Unicorns in fiction

[daisybee]

After some sneaky googling at work, I am struggling to find specific info on unicorns in fiction. I have found historical references and such, but hoped some kind souls here could let me know of any well known fantasy books that deal with unicorns, perhaps in the less traditional manner than they appear in myths etc.

Any help would be appreciated, cheers.

 

[HoopyFrood]

A unicorn appears in Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies and it's not quite the sweet, gentle natured beasts that they're usually seen as.

There was a book I read when younger, it was a young adult book I believe, that had a unicorn on the front. It was called Spellfall. I seem to recall there was something special about the unicorn, or something had to be done before you could ride one, but I can't think what now...

 

[HareBrain]

I'm sure there's one in the Narnia books somewhere.

(Edit: Jewel in The Last Battle. Also Peter rode on one at the Battle of Beruna)

And - aiming for the obscure-and-tenuous prize! - Boy In Darkness by Mervyn Peake (a novella about Titus Groan from Gormenghast) features two creatures, a hyena and a goat, who are meant to represent degraded versions of the lion and unicorn from the British royal coat of arms.

 

[Saeltari]

Piers Anthony Phase novels, and of course Peter S. Beagle's The last Unicorn, also the obsidian novels by Lackey.

 

[Precision Grace]

Harry Potter, of course, though I can't remember in which one!

Actually, I'm not really sure there was one. I think I might be mixing it up with some tv show. I can see this scene in my mind's eye and the crouching boy saying "what have you done?"

No, wait, it definitely is HP, when Voldemort kills it for vitality, so one of the early ones.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Yep, there is. Blimey, I thought it was the third, but no, it's the first. When Voldemort's trying to regain some life. It's when Harry gets sent on detention into the Forbidden Forest and sees him. They have silvery blood.

They also pop up again later when Grubblyplank, I think her name is, brings some Unicorns to a Care of Magical Creatures lesson. The foals are golden.

 

[Saeltari]

Magic Kingdom for Sale by Brooks.

(OMG!! your newtness has grown!)

 

[Overread]

unicorns always seem to be very much in the background creatures - more so than many other fantasy creatures I think. In many they take the roll of mounts (normally for elves) and I they fit this role in Magician by Raymond E. Fiest and (correct me if I am wrong) but LOTR as well? (if not LOTR then there should be some in the simlmarillion at some point I bet!)

But I am very hard pressed to think of one fitting a major key role in a story - the last unicorn comes to mind, but even then its not a leading role as such. I think the most leading you would find is a mount for a hero in the story - but I can't think of a tale with this setup (though I am sure there is one)

 

[chrispenycate]

Only a short story, but "Unicorn Variations' by Zelazny?

 

[Boneman]

And they do pop up, albeit very briefly in Zelazny's 'Amber' series.....especially 'The Sign of the Unicorn' and then again in a later one 'The Courts of Chaos'

 

[Ursa major]

unicorns always seem to be very much in the background creatures - more so than many other fantasy creatures I think.

So have we identified a gap in the market, then?

 

[Overread]

Its my gap - its mine!

*just give me several years - maybe decades to write something*
but I dibs it first!

 

[Saeltari]

You can have that gap, I got Pegasusus!!!

 

[Overread]

well guess that is ok - since Anne McAffrey stole half my dragon ideas (ok the fact that I was not born at the time is a minor fact - she still stole them!)

 

[Saeltari]

*sits smugly with the pegasususus*

I believe you.

 

[kythe]

"A Swiftly Tilting Planet" by Madeleine L'Engle involves a unicorn responsible for helping the main character travel through time and space.

"The Unicorn Dancer" by R.A.V. Salsitz features good and evil unicorns.

 

[j d worthington]

One of the best and most memorable uses I recall is Harlan Ellison's "On the Downhill Side" (and oh, that wonderful final line....)

No, unicorns don't crop up anywhere in The Silmarillion or LotR. I suspect (though I'm not certain) that they represented a type of allegorical symbolism to which JRRT took a rather dim view....

A unicorn also plays a minor part in Moorcock's The Dragon in the Sword.

 

[Omphalos]

Mike Resnick has something called Stalking the Unicorn. Ive never read it, but I really like some of Resnick's stuff.

 

[Pyan]

Tanith Lee wrote a YA trilogy: Black Unicorn, Gold Unicorn, Red Unicorn, but the title beasties are not your traditional ones...

 

[Sapheron]

In Artemis Fowl unicorns are mentioned in passing but are said to have gone extinct.