Swords and Talismans, Shadows and Ships

The Sword of Shannara, by Terry Brooks.

You have to understand my position. I was a poor kid in a small town. I was limited to where I could buy any books, let alone fantasy books. Convenience stores, department stores … that’s where I got most of my early books. The next big fantasy boom hadn’t struck yet. The genre seemed to be holding its breath after Tolkien died. And then … it hit. Most writers had tried before to carve out their own turf, but now the next generation clones knew no restrictions. The sheriff was out of town, and the people were jonesing for that sweet, sweet liquor he used to regulate. So what if these were purveyors of bath-tub gin? I know I was fooled, and the artwork by the Brothers Hildebrandt lured me into that speakeasy. I knew it was terrible, and derivative, and nowhere near as nourishing, but I was a sucker. It had a map! It’s a Del Rey! It had an adaptation in the Sunday comics (I still have two clipped panels)! I weaned myself away after the next two books (which I sold eventually) and managed to keep away from the many sequels Brooks had ground out since. There is even a streaming serial of Shannara now, ridden in on the coattails of the LOTR movies this time. I could probably get away by gutting this copy of its illustrations, but I have a deep taboo about hurting any book on purpose, no matter how terrible it is.

Ranking: Tis an albatross around my neck!

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

The Dying Earth and The Eyes of the Overworld, by Jack Vance.

Published in these editions in the mid-1970’s though written earlier, two more books were added to the series in the mid-1980’s fantasy boom, which I never bought or read. As a matter of fact, I’ve never read these, either. This is becoming a humbling refrain as I progress with this list. The only real reason I keep these is the Hildebrandt cover on “The Eyes of the Overworld” and the vague feeling I might want to read them some day. Back when I had money and used books were cheap, I could take gambles like this on authors I had heard praised.

Ranking: Dispensable (with maybe a scan of that cover)

File Code. Fantasy. Novels. Paperbacks.

Erasmus Magister, by Charles Sheffield.

The remarkable Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of the famous naturalist, is brought back to life as an investigator of cases of the seemingly paranormal that have even more amazingly improbable answers. I just loved this cover when I saw it, and Erasmus, a fat combination of “scientist, gourmet, poet, and sleuth” is an appealing character to me. And of course, the place and time period (late 1700’s England)! Not great or immortal, but a fine entertainment.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: “An Historical Fantasy”. Short Stories. Paperback.

Red Moon and Black Mountain, by Joy Chant.

It was a Del Rey fantasy, for corn’s sake. With a Hildebrandt cover. And a map, of course. I had to buy it, then I couldn’t sell it, though I didn’t read it. Why? Probably a combination of the pace and the nomenclature, which I found unappealing. Has a couple of sequels in which I have no interest. “Chant's other major work is The High Kings (1983), … a reference work on the King Arthur legends and the Matter of Britain” – Wikipedia, which I used to have, then sold.

Ranking: Dispensable, after a cover scan maybe.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

John the Balladeer, by Manly Wade Wellman.

If Johnny Cash and Woody Guthrie had a son and he became a knight troubadour wandering the South, singing songs, playing guitar, and battling evil, that would be John the Balladeer. This book collects all of Wellman’s scattered short stories into one place. Though I’ve read some I can’t say I’ve read them all. Entertaining and significant to the genre.

Reference: Keeper.

File Code: Anthology. Short Stories. Fantasy. Paperback.

The Fellowship of the Talisman, by Clifford D. Simak.

Another very early purchase, at Gibson’s, where I got quite a few of my first books. Well, with a title like that, how is a naïve boy to judge? It’s a Del Rey, but I don’t think that meant anything to me at the time. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great, and maybe barely even good. I haven’t read it since the first year I bought it, but here it is. Sentiment. I’ve read other Simak books, though, but I haven’t kept many.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

The Shaving of Shagpat, by George Meredith.

Another Ballantine Books Adult Fantasy, under the sign of the Unicorn, the precursor to their Del Rey imprint. Never read, but it’s of that vintage. Arabian setting and prose.

Ranking: I could bring myself to sell for the right price.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

The Sorcerer’s Ship, by Hannes Bok.

Another Ballantine Books Adult Fantasy, under the sign of the Unicorn, the precursor to their Del Rey imprint. Never read, but it’s of that vintage. Bok was a great illustrator, but I think this was his only book. I don’t know exactly why I never felt compelled to read it through; just glancing in it again, it’s probably worth it for Lin Carter’s (he personally knew Bok) introduction alone. Spine a little doubtful.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

The Charwoman’s Shadow, by Lord Dunsany.

A Del Rey Fantasy Classic. Secondhand, so that explains the gamble. Dunsany’s work is always good, but this one is not set “Beyond the Fields We Know”, so I didn’t find it so appealing. Tried but unread.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.