Items from the Wish List: More Fantasists and Fantasy

Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip

Pass through fairy tales into the magic of invisible worlds in these opulent stories by a beloved fantasy icon and author of the classic Riddlemaster trilogy. Patricia McKillip has inspired generations of dedicated readers with enchanting tales that are as romantic as they are unexpected. Her lush, mesmerizing narratives are as deliciously bittersweet as the finest chocolate and as intoxicating as the finest wine.

The bewitching wonders offered here include princesses dancing with dead suitors, a knight in love with an official of exotic lineage, and fortune’s fool stealing into the present instead of the future. You’ll discover a ravishing undine and her mortal bridegroom who is more infatuated with politics than pleasure, a time-traveling angel forbidden to intervene in Cotton Mather’s religious ravings, a wizard seduced in his youth by the Faerie Queen returning with a treasure that is rightfully hers, and an overachieving teenage mage tricked into discovering her true name very close to home. – Amazon.

Kingfisher by Patricia A. McKillip

Hidden away from the world by his mother, the powerful sorceress Heloise Oliver, Pierce has grown up working in her restaurant in Desolation Point. One day, unexpectedly, strangers pass through town on the way to the legendary capital city. “Look for us,” they tell Pierce, “if you come to Severluna. You might find a place for yourself in King Arden’s court.”
 
Lured by a future far away from the bleak northern coast, Pierce makes his choice. Heloise, bereft and furious, tells her son the truth: about his father, a knight in King Arden’s court; about an older brother he never knew existed; about his father’s destructive love for King Arden’s queen, and Heloise’s decision to raise her younger son alone.
 
As Pierce journeys to Severluna, his path twists and turns through other lives and mysteries: an inn where ancient rites are celebrated, though no one will speak of them; a legendary local chef whose delicacies leave diners slowly withering from hunger; his mysterious wife, who steals Pierce’s heart; a young woman whose need to escape is even greater than Pierce’s; and finally, in Severluna, King Arden's youngest son, who is urged by strange and lovely forces to sacrifice his father’s kingdom.
 
Things are changing in that kingdom. Oldmagic is on the rise. The immensely powerful artifact of an ancient god has come to light, and the king is gathering his knights to quest for this profound mystery, which may restore the kingdom to its former glory—or destroy it... – Amazon.

Dreams of Distant Shores by Patricia A. McKillip

Featuring three brand-new stories and an original introduction by Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn.

Bestselling author Patricia A. McKillip (The Riddle-Master of Hed) is one of the most lyrical writers gracing the fantasy genre. With the debut of her newest work, Dreams of Distant Shores is a true ode to her many talents. Within these pages you will find a youthful artist possessed by both his painting and his muse and seductive travelers from the sea enrapturing distant lovers. The statue of a mermaid comes suddenly to life, and two friends are transfixed by a haunted estate.

Fans of McKillip’s ethereal fiction will find much to delight them; those lucky enough to be discovering her work will find much to enchant them. – Amazon.

Offering the Bicentennial Edition of The Complete TWELVE HOURS OF THE NIGHT, James P. Blaylock and Tim Powers

Pamphlet produced as a joke and given away at the 1985 World Fantasy Convention. A few left over copies were sent out to subscribers of Cheap Street who requested them. Purports to be the prospectus of a major new edition William Ashbless' major work, "The Complete Twelve Hours of the Night." The sample page in the middle is comprised of "the Famous 24 Suppressed Lines" of "The Twelve Hours of the Night." The first letter of each line is bolded and spells out "YOURERIGHTINTHEGROOVEKID." Signed on back page by William Ashbless (James P. Blaylock and Tim Powers). – The Internet Speculative Fiction Database.

Eleanor Cameron: Dimensions of Amazement by Paul V. Allen, Gregory Maguire

Eleanor Cameron (1912-1996) was an innovative and genre-defying author of children's fiction and children's literature criticism. From her beginnings as a librarian, Cameron went on to become a prominent and respected voice in children's literature, writing one of the most beloved children's science fiction novels of all time, The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet, and later winning the National Book Award for her time fantasy The Court of the Stone Children.

