Well, here we are - the year is half over already. Recommending is sort of becoming increasingly difficult, considering my own limitations, but I think I still got some left in me. I hope I found some good ones.

Reading: The 13 Clocks (1950) by James Thurber

Thurber was one of the most celebrated contemporary humorists of his time, particularly contributing to The New Yorker, and this wonderfully bent fairy tale - noted for its complex, rhythmic wordplay and hidden blank verse-style meter - is perhaps his masterpiece. Prince Zorn of Zorna seeks to wind the hand of the Princess Saralinda from her wicked uncle, the Duke of Coffin Castle, who believes that he has killed time. With an impossible task set before him as a rite of courtship, Prince Zorn must rely on the wiles of a remarkable man called the Golux in order to foil the Duke's sadistic schemes and bring the story to a happy resolution. Perhaps my favorite children's book, the story is immensely rewarding both to habitual readers and prospective writers. Not to be missed.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/13-Clocks-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe/dp/0143110144/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1528214674&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/13-Clocks-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe-ebook/dp/B01K1ATYG4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1528214674&sr=8-1




Viewing: Big Trouble in Little China (John Carpenter, 1986)

A commercial failure upon release and the prompt for Carpenter - director of horror classics such as Halloween and The Thing - to return to independent filmmaking, this martial arts fantasy-comedy is now one of his most highly rated works and a genuine cult classic. Truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) is thrust into more than he bargained for when a gangland kidnapping of his friend's fiancée in Chinatown leads to the fulfillment of an ancient curse placed on a centuries-old Chinese sorcerer, Lo Pan (James Hong). Now Jack and his friend must brave both the Chinese underworld and the secret mystical forces hidden within to set things right. A great film with great fun.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Little-China-Kurt-Russell/dp/B000067J1G/ref=tmm_dvd_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1528214804&sr=1-3
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Trouble-Little-China-Blu-ray/dp/B0028ZDJF8/ref=tmm_mfc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1528214804&sr=1-3
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Little-China-Kurt-Russell/dp/B004WC5C2S/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1528214804&sr=1-3

Another month come and gone, though this last one didn't seem to make any waves. Maybe it got lost somewhere. Hopefully the May choices get some sort of response.

Reading: Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) by A. A. Milne

It's a double recommendation this time, since, while I might be breaking my own self-imposed rule on series, I can't speak of one without the other. These are the classic Pooh stories told for Milne's son, illustrated by E. H. Shepard and told with a sharp British wit. Everyone you know from the Disney adaptations makes an appearance (except for Gopher, who, as he pointed out, is not in the book), and some of the situations are the same, as well. Relax and laugh with the episodes of the honey tree, the search for Heffalumps and Woozles, the flooding of the Hundred Acre Wood, Eeyore's lost tail, and many other grand things. These comparatively short books will remain timeless treasures for both children and adults.

Trade (Book 1): https://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Pooh-Milne/dp/0140361219/ref=tmm_pap_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1525380767&sr=8-1
Trade (Book 2): https://www.amazon.com/House-Pooh-Corner-Winnie-Pooh/dp/0140361227/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0140361227&pd_rd_r=KGXBHD47MQ3C3QD86X8B&pd_rd_w=NSIj2&pd_rd_wg=3LZPZ&psc=1&refRID=KGXBHD47MQ3C3QD86X8B
Hardcover (Book 1): https://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Pooh-Milne/dp/0525444432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525382143&sr=8-1&keywords=winnie+the+pooh+book
Hardcover (Book 2): https://www.amazon.com/House-Pooh-Corner-Winnie-Pooh/dp/0525444440/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle (Book 1): https://www.amazon.com/Winnie-Pooh-Winnie-Pooh-Book-ebook/dp/B002ZODPOM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1525380767&sr=8-1
Kindle (Book 2): https://www.amazon.com/House-Corner-Deluxe-Winnie-Pooh-ebook/dp/B002ZODPOC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=



Viewing: Merlin [TV] (Steve Barron, 1998)

One of the first of the lavish NBC miniseries distributed by Hallmark Entertainment, this Arthurian story focuses on the life of the legendary wizard (played by Jurassic Park's Sam Neill) as he seeks to shape both the future of England and his own while coming into conflict with Queen Mab of the fairy world, as she seeks to return the people to the Old Ways. An excellent television special and a great addition to anyone's Arthur collection.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Merlin-Most-Magical-Adventure-Time/dp/B071DVMV36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525381088&sr=8-1&keywords=merlin+mini+series
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Merlin-Complete-Miniseries-Part-2/dp/B01GIJV76C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1525383254&sr=8-2&keywords=merlin+mini+series

Now I know that this topic may be dealing with rather unhealthy matters, and I don't mean to pry too deeply into private affairs, but I'm curious if anyone here has ever struggled with an obsession before. Have you ever been so drawn into something that it occupies most, if not all, of your focus? Have you ever had something that you can't really let go of without serious effort, even if it's terribly hard?

Normally, I would probably excuse myself from the topic, as I often have little personal opinions on the matter and am more curious about others' thoughts, but if you've picked up anything from me on this forum, you probably know that I've had quite a few obsessions in my life. Chalk it up to Asperger's, but when I find something I like, I can't help but put a significant amount of energy into it, and it often leads to unhealthy places. It's probably one of the chief sources of anxiety for myself - I have a history of anxiety episodes, for those who don't know, and it's been one of my most serious goals to cope with it or counter it. At the moment, I would say that everything's under control, but you never know when (or if) I could relapse.

Now, the good news is that a lot of my obsessions have fallen by the wayside, due to a deliberate effort to cut certain things out of my life. Unfortunately (depending how you look at it), that means getting rid of a lot of my interests and, in a sense, discarding the "best" parts of me. But I'm someone who goes all in or not at all, so it's inevitable. This means that I'm not as sociable or willing to converse as I once was about various subjects (which wasn't a lot to begin with), but I feel it's a necessary trade-off for my own mental health.

Video games used to dominate my life, as well as television (particularly cartoons and anime); then, I moved on to music, and now, if you haven't guessed by my ceaseless topics on the matter, I would say that my current obsession is books. I guess I'm sort of making up for lost time, and I wouldn't say it's gotten to unhealthy levels - I'm deliberately trying to manage it - but it's got to be my chief interest right now. everything else has either cooled considerably or I've given it up for one reason or another.

Again, I'd like to reiterate that I don't mean to get too personal, especially with those users who I don't really know too well or are just starting out here, so you don't have to reply if you don't feel comfortable doing so. I wouldn't want to call anyone's mental health into question. I'm operating under the assumption that we all get obsessed some time in our life, but I could be wrong.

Writing can be an intimidating action - it certainly is for me. There's also no shortage of books that try to tell you how to write, but I don't think all of them convey it with the same level. Now I've made no serious attempt at writing, so it's not like I want it for myself, but as a collaborative exercise, I want to see if anyone has any recommendations for books and advice published on the craft. I actually have a few of them myself. My personal library includes:

-Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande
-Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
-The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear by Ralph Keyes
-How to Write a Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method by Viki King
-The Successful Novelist: A Life time of Lessons About Writing and Publishing by David Morrell
-On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

To be honest, the only one I've read cover to cover is King's On Writing, but I can definitely say that it's one of the quintessential books on the subject. Even if you already know how to write, I highly recommend picking it up. I think I got halfway through Bradbury's book, but just because I set it down doesn't mean it's not good - rather, it's essential, because it's about the love of writing. I think it was from that book that Brande's Becoming a Writer was introduced to me, so I have high hopes for it, as it's been in print since 1934 and comes highly recommended for practicing writers.

Some other books I know of that I would like to pick up are:

-The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler
-Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Mariner and the Mutinous Crew by Ursula K. Le Guin
-The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
-The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White
-On Moral Fiction by John Gardner
-On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner
-The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers by John Gardner
-Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forster
-The Art of the Novel by Milan Kundera
-The Eye of the Story: Selected Essays and Reviews by Eudora Welty
-One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty
-Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
-The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker
-Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
-Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them by Francine Prose

This is quite a list, but it's not exhaustive. Does anyone have any suggestions? Does anyone have a favorite book on writing that they would like to add? What's been the most helpful to you with writing? What actually gets you through the work?

I realize that there's no one magic book that can transform you into a writer overnight, but I'm willing to cast my own net far and wide for the best advice on the subject, so for anyone interested, let me know. And if you have your own personal advice for writing, share it here if you want. I'd love to hear it, as a socialization experiment and not just for my own benefit.

Well, that seemed to go by quickly. Luckily, I'm prepared. By the way, we're also now 1/3 of the way through the year!

Reading: Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury was one of the most respected and entertaining speculative fiction authors we've ever had, and this dark fantasy remains one of his most popular works. Following two boys who must contend with a mysterious carnival which can grant anyone's desire at a steep price, populated by Satanic figures, this is one of the most sentimentally poetic stories that manages to evoke both happiness and horror in equal amounts. Essential to any writer's library.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Wicked-This-Way-Comes/dp/1501167715/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1522597385&sr=8-1
Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Wicked-This-Way-Comes/dp/0380729407/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1522597385&sr=8-1
Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Wicked-This-Way-Comes/dp/0380977273/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1522597385&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Wicked-This-Comes-Greentown-ebook/dp/B00C2C637I/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1522597385&sr=8-1



Viewing: Coraline (Henry Selick, 2009)

Based on the novella by Neil Gaiman, this wonderfully animated stop-motion film from the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas follows a headstrong young girl who discovers a parallel world that proves more lively than her own but hides dark and dangerous secrets. It's a rather dark movie with some pretty horrific twists, most likely not meant for little kids, but it's a highly imaginative ride nonetheless. Check it out as soon as you can.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Coraline-Dakota-Fanning/dp/B003UAKE9Y/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1522597419&sr=8-6&keywords=coraline
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Coraline-Blu-ray-Dakota-Fanning/dp/B004BLTNJI/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1522597419&sr=8-6
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Coraline-Dakota-Fanning/dp/B002NTGKSM/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1522597419&sr=8-6

Let me try another experiment. Originally, this was just going to be about books, and I still hope that particular subject gets traction, but I feel that we may get a lot more mileage if I add movies, since I'm sure there are some titles that stand out.

Anyway, have you ever had a book or a movie hyped up as one of the greatest of its kind, and then you picked it up and found that it doesn't live up to your expectations? And you're left wondering what everyone else saw in it? Well, this is a topic for just that. Tell me what you've read or seen that just didn't match its valued reputation as a "classic." I'm sure there's something that you can think of; I can think of at least one in Raven's case, though I won't discuss it just yet, as 1) I don't know the full story, and 2) I'm sure he'd appreciate being allowed to talk about it himself.

I'm not sure how much I can participate in this discussion, of course, because I can't really think of anything that genuinely didn't live up to its status. There've been some books that I read in high school that I just didn't get into, but my high school years were a troublesome time where my interests were severely pulled in different directions, so I'm not sure if I would have the same opinion if I read them today. As for movies, first impressions can be misleading, so I would be more than happy to revisit anything that I've seen once before that I just didn't get.

So what have you read/seen that just didn't click? What are the best works that just don't live up to the title of "best"?

Now that March is here, it's time to give out some more recommendations.

Reading: The Last Unicorn (1968) by Peter S. Beagle

A perennial classic of fantasy since its publication in 1968, this is perhaps the definitive unicorn story, mixed with humor and pathos, in which the eponymous creature, aided by a bumbling magician and a rough but good-hearted woman, goes searching for the rest of her kind, eventually learning about love and regret in the process. No library of fantasy should be without this book. Read it as soon as you can.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Unicorn-Peter-S-Beagle/dp/0451450523/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1520368615&sr=8-1&keywords=the+last+unicorn
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Unicorn-Peter-S-Beagle-ebook/dp/B016SBMNO0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1520368615&sr=8-1




Viewing: The City of Lost Children (Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 1995)

This surreal steampunk film, co-directed by the future director of Amélie, follows a carnival strongman and a savvy orphan girl who must rescue a group of kidnapped children (including the strongman's little brother) from a scientist's evil creation who seeks to extract their dreams for himself. Highly imaginative, reminiscent of the stranger works of Terry Gilliam. Definitely one to watch.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/City-Lost-Children-Briac-Barthelemy/dp/B00000K3TS/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1520368785&sr=8-2
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/City-Lost-Children-Anniversary-Blu-ray/dp/B0145H628M/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1520368785&sr=8-2
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/City-Lost-Children-Ron-Perlman/dp/B00HMJSXIS/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1520368785&sr=8-2

It's slow going, as I've set up quite a number of distractions for myself, but I have another entry for you all. No connecting themes this time around – this is just who I picked out after some thought. It's probably going to be like that for some time, as I have several entries planned out that are rather piecemeal. I hope I have some good information for you!



JOHN MYERS MYERS (1906-1988)

John Myers Myers, so named after his paternal grandfather, grew up all around New York, having early aspirations to write (which later got him thrown out of college for mocking the faculty). Extensive foreign travel was followed by a stint at two different newspapers and a five-year service in the U. S. Army during WWII; afterwards, in his later life, he moved to Arizona and became attached to the West. While his bibliography consists of a few historical novels and several nonfiction pieces, the work he is best remembered for is the literary fantasy Silverlock, in which an American businessman, not well versed in literature, is shipwrecked on the "Commonwealth of Letters", where numerous characters from myth, history, and literature mingle together.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Myers_Myers)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=myers_john_myers)
The Commonwealth of Letters Webring (http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=kalliope;id=1;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eanitra%2Enet%2Fcommonwealth%2F)
U. S. Dictionary of Literary Biography: John Myers Myers (https://ansible.uk/writing/dlb-myers.html)
Black Gate – John Myers Myers, Silverlock, and the Commonwealth of Letters (https://www.blackgate.com/2012/09/23/john-myers-myers-silverlock-and-the-commonwealth-of-letters/)



G. K. CHESTERTON (1874-1936)

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, the "prince of paradox", was one of the most outstanding intellectuals of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a friend and rival of such esteemed figures such as George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Bertrand Russell, and Clarence Darrow. He authored 80 books, around 200 short stories, numerous poems, several plays, and about 4,000 essays, wielding an immensely sharp wit towards Christian apologetics and political discourse; his opinions may have worked against him, as he was charged both during his lifetime and posthumously with anti-Semitic tendencies. In fiction writing, he is best remembered for creating the ecumenical detective Father Brown, as well as novels of speculative and apologetic interest such as The Napoleon of Notting Hill, The Ball and the Cross, Manalive, and The Flying Inn; he also wrote significant biographies of Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Francis of Assisi, Robert Browning, and others. His best-known novel is The Man Who Was Thursday, a "metaphysical thriller" – a unique hybrid of fantasy, mystery, philosophy, and farce – in which a man is recruited by Scotland Yard to infiltrate an anarchist cell and thwart their mysterious leader, Sunday, but finds himself thrust into a situation beyond his control.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=chesterton_g_k)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/chesterton_g_k)
The American Chesterton Society (https://www.chesterton.org/)
Black Gate – The Man Who Was Gilbert Keith Chesterton (https://www.blackgate.com/2013/12/22/the-man-who-was-gilbert-keith-chesterton/)
Poetry Foundation: G. K. Chesterton (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/g-k-chesterton)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/G-K-Chesterton)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/GKChesterton)



RICHARD GARNETT (1835-1906)

Educated in Bloomsbury, Richard Garnett entered into the British Museum in 1851 as an assistant librarian and worked there in various other positions until his retirement in 1899. His bibliography includes numerous translations, biographies of eminent figures, poetry, and articles for encyclopedias and the Dictionary of National Biography. His sole work of fiction is the short story collection The Twilight of the Gods and Other Tales, an assortment of original fantasy stories spanning numerous mythologies and time periods; it is considered to be a classic in the genre.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Garnett_(writer))
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=garnett_richard)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Garnett)



EMMA BULL (1954- )

