Who Do You Think Are The Most Neglected and Forgotten Writers?

[BAYLOR]

The Haggard novel about the Viking might have been The Wanderer's Necklace -- ? The one with a Scandinavian theme that I've read is Eric Brighteyes, which Tolkien liked.

I'll probably revisit that trilogy, which I read ten years or so ago. There are other Quatermain books. A guide to Haggard's fiction that I have often referred to is here:

http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/16/mullen16bib.htm

I've read quite a few of them by now....In that list, I've read, I suppose, nos. 4-7, 11, 12, 14-23 (not sure about #21 though), 33, 43, 46, 48, 49, 51-53, 56, 59, 60, 62, 65. But Haggard thought his best work was written during the decade that included King Solomon's Mines, She, Eric Brighteyes, Montezuma's Daughter, etc. Most of the Quatermain books seem to be entertaining, but I have bogged down with the last two I haven't read (Allan and the Ice Gods and The Ancient Allan). A recent effort with Pearl Maiden wasn't sustained. I may have come about to the point of not reading any more HRH for the first time, though there are a few I expect to read again.

Queen Sheba's Ring by Haggard. The edtion of the book I have printed 1905 by DoubleDay. It's not worth anything , the cover is faded a bit , but otherwise, it's in good shape.

 

[Extollager]

My book log states that I read Queen Sheba's Ring in 1974, but I don't seem to remember it. A Viking!?

 

[svalbard]

Eric Brighteyes is the one I read.

Henry Treece and Rosemary Sutcliff are two authors from times past who I hear little about these days and I rarely see any of my young nephews and nieces reading such books unless they have perused my bookshelves and something has caught their fancy. That said a Henry Treece book was difficult to find back in the late 80s let alone now. I was lucky to discover this author as my school library had a collection of his books. Happy memories reading Mr Treece's tales of Vikings, Saxons and Celts.

 

[BAYLOR]

My book log states that I read Queen Sheba's Ring in 1974, but I don't seem to remember it. A Viking!?

Ive yet to read it.

 

[Extollager]

I never read Talbot Mundy, paperbacks of whose books were available around 1970. Is neglect of Mundy okay?

 

[BAYLOR]

I never read Talbot Mundy, paperbacks of whose books were available around 1970. Is neglect of Mundy okay?

I recommend by him King of the Kyber Riffles and Om The secret of Arbor Valley . He's quite good.

 

[MWagner]

Henry Treece and Rosemary Sutcliff are two authors from times past who I hear little about these days and I rarely see any of my young nephews and nieces reading such books unless they have perused my bookshelves and something has caught their fancy. That said a Henry Treece book was difficult to find back in the late 80s let alone now. I was lucky to discover this author as my school library had a collection of his books. Happy memories reading Mr Treece's tales of Vikings, Saxons and Celts.

My school library had a dozen or so Rosemary Sutcliff books and I read them all. I still read her work, which holds up remarkably well as an adult. She also wrote several excellent adult novels, such as the Sword at Sunset (King Arthur) and Flowers of Adonis (the Peloponnesian war). And no, school libraries don't carry her work anymore. From what I can see, historical fiction - which used to be a staple of school libraries - has been entirely supplanted by fantasy and dystopian YA.

I've only recently discovered Harold Lamb, and he has been revelation. Not only is he an excellent historian (he wrote biographies of Alexander the Great, Ghengis Khan, Hannibal, and others), but he employs a wonderful turn of phrase. He wrote stories for the pulp magazines of the 20s, but to dismiss it pulp is akin to dismissing Dashiell Hammet as pulp. Lamb was a major influence on R.E. Howard (and a far better writer), and I also detect more than a little Lamb in Jack Vance's wry, exotic tales. Anyone who enjoys those two authors should definitely seek out Lamb's cossack adventures, which have recently been re-published in compilations (Wolf of the Steppes, etc.). They're set in a world so exotic - 17th century Central Asia - and are told with such keen enthusiasm, that they're more wondrous than 90 per cent of the fantasy being published today.

Another author sadly neglected today is Poul Anderson. I know he's a SFWA Grand Master, but I don't think any of his books are in print, and he rarely gets name-checked these days.

 

[Extollager]

And no, school libraries don't carry her work anymore. From what I can see, historical fiction - which used to be a staple of school libraries - has been entirely supplanted by fantasy and dystopian YA.

Fascinating comment. I suspect you are exactly right. How sad. Those YA novels must have been, among other good things, the start of some people into careers as historians.

 

[Extollager]

I recommend by him King of the Kyber Riffles and Om The secret of Arbor Valley . He's quite good.

I'll have to give him a try -- maybe I can get to that Khyber Rifles one soon. It sounds Kipling-y -- and I would assert that Kipling is a neglected author, brushed off by countless people who think they can dismiss him as an "imperialist" not worthy of their time. There's unworthiness somewhere in the equation, but I don't think it's on Kipling's side.

There's a Kipling subforum for those who might be interested:

Rudyard Kipling: Weird Tale Master and Much More

 

[svalbard]

My school library had a dozen or so Rosemary Sutcliff books and I read them all. I still read her work, which holds up remarkably well as an adult. She also wrote several excellent adult novels, such as the Sword at Sunset (King Arthur) and Flowers of Adonis (the Peloponnesian war). And no, school libraries don't carry her work anymore. From what I can see, historical fiction - which used to be a staple of school libraries - has been entirely supplanted by fantasy and dystopian YA.

