FishkinISBN 0195114108 (0-19-511410-8)
Hardcover, Oxford Univ Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889'Book summary:One of Twain's best-loved stories next to his classic tales of Huck and Tom, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court vibrates with slapstick comedy and serious social commentary. While Hank Morgan, Twain's time-displaced Yankee traveler, keeps up a steady stream of flippancies, founding the first tabloid, the Camelot Weekly Hosannah and Literary Volcano, and organizing a game of baseball between armor-clad knights, he also keeps up a steady commentary on the social mores of King Arthur's court, criticizing the hereditary social classes and state church still strong in the Victorian England of Twain's own day, and championing women's suffrage and union labor organization. Widely regarded as one of the first science fiction novels, this edition also features an introduction by Kurt Vonnegut, our own twentieth century master of satiric social commentary and science fiction. It also features the original illustrations by Dan Beard, chosen by Twain himself to illustrate the book, whose drawings brilliantly mix buffoonery with sharp social satire: sharp-eyed readers, for instance, will spot that the model for Merlin, Hank's nemesis, is none other than Tennyson, whose Idylls of the King made the romantic vision of King Arthur's court nearly a sacred Victorian cult. By turns side-splittingly funny and somberly thought-provoking, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is Twain at his finest. [via]
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Courts of Chaosby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380471752 (0-380-47175-2)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Courts of Chaos'Book summary:Corwin finds his world dissolving around him when his father Oberon, disguised as Corwin's friend, steals the Jewel of Judgment so that he may defeat the evil Brand, in a conclusion to the first Amber series. Reissue. [via]
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Dark Ladiesby Fritz LeiberISBN 031286972X (0-312-86972-X)
Softcover, St Martins Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Dark Ladies'Book summary:Fritz Leiber (1910-1992) is best known as the creator of the popular heroic-fantasy duo, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, but his accomplishments, far more diverse than this suggests, have been strongly influenced not only by fantasy but also by science fiction and horror. His fiction has won the Hugo, Nebula, Derleth, Gandalf, Lovecraft, and World Fantasy Awards, and he has been honored with the Life Achievement Lovecraft Award and the Grand Master Nebula Award. Two of his best novels are the classic dark fantasies Conjure Wife (in 1943 filmed as Weird Woman and Burn Witch Burn) and Our Lady of Darkness (1978 winner of the World Fantasy Award), available in a single volume as Dark Ladies.
In Conjure Wife, Professor Norman Saylor, ethnologist and rationalist, is enjoying rapid career advancement and a happy marriage until the day he discovers that his wife, Tansy, is a witch. When Norm reminds her that magic is baseless superstition, she destroys her charms and protections--and Norm finds his career disintegrating and himself and his wife in dangers he'd once thought impossible.
Our Lady of Darkness introduces San Francisco horror writer Franz Westen. While studying his beloved city by binoculars from his apartment window, he is astonished to see a mysterious figure waving at him from a hilltop two miles away. He walks to Corona Heights and looks back at his building, to discover the figure waving at him from his apartment window--and to find himself caught in a century-spanning curse that may have destroyed Clark Ashton Smith and Jack London. --Cynthia Ward [via]
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The Dragon and the Georgeby Gordon R. DicksonISBN 0345350502 (0-345-35050-2)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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The Dragon Knightby Gordon R. DicksonISBN 0312931298 (0-312-93129-8)
Hardcover, St Martins Pr
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Fahrenheit 451by Ray BradburyISBN 0345342968 (0-345-34296-8)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Fahrenheit 451'Book summary:In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury's classic, frightening vision of the future, firemen don't put out fires--they start them in order to burn books. Bradbury's vividly painted society holds up the appearance of happiness as the highest goal--a place where trivial information is good, and knowledge and ideas are bad. Fire Captain Beatty explains it this way, "Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs.... Don't give them slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy."
Guy Montag is a book-burning fireman undergoing a crisis of faith. His wife spends all day with her television "family," imploring Montag to work harder so that they can afford a fourth TV wall. Their dull, empty life sharply contrasts with that of his next-door neighbor Clarisse, a young girl thrilled by the ideas in books, and more interested in what she can see in the world around her than in the mindless chatter of the tube. When Clarisse disappears mysteriously, Montag is moved to make some changes, and starts hiding books in his home. Eventually, his wife turns him in, and he must answer the call to burn his secret cache of books. After fleeing to avoid arrest, Montag winds up joining an outlaw band of scholars who keep the contents of books in their heads, waiting for the time society will once again need the wisdom of literature.