In addition, Eleanor Cameron played an often vocal role in critical debates about children's literature. She was one of the first authors to take up literary criticism of children's novels and published two influential books of criticism, including The Green and Burning Tree. One of Cameron's most notable acts of criticism came in 1973, when she wrote a scathing critique of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl responded in kind, and the result was a fiery imbroglio within the pages of the Horn Book Magazine. Yet despite her many accomplishments, most of Cameron's books went out of print by the end of her life, and her star faded.

This biography aims to reinsert Cameron into the conversation by taking an in-depth look at her tumultuous early life in Ohio and California, her unforgettably forceful personality and criticism, and her graceful, heartfelt novels. The biography includes detailed analysis of the creative process behind each of her published works and how Cameron's feminism, environmentalism, and strong sense of ethics are reflected in and represented by her writings. Drawn from over twenty interviews, thousands of letters, and several unpublished manuscripts in her personal papers, Eleanor Cameron is a tour of the most exciting and creative periods of American children's literature through the experience of one of its valiant purveyors and champions. – Amazon.

Listening for Madeleine: A Portrait of Madeleine L'Engle in Many Voices by Leonard S. Marcus

Writer. Matriarch. Mentor. Friend. Icon.
Madeleine L'Engle is perhaps best recognized as the author of A Wrinkle in Time, the enduring milestone work of fantasy fiction that won the 1963 John Newbery Medal for excellence in children's literature and has enthralled millions of readers for the past fifty years. But to those who knew her well, L'Engle was much more besides: a larger-than-life persona, an inspiring mentor, a strong-willed matriarch, a spiritual guide, and a rare friend. In Listening for Madeleine, the renowned literary historian and biographer Leonard S. Marcus reveals Madeleine L'Engle in all her complexity, through a series of incisive interviews with the people who knew her most intimately. Vivid reminiscences of family members, colleagues, and friends create a kaleidoscope of keen insights and snapshop moments that help readers to understand the many sides of this singularly fascinating woman. – Amazon.

Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by Her Granddaughters by Charlotte Jones Voiklis, Léna Roy

This middle-grade biography explores the life and works of Madeleine L'Engle ―written by her granddaughters.

This elegant and insightful biography of Madeleine L’Engle (1918–2007) was written by her granddaughters, Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Léna Roy. Using never-before-seen archival materials that include photographs, poems, letters, and journal entries from when Madeleine was a child until just after the publication of her classic, A Wrinkle in Time, her granddaughters weave together an in-depth and unique view of the famous writer. It is a story of overcoming obstacles―a lonely childhood, financial insecurity, and countless rejections of her writing―and eventual triumph. Becoming Madeleine will speak not only to fans of the icon’s work, but also to anyone interested in writing. – Amazon.

Lin Carter: A Look Behind His Imaginary Worlds by Robert M. Price

Written by Robert Price, who knew Lin Carter well & represents his literary estate, it's a solid & honest look at Carter as a writer & editor: his strengths, his weaknesses, his approach to fantasy & horror.

It's no secret to those who remember his books that Carter was an often hasty but enthusiastic writer of pastiche. His Thongor is Conan with a dash of Edgar Rice Burroughs tossed in; his Callisto & Green Star series are planetary romances in the vein of Burroughs & his imitators: his Gondwane owes its existence to Zothique, the Dying Earth, and the madcap inventiveness of the Oz books. And while the best of those are enjoyable reading, the equivalent of good diner food, far too much of it falls short of the masters who inspired it.

The headlong zest & slapdash energy that made his earliest books fun disappears once the 1970s begin, and he starts to add comic, even satiric touches to his work. Alas, he just didn't have the delicate touch for that, and no-one could convince him otherwise. A pity, as there are at least some short stories & standalone novels to show the potential for becoming a far better writer than he chose to be.

