I'm inspired to post this topic by a comment from Raven made on my post of a friend's story, although I've tried something similar before and gotten no results. I'd like to give it another go, although I have no guarantee of it doing any better. But for practicing writers and anyone else who loves a good story, it's something to think about.

There a many ways to hook a reader with a story. It doesn't necessarily have to be the first page - some stories need time to really get going. However, there's something truly magical about immediately catching someone's eye with a marvelous opening sentences and, in addition to but not exclusively, a great first paragraph. Getting hooked in the first moment, being taken into the story by the power of the prose, is a special kind of craft (one which I do not find myself being talented in), and it may be the make-or-break difference in keeping readers from setting a book down. Some books are better than others in this and set a standard for others to follow, and that's what I want to discuss now.

What exactly is it that makes a great opening sentence? What makes the entire paragraph catch you immediately? What are some great examples of both and why are they so memorable? How do you personally feel that they relate to the rest of the story? How important are they in your personal opinion? How do you separate a strong opening from a weak one?

Feel free to contribute, as I'd love to hear your opinions. To demonstrate, pulling from my first go at the subject, here's one opening that I consider immediately drawing:

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. There was a padlock and a chain upon the gate. I called in my dream to the lodge-keeper, and had no answer, and peering closer through the rusted spokes of the gate I saw that the lodge was uninhabited.

-Rebecca (1938) by Daphne du Maurier

Well, it's May already, and the weather is getting warmer. In that spirit, here's a couple of feel-good classics that all ages can enjoy.

Reading: Stuart Little (1945) by E. B. White

The first novel by the acclaimed New Yorker contributor and future author of Charlotte's Web, this book is a children's classic in its own right, told with White's genial sense of humor, setting the absurd against the real in a charming manner. Stuart Little lives an odd life, being the smallest member of his family...as well as looking like a mouse in every way. things seem to take a turn for the better when he befriends a songbird named Margalo over the winter, but when the family cat arranges for Margalo to be eaten and she escapes in advance, Stuart leaves the confines of his home to find his new friend, braving the dangers of the great outside word. It's a short read but a delightful one, and you won't want to miss it.

Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Stuart-Little-B-White/dp/0060263954/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556749399&sr=8-2
Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Stuart-Little-B-White/dp/0064400565/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556749399&sr=8-2
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Stuart-Little-Harper-Trophy-Book-ebook/dp/B00T3DNKJS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556749399&sr=8-2



Viewing: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Robert Zemeckis, 1988)

A childhood favorite of many, this influential live action/animated hybrid is set in an alternate 1947 Los Angeles, where cartoon characters are hard-working actors alongside their human counterparts but treated as second-class citizens in public. When a scandal involving the wife of Roger Rabbit, one of the brightest toon stars, leads to a murder of an important figure, and all evidence seems to point to Roger as the culprit, a grizzled police detective with a bad history concerning toons must weed out the details of a conspiracy involving public transportation before the grim superior court judge and his weasel henchmen get ahold of Roger and dispense their dark sense of justice. This film - an adult take on childish concepts - revived interest in the Golden Age of Animation and eventually led to the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s; perhaps it may be too adult for young children, but it remains an all-time classic for moviegoers.

DVD/Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit-Anniversary/dp/B00AO686MY/ref=tmm_mfc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556750693&sr=8-3
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Framed-Roger-Rabbit-Bonus-Content/dp/B079M12L1S/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_2?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1556750693&sr=8-3

I hope that satisfies everyone. Have a geat May!

I'm curious about something. I don't want to pry into anyone's private life too deeply, but I got to thinking about what everyone has on their waiting list, what everyone always says they're going to do but continues to put off. For me, it's usually books, and I was originally going to make that the genuine focus of this topic, but I'm wondering if there's anything else that you've been delaying. Any house projects or plans that have been set aside?

As I said, for me, it's primarily books. I've been honestly meaning to get to the works of Charles Dickens, as I'm really under-read with him. I've picked up The Pickwick Papers a couple times, but I've always ended up moving on to something else. It's nothing against the quality of the book - I've never gotten far enough into it to make any proper judgments. Eventually, I'll get to it, as I'm determined to complete it, but I still have some more that I want to get to first. It's the same thing with The Count of Monte Cristo, as I put that aside too, though I managed to get about halfway through it. I hope to complete that at some point soon.

Perhaps it's because I love fantasy so much more. There are several authors I've got set aside, but particularly, I've got it in my mind to pick up the works of Mervyn Peake, who wrote the surreal Gormenghast novels. They're considered serious fantasy classics by both fans and critics but never got the attention that other series got, probably because they're so out of the ordinary. I started reading them some months ago and got about 142 pages into the first book, but again, I let it go. As they're being developed into a new television series soon, and also since I've continued to read some heavy praise for them, I'm intent on picking them back up and starting all over again. I hope to talk about them and the author himself at length further in the future.

I also have some house projects to get to, but I'm really waiting for the weather to break completely. Then the outside of the house will have to be power-washed, the porches either repainted or restained, excess leaves raked up, bushes trimmed back and weeds pulled up. Mom's car and my bike could also use some washing. I guess it's not a whole lot of work, and it's not like we're trying to make the house look exceptionally pretty, but it's enough to keep us all occupied, and I'm looking forward to it in a way. At the moment, I can't think of anything else that I need to do.

Well, what's on your agenda? What have you been putting off for quite some time now?

A great tragedy for speculative fiction fans: Gene Wolfe, one of the most revered writers in the genre, noted for his dense, cryptic fiction informed by his Catholic faith and a high literary style, has passed away. I have a two-volume copy of The Book of the New Sun on my shelf, but, as usual, I'm yet to pick it up. I've heard practically nothing but good things about Mr. Wolfe, so I'm still eager to try him out. He will definitely be missed.

https://www.tor.com/2019/04/15/gene-wolfe-in-memoriam-1931-2019/

https://newrepublic.com/article/153615/gene-wolfe-proust-science-fiction

Well, the bad news is that I've been so distracted recently that I really haven't been doing any reading at all, and I'm running out of good fantasy movies. However, rather than resort to last month's tactics, which seemed to have been either unpopular or totally ignored, I'll just recommend what I've stalled on but intended to include and pull from a film previously discussed in the forums. Hopefully, it'll make for some good April memories as Spring sets in.