Bradbury--the author of more than 500 short stories, novels, plays, and poems, including The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man--is the winner of many awards, including the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. Readers ages 13 to 93 will be swept up in the harrowing suspense of Fahrenheit 451, and no doubt will join the hordes of Bradbury fans worldwide. --Neil Roseman [via]
Fantasy Worlds of Peter S. Beagleby Peter S. BeagleISBN 0345289676 (0-345-28967-6)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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Grimm's Fairy Talesby Wilhelm Grimm, Brothers GrimmISBN 0307671135 (0-307-67113-5)
Hardcover, Goldencraft
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Grimm's Tales for Young and Oldby Ralph ManheimISBN 0385189508 (0-385-18950-8)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Grimm's Tales for Young and Old'Book summary:Ralph Manheim, the highly acclaimed and prize-winning translator, has rediscovered in the original German editions of the Grimms' works the unadorned, direct rhythm of the oral form in which they were first recorded. [via]
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Grimm's Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Storiesby Wilhelm Grimm, Jacob Grimm, Ralph ManheimISBN 0385110057 (0-385-11005-7)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Grimm's Tales for Young and Old: The Complete Stories'Book summary:A new and modern translation of the entire collection of folk and fairy tales written by the Brothers Grimm. [via]
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Grimms' Fairy TalesISBN 033360184X (0-333-60184-X)
Hardcover, Motorbooks Intl
Find This BookBook summary:The stories collected by the Brothers Grimm are probably the most popular folk tales in the Western world. This selection includes "Rumpelstiltskin", "The Elves and the Shoemaker", "The Goose Girl", "The Frog-Prince", "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and many others. [via]
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Gulliver's Travelsby Jonathan Swift, Christopher FoxISBN 0312066651 (0-312-06665-1)
Softcover, Bedford/st Martins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Gulliver's Travels'Book summary:This new edition of Swift's satiric classic is based on the 1726 textthe edition textual scholars now consider the most authoritative.
It is accompanied by detailed explanatory annotations.
"Contexts" collects materials that influenced Swift's writing of the novel, as well as documents that suggest its initial reception, including Swift's correspondence, Alexander Pope's poems on Gulliver's Travels, and relevant passages from Gargantua and Pantagruel.
"Criticism" includes fourteen assessments of Gulliver's Travels by the Earl of Orrery, Sir Walter Scott, Pat Rogers, Michael McKen, J.A. Downie, J. Paul Hunter, Laura Brown, Douglas Lane Patey, Dennis Todd, Richard H. Rodino. Irvin Ehrenpreis, Janine Barchas, Claude Rawson, and Howard D. Weinbrot.
A Chronology and a Selected Bibliography are included. [via]More editions of Gulliver's Travels:
- Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0393957241 (0-393-95724-1)
Softcover, W W Norton & Co Inc - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0312102844 (0-312-10284-4)
Hardcover, Palgrave Macmillan - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0361031580 (0-361-03158-0)
Hardcover, Prentice Hall of Canada Ltd - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0194230341 (0-19-423034-1)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0306803399 (0-306-80339-9)
Softcover, Perseus Books - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0393099415 (0-393-09941-5)
Softcover, W W Norton & Co Inc - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0195199782 (0-19-519978-2)
Hardcover, Oxford University Press - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0333634381 (0-333-63438-1)
Hardcover, Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0394605292 (0-394-60529-2)
Hardcover, Random House Publishing Group - Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0312066651 (0-312-06665-1)
Softcover, Bedford/st Martins
- Gulliver's Travels: ISBN 0393957241 (0-393-95724-1)
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The Guns of Avalonby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380000830 (0-380-00083-0)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Guns of Avalon'Book summary:Paperback. [via]
Hand of Oberonby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380016648 (0-380-01664-8)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Hand of Oberon'Book summary:Returning to Shadow Earth to investigate a threat against his life, Corwin discovers that the Jewel of Judgment has been stolen by his traitorous brother, Brand, who plans to use the enigmatic gem to reshape the universe. Reissue. [via]
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Harp Of The Grey Roseby Charles De LintISBN 0380762021 (0-380-76202-1)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Harp Of The Grey Rose'Book summary:[via]He is the Songweaver, but before he was a master of song he was merely Cerin of Wran Cheaping-a seventeen-year-old orphan raised by a wildland witch. Then he encountered the Maid of the Grey Rose-the lone survivor of the war that devastated the Trembling Lands and the promised bride of Yarac Stone-Slayer, the feared and terrible Waster. The mysterious beauty captured Cerin's heart, drawing him into a world both dark and deadly, until armed with only a tinkerblade and the magic of song, he would take on a man's challenge...and choose a treacherous path toward a magnificent destiny. The Harp of the Grey Rose is award-winning fantasist Charles de Lints first novel, long out of print-and it hints of the wonderful stories to come.