Emma Bull may not be prolific, but she has carved out a uniquely significant space for herself. Her first novel, War for the Oaks, about a rock musician pulled into conflict between opposing sides of faerie, is one of the first groundbreaking works of urban fantasy. Following this were science fiction tales like Falcon and the award-winning Bone Dance. She also collaborated in shared universe projects with her husband and with Terri Windling's Borderland. She also made her living as a singer and guitarist for two bands in her native Minneapolis.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Bull)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=bull_emma)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/bull_emma)
Official LiveJournal (http://coffeeem.livejournal.com/)
Official website (https://emmabull.wordpress.com/)



MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY (1930-1999)

Raised during the Great Depression, Marion Zimmer Bradley followed the path of the adventure fantasy authors of her youth, writing her first novel at age 17 (which was posthumously published) and making her first sale to Amazing Stories in 1949; she became keenly involved in speculative fiction as a movement, writing fanfiction and publishing her own fanzines. Her best-known work is the science fantasy Darkover series, following a planet populated by powerful psychics, and the revisionist fantasy The Mists of Avalon, a feminist retelling of King Arthur and the Matter of Britain from the perspective of the women. Despite winning the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement one year after her death, her reputation has been tainted by her daughter's allegations of sexual abuse and complicity in her husband's pederasty.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Zimmer_Bradley)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=bradley_marion_zimmer)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/bradley_marion_zimmer)
Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust (http://mzbworks.com/)
The Guardian – SFF Community Reeling After Marion Simmer Bradley's Daughter Accuses Her of Abuse (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/27/sff-community-marion-zimmer-bradley-daughter-accuses-abuse)
The Washington Post – Re-Reading Feminist Author Marion Zimmer Bradley in the Wake of Sexual Assault Allegations (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2014/06/27/re-reading-feminist-author-marion-zimmer-bradley-in-the-wake-of-sexual-assault-allegations/?utm_term=.d8e14023fa04)
Jim C. Hines – Rape, Abuse, and Marion Zimmer Bradley (http://www.jimchines.com/2014/06/rape-abuse-and-mzb/)



STEPHEN R. LAWHEAD (1950- )

Stephen R. Lawhead began his writing career writing both a weekly column for his college newspaper and contributions of short stories and poetry for local magazines. He honed his craft with writing classes at Wheaton College while enrolled at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, and after a stint running his own record company, he turned to full-time fiction writing. His first work of interest was the Dragon King trilogy (In the Hall of the Dragon King, The Warlords of Nin, and The Sword and the Flame), followed by the Pendragon Cycle (Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, and Grail), a Christian retelling of the Arthur mythos mixed with Celtic overtones and elements of Atlantis. One of his most popular series is the Song of Albion trilogy (The Paradise War, The Silver Hand, and The Endless Knot), a mixture of Celtic mythology with Christian themes; another series of interest is the King Raven Trilogy (Hood, Scarlet, and Tuck), a retelling of the Robin Hood legends.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_R._Lawhead)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=lawhead_stephen_r)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/lawhead_stephen_r)
Official website (http://www.stephenlawhead.com/)



TERRI WINDLING (1958- )

Terri Windling is the winner of multiple prestigious awards in various categories for her work both as a writer and as an editor of the fantasy field. She is held as a chief contributor to the resurgence of mythic fiction, first as an editor for both Ace and Tor Books, then as the creator and orchestrator of a "Fairy Tale" series of novels which serve as modern reinterpretations of classic fairy tales by several authors. From 1986-2003, She and Ellen Datlow edited Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, which expanded the scope of the field by incorporating outlying and related subject matter; they also brought anthologies of myths and folklore to younger readers. After creating and editing the Borderland series for teenagers, She took her own shot at writing with her first novel, The Wood Wife, about a young artist who finds inspiration in an enchanted desert landscape; several children's books followed. Windling continues to be a prominent, outspoken voice in the popularization of fantasy.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Windling)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=windling_terri)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/windling_terri)
Official website (http://www.terriwindling.com/)
Into the Woods: The Faery Worlds of Terri Windling (http://bestoflegends.org/fairy/woods.html)
Jo Walton – The Language of Stones: Terri Windling's The Wood Wife (https://www.tor.com/2010/07/23/the-language-of-stones-terry-windlings-the-wood-wife/)



And that's all I have this time. Hopefully, I can get out the next entry soon enough. I hope that nothing I've talked about has been too problematic, as it touches upon some sensitive subjects. Comments are appreciated, and the original forum topic can be found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

And so we come to a new month. As usual, I have something from my personal library for you. If it's new to you, check it out, and if you're familiar with it, tell me what you thought of it.

Reading: Watership Down (1972) by Richard Adams

This is the little book that could: beginning as a story told by Adams to his daughters on long car journeys, rejected by about thirty publishers, finally accepted by a small one-man press, becoming one of the most beloved animal fantasies ever written, winning the Carnegie Medal and other prestigious honors. It's the story of a group of rabbits who escape the immanent destruction of their warren and seek out a new home, encouraging one another with folk tales of their guardian hero, braving predators, the environment, and other less welcoming rabbits. A story of perseverance recommended for both children and adults alike.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Watership-Down-Novel-Richard-Adams/dp/0743277708/ref=mt_paperback?_encoding=UTF8&me=
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Watership-Down-Novel-Puffin-Books-ebook/dp/B002NXOQF2/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=


Viewing: Watership Down (Martin Rosen, 1978)

Six years after the publication of the book, it was adapted into a quite faithful, well-animated movie; quite dark (even a touch gruesome) for children, it's nevertheless a must-see for animation fans. Released around the same time as Ralph Bakshi's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, the film has since been released as part of the prestigious Criterion Collection series.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Watership-Down-John-Hurt/dp/B00PULRDCC/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1517508995&sr=1-2
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Watership-Down-Blu-ray-John-Hurt/dp/B00PULRC0U/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1517508995&sr=1-2
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Watership-Down-John-Hurt/dp/B00N8M8VK8/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1517508995&sr=1-1&keywords=watership+down

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/obituaries/ursula-k-le-guin-acclaimed-for-her-fantasy-fiction-is-dead-at-88.html

I just turned on my computer this evening to find this out. It's sad, I guess, but she did have a long and fruitful career. Still, to live in a world without her is going to feel pretty empty, for those who steadfastly followed her work. (Thus, you can count me out, but I do intend on reading more in the future.)

What are your memories of Mrs. Le Guin? What have you read by her, if any? What did you find the best about her?

A new year brings new changes, as well as new entries!

If you are late to the party, I'd like to point out that, as of this writing, I have changed some of the formatting of the series. To be specific, I have now added the authors' names to the headers to give you all a preview of what you are going to read. However, in doing so, I have found that the titles can only take so many characters before they give out. Although Raven has said he'll try to fix it, I'm going to assume that this can't be easily corrected, so, from now on, the number of authors in each entry will be determined by how many I can fit in the titles. Hopefully, that won't have too much of a negative impact, if at all.

Also, because of that setback, longtime readers may notice that the first three authors this time around have already been listed in previous entries. Well, I've been forced to move them here, but it wasn't really too much of a problem to do so. To veterans, I apologize for the subsequent lack of "new" authors this time around; I'll try to do better next time. For everyone else, here's the next batch.




JO WALTON (1964- )

Welsh-born Jo Walton has been writing since she was 13 years old, being involved with role-playing publications and the online science fiction fandom. Her first novels were a trilogy based on Arthurian Britain and the Ireland of the Táin Bó Cúailnge – The King's Peace, The King's Name, and The Prize in the Game. Her next novel was the World Fantasy Award-winning Tooth and Claw, a story written in the style of Anthony Trollope but populated by dragons. Next came the science fiction Small Change Trilogy (Farthing, Ha'penny, and Half a Crown), a mystery set against an alternate history in which Britain made peace with Nazi Germany during WWII. Among Others, a fantasy about a witch's daughter starting a sci-fi book club, won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards as well as a World Fantasy Award nomination. Other titles of note include Lifelode, My Real Children, and the Thessaly trilogy (The Just City, The Philosopher Kings, and Necessity).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Walton)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/walton_jo)
Official website (http://www.jowaltonbooks.com/)
Jo Walton's Tor.com Page – Articles, Excerpts, etc. (https://www.tor.com/members/bluejo/)



TONY DITERLIZZI (1969- ) and HOLLY BLACK (1971- )

Tony DiTerlizzi is an artist with credits in role-playing games including Dungeons & Dragons and White Wolf Publishing's Changeling and Werewolf lines, as well as the Magic: The Gathering card game. Holly Black is the author of several young adult and middle grade fantasy novels, including Tithe and its sequels Valiant and Ironside. Together, they are best known for The Spiderwick Chronicles, which follows a trio of children who discover a world of faeries living around an old estate. Five books were published over the course of two years - The Field Guide, The Seeing Stone, Lucinda's Secret, The Ironwood Tree, and The Wrath of Mulgarath; a second series followed with three books - The Nixie's Song, A Giant Problem, and The Wyrm King.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia - DiTerlizzi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_DiTerlizzi)
Wikipedia - Black (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly_Black)
The Official Website of Tony DiTerlizzi (http://diterlizzi.com/)
The Official Website of Holly Black (http://blackholly.com/)



CHINA MIÉVILLE (1972- )

Another relatively new voice in fantasy, China Miéville, whose work has been self-described as weird fiction, part of the literary "New Weird" movement, has taken it upon himself to write a novel in every genre, all of them tinged with elements of the fantastic and supernatural mixed with a Marxist spirit, ranging from science fiction, Westerns, detective noir, and more. He has also made a conscious effort to veer fantasy away from Tolkienian imitation, instead preferring the ideas of Michael Moorcock. His works, which have earned some of speculative fiction's top honors, include King Rat, Bas-Lag (Perdido Street Station, The Scar, and Iron Council), Un Lun Dun, The City & the City, Kraken, Embassytown, Railsea, and The Census-Taker.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Mi%C3%A9ville)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/mieville_china)
"Rejectamentalist Manifesto" – China Miéville's Personal Blog (http://chinamieville.net/)
Clarkesworld – In a Carapace of Light: A Conversation with China Miéville (http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/mieville_interview/)
The Guardian – A Life in Writing: China Miéville (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/may/14/china-mieville-life-writing-genre)
The Believer – Interview with China Miéville (https://www.believermag.com/issues/200504/?read=interview_mieville)
The New Yorker – China Miéville and the Politics of Surrealism (https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/china-mieville-and-the-politics-of-surrealism)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/ChinaMieville)



AVRAM DAVIDSON (1923-1993)

Avram Davidson is a difficult author to categorize. A Jewish convert to the Japanese new religion of Tenrikyo, he began his writing career as a Talmudic scholar and published his earliest stories in various Jewish intellectual magazines. Many of his stories cannot be placed in a specific genre and are noted for their baroque, detailed style, rich characterization, and a fascination with history. Involved in speculative fiction since his teens, his best-known works include a trilogy of novels centered around medieval alchemist/sorcerer Vergil Magus (The Phoenix and the Mirror, Vergil in Averno, and The Scarlet Fig); the Peregrine novels (Peregrine: Primus and Peregrine: Secundus), which follows a man transformed into a falcon across a world reminiscent of Classical Rome; a series of weird stories about a Canadian named Jack Limekiller in a fictional Central American country; and another story sequence about a Holmesian figure names Dr. Eszterhazy in a mythical European empire. Other novels of interest include Joyleg [w/Ward Moore], Mutiny in Space, Rork!, Masters of the Maze, the Kar-Chee sequence (Rogue Dragon and The Kar-Chee Reign), Clash of Star-Kings, The Enemy of My Enemy, The Island Under the Earth, Ursus of Ultima Thule, Marco Polo and the Sleeping Beauty [w/Grania Davis], and The Boss in the Wall [w/Grania Davis].

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avram_Davidson)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=davidson_avram)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/davidson_avram)
The Avram Davidson Website (http://www.avramdavidson.org/)
Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Works: Avram Davidson (http://greatsfandf.com/AUTHORS/AvramDavidson.php)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/AvramDavidson)



ERNEST BRAMAH (1868-1942)

Not much is technically known of the reclusive British author Ernest Bramah, as he did not disclose information about his private life to the public. What little is available seems to indicate that he was a high school dropout who went into farming, later working his way to Grub Street and serving as an editor on a magazine owned by noted humorist Jerome K. Jerome. He wrote in several genres, drawing comparisons to some of the most celebrated writers of the day. He is best known in crime fiction as the creator of blind detective Max Carrados, and in fantasy for a carefully constructed series of stories set in a fabulist China, centered around the Scheherazade-like storyteller Kai Lung, who weaves tales of gods, demons, dragons, and other magical creatures, often in order to stave off some horrible punishment. The stories were collected in The Wallet of Kai Lung, Kai Lung's Golden Hours, Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat, The Moon of Much Gladness, Kai Lung Beneath the Mulberry Tree, and Kai Lung Raises His Voice.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Bramah)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=bramah_ernest)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/bramah_ernest)
Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Works: Ernest Bramah (http://greatsfandf.com/AUTHORS/ErnestBramah.php)
The Unofficial Ernest Bramah Website (http://www.ernestbramah.com/)
Interesting Literature – Five Fascinating Facts About Ernest Bramah (https://interestingliterature.com/2016/06/06/five-fascinating-facts-about-ernest-bramah/)



BARRY HUGHART (1934- )

A native of Peoria, Illinois, Barry Hughart joined the U. S. Air Force after college, which shipped him out to the Far East to lay mined in the Korean Demilitarized Zone; during that time, he developed an interest in China and began formulating a story set in "an Ancient China that never was." The project came to fruition in 1984 with Bridge of Birds, a unique blend of fairytale, detective story, and satire which follows a venerable yet flawed scholar and his immensely strong assistant on a quest to find a magic root that will cure the children of a village of an deadly plague. Two more books would follow – The Story of the Stone and Eight Skilled Gentlemen – in what would be collected as The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox. Originally intended as a seven-book series, complications with his publishers and his own personal satisfaction dissuaded Hughart from pursuing it any further, and, as of the present, he appears to have stopped writing altogether.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Hughart)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=hughart_barry)



JOHN GARDNER (1933-1982)

John Champlin Gardner, Jr. was a well-respected yet controversial academic who made a lifelong habit out of teaching fiction, as evidenced in his nonfiction work The Art of Fiction and On Becoming a Novelist; in On Moral Fiction, he took a more traditionalist stance against what he saw as the nihilistic emptiness of postmodernism, arguing that fiction highest aim is morality and the differentiation between right and wrong. In addition to contemporary stories, some of his fiction contains outright fantastic elements, such as the verse retelling of Jason and Medeia, Freddy's Book, and Mickelsson's Ghosts. His most famous work is Grendel, a prose retelling of the myth of Beowulf told from the point of view of the infamous monster, as he seeks to unravel the enigma of his own existence juxtaposed with the nature of humans to seek meaning in life through fables and stories. It has been hailed by many prestigious publications as a modern classic of both fantasy and existential angst.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gardner_(American_writer))
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=gardner_john)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/gardner_john_2)
The Paris Review – John Gardner, The Art of Fiction No. 73 (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/3394/john-gardner-the-art-of-fiction-no-73-john-gardner)
The Grinnell Beowulf – Monstrous Humor: A Review of John Gardner's Grendel (https://thegrinnellbeowulf.com/beowulf-adaptations/john-gardner-grendel-1971/)
Gargoyle Magazine – An Interview with John Gardner (http://www.gargoylemagazine.com/gargoyle/Issues/scanned/issue11/gardner.htm)
Slate.com – Mass-Market Marathon: Revisiting John Gardner's Grendel, the First Book That Blew My Mind (http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/features/2013/mass_market_marathon/john_gardner_s_grendel_norman_mailer_and_joseph_heller_didn_t_like_him_but.html)
The SF Site – Review of Grendel (https://www.sfsite.com/12b/gr190.htm)



I hope that this turned out well for you all and wasn't too disappointing for those who would want me to talk about more new stuff. Now that I have my system worked out, I can follow up steadfastly with ony new material. As usual, the forum topic can be found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

Due to my change in policy, the recommended reading for this month will be different from that listed in the main topic, though the movie will remain the same. So let the new year commence!