Reading: The King of Elfland's Daughter (1924) by Lord Dunsany

One of the earliest classics of modern 20th-century fantasy, this lyrical novel was rescued from relative obscurity during the paperback fantasy boom of the 60's and 70's and is now regarded as indispensably influential to the development of fairytale and high fantasy. It is the story of the courtship of the princess of Elfland by a prince sent "beyond the fields we know" by a parliament of men who wish to be ruled over by a magical lord; he brings her to his own kingdom and they have a son, but she remains aloof from the world of men, estranged from even her own mortal family, and when the King of Elfland schemes to return her home, the prince goes off once more on a hopeless quest to find Elfland again. A fairytale for the modern world, reminiscent of the joys and sorrows of the past, it is hopefully sure to please those who love the telling of a good story.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/King-Elflands-Daughter-Novel-Impact/dp/034543191X/ref=tmm_pap_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1554147918&sr=8-3
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/King-Elflands-Daughter-Lord-Dunsany-ebook/dp/B01DI5KIDC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1554147918&sr=8-3



Viewing: Willow (Ron Howard, 1988)

Sprung from the mind of Star Wars creator George Lucas, this high fantasy finds a dwarven farmer and wizard-in-training coming into possession of a human baby who is destined to overthrow the evil sorceress-queen of the land; accompanied by a pair of mischievous brownies, a wizardess cursed into animal form, and a brash yet charming swordsman, the young dwarf soon finds himself being the linchpin for the fate of the world. It's an elegantly earnest and well-acted film told with wit and care, one of the last great fantasy films of the 1980's, and a cult classic. Definitely check it out if you haven't yet.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Willow-Val-Kilmer/dp/B07KLFM6W6/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1554148077&sr=1-8
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/WILLOW-Blu-ray-Val-Kilmer/dp/B07JYQTLWF/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1554148077&sr=1-8
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Willow-Val-Kilmer/dp/B07L6TFQ8X/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1554148077&sr=1-8

Well, I hope you find this month to be a better one. Enjoy!

I haven't been doing my reading like I should have, so I have to pull from my limited experience for this month's entry. What's more, the book is fantasy, but the movie is science fiction. I apologize for the mixed signals, but it's all I have to work with.

Otherwise, I hope everyone's having a good year so far.

Reading: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (1959) by Futaro Yamada

This is one of the key texts that helped kick off the ninja craze of the 1960's. As he nears the end of his life and career, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, ruler of a unified Japan, must choose a successor from his two grandsons; to do so, he allows the Kouga and Iga ninja clans - enemies for generations - to break their peace treaty and use their specially bred powers to wipe each other out, the winner representing the next shogun. In the midst of this, two lovers from each of the clans find themselves forced to go to war, though they hope there is a solution to bring them together. A fast-paced read first translated in 2006, it's a must-read for fans of historical fantasy and Far Eastern culture.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Kouga-Ninja-Scrolls-Novel/dp/0345495101/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1551417633&sr=8-1



Viewing: The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984)

This sci-fi horror flick kicked off a popular franchise and made an icon out of both its star, bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, and its fresh director. One night in 1984, two strangers mysteriously materialize in Los Angeles, both determined to find a young woman who holds the key to the future. One is a soldier sent to be her bodyguard, and the other is a relentless cyborg programmed to kill her. Who will succeed? An immensely influential turning point in action films, filled with mounting terror and thrills, it still holds up as a modern masterpiece of cinema.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Terminator-Arnold-Schwarzenegger/dp/B00UA86HAE/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1551417657&sr=8-14
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Terminator-Blu-ray-Packaging-Color-Vary/dp/B00UA86F1A/ref=tmm_mfc_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1551417657&sr=8-14
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Terminator-Arnold-Schwarzenegger/dp/B008S2BZ10/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1551417657&sr=8-14


That's all for now. I hope I haven't been too confusing for you all.

This month, I'll move back to fantasy. While I had a suggestion for the reading in mind, I'm not done with it to give it a proper recommendation, so I'm going with something else.

It's been pretty quiet here on the forum. I hope things will pick up.

Reading: Grendel (1971) by John Gardner

Possibly one of the most famous examples of parallel literature ever produced in recent times, this book follows the life and times of the literary monster of the Old English poem Beowulf as he tries to find meaning in his seemingly random, miserable existence. As his wisdom increases, so does his misfortune, until he is reduced to venting his nihilistic rage against the neighboring Danes, leading to the events of the epic poem. Philosophically rich, studying the effects of literature and myth in regular life, this adult fantasy is highly regarded as a piece of modern literature and should be a great companion to lovers of its source.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Grendel-John-Gardner/dp/0679723110/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1548992253&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Grendel-John-Gardner-ebook/dp/B003N9AZGE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1548992253&sr=8-1



Viewing: Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, 1991)

A tale as old as time and the film that solidified the Disney Renaissance of the 1990's, this rousing adaptation of the classic French fairy tale follows a young woman who becomes a prisoner of a monstrous beast cursed to remain as he is until he finds true love; with the assistance of enchanted household servants, the pair must find a way to live together despite the circumstances, proving the age-old adage that it is what inside that really matters. Notably the first animated feature to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, the film is widely regarded as one of Disney's masterpieces, held together by well-rounded storytelling, superb animation, a stellar cast, and a legendary score-and song combination from Broadway impresarios Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Truly a watershed in a list of great pictures.


DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Beast-Paige-OHara/dp/B01N0MCG3B/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1549002896&sr=8-5
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Beast-Anniversary-DIGITAL-Blu-ray/dp/B01G4N5Q28/ref=tmm_blu_title_2?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1549002896&sr=8-5
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Beast-Plus-Bonus-Features/dp/B01HE0A7YC/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1549002896&sr=8-5


Well, that's all for now. Enjoy!

It may seem like a stupid question, but the Bible is such a strange text (intentionally so), and I believe that no one reads it the same way, and with so many different versions, I'm curious as to how you read it.

I've never been a steady Bible reader, even though I would generally profess to many of its beliefs, but I won't necessarily chalk that up to Satan working behind the scenes. It just more of my reading habits. I've never felt compelled to read it on my own outside of church as I would any other book; it's been more of a reference text than anything. All those verses and sidebars, plus the layout of the text and frequently the supplementary material in whatever version I have, can be so distracting. It can be a lot to take in, and I can easily lose my train of thought. THEN there's the sticky matter of translation: which one is the closest to the original Hebrew/Greek surviving manuscripts, which one causes the least confusion, and which resonates the most with the reader? There's a lot to go into Bible selection.