His real contribution to fantasy, of course, was his editorship of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series. He single-handedly brought the founding fathers of fantasy back to life: William Morris, Lord Dunsany, James Branch Cabell, and other luminaries whose stars had faded over time. For many, it was their first paperback appearance ever. And the countless young readers of Tolkien clamoring for more (like myself) snapped up each new volume as it appeared in bookstores & on spinner racks everywhere. Graced with gorgeous wraparound covers & glowing introductions by Carter, those books inspired the first new generation of fantasy writers. Their impact is still being felt today.

As I say, Price lays all of this out as honestly & clearly as possible. He's scathing when he needs to be, but also generous where Carter's uneven gifts shine through. I still have a great deal of appreciation for what he did as an editor, and a certain lingering affection for the best of his own work. I do hope that this book is reprinted, or made available online, preferably in an expanded edition. Lin Carter deserves to be remembered by all fans of modern fantasy. – Tim Lukeman.

The Gargoyle in the Dump by John Bellairs

From the award-winning author of The Face in the Frost comes the story of three brothers who rescue a talking gargoyle from their neighborhood junkyard.

Michael, David, and Alphonsus Jr. (aka Fonsy) are spending the summer trying to blow up the town dock and playing marathon Monopoly games. On the brink of death-by-boredom, they head to the local dump in search of treasures—such as oil cans that Michael can use to build a submarine. But what they find is far from garbage.
 
Staring out at them, between two black stovepipes, is the head of a grinning stone gargoyle with shifty eyes and a long snout. He demands that the brothers take him home to live with them, so the boys wrap him in blankets and cart him back in a wagon. At the house, the gargoyle regales them with vivid tales of his exploits in faraway times and places. He even comes up with endlessly inventive ways of terrorizing the boys’ irritatingly dull neighbors. Finally, this is a summer worth writing home about.
 
The Gargoyle in the Dump is a recently discovered, never-before-published story. Also included are two pages of the author’s original typed manuscript and an introduction from his long-time literary agent, Richard Curtis. – Amazon.

Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones

Rupert Venables is a Magid.

It's a Magid's job to oversee what goes on in the vast Multiverse. Actually, Rupert is really only a junior Magid. But he's got a king-sized problem. Rupert's territory includes Earth and the Empire of Korfyros. When his mentor dies Rupert must find a replacement. But there are hundreds of candidates. How is he supposed to choose? And interviewing each one could take forever.

Unless...

What if he could round them all up in one place?

Simple! – Amazon.

Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones

Mr. Chesney operates Pilgrim Parties, a tour group that takes paying participants into an outer realm where the inhabitants play frightening and foreboding roles. The time has come to end the staged madness . . . but can it really be stopped? Master storyteller Diana Wynne Jones serves up twists and turns, introduces Querida, Derk, Blade, and Shona and a remarkable cast of wizards, soldiers, kings, dragons, and griffins, and mixes in a lively dash of humor. With all the ingredients of high fantasy, this unforgettable novel will delight fans old and new. – Amazon.

Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones

The Year of the Griffin is the sequel to the Dark Lord of Derkholm, set in the same world several years after the abolition of commercial 'fantasy world' tourism from our world. The University now aims to produce competent wizards to repair the damage caused by the tours. It's broke, and out of date in terms of what it teaches. The new head, Wizard Corkoran, is obsessed with becoming the first man to visit the moon so is mostly preoccupied, and the new faculty is mostly inexperienced.Wizard Corkoran has selected children from wealthy families to fill his own first-year classes, hoping to beg for money. But his students turn out to be more than he expected in oh-so-many ways, and despite the incompetence of their teacher, it falls to them to save the university... and themselves... – Amazon.

Witch's Business by Diana Wynne Jones

When Jess and Frank's father stops their allowance for four months, desperate measures are necessary. Jess's friends expect her to pay her share for things, of course, and, worse, Frank owes money to the bully Buster Knell. So they decide to start a business. They make a sign:

OWN BACK LTD.
REVENGE ARRANGED.
PRICE ACCORDING TO TASK.
ALL DIFFICULT FEATS UNDERTAKEN.
TREASURE HUNTED, ETC.

