Fantasy Masterwork Series News

GOLLUM

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By way of a heads up, the Fantasy Masterwork series is adding 2 new titles to its list early next year.

#50 The Mark Of The Beast and Other Fantastical Tales - Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling was a major figure of English literature, who used the full power and intensity of his imagination and his writing ability in his excursions into fantasy. Kipling, one of England's greatest writers, was born in Bombay. He was educated in England, but returned to India in 1882. He began writing fantasy and supernatural stories set in his native continent, such as 'The Phantom Rickshaw' and 'The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes', and his most famous weird story is 'The Mark of the Beast' (1890), about a man cursed to transform into a were-leopard. This Masterwork, edited by Stephen Jones, Britain's most accomplished and acclaimed anthologist, collects all Kipling's weird fiction for the first time; the stories range from traditional ghostly tales to psychological horror.

#51 Mythago Wood - Robert Holdstock

Deep within the wildwood lies a place of myth and mystery, from which few return, and none remain unchanged. Ryhope Wood may look like a three-mile-square fenced-in wood in rural Herefordshire on the outside, but inside, it is a primeval, intricate labyrinth of trees, impossibly huge, unforgettable ... and stronger than time itself. Stephen Huxley has already lost his father to the mysteries of Ryhope Wood. On his return from the Second World War, he finds his brother, Christopher, is also in thrall to the mysterious wood, wherein lies a realm where mythic archetypes grow flesh and blood, where love and beauty haunt your dreams, and in promises of freedom lies the sanctuary of insanity.
 
Thanks for the head's-up there, Gollum... I know S. T. Joshi put together a collection of 17 of Kipling's best tales from the weird field for Dover over here (using, for obvious reasons, the same story for the title)... I wonder what, if any, difference there is content... I'll have to keep an eye out for that one. And Mythago Wood pretty much was something that became an "instant classic", anyway, and has ended up on many 100 best lists -- deservedly so!

There's a reason why they named this series as they did ... they've obviously got someone at the helm who knows that they're doing.
 
Is there a list somewhere of all of the Fantasy Masterworks Books?

Thanks in advance
Bryans
 
Yes there's one in the Fantasy Recommendations thread but it hasn't been updated for a while so I'll post the latest list here as this is a Masterwork thread.

Following is current Masterwork list (UK):

*NB Differences may exist for any non-UK Orion Publishing Group Masterwork series list.

1. Shadow And Claw - Vol 1 of Book Of The New Sun Gene Wolfe
2. Time And Gods Lord Dunsany
3. The Worm Ouroboros E R Eddison
4. Tales of the Dying Earth Jack Vance
5. Little Big John Crowley
6. The Chronicles Of Amber Roger Zelazney
7. Virconium M John Harrison
8. The People of the Black Circle - Conan Chronicles Vol 1 Robert E Howard
9. The Land Of Laughs Johnathan Carroll
10. The Compleat Enchanter L Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt
11. Lud-in-the-mist Hope Mirlees
12. Sword And Citadel - Vol 2 of Book Of The New Sun Gene Wolfe
13. Fevre Dream George R R Martin
14. Beauty Sheri S Tepper
15. The King of Elfland’s Daughter Lord Dunsany
16. The Hour Of The Dragon - Conan Chronicles Vol 2 Robert E Howard
17. Elric Michael Moorcock
18. The First Book Of Lankhmar Fritz Leiber
19. Riddle-Master Patricia A McKillip
20. Time And Again Jack Finney
21. Mistress of Mistresses E R Eddison
22. Gloriana or The Unfulfilled Queen Michael Moorcock
23. The Well Of The Unicorn Fletcher Pratt
24. The Second Book Of Lankhmar Fritz Leiber
25. Voice Of Our Shadow Johnathan Carroll
26. The Emperor Of Dreams Clark Ashton Smith
27. Lyoness: Suldrun’s Garden Jack Vance
28. Peace Gene Wolfe
29. The Dragon Waiting John M Ford
30. The Chronicles Of Corum Michael Moorcock
31. Black Gods And Scarlet Dreams C L Moore
32. The Broken Sword Poul Anderson
33. The House On The Borderland & Other Novels William Hope Hodgson
34. The Drawing Of The Dark Tim Powers
35. Lyoness II: The Green Pearl and Madouc Jack Vance
36. The History of the Runestaff Michael Moorcock
37. A Voyage To Arcturus David Lindsay
38. Darker Than You Think Jack Williamson
39. The Mabinogion Evangeline Walton
40. Three Hearts And Three Lions Poul Anderson
41. Grendel John Gardner
42. The Iron Dragon’s Daughter Michael Swanwick
43. Was Geoff Ryman
44. Song Of Kali Dan Simmons
45. Replay Ken Grimwood
46. Sea King Of Mars and Other Worldy Stories Leigh Brackett
47. Anubis Gates Tim Powers
48. Forgotten Beasts Of Eld Patricia McKillip
49. Something Wicked This Way Comes Ray Bradbury
 
