Fantasy Masterworks Series - Brought back to life

[Fried Egg]

Sometimes I'm amazed at my own obliviousness of what's going on in the book world.

I've been a fan of the original Fantasy Masterworks series (that was published between 2000 and 2007) and I have since been trying to read all of them (and am not far off doing so).

I was not aware until just the other day that the series has now been continued (since 2013) and is on going: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_Masterworks#New_design

Published so far:

Aegypt - John Crowley
The Dragon Griaule - Lucius Shepard
Last Call - Tim Powers
The Falling Woman - Pat Murphy
The Phoenix and the Mirror - Avram Davidson
Lord Darcy - Randall Garrett
Votan and Other Novels - John James
The Broken Sword * - Poul Anderson
Ombria in Shadow - Patricia A. McKillip
Beauty * - Sheri S. Tepper
Mythago Wood - Robert Holdstock
Little, Big * - John Crowley
The Book of the New Sun, Volume 1: Shadow and Claw * - Gene Wolfe
Expiration Date - Tim Powers

Like the revived SF masterworks series, the new publications are not numbered and some of them have been published previously in the original numbered series (marked with *).

Anyone else been following/reading these?

 

[hitmouse]

I have read Mythago Wood, Little Big, and BOTNS. All excellent and read multiple times. The Crowley and the Wolfe are masterpeices. I want to read more Tim Powers. I think I have an early copy of of The Phoenix and the Mirror somewhere in a box that I vought in the 1980s, but I have never read it.

 

[Nechtan]

I've got Tales of the Dying Earth, Chronicles of Amber, Elric, Conan Chronicles: People of the Black Circle and Hour of the Dragon and Shadow and Claw and Sword and Citadel from the numbered series and the Broken Sword from the unnumbered series. Gollancz have also been reissuing Moorcock and I've got Corum, Dancers at the End of Time and Von Bek if these can be included.

I'm already a fan of Holdstock and I would like to get some Powers, McKilip and Tepper.

I'm really glad Gollancz is doing this. The only (very, very minor) quibble I have is that I wish that the Wolfe and Moorcock had the original covers on them.

 

[hitmouse]

Ah yes,
looking back at the original list:
I have (in original edition, not masterworks):
The Wolfe,
All the Moorcock (mainly the Mayflower editions. A teenage obsession. The local second hand bookshops had lots very cheap when I was a kid. I think Gloriana might be ?Penguin.)
The Worm Ouroburos
The Chronicles of Amber (Individual editions of the first series. I later bought a giant volume of the first and second series. Gave it away as unimpressed with the latter books of the second series.)
Viriconium. I like the first and second books. Goes a little bit odd after that.
About 15 1970s and 80s books of Conan stories including a number of second-rate L Sprague de Camp and Andrew Offut efforts.
Compleat Enchanter (VG)
Lud in the Mist (Superb)
Fevre Dream (Masterworks) Good. Not as good as some have made out.
All the Lankhmar (wonderful. My copies still have the price tags from Dark They Were and Golden Eyed)
Time and Again (Masterworks. Never really got into this. Might gove it another go.)
Well of the Unicorn.
All the Vance.
Wm Hope Hodgson (Great stuff.)
Mabinogion (Penguin Classics, and in Welsh)
Anubis Gates (VG)
Something Wicked this Way Comes (Fantastic)

 

[GOLLUM]

I was not aware until just the other day that the series has now been continued (since 2013) and is on going: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_Masterworks#New_design

Anyone else been following/reading these?

I've been aware of this since they started it but was not that moved to buy into the 'new' series. As you know F.E. I have the entire Fantasy Masterwork series and the entire SF Masterwork series to date (both numbered and unumbered) but I just wasn't motivated enough. Admittedly they have a lot of really good titles in the new series and they have not been publishing them at anywhere near the rate of the SF Masterworks, so maybe I will get the ones i don't already have some time in the future.

I think I may have posted about this new series somewhere but maybe as a post and not a link of any kind? Can't remember. Anyway it is good that you have posted this for the folk here who would like to continue with the new series.

 

[Fried Egg]

I'm not a collector by any stretch of the imagination but I am glad they have revived this series as I find it a great guide to the classics of fantasy that I might not be aware of. There's quite a few in this new edition series that I have not heard of so I can't wait to investigate.

And looking at the expected future publications on Amazon, it looks like the series is set to continue for a while now...

 

[GOLLUM]

I'm not a collector by any stretch of the imagination but I am glad they have revived this series as I find it a great guide to the classics of fantasy that I might not be aware of. There's quite a few in this new edition series that I have not heard of so I can't wait to investigate...

Ditto on both accounts. I do recognise some of the authors but not the individual works.

 

[Connavar]

Good to see new realeses in this series. I started as SF fan when it came to my SFF reading so i have much more of SF Masterworks versions than i have fantasy masterworks.