That's not to say that I haven't been able to change. After some thought, I felt I wanted to trade up my Apologetics Study Bible - a Holman Christian Standard Version - for a new one, given that I had some of the issues that I've just mentioned. After a bit of searching online, I found a special Reader's Bible - a New King James Version - that stood out to me, because I had read that the NKJV was actually rather recent and managed to be truthful to the original texts, plus I'm rather fond of the classic wording, but most importantly, this was arranged specially: single column, eliminating verses and sidebars except for a brief indicator in the margins, leathersoft cover, only the text itself. I couldn't pass it up.

Well, as well as being the first Bible that I ever purchased with my own money, I believe it's been one of the best purchases I ever made. I've gotten to reading it almost every day, and I just love getting lost in it; there are still some things I don't understand, but I'm willing to learn more about them. Since it's arranged as if it were just a regular book, I feel more of a connection with it, more of an urge to pick it up compared to just about every other edition I've ever had. I'm not sure I would bring it to church, though, as it's not really that kind of book.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. Take Psalm 23. Here are two different version of it, one from the HCSV (my Study Bible) and another from the NKJV (my Reader's Bible).

HCSV: https://www.bible.com/bible/72/PSA.23.hcsb
NKJV: https://www.bible.com/bible/114/PSA.23.nkjv

They both get the point across, but I prefer the NKJV because it's what I'm most familiar with and it feels more poetic. Stuff like that is a deal breaker for me.

Still, I have a New American Standard Version on my wish list as well, as I've heard some very good things about that one, plus it's a Study Bible, which is more suited to deeper contemplation, research, and reference.

So that's my take on it. Some of you probably prefer verses and footnotes on the page, and that's alright. So for those who do, how do YOU read the Bible? What's the best way that you find yourself able to take it in?

Some of you may have heard of the recent Tolkien exhibit at Oxford University's Bodleian Libraries entitled Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, which is currently running up until May 2019. By the sound of it, it's a huge gathering of Tolkien's papers, artwork, and other memorabilia, in such a way that I'm not really able to do it justice. Well, since none of us are going there, I think it would be fair to let you know that there's a coffee table book out now that serves as a condensed version of the exhibit.

Here's an article on Tor.com describing the book: https://www.tor.com/2019/01/03/j-r-r-tolkien-the-man-the-myth-the-coffee-table-book/

And here's the Amazon link to the book itself: https://www.amazon.com/Tolkien-Maker-Middle-earth-Catherine-McIlwaine/dp/1851244859/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1546840436&sr=8-1

It's $65 at the list price, so I don't expect anyone to rush out for it, but for collectors, it sounds like it's well worth the time and money spent. Anyone interested?

And so one year ends and another takes its place. Happy New Year!

I feel that this would be a great year to diversify my material. There's a lot of great speculative fiction out there that hinges on the fantastic, and I've been talking about doing it, so let's start now! It gives me more to work with, anyway.

Reading: The Martian Chronicles (1950) by Ray Bradbury


More of a short story collection than a straightforward novel, this sci-fi classic details the future history of Earth and the colonization of Mars with all the sociological changes it entails. It's a highly sentimental work made up of all the interconnected Mars stories Bradbury wrote over the course of the 1940s, edited and arranged for publication and later adapted into theater, television, graphic novels, and especially radio. As one of the last true imaginative explorations of the possibilities of an undocumented planet, it's a  treasure worth putting on anyone's shelf.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Chronicles-Ray-Bradbury/dp/006207993X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1546318601&sr=8-1
Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Chronicles-Ray-Bradbury/dp/1451678193/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1546318601&sr=8-1
Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Chronicles-Ray-Bradbury/dp/0380973839/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1546318601&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Martian-Chronicles-Ray-Bradbury-ebook/dp/B00CKOQC9C/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1546318601&sr=8-1



Viewing: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982)

It's the story that touched the world. In one of Spielberg's most recognizable and iconic films, a small, inquisitive alien is separated from his expedition and unintentionally marooned on Earth, where he befriends the young son of a recently divorced mother; together with his two siblings, the boy must keep his new friend safe from the prying government and find a way to transmit a distress message back to the other world. Everything about this film is legendary, from the design to the effects and the cinematography and the music, and each new generation is introduced to it at some point in their life. Once it outsold Star Wars as the highest-grossing film of all time, and it even made its way into the Library of Congress's National Film Registry. See it and fall in love with it all over again.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/T-Extra-Terrestrial-Henry-Thomas/dp/B073WYD3CH/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/T-Extra-Terrestrial-Blu-ray-Henry-Thomas/dp/B073WZXBQT/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
4K: https://www.amazon.com/T-Extra-Terrestrial-4K-Ultra-Blu-ray/dp/B073WYP73T/ref=tmm_frk_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/T-Extra-Terrestrial-Henry-Thomas/dp/B00BP4W3WI/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

So how's that to start the new year? Let me know what you think, and I'll keep it coming!

Well, we come to the end of the year once again, and it actually marks a special occasion: I started this series in its current form last December, so we are now officially a year old. Time sure does fly.

I don't have anything particularly Christmassy this time - it's harder than horror to qualify - but I hope to have something more appropriate later as winter gets going. For now, here's my choices.

Reading: The Drawing of the Dark (1979) by Tim Powers

This novel was a turning point in Powers' career, being the first of his "secret histories" that purported to tell the underlying events for major historical events. In the year 1529, aging Irish mercenary Brian Duffy is hired by a peculiar old man to be a bouncer at the Zimmerman Inn in Vienna, just as the forces of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent prepare to lay siege to the city; what Duffy doesn't know is that the Herzwesten brewery, which is housed in the inn, is the true goal of the attack, as there is a connection to a mysterious "Fisher King" upon whom the existence of the entire Western world depends. A swashbuckling adventure filled with rising action, brisk swordplay, and increasing mystical foreboding, this is a wonderful tale worth adding to your library, a perfect blend of history and fantasy.


Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Dark-Novel-Del-Impact/dp/0345430816/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543640696&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Dark-Novel-Del-Impact-ebook/dp/B004QZA3CA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543640696&sr=8-1



Viewing: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand, 1937)

The timeless classic itself, Walt Disney's first feature length film also ranks among his best, a true towering achievement in cinema. The story is familiar to everyone: young princess Snow White, envied by her vain and wicked stepmother, flees the impending threat to her life and happens upon a cottage in the woods which belongs to seven wacky and colorful dwarfs; respite is brief, however, as the evil Queen is not far behind with a poisoned apple in tow. By many modern standards, the story is simple, but as a fairy tale, nothing too lofty should be expected. The real star is the fluid, exquisitely crafted animation, veering from delight and whimsy one moment to dark  and terrifying the next. Beloved by children and adults of all ages, this is an experience that can only serve to make your life happier.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/White-Seven-Dwarfs-Adriana-Caselotti/dp/B01N2PEGLG/ref=tmm_dvd_title_4?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543641305&sr=8-1
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/White-Seven-Dwarfs-Blu-ray-Digital/dp/B01711CIF0/ref=tmm_blu_title_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543641305&sr=8-1
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/White-Seven-Dwarfs-Bonus-Features/dp/B019CXAVF4/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_2?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1543641305&sr=8-1

Before I sign off, I have a question: is anyone getting anything out of this? I've gotten very few comments or other forms of feedback, and I feel that my work is going unappreciated. That mostly stems from having so few users on the site. I'm seriously considering stopping it altogether, as I don't think I have enough readers to warrant continuing, but if anyone wants it to go on, I'll do so. Just please let me know if I'm making a difference. After a whole year and little response, I need a reason for doing it.

Well, that's all for now. Happy Holidays to everyone, and I hope to see you next year!

Here we are at my twenty-fifth entry – a quarter of the way to 100! Of course, I'm not promising that I'll actually get there, but I'm glad I've got this far already. Today's a mix of magic realism and metafiction with splashes of horror and suspense. Hopefully, you find these worthwhile.



BRIAN MOORE (1921-1999)

A Northern Irish emigrant first in Canada and then in the United States, Brian Moore was one of the most respected contemporary novelists in his time, especially noted for writing realistic portraits of postwar Irish life as well as both anti-clerical and faith-affirming themes. Some of his novels contain fantastic instances, such as ghosts of the past (Fergus), doppelgangers (The Mangan Inheritance), and miraculous resurrections (Cold Heaven). Two novels that come closest to outright speculative fiction are Catholics, where a monastery in the future must contend with inevitable ecumenical change, and The Great Victorian Collection, in which a man mysteriously discovers a collection of priceless Victorian artifacts that appear in a California parking lot and subsequently losses his grip on reality.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Moore_(novelist))
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=moore_brian)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/moore_brian)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Brian-Moore)
The Guardian – Obituary of Brian Moore (https://www.theguardian.com/books/1999/jan/13/fiction)
The Independent – Obituary of Brian Moore (https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-brian-moore-1046881.html)
BBC News – Brian Moore: Forever Influenced by Loss of Faith (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/253500.stm)



JOHN FOWLES (1926-2005)

Influenced by existentialist thinkers Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, John Fowles is an important figure in the gap between modernism and postmodernism, best known for his first and third novels, The Collector and The French Lieutenant's Woman. His second novel, The Magus, in which a young British graduate becomes a pawn in the schemes of a mysterious Greek recluse, has overtones of magic realism, while later works such as Mantissa and A Maggot are more heavily speculative. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and a master of psychological insight by many.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fowles)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=fowles_john)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fowles_john)
Official website (https://www.fowlesbooks.com/)
Fractious Fiction – The Novels of John Fowles: A Reassessment (http://fractiousfiction.com/John_Fowles.html)
The Independent – Obituary of John Fowles (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/john-fowles-325435.html)
The Guardian – Obituary of John Fowles (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/nov/08/guardianobituaries.booksobituaries)



CHARLES G. FINNEY (1905-1984)

The great-grandson of the famous minister of the same name, Charles G. Finney is a man about whom little biographical information can be found, owing to the illustrious fame of his forebearer; what is known is that he was born in Sedalia, Missouri, served with the U.S. Army's E Company in China, and later became an editor for Tuscon's Arizona Daily Star. To genre fans, he is remembered highly by such figures as Ray Bradbury for his short cult classic, The Circus of Dr. Lao, in which a strange old Chinese man arrives in a small Arizona town, bringing with him a bizarre circus of mysterious and fantastic creatures. Other fantasies, less well known, are The Unholy City and The Magician Out of Manchuria.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_G._Finney)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=finney_charles_g)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/finney_charles_g)
Great Science-Fiction and Fantasy Works: Charles G. Finney (http://greatsfandf.com/AUTHORS/CharlesGFinney.php)
The SF Site – Review of The Circus of Dr. Lao (https://www.sfsite.com/10a/cd137.htm)
Strange Horizons – Charles G. Finney's The Magician Out of Manchuria: Where Have All the Mages Gone? (http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/reviews/charles-g-finneys-the-magician-out-of-manchuria-where-have-all-the-mages-gone/)
Black Gate – Building a World in a Vacant Lot: The Circus of Dr. Lao (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/07/07/building-a-world-in-a-vacant-lot-the-circus-of-dr-lao/)



GUSTAV MEYRINK (1868-1932)

Gustav Meyer, who published under the pen name of Meyrink, first became interested in occult studies after a brush with suicide, and they would later figure heavily into his stories. Originally a banker and later a translator, his first stories, satirical pieces, appeared in the early 1900s, but he would not attain fame until 1915, with the publication of The Golem, a metaphysical and hallucinatory story of a city haunted by a ghostly presence and a narrator who may not be what he seems; it was an early urban fantasy that would make Meyrink one of the most famous writers of supernatural fiction in Germany. Further esoteric fiction such as The Green Face and Walpurgis Night would follow during World War I, which he opposed, and afterwards, he would become financially secure enough to purchase a villa, where he would write two more dark fantasies, The White Dominican and The Angel of the West Window.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Meyrink)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=meyrink_gustav)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/meyrink_gustav)
The Guardian – Meyrink's The Golem: Where Fact and Fiction Collide (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/jan/30/the-golem-gustav-meyrink-books)
The Independent – Gustav Meyrink: The Mysterious Life of Kafka's Contemporary (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/gustav-meyrink-150th-anniversary-banker-writer-life-germany-austria-prague-the-golem-a8263391.html)



JOSTEIN GAARDER (1952- )

Born and raised in Oslo, Norway, Jostein Gaarder is a Norwegian intellectual and author of numerous works, writing often from children's perspectives about a natural sense of wonder about the world. Much of his fiction is metafictional and contains stories within stories, the best known being Sophie's World, in which a young girl and an old philosopher discover that they are characters created for a man's daughter as a birthday present and they try to escape into the real world while learning about the history of philosophy; it was one of the most commercially successful books outside of Norway, translated into 59 languages and selling over 40 million copies by 2011. Also of interest is The Solitaire Mystery, in which a young son searches for his missing mother with his father and finds a book whose story seems to overlap with his own.