Thank you, I guess it is a UK publication....couldn't find at amazon.com but now can find at amazon.uk.........

Looks like I gots some reading to do......
 
Jason_Taverner said:
so from the existing list which have you read and which do you feel are the better? Also are the conan chronicles any good??
Phew! now you're asking..:D

It would take me a little while to answer this properly so for now I'll just list by number some of the ones I particularly liked. Please note this is only my opinion and in a way I feel prettty much all of those listed are deserving reads in their own way so please don't let me overly influence your decision on which ones you want to read.

In short I've read over 3/4 of the list and will complete the list within the next year or so (incl. reading and purchasing)

1, 2 ,3 ,5 ,6 ,7, 8, 10, 11, 12 ,13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 26, 31, 32, 33, 37, 42, 43, 47, 48.

*49 is supposedly a classic but yet to read, recently purchased.

The 2 conan chronicles are an excellent collection of pretty much all of REH's Conan works. If you like sword and sorcery, Howard is the father of that sub Gerne so I would say Yes check them out. Then again I'm a little bias on this one.
 
Jason_Taverner said:
so from the existing list which have you read and which do you feel are the better?

I've read 10 of them. I'd say "The Anubis Gates", "Viriconium", "Fevre Dream", "Time And Again", "The Dragon Waiting" and "Three Hearts and Three Lions" were particularly good but even the weaker entires in the Fantasy and Science Fiction Masterworks series are worth reading.
 
#50 The Mark Of The Beast and Other Fantastical Tales - Rudyard Kipling now available. It looks really good too!!!.....:)

#51 Mythago Wood - TBD *VG edition HB in Mar 2007, waiting on Masterwork edn.

#52 Call Of Cthulhu and Other Tales - HP Lovecraft - TBD
 
Far too much Micheal Moorcock on that list.
never did like his stuff.
 
Thanks GOLLUM. I got the Kipling's right after seeing it in one of your hauls.
 
I have my first and not nearly my last of this series being Tales of the Dying Earth Jack Vance



Next to get from the series will be for me these two:

The Worm Ouroboros
E R Eddison
Darker Than You Think Jack Williamson


As soon as i get off my SF zone.
 
You dont know? I am a prose fanboy ! It seems the older the famous books are the better the prose, atleast of the ones i have read so far.

So i dont care how old a book is, if the prose is cool and great i'll get it.


I drool of joy when i read REH Conan for example :D

Vance is like that too. Im reading english words i have never read before in such distinctive style and prose.
 
You dont know? I am a prose fanboy ! It seems the older the famous books are the better the prose, atleast of the ones i have read so far.

So i dont care how old a book is, if the prose is cool and great i'll get it.


I drool of joy when i read REH Conan for example :D

Vance is like that too. Im reading english words i have never read before in such distinctive style and prose.
In that case you should be like me and collect the entire Masterwork series... :)

I love Smith, Howard, Lovecraft, Leiber, Eddison, Hodgson, Vance etc.. all those old masters!!.....:cool:
 

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