Reading: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (1985) by Patrick Süskind

Winner of the 1987 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, this German international bestseller - a tale of magic realism with splashes of horror - follows a young man in pre-Revolutionary France, born with a superhuman sense of smell; his indulgence of his gift leads him to commit murder in pursuit of capturing the ultimate scent. Evoking absurdist existentialism in its symbolism of human identity and its emotional significance, this engrossingly compelling narrative should be experienced at least once in your life.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Perfume-Story-Murderer-Patrick-Suskind/dp/0375725849/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515387170&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Perfume-Story-Murderer-Vintage-International-ebook/dp/B00JTCJE52/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515387170&sr=8-1




Viewing: The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Terry Gilliam, 1988)

If you have a soft spot for Monty Python's surreal humor and a taste for imaginative adventure, I would seriously recommend this movie to you. An initial box office disappointment with a troubled production history, this cult classic has been warmly received by critics and subsequent audiences, following the legendary aristocrat and his crew of eccentrics from the midst of a war with the Ottoman Empire to various spectacular locations. It's a tribute to the power of imagination that I shouldn't be missed.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Baron-Munchausen-20th-Anniversary/dp/B0011E5M66/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515182475&sr=8-1&keywords=the+adventures+of+baron+munchausen+dvd
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Baron-Munchausen-Blu-ray/dp/B0011E5RXO/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515182475&sr=8-1
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Baron-Munchausen-John-Neville/dp/B0038KJCPS/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515182475&sr=8-1

Due to a discussion on the "Recommended Reading and Viewing" thread, I feel that it may be more beneficial to have a separate topic for each month, so the "mother topic" doesn't get too clogged and buried. So even though it's technically last month's entry, let's consider this the inaugural entry.

NOTE: After some consideration, with the exception of this entry, I'm only going to recommend books that I've already read or am currently in the process of reading, which, while limiting the pool, will encourage a more sincere approach to the situation. Also, I am going to make a concerted effort not to recommend any books that are part of a series, as listing the whole series would be too much to handle and jumping around books over the spaces of months would be too taxing.

Reading: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (2004) by Susanna Clarke

A slight warning: this is a 1,000+ page tome, so I wouldn't call it light reading. For those brave enough, this modern classic follows two magicians in an alternate history England in which magic once ruled the land as they try to probe the ancient mystical secrets and end up crossing with the ambiguously malevolent world of Faerie. A highly praised first novel, it's a good sign if this is the direction of modern fantasy.

Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strange-Mr-Norrell-Novel/dp/0765356155/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1512152770&sr=8-1&keywords=jonathan+strange+%26+mr.+norrell+by+susanna+clarke
Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strange-Norrell-Susanna-Clarke/dp/1620409909/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1512152770&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strange-Norrell-Susanna-Clarke-ebook/dp/B003RRXXMA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1512152770&sr=8-1



Viewing: The Addams Family (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1991) and Addams Family Values (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1993)

I freaking love these movies. I was just going to recommend the first, but the more I think about it, I can't talk about one without the other. Based on both the classic Charles Addams cartoons from The New Yorker and the 1960s television series, these delightfully macabre dark comedies follow an eccentrically "horrific" family of unspecified supernatural abilities. The greatest strengths come from the excellent cast and the hilariously normalized black humor/outrageously sharp dialogue, often contrasted with a "normal" world that can be quite terrifying and oppressive in its own right. Definitely a must-watch.

https://www.amazon.com/Addams-Family-Values-Movie-Collection/dp/B01MSYVLU7/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1512152575&sr=8-6&keywords=the+addams+family

I know that I've spoken of it several times, and I must reiterate that my first love is fantasy, but I love horror. I can't say that it scares me exactly (at least the horror I read doesn't), but I'm so terribly fascinated with it. I'm drawn to things in shadow; nightmares are bad to experience but interesting to study.

Of course, this may provoke some warning signs from Christians. If we're called to follow only that which is good, then what uses do such dark things have for us? Is there anything that can be salvaged from horror that can bring one closer to God? Is there something inherently evil about it?

I definitely don't have all the answers, and I'm not a strong enough Christian to understand it now, but I might have a few ideas. I was just browsing through the website for the magazine Christ and Pop Culture (which I highly recommend), and I came across this article. As of this writing, I've only given it a brief glance, but it seems to be making a fine case for appraising horror for a Christian audience by contemplating some of the philosophical underpinnings of what scares us and why people are drawn to it. Give it a read:

https://christandpopculture.com/drawn-things-frighten-us/

I don't want to get into too much detail right now, but I hope to have my own opinions posted soon enough.

What do you think? From what you have experienced of it, if any, do you feel there is something positive that can be gained from horror, especially for Christians? Does the article make a convincing case?

I feel that this topic may be somewhat necessary, especially for first-time users. I noticed it in the "Recommended Reading" thread, though I must insist that it isn't a bad thing. I just felt that it needed its own topic, that's all. Besides, with the exception of a couple of us, we might not know much about each other otherwise. Let's make this the starting point. Just tell us who you are! Why are you here? What led you to this place? What do you hope to get out of it?

Okay, those couple who were here in the beginning know this, but for those who weren't, my real name is Justin Summerville. I'm a Michigan native - been one for all my life; except for a couple excursions into Canada and a brief "semi-vacation" into Ohio, I've never left the state, nor do I have any real plans on doing so in the future. I've known Raven for about as long as I can remember, being an old family friend. I was born in 1987, having lived for about 16-17 years in a small town called Marine City before moving to a comparatively larger, more metropolitan city called Port Huron. I was homeschooled for about the first eight grades, then completed 9-12 at New Life Christian Academy in Kimball, an experience that may have suited my purposes on paper but, in my opinion, could have been much better. I then immediately went on to community college - St. Clair County Community College, or SC4, to be exact - which might not have been the best option. I gained an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts, then studied for a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice, but I left when it became apparent to myself that it just didn't interest me. I've been living at home ever since.

I have Asperger's Syndrome - at least that's what it was formally called, and I still use it; nowadays, it seems to be classified as autism spectrum disorder. It basically means that, among other things, I have difficulty in social situations, picking up on body language and other subtle non-verbal mannerisms. I tend to be aloof and uninterested, easy to misunderstand others, and unwilling to converse in public. As a side effect, I also suffer from a non-debilitating but bothersome case of OCD. Certain sounds (like the smacking of lips) bother me to no end; on my own end, I tend to jump when my thoughts get going.

My interests are books, film, music, pop culture, animation, video games, comic books, and the Internet. Partly as a result of having Asperger's Syndrome, I don't really have a particular favorite out of anything - I like to keep a big net cast. I also like history, sociology, theology, and other soft sciences.

I'm a Christian, though technically I could be classified as either "non-committed" or "non-practicing" due to certain events that have played out in my life; don't get me wrong - I do believe, it's just that my family has been a bit discouraged in church-going. Of course, I'm totally open to taking that up again.

I love to read fantasy most of all, probably followed by horror and adventure, with some science fiction and mystery/thriller thrown in for good measure. I also read non-genre, of course, trying to keep up with the classics. I love collecting things, as evidenced by my book collection - I used to collect action figures (I'm still sort of interested in it), and now I put most of my energy in books. My pet peeves are books that are no longer in physical print (I don't read digital), tears and creases (particularly along the spine), and mass market vs. trade (I prefer my books to be 7.8 inches and above in height and 5 inches and above in width). Yes, I'm picky, and it can be quite costly, but it provokes me to make wiser decisions about my life.



Well, that's all I can think of at the moment.

Now I'd like to be clear: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO INTO THE DETAIL THAT I JUST DID. If there's anything that you don't want to share out loud, don't feel pressured into doing so. I just tried to get a conversation going. Ultimately, I see this as an experiment, and if it doesn't pay off, then it's all right (I hope).

Feel free to post however you want. Open up and have fun!

Many of you probably know I work on the ongoing MASTERS OF FANTASY series of blog posts in the Windmill section. I also have the "Fantasy Authors" and "Recommended Reading" topics going to both discuss what's been spoken of and to suggest new names. To be perfectly honest, I have a lot already, but rather than discourage anyone from speaking up, I thought I would share what I have and see what you think.

Here is a list, arranged alphabetically by first name, of everyone that I have set aside for a possible blog entry on MASTERS OF FANTASY, as of December 1, 2017. Keep in mind that these are subject to change, due to little information being found on them or their work being too insubstantial to warrant a complete entry. Still, in one way or another, all these authors have written something that could be classified as fantasy; some even function as surrealism or that special brand of literature called magic realism. Others I've only just heard of and taken into consideration. Although I intend on writing about them, feel free to look these people up yourself in the event that it takes a long time for the posts to come out. It would be great to get a discussion going if you recognize any of them.

The list is as follows:

A. C. Benson
A. E. Coppard
A. Merritt
Adolfo Bioy Casares
Alasdair Gray
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Alice Hoffman
Anatole France
Andre Norton
Andrew Lang
Andrew Sinclair
Angela Carter
Angélica Gorodischer
Anna Smaill
Apuleius
Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam
Avram Davidson
Barry Hughart
Bram Stoker
Brandon Sanderson
Brian Lumley
Brian Moore
C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne
C. L. Moore
Carlos Fuentes
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Catherynne M. Valente
Charles Dickens
Charles G. Finney
Charles Robert Maturin
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Daniel Wallace
Dante Aligheri
David Garnett
Dean Koontz
Dennis Parry
Diana Gabaldon
Donald Barthelme
Doris Lessing
E. F. Benson
Eden Phillpotts
Edmund Spenser
Edwin A. Abbott
Elizabeth Goudge
Elizabeth Hand
Emma Bull
Emma Tennant
Ernest Bramah
F. Anstey
Fiona MacLeod
Flann O'Brien
Fletcher Pratt
Francis Stevens
François Rabelais
Frank Belknap Long
Frank R. Stockton
Franz Kafka
Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué
G. K. Chesterton
G. Willow Wilson
Gabriel García Márquez
Geoff Ryman
Geoffrey Chaucer
Giovanni Boccaccio
Glen Cook
Graham Joyce
Gregory Maguire
Günter Grass
Gustav Meyrink
Gustave Flaubert
Guy de Maupassant
H. Warner Munn
Hannes Bok
Harlan Ellison
Haruki Murakami
Henrik Ibsen
Henry James
Henry Kuttner
Henry Newbolt
Hermann Hesse
Honoré de Balzac
Hugh B. Cave
Ira Levin
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Isabel Allende
Italo Calvino
J. G. Ballard
Jack Cady
Jack Finney
Jack Williamson
James Hilton
James K. Morrow
James P. Blaylock
Jane Gaskell
Jeffrey Ford
Joan D. Vinge
John Buchan
John Bunyan
John Collier
John D. MacDonald
John Fowles
John Gardner
John Keats
John Kendrick Bangs
John Myers Myers
John Updike
Jonathan Lethem
Jonathan Swift
Jorge Luis Borges
Joris-Karl Huysmans
Joseph Payne Brennan
Jostein Gaarder
Joy Chant
Joyce Carol Oates
Julio Cortázar
Junot Díaz
Kaoru Kurimoto
Kazuo Ishiguro
Ken Grimwood
Kingsley Amis
Kōbō Abe
Kyōka Izumi
L. Sprague de Camp
Lafcadio Hearn
Lavie Tidhar
Leslie Barringer
Lev Grossman
Lewis Shiner
Lisa Goldstein
Lord Byron
Louis de Bernières
Louise Erdrich
Ludwig Tieck
Manly Wade Wellman
Manuel Mujica Láinez
Margaret Atwood
Margo Lanagan
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Mark Helprin
Mary Shelley
Megan Whalen Turner
Mercedes Lackey
Michael Chabon
Michael Frayn
Michael Shea
Michael Swanwick
Miguel Ángel Asturias
Mikhail Bulgakov
Milan Kundera
Miyuki Miyabe
N. K. Jemisin
Nikolai Gogol
Nikos Kazantzakis
Nina Kirika Hoffman
Nnedi Okorafor
Noriko Ogiwara
Oscar Wilde
Pat O'Shea
Patrick Süskind
Paul Edwin Zimmer
Paulo Coelho
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Peter Ackroyd
Peter Straub
Philip José Farmer
Phyllis Eisenstein
Piers Anthony
R. A. McAvoy
R. H. Benson
R. Scott Bakker
Ramsey Campbell
Raymond E. Feist
Richard Garnett
Richard Matheson
Robert Bloch
Robert F. Jones
Robert Irwin
Robert Nathan
Robertson Davies
Robin Hobb
Roderick MacLeish
Russell Hoban
Salman Rushdie
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Sanders Anne Laubenthal
Sara Coleridge
Sarah Monette
Sheri S. Tepper
Shi Nai'an
Shirley Jackson
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sofia Samatar
Stephen R. Lawhead
Steven Erickson
Tanith Lee
Terri Windling
Terry Brooks
Theodore Sturgeon
Thomas Bulfinch
Thomas Burnett Swann
Thomas Pynchon
Thorne Smith
Tim Powers
Tom Holt
Toni Morrison
Tove Jansson
Victor LaValle
Vladimir Nabokov
Walter Wangerin, Jr.
Washington Irving
Wil Huygen & Rien Poortvliet
William Blake
William Golding
William Hjortsberg
William Kotzwinkle
William S. Burroughs
William Shakespeare
Wu Cheng'en
Yasunari Kawabata


I have my next two entries specifically all lined up as well.

Part XVII will contain:

Avram Davidson
Ernest Bramah
Barry Hughart
John Gardner
John Myers Myers
G. K. Chesterton
Richard Garnett
Emma Bull

Part XVIII will contain:

Marion Zimmer Bradley
Stephen R. Lawhead
Terri Windling
Thomas Burnett Swann
Roderick MacLeish
Russell Hoban
Philip José Farmer
Peter Ackroyd


So look out for them in the future!

So what do you think? Is there anyone else you think I should add? Which out of them would you like to see in the next entries?

Think of this as a spinoff of my "Favorite Music" topic and a companion piece to "What Are You Reading Now?"

See, we've talked quite a bit about what we've been reading currently, but speaking for myself, I'm always listening to music and trying out new things. Some even become new favorites, which I love finding? So what have you heard recently? Have you made any new discoveries? Just listening to what you're comfortable with?

Personally, as I write this, I'm currently working through the studio catalog of the Bee Gees and the final few albums of Van Morrison, then I'm planning on moving on to old favorite ABBA and starting out John Denver. There's always something playing on my iPod.

I'll discuss more of what I think about these artists on the "Favorite Music" topic.

I made a topic some time last year when the site began - "Music Collection" - that was asking what anyone had been listening to lately. Well, rather than bump it up, I thought I would try something related to my "Favorite Authors" topic and make this a place where you can list and appraise the music that you most enjoy to listen to. What are some of your favorite bands or solo artists? What gets your juices flowing? Is there any type of music that helps when you read or write or work? Do you have any limitations on genre or do you really just try out everything? What do you look for when you try to find a favorite? What's your definition of good music?

You don't necessarily have to answer all of those questions. They're just suggestions to get the discussion going. Don't be afraid - honesty is great! Say whatever you want (within reason). Sure, we may not always agree, and some of it may have content that other people find objectionable, but that's just more stuff to discuss!

So what do you think?

I'm glad to have another entry for you all!

There are no direct ties amongst these authors here, but I do find them to be extremely important today, having turned out some old and contemporary classics. I suggest you check them out.