At first the only response they get is from adults who laugh at them. But before long they find themselves working for their first customer -- Buster Knell, of all people. One thing leads to another leads to another, and soon their business has whirled out of control in ways they never could have imagined. What's more, the local witch, Biddy Iremonger, sees Own Back Ltd. as competition to her business, and when Biddy is angry, there's no end to the trouble she'll cause. . . .

Witch's Business, Diana Wynne Jones's first novel, has all the humor, action, inventiveness, and surprises that have established her reputation as one of the finest fantasy writers. – Amazon.

Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, Garth Nix

 Polly Whittacker has two sets of memories. In the first, things are boringly normal; in the second, her life is entangled with the mysterious, complicated cellist Thomas Lynn. One day, the second set of memories overpowers the first, and Polly knows something is very wrong. Someone has been trying to make her forget Tom - whose life, she realizes, is at supernatural risk. Fire and Hemlock is a fantasy filled with sorcery and intrigue, magic and mystery - and a most unusual and satisfying love story.

Widely considered to be one of Diana Wynne Jones's best novels, the Firebird edition of Fire and Hemlock features an introduction by the acclaimed Garth Nix - and an essay about the writing of the book by Jones herself. – Amazon.

The Rest of John Bellairs

St. Fidgeta and Other Parodies, and The Pedant and the Shuffly: A Fable, by John Bellairs. Illustrated by Marilyn Fitschen.

By an odd coincidence, I was led by to these books by one of my favorite authors on separate occasions by an irresistible instinct. I found ‘Fidgeta’ on a bargain book shelf in a little used book store near the college; strangely enough I had been thinking about finding this obscure and long-out-of-print book as I went in, and there it was: the only copy I’ve ever seen until it was reprinted in “Magic Mirrors”. A hilarious look at Catholicism from an amused practitioner. “One of the only other times I can remember that happening is when I went grimly through the staggering piles of kid’s books at Half’s, in specific hopes  of finding “The Pedant and the Shuffly” (an obscure book which had been published at least twenty years before, and THERE IT WAS!” – Power of Babel. The moral of the fable is, I take it, that the inexplicability of life trumps the reductive nature of philosophical materialism, as the joyful shambling Shuffly drop-kicks the sour pedantic Snodrog into a Logical Cleft stick and flies him like a kite on a string of popcorn.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Parody. Fable. Fantasy. Hardback.

Magic Mirrors, by John Bellairs. Cover by Omar Rayyan. Illustrations by Marilyn Fitschen.