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jostein_Gaarder)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=gaarder_jostein)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jostein-Gaarder)
Famous Authors – Jostein Gaarder (https://www.famousauthors.org/jostein-gaarder)
Prolific Living – Jostein Gaarder: Sophie's World (https://www.prolificliving.com/jostein-gaarder-sophies-world/)
What a Path We Made – Review of Sophie's World (https://whatapathwemade.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/jostein-gaarder-sophies-world/)
The New York Times: Archives – Review of Sophie's World (https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/25/books/hooked-on-philosophy.html)



MARGO LANAGAN (1960- )

For the longest time, Margo Lanagan's work was only available in her native Australia, but she is starting to get noticed at large in recent years. Most of her work is young adult fiction, with works of speculative interest including the science fantasy WildGame and the ghost story Walking Through Albert. Perhaps her greatest success came with Tender Morsels, an adult retelling of the Brothers Grimm story "Snow-White and Rose-Red" in which a young woman and her two daughters are whisked away to a magical world but are soon threatened by dangerous outside forces; it was awarded one of two World Fantasy Awards for Best Novel in 2009, as well as the Ditmar Award. The novella Sea Hearts (published in the US and UK as The Brides of Rollrock Island), a riff on the myth of the selkie, was also critically acclaimed.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margo_Lanagan)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/lanagan_margo)
Nightmare Magazine – Interview with Margo Lanagan (http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/interview-margo-lanagan/)
Bunbury in the Stacks – Review of The Brides of Rollrock Island (http://bunburyinthestacks.com/review-2/review-the-brides-of-rollrock-island-by-margo-lanagan/)
Fantasy Matters – An Uncanny Heaven: Margo Lanagan's Tender Morsels (http://www.fantasy-matters.com/2012/06/uncanny-heaven-margo-lanagans-tender.html)
The SF Site – A Conversation with Margo Lanagan (https://www.sfsite.com/09a/ml159.htm)



NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS (1883-1957)

Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis's path led him down the road of many philosophies, including that of Henri Bergson, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Karl Marx. His work was a study of the mix of rationalism with irrationality in civilization, often coming into conflict with the Greek Orthodox Church for perceived blasphemies due to the many views he experienced on his travels. His best-known work was published between 1940 and 1961, such as Zorba the Greek, Christ Recrucified, Captain Michaelis, and Report to Greco. Perhaps his most controversial work, at least in the English-speaking world, is the magical realist novel The Last Temptation of Christ, a reinterpretation of the Gospels that fuses Nietzschean symbolism with Christian virtues in a manner that many found vulgar and blasphemous initially, but it was never Kazantzakis's intention to degrade the character of Jesus. He maintained that his greatest work was The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, an epic poem of metaphysical struggle in which Odysseus resumes his adventures.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikos_Kazantzakis)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=kazantzakis_nikos)
New World Encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Nikos_Kazantzakis)
Spike Magazine – Nikos Kazantzakis: The Last Temptation of Christ: Always Thirsty (https://www.spikemagazine.com/0399kaz/)



DEAN KOONTZ (1945- )

In contemporary fiction publishing, Dean Koontz is one of the most popular writers on the market, perhaps second only to Stephen King; his works constantly top the bestseller lists, and he is amazingly prolific. He started out writing straight science fiction under several pseudonyms, but he came to feel that it was not up to his standards and let most of the early stuff remain out of print. The majority of his best works are primarily suspense thrillers with overtones of fantasy, horror, and science fiction mixed with the background of his Catholic faith. His first bestseller was Demon Seed, while his breakthrough came with the thriller Whispers, followed by increasingly popular works such as Phantoms, Darkfall, Twilight Eyes, Strangers, Watchers, Lightning, and Midnight. The new millennium would bring even more successes with two highly regarded series of speculative interest – Odd Thomas and Frankenstein. Koontz has been derided by some as just a mass-market hack, but his continued successes must not be due to lack of quality, and at least one of his works should find its way onto every genre fan's bookshelf.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Koontz)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=koontz_dean_r)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/koontz_dean_r)
Official website (https://deankoontz.com/)
Tor.com – The Dog Who Played with Scrabble: Watchers by Dean Koontz (https://www.tor.com/2011/10/11/the-dog-who-played-with-scrabble/)
Nightmare Magazine – Interview with Dean Koontz (http://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/interview-dean-koontz/)
Famous Authors – Dean Koontz (https://www.famousauthors.org/dean-koontz)
Homiletic & Pastoral Review – Dean Koontz's Odd Catholicism (https://www.hprweb.com/2015/05/dean-koontzs-odd-catholicism/)



Well, after sitting on them for months, I've finally reached the end of my pre-planned sets. I have my next five planned out already, but while I'm not promising anything, I think I'm going to wait until either next month or afterwards and give what I've made already some time to sink in. There's plenty of time, in the meantime, for discussions, recommendations, and comments, and I would hope that the forum topic will get more use. As usual, you can find it here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

I know it's also a big deal that Stan Lee, one of the primary figures behind Marvel Comics, has died recently, but for those who read this website, and for fantasy lovers in print and film, this may be more close to home.

https://variety.com/2018/film/news/william-goldman-dead-dies-butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kid-1203030474/

Now, I've seen quite a few of his movies, and they were all very good. For us, almost nothing can match The Princess Bride, having entered the modern lexicon of geek speak with quotes and images too numerous to list. It's also a shame because, based on the Wikipedia article of the book, it sounds like he wanted to work on a sequel to it. Now I can't say that it would have been an equal to the original, but I would have wanted to see where he would have gone with it. However you feel about it, he'll definitely be missed.