NEIL GAIMAN (1960- )

Neil Gaiman is one of the most popular authors today, his bibliography spanning both adult works and children's fiction. He is also quite prolific in comics, having gained a substantial breakthrough with DC's Vertigo imprint, working on the expansive fantasy/horror graphic novel The Sandman, an influentially popular series following the anthropomorphic personification of dreams and his dysfunctional family. His first novel was Good Omens, a humorous collaboration with popular fantasist Terry Pratchett; his first solo work, Neverwhere, was based on his own scripts for the BBC television series. This was followed by the illustrated Stardust, which drew inspiration from pre-Tolkienian sources such as Dunsany and Mirlees. The multiple award-winning American Gods, in which the deities of multiple cultures clash for dominance on American soil, quickly became one of his most famous works; the dark children's fantasy Coraline followed, which was itself succeeded by Anansi Boys, in which a scion of the African spider god seeks out his cultural heritage. Gaiman returned to children's fiction with The Graveyard Book, in which a young boy is raised by ghosts, then followed with another adult work, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, where an unnamed narrator returns to his childhood home and discovers a secret world connected to it. His other long fiction includes the InterWorld science fiction trilogy co-authored with Michael and Mallory Reeves.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gaiman)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=gaiman_neil)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/gaiman_neil)
Official website (http://neilgaiman.com/)
Tumblr account [answers fan questions] (http://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/)
British Council: Literature – Neil Gaiman (https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/neil-gaiman)
The Guardian – Neil Gaiman: "My Parents Didn't Have Any Kind of Rules About What I Couldn't Read" (https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/aug/29/neil-gaiman-banned-books-censorship-interview)
The Guardian – Neil Gaiman: Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading, and Daydreaming (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming)
Conceptual Fiction - Neverwhere (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/neverwhere.html)



JOHN BELLAIRS (1938-1991)

After teaching English across several Midwestern and New England colleges, John Bellairs committed himself to writing full-time, becoming best known for a series of young adult Gothic mystery novels with fantasy overtones, featuring characters such as Lewis Barnavelt (The House with a Clock in Its Walls), Anthony Monday (The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn), and Johnny Dixon (The Curse of the Blue Figurine). Inspired by The Lord of the Rings, he wrote his most significant adult fantasy, The Face in the Frost, in which two wizards find themselves thrust against the machinations of an old rival for possession of an arcane object. The book has received considerable praise from both fantasy and mainstream critics as one of the most unique single fantasies of the 20th century.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bellairs)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=bellairs_john)
Official website – Bellairsia (http://www.bellairsia.com/)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JohnBellairs)
Notre Dame Magazine – John Bellairs, Author of the Imaginary (https://magazine.nd.edu/news/john-bellairs-author-of-the-imaginary/)
Tor.com – The Autumnal Genius of John Bellairs (https://www.tor.com/2013/10/25/the-autumnal-genius-of-john-bellairs/)



SUSANNA CLARKE (1959- )

Susanna Clarke, eldest daughter of a Methodist minister, enjoyed reading the works of Dickens, Doyle, and Austen in her youth; a "waking dream" while teaching in Bilbao and a recent read of The Lord of the Rings encouraged her to try her own hand at fantasy in 1993. Over the next decade, in addition to periodical stories, he would work in her spare time on what would become the alternate history Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, in which two prodigy magicians seek to return magic to its former glory during the Napoleonic Wars, regardless of the consequences. The 1,000-page novel – a pastiche of Dickens and Austen supplemented by over 200 "historical" footnotes – would go on to win considerable praise from both the top writers of fantasy and the mainstream literary establishment, including Time's Best Novel of the Year, the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards for Best Novel, the Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature. As of this writing, she is currently writing a sequel, which is slow to materialize due to ill health.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_Clarke)
TV Tropes – Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susanna_Clarke)
The Guardian – Neil Gaiman: Why I Love Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/02/neil-gaiman-why-i-love-jonathan-strange-and-mr-norrell)
The New York Times – Susanna Clarke's Magic Book (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/01/magazine/susanna-clarke-s-magic-book.html)
Tor.com – Jo Walton: A Great Castle Made of Sea (https://www.tor.com/2014/01/20/what-makes-this-book-so-great-jo-walton-jonathan-strange/)
Conceptual Fiction - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/jonathan_strange_and_mr_norrell.html)



TERRY PRATCHETT (1948-2015)

For many fans, Terry Pratchett is to fantasy what Douglas Adams is to science fiction, though there are some who might not find that analogy fitting, but we are still all the richer for it. A rather good student with a keen interest in astronomy, he found he lacked the mathematical skills necessary for a career and turned to writing for his high school magazine. Pursuing journalism, his breakthrough came with The Carpet People, a children's book, in 1971, followed by two adult science fiction novels. In 1983, he started what would become the series that would dominate his career – Discworld, a sprawling comic fantasy of a Flat-Earth world of wizards and monsters which brilliantly parodies numerous clichés and subgenres as well as everything from Tolkien to Shakespeare, religion to rock music. Despite being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, Pratchett continued to write until his death, using dictation and voice recognition software to finish 41 books in the series. He received numerous honors in his lifetime, including (but not limited to) a knighthood in 2009 and the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2010.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=pratchett_terry)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/pratchett_terry)
Official website (https://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/)
British Council: Literature – Terry Pratchett (https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/terry-pratchett)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/TerryPratchett)
Entertainment Weekly – Terry Pratchett and Discworld: An Appreciation (http://ew.com/article/2015/03/12/terry-pratchett-and-discworld-appreciation/)
AVClub – Terry Pratchett Was Fantasy Fiction's Kurt Vonnegut, Not Its Douglas Adams (https://www.avclub.com/terry-pratchett-was-fantasy-fiction-s-kurt-vonnegut-no-1798277479)
Daily Mail – I Create Gods All the Time – Now I think One Might Exist, Says Fantasy Author Terry Pratchett (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1028222/I-create-gods-time--I-think-exist.html)
The Guardian – Neil Gaiman: Terry Pratchett Isn't Jolly. He's Angry. (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/sep/24/terry-pratchett-angry-not-jolly-neil-gaiman)
Conceptual Fiction - The Colour of Magic (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/the_color_of_magic.html)



ROBERT JORDAN (1948-2007)

James Oliver Rigny, Jr., an early reader since the age of 4, served in the military as a helicopter gunner during the Vietnam War, receiving distinguished honors, and worked as a nuclear engineer before turning to writing in 1977. He published fantasy under the name Robert Jordan, which began with several installments following Robert E. Howard's Conan before eventually spawning the epic high fantasy series The Wheel of Time in 1990. Originally planned for 6 volumes, Jordan eventually turned out a total of 11 books before passing away in 2007 due to complications from cardiac amyloidosis; the final volume, in progress, was subsequently expanded into three parts and completed by author Brandon Sanderson. The series, lauded as the best-selling epic fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings, is both praised and criticized for its plot, enormous cast, detailed magic system, and particular character development.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jordan)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=jordan_robert)
Fantasy Literature – Robert Jordan: Reviews (http://www.fantasyliterature.com/fantasy-author/jordanrobert/)
Famous Authors – Robert Jordan (http://www.famousauthors.org/robert-jordan)
The Believer – The End of the Story (https://www.believermag.com/issues/201010/?read=article_baron)
TV Tropes – The Wheel of Time (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheWheelOfTime)



DAVID EDDINGS (1931-2009)

David Eddings, after a term in the military, served in a grocery store before trying his hand at writing, being keen on drama and literature in his youth, and after finding The Lord of the Rings in its seventy-eighth printing, he felt fantasy could offer a challenge for him. Thus he undertook, with the uncredited assistance of his wife Leigh, a series of novels known for their archetypal plots mixed with sardonic humor and deliberate focus on characters rather than tropes, though they do indulge in tropes shamelessly. It consists of The Belgariad (Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit, Castle of Wizardry, and Enchanters' End Game), its sequel The Malloreon (Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, and The Seeress of Kell), and its darker spiritual successors, The Elenium (The Diamond Throne, The Ruby Knight, and The Sapphire Rose) and The Tamuli (Domes of Fire, The Shining Ones, and The Hidden City).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Eddings)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=eddings_david)
Official website – Jack's David & Leigh Eddings Site (http://www.eddingschronicles.com/index.html)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/DavidEddings)
Famous Authors – David Eddings (http://www.famousauthors.org/david-eddings)



GEORGE R. R. MARTIN (1948- )

To escape from the limited confines of his New Jersey home, George R. R. Martin turned to reading, comic books (particularly Marvel), and speculative fiction; he graduated a B.S. in journalism with high honors, conscientiously objected to the Vietnam War, and found an interest in chess. After taking up teaching for a while, he began selling science fiction stories in 1970, eventually releasing novels like Dying of the Light, the vampire horror Fevre Dream, and the mystery fantasy The Armageddon Rag, before turning to television, writing for series such as the newly revived Twilight Zone, Max Headroom, and Beauty and the Beast; he also oversaw the development of the collaborative science fiction series Wild Cards. Having been awarded some of the industry's highest honors, Martin took his childhood interest in Tolkien and his keen interest in history, particular the English War of the Roses, and, inspired by the work of Tad Williams, began writing what would become A Song of Ice and Fire, a multi-volume epic relating the story of an ancient kingdom wrapped up in the political machinations of its competing rulers while an eldritch supernatural force slowly creeps out of the cold northern wastes. Adapted into a wildly successful HBO television series, the books – five lengthy titles (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons) with two more on the way (The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring) –  have helped take Martin's already highly regarded reputation to towering heights, making him a household name.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_R._R._Martin)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=martin_george_r_r)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/martin_george_r_r)
Official website (http://www.georgerrmartin.com/)
LiveJournal (https://grrm.livejournal.com/)
The Guardian – Game of Thrones: An Epic Publishing Story (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/05/game-of-thrones-an-epic-publishing-story-george-rr-martin)
Rolling Stone – Interview with George R. R. Martin (http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-20140423)
Business Insider – How "Game of Thrones" Author George R. R. Martin Went from Chess Captain and Journalism Professor to a Reported Net Worth of $15 Million (http://www.businessinsider.com/george-rr-martin-game-of-thrones-2017-8/#so-far-the-author-has-written-18-million-words-and-killed-off-3717-characters-in-the-series-martin-has-said-that-his-epic-fantasy-stories-draw-inspiration-from-world-history-and-jrr-tolkien-23)



STEPHEN KING (1947- )

Dubbed the "Master of Horror", Stephen King has always led a life dominated by the written word, being practically addicted to reading and writing, getting his hands on all sorts of literature. Fascinated by horror stories and comics, he worked at numerous odd jobs before landing a teaching job at Hampden Academy, Maine, all the while sending short stories to every magazine he could find that would publish him; his first novel, Carrie, was published in 1973, and he has been immensely successful ever since. The main bulk of his output can be classified as horror, although most of them subsequently have fantastic overtones as a result - the vampire-infested town of 'Salem's Lot, the haunted hallways of The Shining, the dawn of the apocalypse in The Stand, and other paranormal phenomena such as precognition (The Dead Zone), pyromancy (Firestarter), vehicular possession (Christine), the Wendigo (Pet Sematary), Lovecraftian creatures (It), doppelgangers (The Dark Half), Faustian bargaining (Needful Things), time travel (11/22/63), and so much more. However, King has dipped into his own brand of outright fantasy on at least two major occasions, the first being the 1987 novel The Eyes of the Dragon, where the rightful prince of a kingdom must save both it and himself from an evil magician's plots. The second constitutes what King considers to be his magnum opus – inspired by The Lord of the Rings as a teenager, he let a childhood idea germinate into a vast epic of Tolkienien and Arthurian mythology, imagery of American Westerns, and metafiction known as The Dark Tower, in which the last of a line of warriors seeks out a mysterious citadel which serves as the linchpin of realities, holding the multiverse together, as dark forces attempt to bring it down, thereby undoing all creation. Seven books constitute the main story (The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower) while an eighth (The Wind Through the Keyhole) serves to fill in some the gaps of the plot between the fourth and fifth; other installments are projected but not guaranteed.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=king_stephen)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/king_stephen)
Official website (http://stephenking.com/)
SmartBlogger – Stephen King's 20 Tips for Becoming a Frighteningly Good Writer (https://smartblogger.com/stephen-king/)
Biography.com – Stephen King (https://www.biography.com/people/stephen-king-9365136#!)
The New York Times – Stephen King's Family Business (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/magazine/stephen-kings-family-business.html)
The Atlantic – Why Stephen King Spends "Months and Even Years" Writing Opening Sentences (https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/07/why-stephen-king-spends-months-and-even-years-writing-opening-sentences/278043/)
Rolling Stone – Interview with Stephen King (http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/stephen-king-the-rolling-stone-interview-20141031)
Los Angeles Review of Books – The Blue-Collar King: An Interview with Stephen King (https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-blue-collar-king-an-interview-with-stephen-king/#!)
The Paris Review – Stephen King, The Art of Fiction No. 189 (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/5653/stephen-king-the-art-of-fiction-no-189-stephen-king)
Tor.com – The Great Stephen King Reread (https://www.tor.com/tag/the-great-stephen-king-reread/)
Tor.com – The One Book That Taught Me How to Explore Faith in My Writing https://www.tor.com/2017/03/08/the-one-book-that-taught-me-how-to-explore-faith-in-my-writing/




I'm relieved to have this one done. I might take a break for a bit, but never fear - I already have my next batches lined up. Until then, the forum topic can be found here: http://lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

This has come very slowly, due to a lack of focus and working manually on a Word document to save my work, but it's finally done.

My next batch isn't really held together by any particular theme, being a mixture of high and low fantasy. They just so happen to be the ones I most want to talk about right now. With that being said, here they are.

 
 
PATRICIA A. McKILLIP (1948-2022)

A native of Oregon, Patricia A. McKillip started fantasy out of a combination of Tolkienian fascination and an alternative to boredom. Her first couple novels were marketed as juveniles before her third novel, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, won the World Fantasy Award in 1975. Her next significant work was the Riddle-Master trilogy - The Riddle-Master of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind - a rather original story in which a special-born boy is drawn into a battle against shape-changing enemies in a land where riddles hold the key to ultimate knowledge. This was followed by a string of award winning/nominated titles such as The Changeling Sea, Winter Rose, Song for the Basilisk, The Tower at Stony Wood, Ombria in Shadow, In the Forests of Serre, Alphabet of Thorn, Od Magic, Solstice Wood, The Bell at Sealy Head, and The Bards of Bone Plain. In 2008, she won the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
 
Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_A._McKillip)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=mckillip_patricia_a)
The Unofficial Patricia A. McKillip Website (http://patriciamckillip.com/)
FantasyLiterature.com (http://www.fantasyliterature.com/fantasy-author/mckillippatricia/)
Vengeance as a theme in the writings of Patricia A. McKillip (https://sites.google.com/site/martinlabarspages/home/mckillip-vengeance)
SF Site - Review of the Riddle-Master Trilogy (https://www.sfsite.com/05a/rid56.htm)
 
 

CHARLES DE LINT (1951- )

Born in the Netherlands, Charles de Lint's parents moved to Canada when he was just four months old; he has been a native Ottawa since age 11. He began writing in 1983, eventually becoming one of the foremost practitioners of contemporary urban fantasy, which relies on a "crosshatch" method of combining both the real world and the "otherworld" into a blended whole. He has also written poetry and criticism, dabbled in art, played folk/Irish/Celtic music with his wife, and taught creative writing courses both is Canada and the US. Some of his best known work includes Moonheart, The Harp of the Grey Rose, Mulengro, Yarrow, Jack of Kinrowan, Greenmantle, The Little Country, Memory and Dream, Someplace to Be Flying, The Ivory and the Horn, Moonlight and Vines, Trader, Forests of the Heart, and The Onion Girl.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_de_Lint)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=de_lint_charles)
Official website (https://www.sfsite.com/charlesdelint/index.html)
Interview with Charles de Lint – Challenging Destiny #9, 2000 (http://www.challengingdestiny.com/interviews/delint.htm)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/CharlesDeLint)
The Green Man – Edition on Charles de Lint: Reviews, Opinion Pieces, etc. (https://web.archive.org/web/20061216122220/http://www.greenmanreview.com/oneoffs/charlesdelint.html)



TAD WILLIAMS (1957- )