 In 2009, the New England Science Fiction Association Press published Magic Mirrors: The High Fantasy and Low Parody of John Bellairs. In the Editor's Preface, Timothy Szczesuil states that there are no hard and fast criteria for NEFSA choosing an author to publish, but that it is often "that one particular NEFSA member loves a particular author enough to be willing to put together a book, and other members agree that there might be enough like-minded people 'out there' who would like to have that book." In this case, the editors have brought together Bellairs' non-juvenile fiction into an easily available omnibus volume. These works include St. Fidgeta and Other Parodies, The Pedant and the Shuffly, The Face in the Frost, and, perhaps most significantly (certainly for many Bellairs enthusiasts), The Dolphin Cross, the previously unpublished fragment of a sequel to The Face in the Frost. While Fidgeta and Pedant have been hard to find (I was blessed to fortuitously locate both years ago), FF has enjoyed a long popularity, and its readers have had promises of further adventures of the wizard Prospero and his friend Roger Bacon dangled in their faces since at least 1973. That was the year that Lin Carter announced in Imaginary Worlds (his book on 'epic fantasy') that FF was one of the three best fantasy books to come out since Tolkien published The Lord of the Rings. He also claimed that Bellairs had produced a short story telling how Prospero and Roger Bacon first met, for Carter's planned anthology, Magic Kingdoms. As it turns out, that volume was never made, and whether a copy of the story still exists in the enormous but chaotic files that Carter left when he passed away is a moot but tantalizing point. Apparently, none existed in Bellairs' own archive when he passed away in 1991. What is known is that Bellairs never quite abandoned Prospero and the South Kingdom, and according to testimony by both Carter and Bellairs' son Frank (who himself passed away in 1999) he had a file of notes, maps, and outlines for the wizard and his world. Whether this file still exists or went by way of the stove in the backyard where he apparently burned old work from time to time is anybody's guess. What is now known is that he sent a copy of the extant 130 pages of so of The Dolphin Cross to Ellen Kushner, the author responsible for getting the rights for paperback publishing of FF for Ace, and it is thanks to her efforts that we now have a last glimpse of Prospero and his world. The Dolphin Cross begins some six months after the story of FF, and Prospero is soaking up the joys of spring in the backyard of his eccentrically anachronistic home. Soon he is having bad dreams of marching armies, however, and is caught up in the machinations of the mysterious Othamar, who is apparently trying to unite the little realms of the South Kingdom under his rule. Although it seems obvious he has magical help himself, Othamar is down on wizards and sorcerers, and most of the action of The Dolphin Cross is Prospero's imprisonment and escape, first from exile on a little island and then from an evil magician calling himself the Bishop. Along the way there is plenty of the beautifully observed nature, eccentric characters, and nightmare imagery that made FF the uniquely wonderful experience that it is. If The Dolphin Cross seems a darker work, it is perhaps because it stops in the middle of the tale, where things look bleakest in most stories. Magic Mirrors is a must have for any Bellairs fan, and not only for The Dolphin Cross. Seeing Marilyn Fitschen's illustrations for FF in the larger, clearer hardback format is something of a revelation, and the Appendix translating Bellairs' Latin quotations (he had degrees from both Notre Dame and the University of Chicago) is very handy. But I also enjoyed the insights and reminiscences of John Bellairs' character revealed in the editor's preface, introduction, and the prefatory note to The Dolphin Cross, especially Bellairs characterization of himself as "a sporadically shy person, and a permanently eccentric one." John Bellairs claimed he gave Prospero his own "phobias and crochets"; Magic Mirrors, as even the cover art by Omar Rayyan seems to suggest, is a loving last look at a great wizard and a great author.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Anthology. Hardback.

Brad Strickland Strikes!

The Hand of the Necromancer (Johnny Dixon, 2 Copies, Softcover and Hardback), The Bell, the Book, and the Spellbinder (Johnny Dixon, Softcover), The Specter from the Magician’s Museum (Lewis Barnavelt, Softcover), The Wrath of the Grinning Ghost (Johnny Dixon, Hardback), The Beast Under the Wizard’s Bridge (Lewis Barnavelt, Hardback), The Tower at the End of the World (Lewis Barnavelt, Hardback, Illustrations by S. D. Schindler), The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost (Lewis Barnavelt, Hardback, Illustrations by S. D. Schindler), The House Where Nobody Lived (Lewis Barnavelt, Hardback, Illustrations by Bart Goldman.), and The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer (Lewis Barnavelt, Hardback, Illustrations by Bart Goldman), by Brad Strickland.

Frontispieces by Edward Gorey up until ‘The Beast Under the Wizard’s Bridge’, then Gorey passed away. It was his last published piece of artwork before his death, apparently. Something about knowing these are Strickland corpse-grinding puts a damper on my enthusiasm; he also began leaning rather heavily on borrowings from M. R. James, which Bellairs did sometimes as well, but with a lighter hand. I was relieved when Strickland stopped and so could I.

Ranking: Keepers.

File Code: Juvenile Fantasy Series. Fantasy/Horror.

John Bellairs, Completions

The Ghost in the Mirror (Lewis Barnavelt), The Vengeance of the Witchfinder (Lewis Barnavelt), The Drum, the Doll, and the Zombie Johnny Dixon), and The Doom of the Haunted Opera (Lewis Barnavelt), by John Bellairs. With at least a Frontispiece by Edward Gorey.