Of the new books i will get most of them since its important fantasy authors i want to try or award winners in World Fantasy award. I have Last Call as other paperback and Broken Sword is one of the old Fantasy masterworks books i have along with Tales of Dying Earth.

 

[Fried Egg]

I'm reading "Ombria in Shadow" right now, which is how I found out about the resurgence of the series when I saw it advertised on the cover.

Really enjoying it so far and I think deserving of it's place in the series (despite having two volumes previously included in the original series).

 

[Fried Egg]

Future publications in the series are set to include:

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld * - 14 May 2015
by Patricia A. McKillip

Votan and Other Novels - 28 May 2015
by John James

Lavondyss - 11 Jun 2015
by Robert Holdstock

Thomas the Rhymer - 9 Jul 2015
by Ellen Kushner

Grendel * - 9 Jul 2015
by John C. Gardner

The Riddle-Master's Game * - 13 Aug 2015
by Patricia A. McKillip

The Anvil of Ice - 10 Sep 2015
by Michael Scott Rohan

Something Wicked This Way Comes * - 8 Oct 2015
by Ray Bradbury

Earthquake Weather - 12 Nov 2015
by Tim Powers

Elleander Morning * - 10 Dec 2015
by Jerry Yulsman

The Circus of Dr Lao - 7 Jan 2016
by Charles G. Finney

(* - Previously released in the original series)

Good to see "The Anvil of Ice" by Michael Scott Rohan in there which I've always thought of as the start of a great trilogy.

 

[GOLLUM]

Good to see "The Anvil of Ice" by Michael Scott Rohan in there which I've always thought of as the start of a great trilogy.

It also contains the greatest single description of ice as a malevolent force in fiction I have ever come across. The original Scot Rohan trilogy is amongst my favourite early reads.

Thanks for the update.

 

[GOLLUM]

I'm reading "Ombria in Shadow" right now, which is how I found out about the resurgence of the series when I saw it advertised on the cover.

I feel McKillip is a somewhat underrated (or should that be under read?) author. She is excellent most of the time. I have ALL of her published fiction.

 

[Fried Egg]

I feel McKillip is a somewhat underrated (or should that be under read?) author. She is excellent most of the time. I have ALL of her published fiction.

I struggled a little with "The Riddle-Master's Game" series but have loved everything else I've read by her.

 

[Nechtan]

Lavondyss and the Anvil of Ice coming out this year? I am a very happy bunny!

 

[Connavar]

I'm reading "Ombria in Shadow" right now, which is how I found out about the resurgence of the series when I saw it advertised on the cover.

Really enjoying it so far and I think deserving of it's place in the series (despite having two volumes previously included in the original series).

I struggled a little with "The Riddle-Master's Game" series but have loved everything else I've read by her.

Let me know what you think of Oumbria in Shadow in comparison to Riddle Master, her other books? I have books of her but not the ones seen as her best ones.

Thanks to you and Golloum i learned about The Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan, it sounds like a fascinating book,serious if it is good enough to mentioned in Fantasy Masterwork series.

 

[Fried Egg]

Did I not send you "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld" once, Conn?

So far I am really liking "Ombria in Shadow" but I have to agree with your comments you wrote in the Mckillip thread that the male characters aren't as well developed as the female ones.

 

[Elvraie]

Thanks to you and Golloum i learned about The Anvil of Ice by Michael Scott Rohan, it sounds like a fascinating book,serious if it is good enough to mentioned in Fantasy Masterwork series.

Hello there,
I see that the Anvil of Ice is on Fantasy Masterwork. I read it a few years back and I was bowled over. It is indeed a very good series.

 

[Connavar]

Did I not send you "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld" once, Conn?

So far I am really liking "Ombria in Shadow" but I have to agree with your comments you wrote in the Mckillip thread that the male characters aren't as well developed as the female ones.

I just saw a Goodreads review of mine from 2011 where i have read Ombria in Shadow where i hailed her prose style but was dissapointed with the story, characters. I also just found the Mckillip thread here in SFF chrons, old post of mine not liking that novel.

I dont even remember reading the book, not even vague memories of characters, story. I dont Usually i remember most books i read many years ago atleast something. I have "The Forgotten Beasts of Eld was it you who send it to me?

I like her prose style, as Vancean style fan i crave stylist in my fantasy specially. I will give her a second chand with The Forgotten Beast of Eld.

 

[Fried Egg]

I like her prose style, as Vancean style fan i crave stylist in my fantasy specially. I will give her a second chand with The Forgotten Beast of Eld.

Definitely, if you don't like that one, then perhaps she's just not for you.

 

[BAYLOR]

I feel McKillip is a somewhat underrated (or should that be under read?) author. She is excellent most of the time. I have ALL of her published fiction.

She's is a terrific writer.