A native of Northern California, born in San Jose and raised in Palo Alto, Robert Paul "Tad" Williams Always showed a knack for long stories. After holding numerous odd jobs, he burst onto the scene in 1985 with Tailchaser's Song, a tale of feral cats complete with their own mythology in which one of their kind goes to seek the reason behind numerous disappearances and stumbles upon a conspiracy involving an evil god. This was followed three years later by what would become the epic three-volume Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, and To Green Angel Tower) which follows an escalating war between human conquerors of the land of Osten Ard and their undead elven forbearers; written as an intentional commentary/deconstruction of tropes associated with Tolkien, this highly praised series would become of the chief inspirations for the fantasy work of George R. R. Martin. After releasing single novels such as Child of an Ancient City [with Nina Kiriki Hoffman] and Caliban's Hour, Williams would briefly delve into science fiction with the cyberpunk Otherland series (City of Golden Shadow, River of Blue Fire, Mountain of Black Glass, and Sea of Silver Light) before turning out more best-sellers with The War of the Flowers, the four-volume Shadowmarch (Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, Shadowrise, and Shadowheart), and the fantasy noir Bobby Dollar series (The Dirty Streets of Heaven, Happy Hour in Hell, and Sleeping Late on Judgment Day). Recently, he has returned to his first series with The Last King of Osten Ard, consisting of an interquel (The Heart of What Was Lost) and the main trilogy (The Witchwood Crown, Empire of Grass, and The Navigator's Children); another title – a possible prequel tentatively titled The Shadow of Things to Come – is also forthcoming.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tad_Williams)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=williams_tad)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/williams_tad)
Official website (https://www.tadwilliams.com/)
Wired.com – Why Dirty Streets of Heaven Author Tad Williams Isn't Going to Hell...Probably (https://www.wired.com/2012/09/geeks-guide-tad-williams/)
Barnes & Noble – The Lasting Legacy of Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/lasting-legacy-tad-williams-memory-sorrow-thorn/)
The SF Site – Review of Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn (https://the-avocado.org/2017/11/19/writer-spotlight-tad-williams/)
The Guardian - Tropes, Trolls, and Trump: The Fantasy Writer Who Inspired George R. R. Martin (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jan/17/tropes-trolls-and-trump-meet-one-of-george-rr-martins-favourite-fantasy-writers-tad-williams)



PHILIP PULLMAN (1946- )

Son of an RAF pilot, Philip Pullman developed an enthusiastic interest in his early years for Milton's Paradise Lost and the illustrations of William Blake. After two novels for adults, he turned to children's fiction with Count Karlstein, which would be followed by the Sally Lockhart mystery series, Spring-Heeled Jack, and Clockwork, in addition to a few non-genre young adult novels. In 1995, he turned to writing full time when publishing what would become his major contribution to fantasy, His Dark Materials (The Golden Compass [UK: Northern Lights], The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass), in which two young children are thrust across the multiverse to safeguard a mystical material known as Dust from the machinations of the church-like Magisterium. The trilogy has garnered quite some criticism from religious organizations for its perceived anti-Christian bias, but some others have supported it, and the series is widely praised as a modern classic of fantasy. As of this writing, a new trilogy serving and a follow-up – The Book of Dust – has begun, with the first book, La Belle Sauvage, being published in 2017, and the second volume, The Secret Commonwealth, following in 2019.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Pullman)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=pullman_philip)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/pullman_philip)
Official website (http://philip-pullman.com/)
British Council: Literature – Philip Pullman (https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/philip-pullman)
The Guardian – Philip Pullman: A Life in Writing (https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/mar/03/philip-pullman-life-in-writing)
The Telegraph – The Dark Materials Debate: Life, God, the Universe... (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3613962/The-Dark-Materials-debate-life-God-the-universe....html)
Literary Hub – We Still Need the Morality Lessons of Philip Pullman (http://lithub.com/we-still-need-the-morality-lessons-of-philip-pullman/)
The New Republic – Philip Pullman's War Against the Fanatics (https://newrepublic.com/article/145552/philip-pullmans-war-fanatics)
The New Yorker – Far from Narnia (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/12/26/far-from-narnia)
The Guardian – His Dark Materials: The Enduring, Terrifying Appeal of Philip Pullman's World (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/oct/18/his-dark-materials-the-enduring-terrifying-appeal-of-philip-pullmans-world)



MICHAEL MOORCOCK (1939- )

Michael Moorcock is one of the most respected, as well as divisive, names in science fiction and fantasy, being one of the chief architects of the "New Wave" of sci-fi during his tenure on the magazine New Worlds. He is outspoken in his opinions, championing the work of Mervyn Peake and remaining dismissive of Tolkien's corpus. His oeuvre is exceedingly prolific, dominated by the concept of "the Eternal Champion", a hero who exists across the multiverse, chosen to represent the Cosmic Balance between Law and Chaos. This figure manifests himself across series and characters such as Elric of Melniboné (originally collected as Elric of Melniboné, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, The Weird of the White Wolf, The Sleeping Sorceress, The Bane of the Black Sword, Stormbringer, The Fortress of the Pearl, The Revenge of the Rose, The Dreamthief's Daughter, The Skrayling Tree, and The White Wolf's Son [now collected under different titles]), Corum Jhaelen Irsei (The Knight of the Swords, The Queen of the Swords, The King of the Swords, The Bull and the Spear, The Oak and the Ram, and The Sword and the Stallion), Dorian Hawkmoon, (The Jewel in the Skull, The Mad God's Amulet, The Sword of the Dawn, and The Runestaff), Jerry Cornelius (The Final Programme, A Cure for Cancer, The English Assassin, and The Condition of Muzak), Graf Ulrich von Bek (The War Hound and the World's Pain, The Brothel in Rosenstrasse, and The City in the Autumn Stars), Erekosë (The Eternal Champion, Phoenix in Obsidian, and The Dragon in the Sword), The Dancers at the End of Time (An Alien Heat, The Hollow Lands, and The End of All Songs), A Nomad of the Time Streams (The Warlord of the Air, The Land Leviathan, and The Steel Tsar), and others. Single novels of considerable note include the irreverent Behold the Man, the alternate universe Gloriana, and literary novels such as Mother London, The Chinese Agent, and Colonel Pyat (Byzantium Endures, The Laughter of Carthage, Jerusalem Commands, and The Vengeance of Rome).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moorcock)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=moorcock_michael)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/moorcock_michael)
Moorcock's Miscellany – The Official Website (http://www.multiverse.org/index.php?title=Main_Page)
The New Statesman – "I Think Tolkien Was a Crypto-Fascist" (https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2015/07/michael-moorcock-i-think-tolkien-was-crypto-fascist)
The New Yorker – The Anti-Tolkien (https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/anti-tolkien)
AVClub – Where to Start with Fantasy Overlord Michael Moorcock (https://www.avclub.com/where-to-start-with-fantasy-overlord-michael-moorcock-1798231865)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/MichaelMoorcock)
The Guardian – When Hari Kunzru Met Michael Moorcock (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/feb/04/michael-moorcock-hari-kunzru)



JONATHAN CARROLL (1949- )

An American expatriate in Austria, Jonathan Carroll straddles the dividing lines that separate fantasy, science fiction, and horror in a unique style that is sometimes labelled "slipstream." In a sense, his work resembles Latin magical realism, in which the fantastic intrudes into mundane reality. His first and perhaps best-known novel, The Land of Laughs, deal with two biographers' quest to document the life of a beloved children's author in a town that may have been created by the late author's own imagination. His other novels include Voice of Our Shadow, the Answered Prayers Sextet (Bones of the Moon, Sleeping in Flame, A Child Across the Sky, Outside the Dog Museum, After Silence, and From the Teeth of Angels), the Crane's View Trilogy (Kissing the Beehive, The Marriage of Sticks, and The Wooden Sea), White Apples, Glass Soup, The Ghost in Love, and Bathing the Lion.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Carroll)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=carroll_jonathan)
Official website and daily blog (https://jonathancarroll.com/)



PATRICK ROTHFUSS (1973- )

A native of Madison, Wisconsin, with a fondness for tabletop roleplaying and a considerable social media presence, Patrick Rothfuss is one of the newest figures in fantasy, having broken onto the scene in 2007 with The Name of the Wind, the first installment of what is known as The Kingkiller Chronicle. The second installment, The Wise Man's Fear, followed in 2011, a companion volume, The Slow Regard of Silent Things, was released in 2014, and as of this writing, a third installment under the working title of The Doors of Stone is in progress.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Rothfuss)
Official website (https://www.patrickrothfuss.com/content/index.asp)
The Kingkiller Chronicle Wiki – Patrick Rothfuss (http://kingkiller.wikia.com/wiki/Patrick_Rothfuss)
Wired.com – How Patrick Rothfuss Saved a "Hot Mess" of a Book (https://www.wired.com/2016/08/wired-book-club-patrick-rothfuss-interview/)
Vulture.com – Patrick Rothfuss Is About to Be Fantasy's Next Superstar (http://www.vulture.com/2017/10/patrick-rothfuss-fantasy-next-superstar.html)




That was quite a bit to cover, and the next one is probably going to have just as much. Until next time, then. The forum topic, as usual, can be found here: http://lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

There's lots of books out there, not to mention lots of tastes. What do you feel people would want to read? This is the place where you can share your ideas. It can be books that you've read or books that you only have an idea of but think it would suit others. That's because I've definitely not read all these books, of course, but I know ABOUT them, and I'm sure that they would fit whatever moods you might be in, hopefully.

For those interested in dragons: Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton

A segment of the story in the Well of Visions, Bluerose31's "The Land of Ayra", reminded me of this story. I've not read it, but I've heard good things about it, and it's racked up the 2004 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. It's all about dragons, being told in the style of Victorian popular author Anthony Trollope as a fantasy of manners - despite them still doing dragon things, they act according to Victorian social mores. If you want dragons as characters, like classic Victorian literature, and want a good laugh as much as a good story, it sounds like this might be the one for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Tooth-Claw-Jo-Walton/dp/0765319519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511468947&sr=8-1&keywords=tooth+and+claw+jo+walton

For those who want more Tolkien: The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay

I haven't FINISHED this series, but it's currently shaping up to be one of the best reads in fantasy I've ever had. Before Kay turned to his signature historical fantasies, he wrote this Tolkienian homage as an example of how it could be done without being entirely derivative. It's a mix of Celtic and Arthurian influences with some good portal fantasy thrown in. As I've stated before, Kay also served as co-editor of The Silmarillion, extensively studying Tolkien's rough notes, so it comes with a special pedigree that other series wish they had.

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Tree-Book-Fionavar-Tapestry/dp/0451458222/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511469001&sr=1-1&keywords=the+fionavar+tapestry
https://www.amazon.com/Wandering-Fire-Book-Fionavar-Tapestry/dp/0451458265/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511469001&sr=1-3&keywords=the+fionavar+tapestry
https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-Road-Three-Fionavar-Tapestry/dp/0451458338/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511469001&sr=1-4&keywords=the+fionavar+tapestry

For those who want more Game of Thrones: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams

Even George R. R. Martin needs inspiration sometimes, and this is the series that inspired Game of Thrones. By the sound of it, it has some similarities, particularly with the overarching plot of an ancient kingdom threatened by undead immortal hordes; it's also supposed to serve as a commentary on the many tropes that have been (over)utilized by and since Tolkien, so I would expect some deconstruction. Technically, the series is still going, as Williams has started something of a sequel series just this year (2017), but I would concentrate just on the original trilogy.

https://www.amazon.com/Dragonbone-Chair-Memory-Sorrow-Thorn/dp/0756402697/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511469069&sr=1-1&keywords=memory+sorrow+and+thorn
https://www.amazon.com/Stone-Farewell-Memory-Sorrow-Thorn/dp/0756402972/ref=sr_1_2_twi_pap_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511469069&sr=1-2&keywords=memory+sorrow+and+thorn
https://www.amazon.com/Green-Angel-Tower-Osten-Ard/dp/0756402980/ref=sr_1_3_twi_pap_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511469069&sr=1-3&keywords=memory+sorrow+and+thorn

[The series is also available in a cheaper mass market format. Keep in mind that the third volume has thus been split into two volumes in said format.]

Feel free to give out your own recommendations. By all means, do better than me - I'm seriously underread, and I can only go on summaries and suggestion. Don't let my inexperience discourage you.

There's an interesting thread going on right now on Reddit that you might want to check out: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/7e04z7/would_something_tolkienesque_be_read_today/

Basically, it's being asked if something with deep lore and archaisms with epic overtones would sell well in today's market. Sure, it may go without saying, but some of the series going on today aren't so completely new - they've been around for a while. In fact, it's only with the TV adaptations that they're reaching wide public audiences.

Take a look through the comments and tell me what you think. Is there a place for more Tolkien-style works, preferably original? Or have attention spans been considerably shortened?

At last, back to business. It's not that I don't like children's literature, but it feels so refreshing to get back to adult-oriented fantasy and the great names behind it.

Today's list has a related theme, though it may be unintentional on my part. Fantasy, so it would seem, has always grown up alongside its sister genre, science fiction; despite its prolific popularity and critical reception, sci-fi has never managed to completely stamp out fantasy or diminish it but rather inspire it to grow and adapt. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the symbiotic nature of the two has resulted in some of the greatest fantasy coming from practitioners of both genres, and the majority of today's entries are some of the most well-known in both.



RAY BRADBURY (1920-2012)

A name that transcends the limitations of genre, Ray Bradbury remains one of the most respected, beloved, and critically acclaimed writers in the English language. Raised on public libraries, his evocative prose mixes sentimental nostalgia with symbolism and oftentimes horrific elements; his works are more of an emotional experience rather than an intellectual exercise, although he was not beyond provocative social commentary, as evidenced by the renown dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451. A lifelong lover of reading and writing, Bradbury published 27 novels and over 600 short stories in his lifetime, nearly all of which is unforgettable - from speculative fix-up collections (The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, The October Country), semi-autobiographical works both magically realistic (Dandelion Wine) and darkly fantastic (Something Wicked This Way Comes, From the Dust Returned), to detective novels (Death Is a Lonely Business, A Graveyard for Lunatics, Let's All Kill Constance).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=bradbury_ray)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/bradbury_ray)
The Official Ray Bradbury Website (http://www.raybradbury.com/)
Bio.com (https://www.biography.com/people/ray-bradbury-9223240#synopsis)
New World Encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ray_Bradbury)
The Paris Review - Ray Bradbury, The Art of Fiction No. 203 (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6012/ray-bradbury-the-art-of-fiction-no-203-ray-bradbury)
The New Yorker - Take Me Home by Ray Bradbury (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/06/04/take-me-home)
NPR - Ray Bradbury: "It's Lack That Gives Us Inspiration" (https://www.npr.org/2012/06/08/154524695/ray-bradbury-its-lack-that-gives-us-inspiration)
Brain Pickings - Ray Bradbury on Storytelling, Friendship, and Why He Never Learned How to Drive (https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/05/07/ray-bradbury-blank-on-blank-interview/)
Brain Pickings - Ray Bradbury on How List-Making Can Boost Your Creativity (https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/10/18/ray-bradbury-on-lists/)
Brain Pickings - Ray Bradbury on Writing, Emotion vs. Intelligence, and the Core of Creativity (https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/08/22/ray-bradbury-day-at-night-1974-interview/)
Brain Pickings - Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life: Ray Bradbury on Creative Purpose in the Face of Rejection (https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/05/21/snoopys-guide-to-the-writing-life-ray-bradbury/)
Brain Pickings - Ray Bradbury on the Secret of Life, Work, and Love (https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/08/22/ray-bradbury-cbc-life-work-love/)
Brain Pickings - Ray Bradbury on Doing What You Love and Reading as a Prerequisite for Democracy (https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/03/09/ray-bradbury-on-doing-what-you-love/)
Brain Pickings - Ray Bradbury on Failure, Why We Hate Work, and the Importance of Love in Creative Endeavors (https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/07/16/ray-bradbury-work-failure-love/)



FRITZ LEIBER (1910-1992)

Writer, actor, poet, playwright, and chess expert, Fritz Leiber is the man credited with coining the term "sword and sorcery", as well as both contributing to it significantly as a co-founder and deconstructing it by playing with the template. His most notable works are a series of story cycles starring an adventurous duo - a large barbarian swordsman named Fafhrd and a wily magician thief known as the Gray Mouser - based in the metropolis of Lankhmar, in the imaginary world of Nehwon. He was equally adept at sci-fi and horror, penning such remarkable short stories such as "Smoke Ghost" and "The Girl with the Hungry Eyes", and novels such as Conjure Wife, Gather, Darkness!, The Sinful Ones, The Green Millennium, The Night of the Long Knives, Our Lady of Darkness, The Big Time, and The Wanderer. One of his most lasting contributions was to transplant the ancient horrors and legends of the past into a more contemporary setting, thus paving the way for the development of urban fantasy.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Leiber)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=leiber_fritz)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/leiber_fritz)
Lankhmar - The Fritz Leiber Home Page (http://www.lankhmar.co.uk/)
Conceptual Fiction - Fritz Leiber at One Hundred (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/fritz_leiber.html)
Conceptual Fiction - Conjure Wife (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/conjure_wife.html)