I've only recently discovered Harold Lamb, and he has been revelation. Not only is he an excellent historian (he wrote biographies of Alexander the Great, Ghengis Khan, Hannibal, and others), but he employs a wonderful turn of phrase. He wrote stories for the pulp magazines of the 20s, but to dismiss it pulp is akin to dismissing Dashiell Hammet as pulp. Lamb was a major influence on R.E. Howard (and a far better writer), and I also detect more than a little Lamb in Jack Vance's wry, exotic tales. Anyone who enjoys those two authors should definitely seek out Lamb's cossack adventures, which have recently been re-published in compilations (Wolf of the Steppes, etc.). They're set in a world so exotic - 17th century Central Asia - and are told with such keen enthusiasm, that they're more wondrous than 90 per cent of the fantasy being published today.

Another author sadly neglected today is Poul Anderson. I know he's a SFWA Grand Master, but I don't think any of his books are in print, and he rarely gets name-checked these days.

Sword at Sunset is one of my all time favourite books.

It is a pity that school libraries no longer stock what I would consider classics of childrens literature such as Sutcliff's books. I also first came across Alan Garner in my school library with The Wierdstone of Brisgenham sitting right next to Tacitus on the shelf.

 

[Bick]

Another author sadly neglected today is Poul Anderson. I know he's a SFWA Grand Master, but I don't think any of his books are in print, and he rarely gets name-checked these days.

I agree with your first point, that Poul Anderson is rather neglected, given his status. And I sympathise with the nomination as I'm a fan (see avatar). However... lots of his books are in print, and (personally) I name check him a lot, and I know others here do as well, so while he's a little neglected, he's not exactly forgotten. I've read several of his novels in the last few years, having bought the books new in print... Book Depository offers 65 Poul Anderson titles as "currently available".

 

[BAYLOR]

I agree with your first point, that Poul Anderson is rather neglected, given his status. And I sympathise with the nomination as I'm a fan (see avatar). However... lots of his books are in print, and (personally) I name check him a lot, and I know others here do as well, so while he's a little neglected, he's not exactly forgotten. I've read several of his novels in the last few years, having bought the books new in print... Book Depository offers 65 Poul Anderson titles as "currently available".

The Dominick Flandry, books The High Crusade, great stuff . So are his short stories, The Star Plunderers, Lord of A Thousand Suns are two of my favorite short stories by him

My favorite book by him. The Broken Sword one the best fantasy novels ever written and he wrote an excellent Conan the Barbarian Pastiche Conan the Rebel

 

[BAYLOR]

I'll have to give him a try -- maybe I can get to that Khyber Rifles one soon. It sounds Kipling-y -- and I would assert that Kipling is a neglected author, brushed off by countless people who think they can dismiss him as an "imperialist" not worthy of their time. There's unworthiness somewhere in the equation, but I don't think it's on Kipling's side.

There's a Kipling subforum for those who might be interested:

Rudyard Kipling: Weird Tale Master and Much More

By Kipling I've read , Kim , The Jungle Books, Captains Courageous and a few of his short stories , I don't see his novel The Light that Failed and Puck of Pooks Hill both must be out of print . Based on what I've read by him , I think he's excellent writer.

Mundy has some similarities Kipling and he is overall a very good writer , but i don't think he's quite the writer that Kipling is.

 

[BAYLOR]

Lester Del Rey , I don't see any new editions of his books on the shelf in stories of late.

 

[Extollager]

Baylor, I think you can find just about everything by Kipling online. You might start with those Kipling Society notes, which link to texts of the stories as I recall. Kipling as I (personally) think of him is primarily a short story writer.

 

[BAYLOR]

Baylor, I think you can find just about everything by Kipling online. You might start with those Kipling Society notes, which link to texts of the stories as I recall. Kipling as I (personally) think of him is primarily a short story writer.

Thanks Extollager.

I think he is better at the short stories , but I still found much to like in his novels.

 

[Extollager]

Of Kipling's full-length writings, I've read only Kim, although back in 2007 I read Rider Haggard's The Ghost Kings, which had some input from Kipling:

https://books.google.com/books?id=V...e&q=rider haggard ghost kings kipling&f=false

 

[BAYLOR]

Of Kipling's full-length writings, I've read only Kim, although back in 2007 I read Rider Haggard's The Ghost Kings, which had some input from Kipling:

https://books.google.com/books?id=V2B-Sj0QjZAC&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=rider+haggard+ghost+kings+kipling&source=bl&ots=rAbnwvHxWb&sig=80yJzyNLHST3ONJJL3rRznTpwe4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDQQ6AEwA2oVChMIsqGpt9mVxwIVyZyACh2xJgru#v=onepage&q=rider haggard ghost kings kipling&f=false

I recommend Captains Courageous . Read it about 20 years back


The Ghost Kings hm, another book by Haggard I've never heard of.

Interesting link about Haggard and his fiction and attitudes race about Imperialism. It's obvious that he had a lot the prejudices of his era. He obviously knew the harm imperialism did to africans , Indians and others yet he choose to endorse Imperialism with all it nasty injustices.


A while back I picked up The Horned Shepherd by a writer named Edgar Jepson . Written 1904 . I don't think too many people today know who he is. I didn't until I found this book. I haven't gotten to reading it yet.

 

[Extollager]

Here's that useful Haggard book list:

http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/16/mullen16bib.htm

 

[BAYLOR]

Here's that useful Haggard book list:

http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/16/mullen16bib.htm

That's a quite a list . based on the descriptions Im thinking modern audiences would not be much interested in reading many of the books That Haggard wrote . Some of them do sound interesting though Montezuma , for example..