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Harpist in the Windby Patricia A. McKillipISBN 0345324404 (0-345-32440-4)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Harpist in the Wind'Book summary:In the midst of conflict and unrest the Prince of Hed solves the puzzle of his future when he learns to harp the wind, discovers who the shape changers are, and understands his own relationship to Deth, harpist of the wizard Ohm. [via]
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Heir of Sea and Fireby Patricia A. McKillipISBN 0345351843 (0-345-35184-3)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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J.R.R. Tolkienby J. R. R. TolkienISBN 0345340426 (0-345-34042-6)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'J.R.R. Tolkien'Book summary:Four book set includes the Hobbit and Complete Lord of the Rings; the Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of The King. [via]
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Journey to the Centre of the Earthby Jules Verne, William ButcherISBN 0192836757 (0-19-283675-7)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'Book summary:Now available in a new translation, this classic of nineteenth century French literature has been consistently praised for its style and its vision of the world. Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel travel across Iceland, and then down through an extinct crater toward a sunless sea where they enter a living past and are confronted with the origins of man. Exploring the prehistory of the globe, this novel can also be read as a psychological quest, for the journey itself is as important as arrival or discovery. Verne's distinctive combination of realism and Romanticism has marked figures as diverse as Sartre and Tournier, Mark Twain and Conan Doyle. [via]
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Knight of Shadowsby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380755017 (0-380-75501-7)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
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Magician's Gambitby David EddingsISBN 0345335457 (0-345-33545-7)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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Modern Classics of Fantasyby Gardner DozoisISBN 0312169310 (0-312-16931-0)
Softcover, St Martins Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Modern Classics of Fantasy'Book summary:This is the kind of assortment that can hook a reader on short fantasy. Thirty-two good stories--some previously anthologized, some hot off the press ("Beauty and the Opera" by Suzy McKee Charnas appeared in July 1996), and a few once considered classic, but now nearly forgotten (Thomas Burnett Swann is rapidly falling out of sight)--offer entertainment for every taste. Many of the stories ("The Overworld" by Jack Vance, and "The Changeling" by Michael Swanwick) also offer continuation elsewhere as part of a longer work.
Gardner Dozois's emphasis is on magazine fiction. As such, it's an interesting view of the evolution and increasing sophistication of the "pulps"--and their readers. For this reason this would be an excellent text for a course on modern fantasy writing. Stories from Asimov Science Fiction Magazine, which Dozois edits, are prominent among the recent pieces. Providing a brief history of 20th-century fantasy, the introduction seems written with the new reader in mind. [via]
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The Monkby Matthew G. Lewis, Hugh ThomasISBN 0375759166 (0-375-75916-6)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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The Monk: A Longman Cultural Editionby Matthew Lewis, Howard AndersonISBN 0192833944 (0-19-283394-4)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Monk: A Longman Cultural Edition'Book summary:One of the most extravagantly dark works of Gothic fiction ever written in English, admired by the likes of Lord Byron and the Marquis de Sade, The Monk drew a firestorm of criticism when it was published in 1796. Contemporaries condemned it as "lewd," "libidinous and impious." "Lust, murder, incest, and every atrocity that can disgrace human nature," one critic cried, "brought together, without the apology of probability, or even possibility." Of course, it was an immediate best seller.