ROGER ZELAZNY (1937-1995)

Roger Zelazny appeared around the same time as Ursula K. Le Guin, writing science fiction while working for the U.S. Social Security Administration in both Cleveland and Baltimore, and quickly becoming one of the most prominent voices of the American "New Wave." Drawing influence from Elizabethan and Jacobean drama mixed with mythic archetypes, Zelazny created a dense experimental style with works such as This Immortal, Lord of Light, Jack of Shadows, Eye of Cat, Creatures of Light and Darkness, Isle of the Dead, Doorways in the Sand, A Night in the Lonesome October, and others, mixing fantasy and science fiction in unique combinations. The Chronicles of Amber is one of his best known works, a 10-volume series (technically incomplete due to his premature death) which follows a superhuman royal family in "the one true world" of Amber as they fight each other for the throne amidst the multiverse.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Zelazny)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=zelazny_roger)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/zelazny_roger)
Tor.com - A Few Words from Roger Zelazny (https://www.tor.com/2016/05/19/a-few-words-from-roger-zelazny/)
Tor.com - A Few More Words from Roger Zelazny (https://www.tor.com/2016/05/26/a-few-more-words-from-roger-zelazny-on-ellison-delany-and-brust/)



JACK VANCE (1916-2013)

John Holbrook "Jack" Vance worked through multiple jobs, including a notable stint in the merchant marine service, before cementing himself as a fully established writer in the 1970s. His most notable works blur the line between science fiction and fantasy, usually being adventures of planetary romance in exotic locations reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Following in the footsteps of Clark Ashton Smith and other writers, Vance actually codified an entire subgenre of speculative fiction with his collection of novellas and stories called The Dying Earth (The Dying Earth, The Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel's Saga, and Rhialto the Marvellous), set during the far future when the sun is fading away and magic, becoming indistinguishable from science, has come back into the world. His other fantasy work of note is the Lyonesse Trilogy - Suldrun's Garden, The Green Pearl, and Madouc - an Arthurian/Celtic/Irish mixture which takes place on an Atlantis-like series of islands of the coast of France. His science fiction works include single novels like To Live Forever, Big Planet, The Languages of Pao, The Blue World, and Emphyrio, as well as series like The Demon Princes (The Star King, The Killing Machine, The Palace of Love, The Face, and The Book of Dreams), The Cadwal Chronicles (Araminta Station, Ecce and Old Earth, and Throy), Alastor (Trullion: Alastor 2262, Marune: Alastor 933, and Wyst: Alastor 1716), Durdane (The Anome, The Brave Free Men, and The Asutra) and Tschai/Planet of Adventure (City of the Chasch, Servants of the Wankh, The Dirdir, and The Pnume).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Vance)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=vance_jack)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/vance_jack)
The Jack Vance Official Website (https://jackvance.com/)
Great Science-Fiction and Fantasy Works: Jack Vance (http://greatsfandf.com/AUTHORS/JackVance.php)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JackVance)
Infinity Plus - Jack Vance: Lord of Language, Emperor of Dreams (http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/jvprofile.htm)
Black Gate - The Dying Earth: An Appreciation (https://www.blackgate.com/2013/06/02/the-dying-earth-an-appreciation/)



KATHERINE KURTZ (1944- )

Katherine Kurtz came onto the scene in 1970 and has been writing ever since. Her work hews closer to historical fiction than the mythological modes of her contemporaries, thus possibly paving the way for writers such as Guy Gavriel Kay and George R. R. Martin. While she has written a few other novels, the bulk of her oeuvre is dominated by the Deryni sequence, set in a pseudo-medieval land populated by both regular humans and the titular psychic Deryni. The series is currently divided into five trilogies - The Chronicles of the Deryni (Deryni Rising, Deryni Checkmate, and High Checkmate), The Legends of Camber of Culdi (Camber of Culdi, Saint Camber, and Camber the Heretic), The Histories of King Kelson (The Bishop's Heir, The King's Justice, and The Quest for Saint Camber), The Heirs of Saint Camber (The Harrowing of Gwynedd, King Javan's Year, and The Bastard Prince) and The Childe Morgan Trilogy (In the King's Service, Childe Morgan, and The King's Deryni).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Kurtz)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=kurtz_katherine)
Rhemuth Castle - The Official Site of Katherine Kurtz (http://www.deryni.net/)
Strange Horizons - Matrilines: The Woman Who Made Fantasy (http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/columns/matrilines-the-woman-who-made-fantasy-katherine-kurtz/)



M. JOHN HARRISON (1945- )

Another luminary of the New Wave, Michael John Harrison wrote against what he saw as genre complacency to become one of the major stylists of speculative fiction, coming from the influential British magazine New Worlds. His science fiction tackles familiar subjects such as the post-apocalypse (The Committed Men) and space opera (The Centauri Device) with a new flair, and his fantasy touches upon themes of perception and Jungian concepts (The Course of the Heart). One of his most famous works is a sequence set in a Dying Earth-like setting of the far future, in the decadent city of Viriconium, infested with technology and magic, beset by automated and insectile invaders, and crumbling ever deeper into despair; three novels (The Pastel City, A Storm of Wings, and In Viriconium) and one collection (Viriconium Nights) make up the sequence.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._John_Harrison)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=harrison_m_john)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/harrison_m_john)
The M. John Harrison Blog (https://ambientehotel.wordpress.com/)
Infinity Plus - M. John Harrison Interviewed by David Mathew (http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/intmjh.htm)
The Guardian - M. John Harrison: A Life in Writing (https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jul/20/m-john-harrison-life-in-writing)
Black Gate - To Unbuild the Unreal City: M. John Harrison's Viriconium (https://www.blackgate.com/2013/03/16/to-unbuild-the-unreal-city-m-john-harrisons-viriconium/)



JOHN M. FORD (1957-2006)

John Milo "Mike" Ford was one of the most unique voices in English speculative fiction, having secured a reputation for actively avoiding repetition of both his own work and that of other authors, thus creating a continuously shifting style for each book. His work is primarily science fiction with various settings such as cyberpunk (Web of Angels), space opera (The Princes of the Air), psychology (Fugue State) and Bildungsroman (Growing Up Weightless). However, he did manage to write two fantasies. One of them, being one of his last published works in his lifetime, was an urban fantasy, The Last Hot Time, set in a magical Chicago. The other, perhaps his most lasting fantasy, was the World Fantasy Award-winning The Dragon Waiting, a sprawling alternate history of vampires, wizards, and other magic in which the throne of Edward IV of England is under threat from the ever-expanding Byzantine Empire. By the time of his sudden death, due to unspecified misunderstandings and estrangement between his close friends and his immediate family, practically everything he wrote was out of print; however, in 2019, a deal was made between Tor Books and his family to gradually republish his novels over the following years plus two volumes of previously unpublished material.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Ford)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=ford_john_m)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/ford_john_m)
Strange Horizons - 2002 Interview with John M. Ford (http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/interview-john-m-ford/)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JohnMFord)
Slate.com - The Disappearance of John M. Ford (https://slate.com/culture/2019/11/john-ford-science-fiction-fantasy-books.html)



GENE WOLFE (1931-2019)

Lauded by both critics and admirers as one of the most talented voices in science fiction and fantasy, Gene Wolfe mixes a richly dense prose with the conviction of his Catholic faith in a singularly unique style, filled with unreliable narrators and hidden secrets. First coming to attention with The Fifth Head of Cerberus, a collection of novellas examining colonialism and identity, he followed it with Peace, the story of a man recounting the memories of his life - or so it seems. His most famous work is the acclaimed science fantasy series The Book of the New Sun, one of the most well-regarded entries in the Dying Earth subgenre; over the course of four books (The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor, and The Citadel of the Autarch), the reader follows Severian, an exiled member of a Torturer's Guild with a reputedly perfect memory, as he journeys across the landscape of the new world. The series was followed by a coda (The Urth of the New Sun) and two more sequences - The Book of the Long Sun (Nightside the Long Sun, Lake of the Long Sun, Caldé of the Long Sun, and Exodus from the Long Sun) and The Book of the Short Sun (On Blue's Waters, In Green's Jungles, and Return to the Whorl). Other series of fantasy interest include the Soldier trilogy set in ancient Rome (Soldier of the Mist, Soldier of Arete, and Soldier of Sidon) and the two-volume Wizard Knight (The Knight and The Wizard). Other single novels include The Devil in a Forest; Free Live Free; There Are Doors; Castleview; Pandora, by Holly Hollander; Pirate Freedom; An Evil Guest; The Sorcerer's House; Home Fires; The Land Across; A Borrowed Man; and Interlibrary Loan.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Wolfe)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=wolfe_gene)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/wolfe_gene)
The New Yorker - Sci-Fi's Difficult Genius (https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/sci-fis-difficult-genius)
MIT Technology Review - A Q&A with Gene Wolfe (https://www.technologyreview.com/s/529431/a-qa-with-gene-wolfe/)
Fantasy and Science Fiction - How to Read Gene Wolfe by Neil Gaiman (https://www.sfsite.com/fsf/2007/gwng0704.htm)
Lit Reactor - Primer: Gene Wolfe - The Subtle Master (https://litreactor.com/columns/primer-gene-wolfe-the-subtle-master)
Black Gate - Under a Blood-Red Sun: The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe (https://www.blackgate.com/2018/10/09/under-a-blood-red-sun-the-shadow-of-the-torturer-by-gene-wolfe/)
Black Gate - The Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe (https://www.blackgate.com/2018/10/16/the-claw-of-the-conciliator-by-gene-wolfe/)
Black Gate - In Which Severian Becomes Human: The Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe (https://www.blackgate.com/2018/11/06/in-which-severian-becomes-human-the-sword-of-the-lictor-by-gene-wolfe/)
Black Gate - Ouroboros: The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe (https://www.blackgate.com/2018/11/13/ouroboros-the-citadel-of-the-autarch-by-gene-wolfe/)
Black Gate - I, Severian: The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe (https://www.blackgate.com/2018/11/20/i-severian-the-book-of-the-new-sun-by-gene-wolfe/)




That's all for now. I have my next set lined up already, so you'll see them in time as well. For the original forum topic, go here: http://www.lostpathway.com/tavern/index.php/topic,16.0.html

Now we come to our last big list of children's authors. This will probably be the biggest one, despite my efforts to divide them up fairly. I don't have much else to say, so let's just start.



E. B. WHITE (1899-1985)

The career of E. B. White's, a graduate of Cornell University, was highlighted as an essayist for The New Yorker, being one of its most notable contributors, as well as a co-author with William Strunk, Jr. of the influential writing handbook The Elements of Style. His greatest claim to fam lies in the three children's fantasies he published in his lifetime - Stuart Little, the story of a mouse in a human family and his life and adventures; Charlotte's Web, the famous tale of a timid pig and his close friendship with a barnyard spider; and The Trumpet of the Swan, in which a mute swan learns to express himself through the music of a trumpet.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._B._White)
Bio.com - E. B. White (https://www.biography.com/people/eb-white-9529308)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/E-B-White)
NPR.org - How E. B. White Spun 'Charlotte's Web' (https://www.npr.org/2011/07/05/137452030/how-e-b-white-spun-charlottes-web)
Brain Pickings - E. B. White on Why He Wrote 'Charlotte's Web', Plus His Rare Illustrated Manuscripts (https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/10/15/e-b-white-on-charlottes-web/)



JAMES THURBER (1894-1961)

James Thurber was one of the most celebrated humorist of the 20th century, best know for his contributions to The New Yorker through cartoons and short stories; he also developed a friendship with his fellow contributor, E. B. White. Among his best remembered stories are "The Dog That Bit People", "The Night the Bed Fell", "The Catbird Seat", and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." For children, he turned his wit to book-length fairy tales with surreally offbeat settings, notably The White Deer (where three sons of a king try to woo an amnesiac princess who had been a white deer), The 13 Clocks (in which a prince and his sagely companion must complete an impossible task to save a princess from her wicked uncle, the Duke, who believes he has killed time itself), and The Wonderful O (where a pair of pirates seize control of an island and outlaw the letter O).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Thurber)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=thurber_james)
Thurber House - The Official Website (http://www.thurberhouse.org/)
Interview in The Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 10 (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/5003/james-thurber-the-art-of-fiction-no-10-james-thurber)
Encyclopedia of World Biography (http://www.notablebiographies.com/St-Tr/Thurber-James.html#b#ixzz1lYqi1LAm)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Thurber)
New World Encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/James_Thurber)



CORNELIA FUNKE (1958- )

Born and raised in Germany, Cornelia Funke studied pedagogy (the study of education) and became a social worker before trying her hand at writing. Highly popular in her native land during the 80's and 90's, she reached English-speaking audiences in the new millennium with The Thief Lord, followed by Dragon Rider. She received her greatest acclaim with the Inkworld trilogy - Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath - in which the characters of a fantasy novel manage to find a way to cross over into the real world.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelia_Funke)
Cornelia Funke: The Official Website (http://www.corneliafunke.com/en)
Biography at Scholastic (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/cornelia-funke/)
Biography - Encyclopedia.com (http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-biographies/cornelia-funke)



MARGERY SHARP (1905-1991)

Margery Sharp was an English author of considerable wit, writing for magazines such as Punch, Harper's Bazaar, Ladies' Home Journal, and Good Housekeeping. Until recently, all of her adult works were out of print, but now there are at least ten novels available in ebook format. Her most famous work is an animal fantasy originally written for adults but becoming beloved by children - The Rescuers, which follows Miss Bianca, a socialite mouse who provides assistance to both people and animals in various plights through an aid society. A total of nine books were written between 1959 and 1978, and the series achieved further recognition through two Disney films.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margery_Sharp)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=sharp_margery)
The Margery Sharp Blog (https://margerysharp.wordpress.com/)
The Independent - Forgotten Authors No. 16: Margery Sharp (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/forgotten-authors-no-16-margery-sharp-1038137.html)



MARY NORTON (1903-1992)

Born Kathleen Mary Pearson, Mary Norton began her writing career while working for the British Purchasing Commission in New York City during WWII. Her first work was a fantasy, The Magic Bed Knob, which, together with its sequel, Bonfires and Broomsticks, became the basis for Disney's film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Her most famous work was The Borrowers, a classic of children's fantasy following a family of tiny people who live in the walls and floors of a large Georgian house; four sequels followed its success.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Norton_(author))
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=norton_mary)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Norton)



NATALIE BABBITT (1932-2016)

Natalie Babbitt spent most of her time drawing and reading myths and fairy tales when she was a child. At first, she only wanted to be an illustrator, but eventually she collaborated with her husband Samuel on a picture book, and soon she was working solo after Samuel became too busy. Her most beloved work is Tuck Everlasting, where a family of immortals try to lead an inconspicuous life and are discovered by a young girl who has grown dissatisfied with her own life; together, they must keep the secret to eternal life from being exploited.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Babbitt)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=babbitt_natalie)
Natalie Babbitt Info (https://nataliebabbittinfo.weebly.com/)
Biography and Interview at Scholastic (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/natalie-babbitt/)
Black Gate - The Courage of the Question: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (https://www.blackgate.com/2018/02/13/the-courage-of-the-question-tuck-everlasting/)



RICK RIORDAN (1964- )

Born and raised in San Antonio, Rick Riordan originally wanted to be a guitarist; studying at the University of Texas, he eventually taught English and Social Studies at Presidio Hill School. Though he began with a series of mystery novels for adults, his breakthrough came with the series developed originally as a bedtime story for his ADHD/dyslexic son - Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a homage to Greek mythology made up of The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian. The success of these books gave way to a sequel series, The Heroes of Olympus, and two more series based on other mythologies - The Kane Chronicles (Egyptian) and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Norse).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Riordan)
The Official Rick Riordan Website (http://rickriordan.com/)