Most of those here are technically general literary fiction writers who've dabbled in the occasional dip into speculative fiction, whether intentionally or not. Thankfully, those works have been critically acclaimed, so they're worth talking about. Here they are.



ROBERT F. JONES (1934-2002)

Robert F. Jones was a writer for Sports Illustrated and Field & Stream, whose work was labeled "slipstream" by some for the frequent use of fantastic and surrealistic elements. Perhaps the most noted example is Blood Sport, which follows a father-and-son expedition along a mystic river that borders all times and countries, where they must contend with a notorious outlaw who may be immortal; also notable is The Diamond Bogo, in which a hunt is raised for a mysterious cape buffalo with a diamond embedded in its forehead, and a lost race of early humans is discovered.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Jones)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/jones_robert_f)
The New York Times: Archives – Review of Blood Sport (https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/19/archives/blood-sport-a-journey-up-the-hassayampa-by-robert-f-jones-255-pp.html)



JOHN D. MACDONALD (1916-1986)

John D. MacDonald's career was quite surprising, having stumbled into the writing profession almost by accident, when his wife sold his first story while he was in the army. In the midst of a series of menial jobs, he submitted to numerous pulp magazines under several pseudonyms until 1951, and when the paperback market exploded, he made the shift to longer format, becoming one of the most successful crime/thriller writers of his day. His best-known work is the series featuring Florida private investigator Travis McGee, as well as the suspense novel The Executioners, filmed twice (and later retitled) as Cape Fear. He also wrote science fiction stories, the most famous of which is The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything, where a young man inherits a unique pocket watch that contains the ability to stop time and must keep it safe from those who would use it for nefarious purposes. Named a grandmaster by the Mystery Writers of America in 1972, MacDonald was ranked by many people, Stephen King among them, as one of the greatest entertainers in the business, a consummate storyteller and a good friend.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._MacDonald)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/macdonald_john_d)
The JDM Homepage (http://jdmhomepage.org/)
Black Gate – John D. MacDonald: A Writer's Writer (https://www.blackgate.com/2014/05/29/john-d-macdonald-a-writers-writer/)
Black Gate – The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes: A Century of John D. MacDonald (https://www.blackgate.com/2016/07/25/the-public-life-of-sherlock-holmes-a-century-of-john-d-macdonald/)
CrimeReads – The Wit and Wisdom of John D. MacDonald (https://crimereads.com/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-john-d-macdonald/)
The Thrilling Detective Web Site – Authors & Creators: John D. MacDonald (http://www.thrillingdetective.com/trivia/jdm.html)



JULIO CORTÁZAR (1914-1984)

Born in Belgium, Julio Cortázar would live in Argentina for the first half of his life and in France for the second. Raised on Jules Verne, he would become one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, inspiring generations of writers in both America and Europe. He wrote numerous short stories, many of which were culled from several collections and published in English as Blow-Up and Other Stories; four novels were published during his lifetime – The Winners, Hopscotch, 62: A Model Kit, and A Manual for Manuel. His use of open-ended and non-linear structures, stream of consciousness narrative, and jazz-inspired improvisational techniques have been praised by his fellow native writers, drawn from Surrealist and French Nouveau roman influences.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Cortázar)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=cortazar_julio)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julio-Cortazar)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 83: Julio Cortázar (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2955/julio-cortazar-the-art-of-fiction-no-83-julio-cortazar)



ROBERTSON DAVIES (1913-1995)

William Robertson Davies was born surrounded by books in his Ontario home, and he grew up with a love of writing, attending several colleges and later producing his own plays while acting as editor of a local newspaper. Drama may have been his first love, but his greatest successes came from his written fiction, beginning with the Salterton Trilogy (Tempest-Tost, Leaven of Malice, and A Mixture of Frailties), which focused on the cultural life of a small Canadian town. His next work, the Deptford Trilogy (Fifth Business, The Manticore and World of Wonders), would rely on his fascination with Jungian archetypes and a deep love of myth and magic for a significant magical realist saga. The Cornish Trilogy (The Rebel Angels, What's Bred in the Bone, and The Lyre of Orpheus) is a satire of academic life with supernatural overtones, while a projected yet unfinished "Toronto Trilogy" consists of a dead man's life story (Murther and Walking Spirits) and an examination of religious belief through a doctor's relationship with shamanic magic (The Cunning Man). He was one of the most popular and best-known writers in Canada, regarded highly as a "man of letters", a term which he was ambivalent about.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_Davies)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=davies_robertson)
Conceptual Fiction – Fifth Business (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/fifth_business.html)
Black Gate – The Fantasist Manqué? Robertson Davies and the Deptford Trilogy (https://www.blackgate.com/2013/07/22/the-fantasist-manque-robertson-davies-and-the-deptford-trilogy/)
The Canadian Encyclopedia – Robertson Davies (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/robertson-davies)
The Telegraph – Robertson Davies: Canada's Greatest Novelist? (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/robertson-davies-tribute-to-great-novelist/)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 107: Robertson Davies (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2441/robertson-davies-the-art-of-fiction-no-107-robertson-davies)
The New York Times: Archives – Robertson Davies, a Novelist of the North (https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/29/books/robertson-davies-a-novelist-of-the-north.html)



HARLAN ELLISON (1934-2018)

Harlan Ellison was one of the most prolific writers in speculative fiction, turning out over 1,700 short stories, novels, screenplays, essays, and other works. During the 1950's, he became a prominent figure in the science fiction fandom, publishing his own fanzines before pursuing a personal writing career; in 1962, he moved to California to write for Hollywood, where one of his most notable works, Star Trek's "The City on the Edge of Forever", became the best-received episode in the show's run. The 1960's also saw some of his best short stories, including such classics as "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman", "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream", and "A Boy and His Dog." He was legendary for his combative and temperamental personality, both praised and vilified over the course of his life, receiving numerous awards and some of the highest honors given in multiple fields.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_Ellison)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/ellison_harlan)
Ellison Webderland – The Official Home Page (http://www.harlanellison.com/home.htm)
TV Tropes (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/HarlanEllison)
Black Gate – Harlan Ellison 1934-2018: Essential and Impossible (https://www.blackgate.com/2018/07/01/harlan-ellison-1934-2018-essential-and-impossible/)
Tor.com – Harlan Ellison Taught Me to Be Interesting (https://www.tor.com/2015/05/27/harlan-ellison-taught-me-how-to-be-interesting/)
Tor.com – Harlan Ellison, Grand Master of Science Fiction & Fantasy, 1934-2018 (https://www.tor.com/2018/06/28/harlan-ellison-1934-2018-obituary/)
The Portalist – The Best of the Best: 10 Must-Read Works by Harlan Ellison (https://theportalist.com/harlan-ellison)
The New York Times – Obituary of Harlan Ellison (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/29/obituaries/harlan-ellison-intensely-prolific-science-fiction-writer-dies-at-84.html)
Neil Gaiman's Journal – Harlan Ellison (http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2018/06/harlan-ellison.html)
The Guardian – Harlan Ellison: Where to Start Reading (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2018/jun/29/harlan-ellison-where-to-start-reading)