Written by Matthew Lewis at the tender age of nineteen, The Monk tells of the violent downfall of the monk Ambrosio. Idolized by all Madrid for his spotless character, the proud Ambrosio is privately tormented with lust for Matilda and, once sated, with overpowering desire for the pure and innocent Antonia, whom he rapes and murders in the crypt of Saint Clare. Sentenced to death by the Inquisition, he sells his soul to the devil, with unusually bad results. But the plot is only part of the book's appeal. The Monk is a bubbling cauldron of Horror characters and motifs. Ghosts, murderous banditti, the Wandering Jew, a gypsy fortune teller, the Bleeding Nun, the Grand Inquisitor, and Satan himself all have roles in the drama. Characters are buried alive, tortured, tempted by demons, and torn apart by riotous mobs, in settings that include castles, monasteries, and dungeons.
Stephen King, in his introduction to this edition, calls The Monk "a black engine of sex and the supernatural that changed the genre--and the novel itself--forever." Everyone who loves the novels of King will find this book irresistible. [via]More editions of The Monk: A Longman Cultural Edition:
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Mythago Woodby Robert HoldstockISBN 0380762765 (0-380-76276-5)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Mythago Wood'Book summary:Myth and Terror in the Forest Deeps
The mystery of Ryhope Wood, Britain's last fragment of primeval forest, consumed George Huxley's entire long life. Now, after his death, his sons have taken up his work. But what they discover is numinous and perilous beyond all expectation.
For the Wood, larger inside than out, is a labyrinth full of myths come to life, "mythagos" that can change you forever. A labyrinth where love and beauty haunt your dreams. . .and may drive you insane.
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The Neverending Storyby Michael Ende, Ralph ManheimISBN 0385176228 (0-385-17622-8)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Neverending Story'Book summary:In this classic fantasy novel from author Michael Ende, small and insignificant Bastian Balthazar Bux is nobody's idea of a hero, least of all his own. Then, through the pages of an ancient, mysterious book, he discovers the enchanted world of Fantastica, and only Bastian himself can save the fairy people who live there. Shy, awkward Bastian is amazed to discover that he has become a character in the mysterious book he is reading and that he has an important mission to fulfill.[via]More editions of The Neverending Story:
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Nine Princes in Amberby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380014300 (0-380-01430-0)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Nine Princes in Amber'Book summary:Awakening in an Earth hospital unable to remember who he is or where he came from, Corwin is amazed to learn that he is one of the sons of Oberon, King of Amber, and is the rightful successor to the crown in a parallel world. Reissue. [via]
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October Countryby Ray Bradbury, Joe MugnainiISBN 034532448X (0-345-32448-X)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'October Country'Book summary:Ray Bradbury's first short story collection is back in print, its chilling encounters with funhouse mirrors, parasitic accident-watchers, and strange poker chips intact. Both sides of Bradbury's vaunted childhood nostalgia are also on display, in the celebratory "Uncle Einar," and haunting "The Lake," the latter a fine elegy to childhood loss. This edition features a new introduction by Bradbury, an invaluable essay on writing, wherein the author tells of his "Theater of Morning Voices," and, by inference, encourages you to listen to the same murmurings in yourself. And has any writer anywhere ever made such good use of exclamation marks!? [via]
More editions of October Country:
- October Country: ISBN 0345407857 (0-345-40785-7)
Softcover, Ballantine Books - October Country: ISBN 0380973871 (0-380-97387-1)
Hardcover, Harpercollins - The October Country: ISBN 0394438922 (0-394-43892-2)
Hardcover, Knopf Publishing Group - October Country: ISBN 034532448X (0-345-32448-X)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
- October Country: ISBN 0345407857 (0-345-40785-7)
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Pawn of Prophecyby David EddingsISBN 0345418883 (0-345-41888-3)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Pawn of Prophecy'Book summary:"Eddings' BELGARIAD is exactly the kind of fantasy I like. It has magic, adventure, humor, mystery, and a certain delightful human insight."
Piers Anthony
Long ago, the Storyteller claimed, in this first book of THE BELGARIAD, the evil god Torak drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.
But Garion did not believe in such stories. Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved--but did not know...?