CHRISTOPER PAOLINI (1983- )

Born in Southern California and raised in Paradise Valley, Montana, not to mention a lifelong homeschooler, Christopher Paolini self-published his first novel, Eragon, in 2002 at age 19, promoting the book himself at over 135 schools and libraries; later, he was discovered by professional children's author Carl Hiaasen, who recommended the book to his own publisher. Paolini was catapulted to fame on the bestseller charts, kicking off three sequels - Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance - which would collectively be called The Inheritance Cycle. As of this writing, a fifth book is planned for the future.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Paolini)
Paolini.net - The Official Paolini Family Website (https://www.paolini.net/)
Alagaesia.com - The Official Inheritance Cycle Website (http://www.alagaesia.com/)
Rolling Stone - The Prince of Dragons: Christopher Paolini and the Rise of 'Inheritance' (http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-prince-of-dragons-christopher-paolini-and-the-rise-of-inheritance-20120308)
The Washington Post - The Education of a Best-Selling Teenage Author [must have subscription] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/11/10/the-education-of-a-best-selling-teenage-author/?utm_term=.f897e54bcec5)



J. K. ROWLING (1965- )

Joanne Rowling struggled through her life, living on welfare benefits as a researcher and bilingual secretary at Amnesty International and suffering depression and an unhappy first marriage, before becoming one of the most well-known children's authors in the world, sparking a worldwide phenomenon with her series of magic and mystery featuring the young wizard Harry Potter at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Seven books in total were written - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [UK: Philosopher's Stone], Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In addition to drastically changed fortunes, Mrs. Rowling has been credited with inspiring children to fall in love with reading once more.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling)
Official Website of J. K. Rowling (https://www.jkrowling.com/)
Pottermore - The Digital Heart of the Wizarding World (https://www.pottermore.com/)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/J-K-Rowling)
The New Yorker - "Mugglemarch" by Ian Parker (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/01/mugglemarch)
Failure. Rejection. Success: The J. K. Rowling Story (https://blog.uncollege.org/failure-rejection-success-j-k-rowling)
The Telegraph - J. K. Rowling: 10 Facts About the Writer (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/9564894/JK-Rowling-10-facts-about-the-writer.html)
Conceptual Fiction - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/harry_potter_stone.html)



Well, that's all for now. I plan on releasing more children's authors very sparsely in more various lists. Next time will be back to basics with some more legendary adult-oriented masters of the genre. For further discussion, you can once again find the forum topic here: http://www.lostpathway.com/tavern/index.php/topic,16.0.html

Now we move completely into the 20th century in this continued look at children's authors. Enjoy!



NORTON JUSTER (1929-2021)

A Lieutenant Junior Grade in the U.S. Navy's Civil Engineer Corps, Norton Juster has made his career as an architect primarily, but he is best known as the author of The Phantom Tollbooth, in which a boy is whisked away into the metaphorical Kingdom of Wisdom, where the loss of the princesses Rhyme and Reason have plunged the realms of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis into chaos, and thus it is up to this boy and his two companions to restore order. Drawing parallels to Lewis Carroll and L. Frank Baum, the book is a wonderfully intelligent tale with a sincere love of education and language, receiving high acclaim since its initial publication.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_Juster)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=juster_norton)
The New Yorker - Broken Kingdom: Fifty Years of 'The Phantom Tollbooth' (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/17/broken-kingdom)
Scholastic.com - Norton Juster Biography (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/norton-juster/)
An Interview with Norton Juster, Author of 'The Phantom Tollbooth' (http://www.underdown.org/juster.htm)
Dallas News - Author Interview: Norton Juster Discusses 'The Phantom Tollbooth' (http://www.dallasnews.com/arts/books/2011/06/03/author-interview-norton-juster-discusses-the-phantom-tollbooth)
Christ and Pop Culture - The Phantom Tollbooth and the Redeeming Power of Words (https://christandpopculture.com/phantom-tollbooth-redeeming-power-words/)



ROALD DAHL (1916-1990)

Born to Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl served in the RAF during WWII as both an ace and a wing commander before trying his hand at writing, taking the advice of adventure writer C. S. Forester to use his war experiences as inspiration. While he did produce some macabre work for adults in the short story genre, he is best remembered as one of the leading children's writers of the 20th century, turning out works both sentimental and cruel at the same time, exaggerated to gruesome lengths as a child would probably see it. His best-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, George's Marvellous Medicine, The BFG, The Witches, and Matilda.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=dahl_roald)
The Official Roald Dahl Website (http://www.roalddahl.com/)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roald-Dahl)
Bio.com - Roald Dahl (https://www.biography.com/people/roald-dahl-9264648)
RoaldDahlFans.com (https://www.roalddahlfans.com/)
The New York Times - Beyond Wonka: They Want Every Kid to Know Roald Dahl's World (https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/theater/roald-dahl-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory.html?_r=0)
BBC Culture - The Dark Side of Roald Dahl (http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160912-the-dark-side-of-roald-dahl)



ASTRID LINDGREN (1907-2002)

Formerly a secretary and journalist, having worked at a local newspaper for her native Vimmerby, Astrid Lindgren became one of the foremost authors of Scandinavian children's fantasy. The work which brought her immediate fame - and controversy - was Pippi Longstocking, the story of a free-spirited girl with extraordinary strength who gets into all sorts of mischief; two sequels followed. Another popular series was Karlsson-on-the-Roof, in which a small, boastful man who lives behind the chimney of an ordinary apartment building in Stockholm entertains a young boy and his family. Some of her most notable single novels include Ronia the Robber's Daughter, in which a robber chief's only child must make peace between two warring clans; The Brothers Lionheart, where two brothers united by love follow each other through the afterlife; and Mio, My Son, which follows a young boy who is told by a genie that he is the true heir to a kingdom blighted by a cruel knight.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrid_Lindgren)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=lindgren_astrid)
The Official Astrid Lindgren Site (http://www.astridlindgren.se/en/)
Famous Authors - Astrid Lindgren (http://www.famousauthors.org/astrid-lindgren)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Astrid-Lindgren)



ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY (1900-1944)

The third of five children of an aristocratic family, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a renowned aviator, flying airmail routes in peace times and reconnaissance missions for the French Air Force in WWII, later joining the resistance in North Africa, disappearing during a mission in 1944. In addition to memoirs and novels regarding aviation, his most famous work is The Little Prince, in which the narrator meets a young boy from an asteroid-planet who recounts his extraordinary life story. Immensely popular, the book has been translated into over 250 languages, becoming one of the best-selling books in modern history.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint-Exup%C3%A9ry)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antoine-de-Saint-Exupery)
PoemHunter.com (https://www.poemhunter.com/antoine-de-saint-exupery/biography/)
Bio.com - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (https://www.biography.com/people/antoine-de-saint-exupery-030816)



JOAN AIKEN (1924-2004)

Daughter of the renowned American poet Conrad Aiken, Joan Aiken grew up harboring a lifelong fascination with the ghost stories of M. R. James, Fitz James O'Brien, and Nugent Barker, which carried over into her adult work and short fiction. However, one of her most popular works is a series of alternate histories set in a time where James II of England continued to reign; the series opens with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, where a pair of cousins and a local farm boy must evade both a scheming governess and the migrating wolves that crossed into England.

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Aiken)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=aiken_joan)
The Wonderful World of Joan Aiken (http://joanaiken.com/)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joan-Aiken)



JOHN MASEFIELD (1878-1967)

Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 to 1967, John Masefield served in both the merchant navy and a carpet factory before turning to writing; he also served as a hospital orderly during WWI. Regarding children's fantasy, he is remembered for The Midnight Folk, in which the young hero races with talking animals against a coven of witches for possession of a lost treasure, and its sequel, The Box of Delights, in which the villains of the first story now seek to obtain a magic box that can perform all sorts of wonders.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Masefield)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=masefield_john)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Masefield-British-poet)



PHILIPPA PEARCE (1920-2006)

The youngest child of a flour miller and a corn merchant, Philippa Pearce got a late start in her education due to illness but eventually achieved a scholarship to Girton Collage at Cambridge. Her most celebrated work is her second novel, Tom's Midnight Garden, a time-slip fantasy in which a young boy slips every night into a strange garden where he befriends a young girl from Victorian times. The book was pretty much an instant success, winning the Carnegie Medal in 1958 and becoming one of the best-loved fantasies of its kind.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippa_Pearce)
The Independent - On Philippa Pearce (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/philippa-pearce-429660.html)
Sarah Brennan's Funny & Fabulous Blog - Philippa Pearce (https://sarahbrennanblog.com/awesome-authors/philippa-pearce/)



That's enough for now. I apologize if my links aren't that informative in some cases - I feel that I was really stretching it to find a good source. Anyway, the last big post of children's authors will be next. As usual, the forum post can be found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/tavern/index.php/topic,16.0.html

Once again, we dip into the realm of children's fantasy, both intended for children and appropriated by children. Let's dive right in.



E. NESBIT (1858-1924)

Co-founder of the Fabian Society and a follower of William Morris, Edith Nesbit may have led a troubled personal life, but her contribution to fantasy influenced P. L. Travers, Diana Wynne Jones, J. K. Rowling, and even C. S. Lewis, having turned the focus away from secondary worlds to the hidden magic of the ordinary world and truths previously found only in adult works. Among her best known works are the Bastable series, an adventure of a family of children who seek to recover their fortune (The Story of the Treasure Seekers, The Wouldbegoods, and The New Treasure Seekers); the Psammead series, in which five children befriend the eponymous creature - a sand fairy - and encounter magical happenstances (Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, and The Story of the Amulet); The House of Arden, another adventure about lost fortunes and time travel; and single novels such as The Railway Children, The Magic City, and The Enchanted Castle.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Nesbit)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=nesbit_e)
The New York Review of Books - The Writing of E. Nesbit by Gore Vidal (http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1964/12/03/the-writing-of-e-nesbit/)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/E-Nesbit)
The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/mar/26/theatre.booksforchildrenandteenagers)



LEWIS CARROLL (1832-1898)

Mathematician, deacon, logician and photographer, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson is one of the most beloved figures in literature for his offbeat nonsense work, primarily the intelligent duology of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, as well as poems such as "Jabberwocky" and The Hunting of the Snark. A precocious child with mathematical gifts, reading Bunyan by age 7, he managed to rise above his lifelong stammer to attend Christ Church in Oxford, where he remained a fellow for the rest of his life. Recent years have called some parts of his private life into question, such as his sexuality and the subsequent extent of the relationship he had with the Liddell children, yet he is still fondly remembered by both children and adult readers all over the world.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=carroll_lewis)
The Lewis Carroll Society of North America (http://www.lewiscarroll.org/)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lewis-Carroll)
Famous Authors: Lewis Carroll (http://www.famousauthors.org/lewis-carroll)
Smithsonian.com - Lewis Carroll's Shifting Reputation (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/lewis-carrolls-shifting-reputation-9432378/?no-ist)
LiveScience - 5 Odd Facts About Lewis Carroll (https://www.livescience.com/51438-lewis-carroll-wonderland.html)



BEATRIX POTTER (1866-1943)

In an age where women were underrepresented, Helen Beatrix Potter managed to gain some considerable respect in mycology (the study of fungi), as she showed a keen interest in the natural sciences; she was also skilled at farming and sheep breeding. Her literary interests lay in old fairy tales and Aesop's Fables as well as Shakespeare and Scott and the animal folk tales of Joel Chandler Harris. Eventually she wrote and illustrated her own animal fantasies in the style of nursery tales, in which fantasy and reality are blended in watercolors, with characters such as Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Tom Kitten, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, and others. These stories, abounding with a respect and fascination for nature and the countryside, continue to enchant new generations through film, ballet, television, and other media.

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=potter_beatrix)
Peter Rabbit - Official Site (https://www.peterrabbit.com/)
The Beatrix Potter Society (https://beatrixpottersociety.org.uk/)
Weekly Standard - The Hidden Life of Beatrix Potter (http://www.weeklystandard.com/the-hidden-life-of-beatrix-potter/article/2004905?custom_click=rss)
Beatrix Potter - A Life in Nature (http://www.bpotter.com/Default.aspx)



KENNETH GRAHAME (1869-1932)

A banker unhappy with a life of business, Kenneth Grahame wrote nonfiction pieces about the outdoors and the glory of nature as well as short whimsical fiction such as "The Reluctant Dragon." His fantasy output is confined to a single book - The Wind in the Willows, perhaps the single most famous animal fantasy ever written. The story of wise Rat, simple Mole, grouchy Badger, and the outrageous Toad has kept readers enthralled since its publication and remains one of the key texts of childhood; of particular interest to adults is the chapter "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", an idyllic praise of nature in which the god Pan is encountered.

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Grahame)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=grahame_kenneth)
The Kenneth Grahame Society (http://www.kennethgrahamesociety.net/index.htm)
The Literature Network - Kenneth Grahame (http://www.online-literature.com/grahame/)
The Telegraph - Kenneth Grahame: Lost in the Wild Wood (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/donotmigrate/3671092/Kenneth-Grahame-Lost-in-the-wild-wood.html)



A. A. MILNE (1882-1956)

Milne was a noted humorist for the famous British magazine Punch as well as a playwright and novelist of considerable talent; of note is his detective story The Red House Mystery, and he also adapted Grahame's The Wind in the Willows to the stage as Toad of Toad Hall. The bulk of his fame, however, for better or for worse, rests on the short story collections he wrote for his son featuring the legendary Winnie-the-Pooh and the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard - Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, plus the children's poems collections When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six. Although he was none too fond of being pigeonholed as a children's writer, the glorious wit and clever whimsy of the stories cemented his place as a beloved storyteller.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._A._Milne)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=milne_a_a)
Just-Pooh.com (http://www.just-pooh.com/)
Scholastic.com - A. A. Milne (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/a--a--milne/)
Bio.com - 5 Facts About 'Winnie-the-Pooh' Author A. A. Milne (https://www.biography.com/news/winnie-the-pooh-author-biography-facts)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/A-A-Milne)



E. A. WYKE-SMITH (1871-1935)

Windjammer, cowboy, and mine manager, Edward Augustine Wyke-Smith wrote several children's books, the best-known being The Marvellous Land of Snergs, which J. R. R. Tolkien expressed a keen fondness for and which also contributed to the creation of Hobbits. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find much more biographical information on him.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wyke_Smith)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=wyke-smith_e_a)



RUDYARD KIPLING (1865-1936)

Kipling was one of the most celebrated writers in the late 19th/early 20th century - a master of the short story and a fine craftsman of a poet. Today, the extent of his support for the British Empire has made him quite a controversial figure. Drawing upon his experiences in India provided some of his best-known work, such as the novel Kim and stories of horror and fantasy such as "The Mark of the Beast" and "The Phantom 'Rickshaw." His fantasy work lay in his immensely popular collections of animal adventure-fantasies, The Jungle Books, which follows the young Mowgli, raised by the wolves of the jungle but torn between his animal home and the world of men. Also of interest is Just So Stories, a series of fables regarding the origins of various animals, and Puck of Pook's Hill, a set of interconnected stories in which magical Puck himself plucks different people out of time for the delight of two young children.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudyard_Kipling)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=kipling_rudyard)
The Kipling Society (http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/)
New World Encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Rudyard_Kipling)
Poetry Foundation (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rudyard-kipling)
Bio.com - The Inside Story of Rudyard Kipling and 'The Jungle Book' (https://www.biography.com/news/the-jungle-book-rudyard-kipling-facts)
BBC History - Rudyard Kipling (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/kipling_rudyard.shtml)
The Literature Network - Rudyard Kipling (http://www.online-literature.com/kipling/)



HOWARD PYLE (1853-1911)

One of the finest illustrators of the turn of the century, inspiring a great many others after him (as well as conceiving the modern interpretation of pirate dress), Howard Pyle was also responsible for The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, which syncretized the various ballads and legends of Robin Hood into a unified whole suitable for both adults and children, and a four volume collection of the stories of King Arthur - The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, The Story of the Champions of the Round Table, The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions, and The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur. Though he is remembered primarily as an illustrator, his prose works continue to hold interest to this day.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Pyle)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=pyle_howard)
Delaware Art Museum - About Howard Pyle (http://www.delart.org/collections/howard-pyle/about-howard-pyle/)
Bio.com - Howard Pyle (https://www.biography.com/people/howard-pyle-9449021#!)
New World Encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Howard_Pyle)
The Howard Pyle Blog (https://howardpyle.blogspot.com/)
National Museum of American Illustration (https://americanillustration.org/project/howard-pyle/)



That's all I got for this entry. More is still to come. As usual, the forum topic is found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/tavern/index.php/topic,16.0.html

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2017/11/15/104426-in-historic-move-christopher-tolkien-resigns-as-director-of-tolkien-estate/

So, I also found this today.