Credited to Bellairs, but “Completed by Brad Strickland” from Bellairs’s notes and outlines. I’m glad to see Lewis again, but not under these circumstances. Strickland does a fair job of mimicking the style, but he descends sometimes into a too formulaic technique. All Puffin books.

Ranking: Keepers.

File Code: Sham Series Fiction. Fantasy. Softcovers.

John Bellairs

The House with a Clock in Its Walls, The Figure in the Shadows, and The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring, by John Bellairs.

I found my copy of ‘House’ completely by accident at Yesterday’s Warehouse. I had no idea one of my favorite authors (‘The Face in the Frost’) had written such a book, and that it was illustrated by Edward Gorey was just too good a bonus. A young orphan (I liked Lewis; he was sort of a chubby Charlie Brown), an old house, wizards and witches, a mystery and humor – it was right up my alley. I almost immediately ordered the next two books from the college bookstore, the first time I’d ever done such a thing. ‘Figure’ is illustrated by Mercer Mayer and ‘Letter’ by Richard Egielski. All three are Dell Yearling. ‘House’ was made into a TV special introduced by Vincent Price (“Once Upon a Midnight Scary”), and quite recently a movie with Jack Black and Cate Blanchett – a little disappointingly. Good actors, poor casting. Trying to fill that Harry Potter vacuum, I think. I love the book “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” next to idolatry, so perhaps no adaptation would have ever been good enough. They didn’t let Lewis be fat!

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novels. Softcovers.

The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn, by John Bellairs. Illustrated by Judith Gwyn Brown. Cover by Edward Gorey.

A Bantam Skylark book, as the next batch of Bellairs books would be. The start of the Anthony Monday books. Young Anthony goes seeking clues to find the secret treasure left by the town’s founder, with the help of his librarian friend, the eccentric Miss Eels. It was adapted into a television special in 1980, with Dody Goodman and Al Lewis, called (after the framing device) “Sherlock Holmes Finds the Clue”.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Mystery. Children’s Book. Softcover.

The Curse of the Blue Figurine (Johnny Dixon), The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt (Johnny Dixon), The Dark Secret of Weatherend (Anthony Monday), The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull (Johnny Dixon), The Revenge of the Wizard’s Ghost (Johnny Dixon), The Eyes of the Killer Robot (Johnny Dixon), The Lamp from the Warlock’s Tomb (Anthony Monday), The Trolley to Yesterday (Johnny Dixon), The Chessmen of Doom (Johnny Dixon), The Secret of the Underground Room (Johnny Dixon), The Mansion in the Mist (Anthony Monday), by John Bellairs. Illustrated by Edward Gorey.

All Skylark Bantams, except ‘Underground’ and ‘Mansion’, where they switch over to Puffin Books. All good books, but they don’t stand out individually to me. I liked the character of Professor Childermass in the Johnny Dixon books, a cranky eccentric English teacher with an explosive temper but a heart of gold. The Anthony Monday stories started out as adventure stories and then got more supernatural as they went along. I followed them religiously as they came out. Then John Bellairs died.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novels. Softcovers.

Old Summer Reads

The Green Knight, by Vera Chapman.

“Vera Chapman, also known within the Tolkien Society as Belladonna Took, was a British author and founder of the Tolkien Society in the United Kingdom, and also wrote a number of pseudo-historical and Arthurian books. Chapman wrote three fantasy novels based on Arthurian legend: The Green Knight (1975),King Arthur's Daughter (1976), and The King's Damosel (1976).” – Wikipedia. I bought The Green Knight for the Hildebrandt cover (I got the other two some years later; they also had Hildebrandt covers, but I sold them eventually), and it influenced some of my first ever drawings. Read the book, too, but wasn’t very impressed. They based that animated movie “Quest for Camelot” on “The King’s Damosel”. Go figure.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

The Face in the Frost, by John Bellairs.