WILLIAM GOLDING (1911-1993)

Educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, Nobel laureate Sir William Gerald Golding is best remembered as the author of Lord of the Flies, the psychological deconstruction of paradise in which a group of boys stranded on a remote island become increasingly savage the longer they remain isolated from civilization; further works such as Free Fall, The Spire, Darkness Visible, and To the Ends of the Earth (Rites of Passage, Close Quarters, and Fire Down Below) consolidated his success. Two of his novels are of interest to fans of speculative fiction. The Inheritors is about the ancient Neanderthals and their eventual overtaking by a newer, more brutal form of humanity, while Pincher Martin is revealed in the end to be the dying thoughts of a drowning sailor as he imagines salvation which will never come. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Golding ranks among the finest of the British postwar writers.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Golding)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=golding_william)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/golding_william)
Official website (http://www.william-golding.co.uk/)
GradeSaver.com – William Golding (https://www.gradesaver.com/author/william-golding/)
New World Encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/William_Golding)



ANDREW SINCLAIR (1935- )

Andrew Sinclair is one of the founding members of Churchill College, Cambridge, as well as a noted film director, screenwriter, and biographer. His contribution to fantasy is called the Albion Tryptich, a satirical fabulation following a giant man with the words "Gog" and "Magog" tattooed on his hands as he embarks on a surreal journey from Edinburgh to London; three books – Gog, Magog, and King Ludd – make up the sequence. Also of interest is The Raker, in which an obituary writer becomes entangled with a sinister figure obsessed with death.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Sinclair)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=sinclair_andrew)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/sinclair_andrew)



So we reach the end again. I've got at least one more set all planned out now, but in the meantime, you can discuss today's batch either below or in the forum topic, found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

Once again, we dive into that weird and sensuous world of surrealism and magic realism. Some of them have only written one work in that style, but that one work remains important; others write it continuously. I hope you're all ready for this.



ALEJO CARPENTIER (1904-1980)

Although born in Switzerland, Alejo Carpentier spent his developmental years in Cuba and came to closely identify with the country. Political difficulties forced him to seek refuge in France, where he was introduced to surrealism; eventually he would make a trip to Haiti that would influence his own work greatly before returning to Cuba for a time. He would apply his own theory of lo real maravilloso – the idea that Latin America seems so completely otherworldly to non-natives – to his most famous work, The Kingdom of This World, a historical novel of the first king of Haiti, which is considered one of the earliest examples of Latin American magic realism. His other great work was as a musicologist and a promoter of Afro-Cubanism, exploring the cross-cultural connection between two continents.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alejo_Carpentier)
Conceptual Fiction – The Kingdom of This World (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/kingdom_of_this_world.html)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alejo-Carpentier-y-Valmont)
Havana Music School – Alejo Carpentier and Music in Cuba (https://havanamusicschool.com/alejo-carpentier-and-music-in-cuba/)



JOHN COLLIER (1901-1980)

Growing up with a keen interest in myth and legend, John Collier was encouraged by his father to pursue his own literary interests by writing book reviews and eventually publishing his own poetry in 1920. His career took a greater turn with his first novel, His Monkey Wife, a comic fantasy in which a chimpanzee brought to England becomes civilized and attempts to save her owner from his "modern" fiancée; his second novel, Tom's A-Cold, was a darker dystopian tale. He is best remembered, however, for his masterfully crafted short stories, many of which appeared in The New Yorker; the most famous collection is Fancies and Goodnights, a series of fantasies and mysteries in a classification all their own, which won both the Edgar Award and the International Fantasy Award.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Collier_(fiction_writer))
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=collier_john)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/collier_john)
The Independent – Forgotten Authors No. 34: John Collier (https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/forgotten-authors-no-34-john-collier-1689028.html)



ISABEL ALLENDE (1942- )

Chilean-born Isabel Allende served as a magazine editor, journalist, and United Nation employee before noted poet Pablo Neruda encouraged her to become a novelist. The rise of Augusto Pinochet to power forced her to flee to Venezuela, where she continued her journalist career; upon hearing of her ailing grandfather's predicament, she wrote what would become the classic magic realist novel The House of the Spirits, which, after several rejections, would finally become one of the best-selling books in the Spanish language. Further successes would make her one of the most popular Latin American authors of the present day, praised for her vivid storytelling but also criticized by some for a perceived low literary quality.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabel_Allende)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=allende_isabel)
Official website (https://www.isabelallende.com/)
Conceptual Fiction – The House of the Spirits (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/house_of_spirits.html)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isabel-Allende)
The Guardian – Interview with Isabel Allende: "Few Couples Survive the Death of One Child, Let Alone Three" (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/02/isabel-allende-interview-marriage-breakup-the-japanese-lover)
The Guardian – Interview with Isabel Allende: "My Family Values" (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/sep/13/isabel-allende-my-family-values)
Books Tell You Why – Six Interesting Facts About Isabel Allende (https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/six-interesting-facts-about-isabel-allende)



ANGELA CARTER (1940-1992)