It's definitely big news for involved parties. For as long as I can remember (and long before that), Christopher Tolkien has been the chief executor of his father's estate, as per his wishes, and has been instrumental in delivering his collected works to the masses. It was inevitable, yes, but it seems to be quite a shock to like in a world without his hand to guide it.

On the more media oriented note, this does open up quite a few possibilities, not all of them good. See, I believe the rights to THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS were already circulating while the elder Tolkien was still alive, but the estate has been pretty adamant on retaining the rights to the rest of the legendarium, which is why a film/TV adaptation of, say, THE SILMARILLION was only pure speculation and pretty low on possibility, and I think Christopher was the driving force behind it; That's why the numerous video games are basically making stuff up as they go along. Now that he's stepping down, the possibility of the rights to the First and Second Ages being optioned might just have increased by serious exponential figures. Could Christopher's replacement(s) be more open to putting THE SILMARILLION on screen?

As I insinuated, of course, this isn't exactly an altogether good thing. The liberties taken with the original film trilogy, coupled with the even greater liberties taken with its prequel, may just have turned off many die-hard fans of Tolkien's work. Do we even WANT more Tolkien possible hacked to recognizable yet streamlined-for-mass-consumption pieces? How sure are we that the legacy of Tolkien is going to be properly honored, let alone compensated?

Of course, I haven't even mentioned yet the news that Amazon, in its quest for a new TV series (and quite possibly to fill the void left by the winding down of GAME OF THRONES), has already acquired a deal to produce a new "multi-season" LOTR show set before the events of THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING.....with spinoff potential. *sigh* We're getting it whether we want it or not. Is anybody happy? (Read more here: http://deadline.com/2017/11/amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-multi-season-commitment-1202207065/)

So what are your thoughts on it? What do you think Christopher Tolkien's resigning will mean for the future of his father's work? Are film and TV options more likely, and will you be okay with it?

Here's an interesting topic I found on Reddit, one that's pretty well related to my ongoing Masters of Fantasy series.

Actually, it's not so much a topic as it is an ongoing project in itself, like a book club. It appears that, every month, certain books are nominated to be discussed as a "book-of-the-month" reading/discussion exercise. A select few are chosen, then those few are voted upon; the winner becomes the topic of discussion. It looks like it's only started this year, unless I'm mistaken. For those with Reddit accounts, perhaps this is something to join in if you want to catch up on the classics.

Personally, I'm too slow a reader to participate, but I might do something similar on the blog or here in the forum, as a matter of taking my Masters of Fantasy into more depth than what I initially write. Maybe I'll focus on a certain book and set it up for discussion, or I'll highlight a specific author that can be talked about in broad strokes. Anyway, it's something to think about.

Here's a searchlist of everything that's been posted on the topic before.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/search?q=keeping+up+with+the+classics&restrict_sr=on

In my last installment of "Masters of Fantasy", I said that I would focus on more children's authors the next time. Nothing's changed, but I've found that there are more authors than I thought there would be, so for the next four installments, in order to save myself from doing too much or overwhelming you all in a single post, I'm going to spread my selections out. I hope you find it interesting.

The list of children's authors in fantasy is quite exhaustive, covering pretty much all of its history. Therefore, it's important to give credit where due, as well as remember that the best works of fiction, even those meant for children, can be enjoyed at any age at all times.




CHARLES PERRAULT (1628-1703)

A member of the Académie française, responsible for creating the Academy of Sciences and restoring the Academy of Painting, Perrault began his career by studying law before moving to government services; eventually, he served as an aide to the finance minister of King Louis XIV. While he wrote some epic poetry later in his life, his greatest contribution to fantasy, let alone his most celebrated and remembered work, came during his retirement, when, to entertain his children, he wrote Stories or Fairy Tales from Past Times with Morals, also known as Mother Goose Tales. The collection, which included such classic stories as "Sleeping Beauty", "Cinderella", "Bluebeard", "Little Red Riding Hood", and others, gave rise to the fairy tale as a literary genre, though it is still disputed among scholars how much of it is original or traditional folk tales. (It may be a bit of both - in the case of "Cinderella", Perrault is responsible for adding the pumpkin, the fairy godmother, and the glass slipper.)

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Perrault)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=perrault_charles)
SurLaLune - The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault (http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/perrault.html)
San Jose State University - Very Brief Look at Charles Perrault (http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harris/StudentProjects/Student_FairyTales/WebProject/Bios/Perrault%20Bio.htm)



JACOB (1785-1863) AND WILHELM GRIMM (1786-1859)

After battling a life of poverty, the Brothers Grimm - philologists and lexicographers from the University of Marburg - took advantage of the rise of Romanticism' re-interest in fairy tales to collect the folklore of the surrounding regions, in a celebration of German nationalism. With both local peasants and middle-class acquaintances as sources, including Jacob's wife and the family nursery maid, the result was a collection of some of the best known (and darkest) fairy tales in popular consciousness. Jacob constructed the framework for the stories, while Wilhelm would rewrite and edit them, polishing them into more suitable forms for children (once it became clear that they were an audience - it was quite the contrary before).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_Grimm)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=grimm_brothers)
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: Brothers and Best Friends on the Fairy Tale Road (http://www.librarypoint.org/brothers_grimm)
SurLaLune - The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms.html)
San Jose State University - Very Brief Look at the Brothers Grimm (http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harris/StudentProjects/Student_FairyTales/WebProject/Bios/Grimm%20Brothers.htm)



HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (1805-1875)

The only child of a poor family, spurred by the death of his father to support himself - a situation seemingly plucked out of one of his own stories - Andersen began work as a weaver's apprentice, then a tailor's apprentice, even trying his hand at acting before turning his focus to writing, based on the advice of a colleague. He began by revising old tales than he had heard in his youth, but in 1835, with the publication of Fairy Tales, he truly came into his own style. Andersen represents a watershed moment in the development of the fairy tale, being one of the very first (if not absolutely the first) to write entirely original material, made without the traditional intention to moralize or instruct. His stories are simply meant to entertain, humorously and tenderly.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=andersen_hans_christian)
Hans Christian Andersen Information Odense (http://www.hcandersen-homepage.dk/)
The Hans Christian Andersen Centre (http://andersen.sdu.dk/index_e.html)



CARLO COLLODI (1826-1890)

Carlo Lorenzini (Collodi was his pen name) served as a volunteer in the Tuscan army during the Italian wars of independence, first publishing in periodicals. Later he turned to translating Perrault's fairy tales before attempting his own original work of fiction. Inspired to express his own convictions through allegorical means, he wrote one of the most recognizable fairy tales in the world - The Adventures of Pinocchio. The original marionette was a troublemaking rascal intended to teach children good behavior, in contrast to the innocent, well-meaning kid of popular consciousness.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Collodi)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=collodi_carlo)
The Literature Network (http://www.online-literature.com/collodi/)
The Slate Book Review (http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2011/10/carlo_collodi_s_pinocchio_why_is_the_original_pinocchio_subjecte.html)
YourWayToFlorence - The Story of Pinocchio (http://www.yourwaytoflorence.com/db/pinocchio/pinocchio.htm)



CHARLES KINGSLEY (1819-1875)

A friend of both George MacDonald and Charles Darwin, a broad church priest and social reformer, Kingsley was an early defender of the theory of evolution as well as an author of historical novels. His best-known work is The Water-Babies, a story of a chimney sweep who, after appearing to drown, becomes a magical creature that goes through a series of transformations, both physical and moral. It was highly popular in its day but has become controversial in modern times for its prejudicial attitudes towards minority groups.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Kingsley)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=kingsley_charles)
The Victorian Web - Charles Kingsley: A Biography (http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/kingsley/ckbio.html)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Kingsley)



P. L. TRAVERS (1899-1996)

Pamela Lyndon Travers, born Helen Lyndon Goff, was an Australian admirer of the work of J. M. Barrie, whose eventual connections in Ireland led her to associate with some of the most important poets of the day, fueling an interest in mythology and folklore that she would explore in her nonfiction work What the Bee Knows. The woman herself had a most problematic life, sexually frustrated and difficult to work with. Her most treasured work, however, was a series of eight books featuring the magical nanny Mary Poppins, who is well-known through the Disney adaptation but is far different in many respects, leading the Banks children through a sort of passage into a more mature world. Her frustration with Disney and the creative changes to her work are the stuff of legends.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._L._Travers)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=travers_p_l)
Hollywood vs. History - "Saving Mr. Banks" (http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/saving-mr-banks.php)
Daily Mail - How the Sexual Adventuress Who Created Mary Poppins Wrecked the Lives of Two Innocent Boys (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2477111/How-Mary-Poppins-creator-P-L-Travers-wrecked-lives-innocent-boys.html)
The Sidney Morning Herald - The Truth Behind Mary Poppins Creator P. L. Travers (http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/the-truth-behind-mary-poppins-creator-pl-travers-20140104-30akz.html)
The New York Times - A Spoonful of Sugar for a Sourpuss (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/movies/songwriter-recalls-p-l-travers-mary-poppins-author.html)



HUGH LOFTING (1886-1947)

Originally a civil engineer, Lofting served in the British Army's Irish Guards regiment during WWI. In order the keep his children safe from the horrors of the war, he wrote stories to them of a physician who can communicate with animals and devotes his time to their well-being - Doctor Dolittle of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. After the war, a total of twelve books were written, earning the prestigious Newbery Medal for the second book. However, the series is somewhat marred by sentiments that would be considered racist by today's standards.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Lofting)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=lofting_hugh)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hugh-Lofting)
Doctor Dolittle: The Author (http://puddleby.tripod.com/author.html)



That's all for now. I apologize for what may seem to be the shortness of these entries - I was hoping to find a few more academic sources, but they seem to be in short supply. For those who want more, I hope that my sources can provide more information. Tune in next time for more authors of children's fiction. The forum topic is found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

It's a rather recent development that fantasy is getting widespread critical acceptance. It's strange, though. Fantasy isn't something that should be dismissed as mere children's work, and yet it seems that some of the most influential pieces have started as and/or are intended to be entertainment for children and young adults. Even The Lord of the Rings began that way. Still, some stigmatization exists, perpetuated by veins of literary snobbery, but that shouldn't consign anything meant for children to a proverbial ghetto. So that's where I'll be looking today. These are some of the most respected modern children's authors of fantasy, although I wouldn't assume that it's definitive. More modern masters will probably find their way onto this blog eventually, but for now, enjoy these names.



ALAN GARNER (1934- )

He insists that his work was never meant to be children's fiction, but he got labeled as such regardless. Drawing on the folklore and history of his native Cheshire, Garner made a name for himself with The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, set in the town of Alderley Edge, in which two children must help a wizard retrieve a mystic pendant stolen ages ago before the minions of a dark spirit find it; this was followed by a sequel, The Moon of Gomrath. Then came Elidor, an otherworldly tale of four children entrusted with sacred treasures, and The Owl Service, an adaptation of the Welsh legend of Blodeuwedd set in modern times. One more fantasy followed - Red Shift, which spans a thousand years in the history of Cheshire - before moving on to contemporary fiction. However, in 2012, he turned out the long-awaited third installment of his Alderley Edge trilogy, Boneland.

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Garner)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=garner_alan)
The Unofficial Alan Garner Website (http://alangarner.atspace.org/index.html)



LLOYD ALEXANDER (1924-2007)

One of the most acclaimed writers of children's fiction, Alexander is best known for The Chronicles of Prydain, in which elements of Welsh mythology are appropriated to tell the life story of Taran, an impetuous Assistant Pig-Keeper. His other series include the Westmark trilogy of European fantasies and the globetrotting exploits of Vesper Holly. His other single novels shouldn't be disregarded, either, ranging from animal tales (Time Cat), picaresques (The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian), and foreign cultures such as Greek (The Arkadians), Chinese (The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen), Hindu (The Iron Ring), and Arabian (The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha, The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio).

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Alexander)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=alexander_lloyd)
KidsReads article (https://www.kidsreads.com/authors/lloyd-alexander)



MADELEINE L'ENGLE (1918-2007)

Although she has quite a number of books to her name, most of them being young adult stories of adolescent life, Mrs. L'Engle is known primarily for her "Kairos" science fantasy series of novels regarding a group of siblings and their friend discovering the phenomenon of folding space and time and the consequences that such actions bring. The series is chronologically divided into two "generations," the first under the Murry name (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters) while the second follows the O'Keefes (The Arms of the Starfish, Dragons in the Waters, A House Like a Lotus), and the two come together in the last book (An Acceptable Time).

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_L%27Engle)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/lengle_madeleine)
Official website (https://www.madeleinelengle.com/)



SUSAN COOPER (1935- )

One can only wonder what may have gone through people's heads when Over Sea, Under Stone appeared in 1965. The novel tells of three children who, under the supervision of their wise uncle, discover the hidden location of the Grail, so essential to the Matter of Britain. It's a suspenseful mystery with fantastic subtext...but eight years later, Susan Cooper would continue the story into full blown fantasy, detailing the struggle of the mystic Old Ones, servants of the Light, against the forces of the nebulous Dark. The four books that followed - The Dark Is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree - would gain critical recognition and place Mrs. Cooper in the minds of many a fan.

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Cooper)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=cooper_susan)
The Lost Land: The Official Site of Susan Cooper (http://thelostland.com/)



DIANA WYNNE JONES (1934-2011)

Not many fantasy writers known today can claim to have attended lectures by either Lewis or Tolkien. Diana Wynne Jones sat under both of them. Something of a precursor to J. K. Rowling, Jones's work mixes traditional fantasy with warm humor and sharp social criticism. Important works of note include the Chrestomanci series (Charmed Life, The Magicians of Caprona, Witch Week, The Lives of Christopher Chant, Mixed Magics, Conrad's Fate, and The Pinhoe Egg), the Dalemark Quartet (The Spellcoats, Cart and Cwidder, Drowned Ammet, and Crown of Dalemark), the Moving Castle series (Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Air, and House of Many Ways), the short Derkholm series (Dark Lord of Derkholm and Year of the Griffin) and many single novels such as Dogsbody, Eight Days of Luke, Power of Three, The Time of the Ghost, Archer's Goon, Fire and Hemlock, A Tale of Time City, A Sudden Wild Magic, and Hexwood.

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Wynne_Jones)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=jones_diana_wynne)
The Diana Wynne Jones Fansite (https://web.archive.org/web/20050619233203/http://www.leemac.freeserve.co.uk/)



ROBIN McKINLEY (1952- )

Wife of the late Peter Dickinson (writer of the "speculative natural history" The Flight of Dragons), Mrs. McKinley's goal has been to provide an alternative for female readers where there previously were none (but, of course, I don't mean to insinuate that she has nothing left to offer). She is well known for her two novels set in the mythic land of Damar (The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown), as well as retellings of classic fairy tales with feminist perspectives (Beauty, Rose Daughter, and Spindle's End).

Offsite resource:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_McKinley)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=mckinley_robin)
Official website (http://robinmckinley.com/)



With this entry, I'm completely caught up on my contributions to the forum topic; everything from here on out is new material. That doesn't mean anything is going to change, I'm just giving you all a head's up. And I'm not yet done with children's works. Though other individual authors will appear over time, my next big list will be some of the authors who have most shaped the history of children's literature, let alone fantasy. Until then, the forum topic can be found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/tavern/index.php/topic,16.0.html