From the Paperback edition. [via]More editions of Pawn of Prophecy:
Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad Book 1by David EddingsISBN 0345335511 (0-345-33551-1)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad Book 1'Book summary:Selected as a 2003 Popular Paperback for Young Adults by the Young Adult Library Services Association
Long ago, so the storyteller claimed, the evil God Torak sought dominion over all and drove the world to war. Now the one talisman keeping this sinister force from seizing power has been disturbedand no one will be safe. . . .
Raised on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, Garion spends his days lounging in his aunts warm kitchen and playing in the surrounding fields with his friends. He has never believed in magic, despite the presence of a cloaked, shadowless stranger who has haunted him from a distance for years. But one afternoon, the wise storyteller Wolf appears and urges Garion and his aunt to leave the farm that very night. Without understanding why, Garion is whisked away from the only home he has ever knownand thrown into dark and unfamiliar lands.
Thus begins an extraordinary quest to stop a reawakened evil from devouring all that is good. It is a journey that will lead Garion to discover his heritage and his future. For the magic that once seemed impossible to Garion is now his destiny.
The first exciting adventure in David Eddingss The Belgariad
Pawn of Prophecy is the newest addition to the Del Rey Imagine program, which offers the best in fantasy and science fiction for readers twelve and up. [via]More editions of Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad Book 1:
- Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad Book 1: ISBN 0345468643 (0-345-46864-3)
Softcover, Ballantine Books - Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad Book 1: ISBN 0345296370 (0-345-29637-0)
Softcover, Ballantine Books - Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad Book 1: ISBN 0345309979 (0-345-30997-9)
Softcover, Ballantine Books - Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad Book 1: ISBN 0345335511 (0-345-33551-1)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
- Pawn of Prophecy: The Belgariad Book 1: ISBN 0345468643 (0-345-46864-3)
Pellucidarby Edgar Rice BurroughsISBN 0345366697 (0-345-36669-7)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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Prince of Chaosby R. ZelaznyISBN 0380755025 (0-380-75502-5)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Prince of Chaos'Book summary:Treacheries, trickeries, assassination attempts and bloody family intrigues have finally maneuvered Merlin, aka Merle Corey, into the Courts of Chaos - where he is third in line to occupy the throne, thanks to a series of conventionally fatal "accidents" engineered by his mother Dara and uncle Mandor. But Merlin's journey to the ultimate rule will not be easy. For dark enchantments still await him. There is murderous discord between Amber and Chaos to be silenced. And a captive royal father, long believed dead, must first be freed from a villain's magic before a beleaguered Prince can deem his triumph complete. [via]
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The Princess Brideby William GoldmanISBN 0345348036 (0-345-34803-6)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Princess Bride'Book summary:The Princess Bride is a true fantasy classic. William Goldman describes it as a "good parts version" of "S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure." Morgenstern's original was filled with details of Florinese history, court etiquette, and Mrs. Morgenstern's mostly complimentary views of the text. Much admired by academics, the "Classic Tale" nonetheless obscured what Mr. Goldman feels is a story that has everything: "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles."
Goldman frames the fairy tale with an "autobiographical" story: his father, who came from Florin, abridged the book as he read it to his son. Now, Goldman is publishing an abridged version, interspersed with comments on the parts he cut out.
Is The Princess Bride a critique of classics like Ivanhoe and The Three Musketeers, that smother a ripping yarn under elaborate prose? A wry look at the differences between fairy tales and real life? Simply a funny, frenetic adventure? No matter how you read it, you'll put it on your "keeper" shelf. --Nona Vero [via]
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Queen of Sorceryby David EddingsISBN 0345335651 (0-345-33565-1)
Softcover, Del Rey
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Queen of Sorcery'Book summary:The second part of a saga set against a history of 7000 years of struggles of gods and kings and men. Prophecy spoke of a time when the evil god, Torak, would awake and again seek dominance over all the world. Now the Orb of Aldur has been stolen by a priest of Torak, and that time is at hand. [via]
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Riddlemaster of Hedby Patricia A. McKillipISBN 0345331044 (0-345-33104-4)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Riddlemaster of Hed'Book summary:Long ago, the wizards had vanished from the world, and all knowledge was left hidden in riddles. Morgon, prince of the simple farmers of Hed, proved himself a master of such riddles when he staked his life to win a crown from the dead Lord of Aum.