“Many years ago (evidence suggests it was 1979 or so) there came the first time I bought books with my own money. Before then I had to beg Mom long and hard. But I had made $10 doing yard work, and I was ready to step out on my own booking adventures. There was no local bookstore, only the racks in the grocery store, drugstore, and convenience stores. I chose to go to Gibson's, our small local department store, and while Mom combed the clothes aisles, I browsed the racks, looking for fantasy in the Tolkienian vein. With my bill and some loose change I was just able to buy three paperback books (wondrous times!), and I chose The Source of Magic by Piers Anthony (a dragon on the cover), The Illearth War by Stephen R. Donaldson (two cool wizardy guys on the front, and a comparison to JRRT), and The Face in the Frost, by John Bellairs (good things by Lin Carter and Ursula K. LeGuin quoted, and again a cool wizardy guy). Now thirty years later I have given up on Anthony after following the Xanth series for twenty or so sequels, wait patiently for Donaldson to grind out the ninth (and last) book of the Thomas Covenant series, and mourn that there is no more genuine Bellairs forthcoming, ever. Thirty years on I am grateful that my instinct and luck led me to buy that first Bellairs.” – Power of Babel. The Carl Lundgren cover is sweet, and it has illustrations by Marilyn Fitschen inside. I have since bought a newer copy, and its included in the hardback “Magic Mirrors”. Used to have a silly little sticker of a dragon on it.

Ranking: Keeper and Essential

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

The Abominations of Yondo, by Clark Ashton Smith.

Macabre tales by Lovecraft’s old pal. This secondhand edition is from 1974. Never read it.

Ranking: Dispensable.

File Code: Horror. Anthology. Paperback.

Incubus, by Ray Russell.

A trashy supernatural novel later made into a trashy supernatural movie. What can I say, it was the 70’s and we were young. I remember I transcribed some of its ‘spells’ into my red spiral notebook ‘grimoire’. I must have thrown that away, after taking any drawings out.

Ranking: Nostalgic Keeper.

File Code: Horror. Novel. Paperback.

Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes, “By John H. Watson, M.D.” as Edited by Loren D. Estleman.

Both Penguin books. You’d think a match-up between Holmes and Dracula couldn’t fail, right? But it’s basically a retelling of Stoker’s book with Holmes jammed into the lacunae and offstage interstices. Couldn’t bring myself to read the Hyde book after the first few pages.

Ranking: Dispensable.

File Code: Horror. Detection. Pastiche. Novels. Paperbacks.

Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice.

Mike bought this at Pic-n-Pac, the first of what became the Vampire Chronicles. I had tons of Anne Rice once upon a time, but then I sold them all; this is the only one I have left. I got tired of her cult and her personal vacillations. Basically, this is vampire erotica and meditations on mortality (sex and death), that old teen stew.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Horror. Novel. Paperback.

Merlin, by Robert Nye.

The cover says, “A Very Adult Fantasy.” A cross between Arthurian lore, Rabelaisian scholarship, medieval demonology, and a dirty joke, it is withal a heady and amusing brew. I read this book before I read “Falstaff” in college. I’ll always give a book about Merlin a try.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

The Book of the Dun Cow, by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Another book from Eckerd’s and the high school period. It has been compared to a cross between “Animal Farm, Watership Down, and The Lord of the Rings”.  A religious fable that deals with a sort of paradise, a fall, a flood, a struggle with evil, and ends with a redemption, and all told with … chickens. And other animals. Long after reading, the characters of John Wesley Weasel and Mundo Cani Dog still resonate. Told in an oddly poetic, simple, incantatory style. It has a sequel, “The Book of Sorrows” that I bought and found disappointing, and then an inevitable 3^rd book, “Peace at the Last”, that I only just found out existed. Still, this initial book can stand on its own and is great; I’ve read it many times.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Paperback.

She, by H. Rider Haggard.

A Del Rey fantasy book. I tried to collect the other three in this series, but when I found the two that I could get were tedious, I sold them and stuck with the original classic. Besides being a good read, it is culturally significant within the fantasy genre, as his works were read and enjoyed by C. S. Lewis, and even Tolkien was able to draw a few gems from Haggard’s mines and polish them up.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Adventure. Novel. Paperback.