But now ancient, evil forces were threatening him. Shape changers began replacing friends until no man could be trusted. So Morgon was forced to flee to hostile kingdoms, seeking the High One who ruled from mysterious Erlenstar Mountain.
Beside him went Deth, the High One's Harper. Ahead lay strange encounters and terrifying adventures. And with him always was the greatest of unsolved riddles -- the nature of the three stars on his forehead that seemed to drive him toward his ultimate destiny. [via]More editions of Riddlemaster of Hed:
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Shadow & Clawby Gene WolfeISBN 0312890176 (0-312-89017-6)
Softcover, St Martins Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Shadow & Claw'Book summary:One of the most acclaimed "science fantasies" ever, Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun is a long, magical novel in four volumes. Shadow & Claw contains the first two: The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator, which respectively won the World Fantasy and Nebula Awards.
This is the first-person narrative of Severian, a lowly apprentice torturer blessed and cursed with a photographic memory, whose travels lead him through the marvels of far-future Urth, and who--as revealed near the beginning--eventually becomes his land's sole ruler or Autarch. On the surface it's a colorful story with all the classic ingredients: growing up, adventure, sex, betrayal, murder, exile, battle, monsters, and mysteries to be solved. (Only well into book 2 do we realize what saved Severian's life in chapter 1.) For lovers of literary allusions, they are plenty here: a Dickensian cemetery scene, a torture-engine from Kafka, a wonderful library out of Borges, and familiar fables changed by eons of retelling. Wolfe evokes a chilly sense of time's vastness, with an age-old, much-restored painting of a golden-visored "knight," really an astronaut standing on the moon, and an ancient citadel of metal towers, actually grounded spacecraft. Even the sun is senile and dying, and so Urth needs a new sun.
The Book of the New Sun is almost heartbreakingly good, full of riches and subtleties that improve with each rereading. It is Gene Wolfe's masterpiece. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk [via]
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Sign of Chaosby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380896370 (0-380-89637-0)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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Sign of the Unicornby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380008319 (0-380-00831-9)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
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Sword & Citadelby Gene WolfeISBN 0312890184 (0-312-89018-4)
Softcover, St Martins Pr
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Swords of Marsby Edgar Rice BurroughsISBN 0345329562 (0-345-32956-2)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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Synthetic Men of Marsby Edgar Rice BurroughsISBN 0345339304 (0-345-33930-4)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Synthetic Men of Mars'Book summary:John Carter desperately needed the aid of Barsoom's greatest scientist. But Ras Thavas was the prisoner of a nightmare army of his own creation -- half-humans who lived only for conquest. And in their hidden laboratory seethed a horror that could engulf all of Mars. [via]
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Tales of the Dying Earthby Jack VanceISBN 0312874561 (0-312-87456-1)
Softcover, St Martins Pr
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Tolkein Readerby J. R. R. TolkeinISBN 0345298810 (0-345-29881-0)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Tolkein Reader'Book summary:Stories, poems, and commentaries by the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
[via]
FARMER GILES OF HAM
An imaginative history of the distant and marvelous past that introduces the rather unheroic Farmer Giles, whose efforts to capture a somewhat untrustworthy dragon will delight readers everywhere.
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM BOMBADIL
A collection of verse in praise of Tom Bombadil, that staunch friend of the Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings.
TREE AND LEAF
Contains On Fairy-stories, Professor Tolkiens now-famous essay on the form of the fairy story and the treatment of fantasy.
. . . and other dazzling works, including an introduction by Peter S. BeagleMore editions of Tolkein Reader:
The Tolkien Readerby J. R. R. TolkienISBN 0345345061 (0-345-34506-1)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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Trumps of Doomby Roger ZelaznyISBN 0380896354 (0-380-89635-4)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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Unfinished Talesby J. R. R. TolkienISBN 0345357116 (0-345-35711-6)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Unfinished Tales'Book summary:Mythic lore and forgotten legends are unveiled in stories of the three ages of Middle-earth unearthed by Christopher Tolkien from his father's archives. [via]
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The Weirdstone of Brinsingamenby Alan GarnerISBN 0345290437 (0-345-29043-7)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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The Well of the Unicornby Fletcher PrattISBN 0345297296 (0-345-29729-6)
Softcover, Random House Publishing Group
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