Angela Olive Stalker was troubled in her youth by bouts with depression and anorexia, and she married Paul Carter rather young in 1960 to escape the constraints of her parents. After some years, having published three novels (including the magical realistic The Magic Toyshop), she moved to Japan for a time and became, in her own words, "radicalized"; her subsequent work following her divorce would be even more experimental in their views of sexuality, feminism, and postmodernism, such as Heroes and Villains, The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman, and The Passion of New Eve. In 1979, she published her landmark short story collection, The Bloody Chamber, featuring feminist reinterpretations of classic fairy tales that were highly regarded, and her novel Nights at the Circus won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1984. She would publish one more novel, Wise Children, before succumbing to lung cancer in 1992. Angela Carter has been considered one of the best British writers of the postwar generation, her work being critically acclaimed by such luminaries as Salman Rushdie and Kelly Link.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Carter)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=carter_angela)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/carter_angela)
Official website (https://usa.angelacarter.co.uk/)
GradeSaver.com – Angela Carter (https://www.gradesaver.com/author/angela-carter)
The New Yorker – Angela Carter's Feminist Mythology (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/13/angela-carters-feminist-mythology)
The Guardian – Angela's Influence: What We Owe to Angela (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/feb/16/from-fifty-shades-to-buffy-what-we-owe-to-angela-carter)
The Telegraph – Obituary of Angela Carter (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/5899665/Angela-Carter.html)



ALASDAIR GRAY (1934- )

Hailed as one of the greatest living Scottish writers of the 20th century, Alasdair Gray was raised on a combination of public school, libraries, and the BBC, first working as a scene and portrait painter after graduation. His first plays were broadcast for radio and television in 1968, and he served as Writer-in-Residence for the University of Glasgow from 1977 to 1979. In 1981, he published his first novel, the highly acclaimed Lanark, a surrealistic postmodern fantasy about a man's journey through a Hell-like mirror of Glasgow; the book was an instant success, a work in progress since Gray's student days. The strange blend of fantasy, realism, and typography would also characterize later works like 1982, Janine and Poor Things, as well as numerous short stories.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alasdair_Gray)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=gray_alasdair)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/gray_alasdair)
Official website (http://alasdairgray.info/)
The Guardian – Glasgow Belongs to Us: Rereading Lanark (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/oct/12/fiction.alasdairgray)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 232: Alasdair Gray (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6904/alasdair-gray-the-art-of-fiction-no-232-alasdair-gray)
The New Yorker – How Alasdair Gray Reimagined Glasgow (https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-alasdair-gray-reimagined-glasgow)



CARLOS FUENTES (1928-2012)

Carlos Fuentes was raised in several Latin American capitals, something which contributed to his unique perspective as an author. In 1957, his first novel, Where the Air Is Clear, was an immediate success, making him a national celebrity in his native Mexico, but his impact on the Spanish-speaking world would not be felt until the seminal 1962 novel The Death of Artemio Cruz, a magical realist story of the sordid life of a powerful Mexican man, told in a combination of cross-cuts and flashbacks reminiscent of the films of Orson Welles. The more ambitious Terra Nostra attempts to lay out a mythical history of all Hispanic civilization, Aura is a ghost story, and other titles such as The Old Gringo and Christopher Unborn experiment with fabulism as a means to give an identity to the Mexican people. His work is quite influential to the Latin American Boom, and he has been hailed as the most celebrated novelist in Mexico.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Fuentes)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=fuentes_carlos)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/fuentes_carlos)
Conceptual Fiction – Aura (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/aura.html)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carlos-Fuentes)
Achievement.org – Carlos Fuentes (http://www.achievement.org/achiever/carlos-fuentes/)
The New York Times – Obituary of Carlos Fuentes (https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/books/carlos-fuentes-mexican-novelist-dies-at-83.html)
The Guardian – Obituary of Carlos Fuentes (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/may/15/carlos-fuentes)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 68: Carlos Fuentes (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/3195/carlos-fuentes-the-art-of-fiction-no-68-carlos-fuentes)
PBS.org – Carlos Fuentes and His American Life (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/carlos-fuentes)
Los Angeles Times – Carlos Fuentes: The Realist Magician (http://articles.latimes.com/2000/oct/18/news/la-fuentes-2000)



TONI MORRISON (1931-2019)

Raised on Austen, Tolstoy, and African-American folklore, Toni Morrison is credited as one of the chief people responsible for bringing black literature into the mainstream, first as an editor in Random House's fiction department and later as a writer in her own right. Her first two novels, The Bluest Eye and Sula, were realistic, but her third novel, Song of Solomon, which follows a young man's search for his identity over three generations of his family, was rooted in the folk stories of slaves who dreamed of literally flying away to Africa. Her greatest success was Beloved, in which an escaped slave is haunted by the ghost of her dead daughter; it won both the Pulitzer Prize and the American Book Award, although it is not regularly cited by genre enthusiasts. Toni Morrison has won many awards for her fiction, including the Nobel Prize in 1993, and she remains one of the leading voices of the African-American community, inspiring generations.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morrison)
The Toni Morrison Society (https://www.tonimorrisonsociety.org/)
Conceptual Fiction – Beloved (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/beloved.html)
Tor.com – Beloved: The Best Horror Novel the Horror Genre Has Never Claimed (https://www.tor.com/2016/02/18/beloved-the-best-horror-novel-the-horror-genre-has-never-claimed/)
The New York Times – The Radical Vision of Toni Morrison (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/magazine/the-radical-vision-of-toni-morrison.html)
The Guardian – Toni Morrison on Her Novels: "I Think Goodness Is More Interesting" (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/04/toni-morrison-god-help-the-child-new-york)
GradeSaver.com – Toni Morrison (https://www.gradesaver.com/author/toni-morrison/)



SALMAN RUSHDIE (1947- )

The work of Salman Rushdie explores the connections between West and East through a magical realist lens and a historian's rigor; born in India to a Muslim family, he has become one of the most prominent British writers of recent years. His first novel, Grimus, a story of space travel based on a Sufi poem, went largely unnoticed upon publication, but his second, Midnight's Children, in which a young Indian boy born on the stoke of midnight on the day of India's independence is granted powers that connect him with similar children, was awarded the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981 and made him a celebrity. Shame was also highly regarded, but his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, in which two men undergo mystical transformations, was notorious for offending several Muslim countries, leading Ayatollah Khomeini to infamously issue a fatwā calling for Rushdie's execution; he was forced to live in hiding under protection for several years. Despite repeated threats, he continued to publish novels with his own signature blend of the fantastic with the familiar in adult works such as The Moor's Last Sigh, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Shalimar the Clown, The Enchantress of Florence, and Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights; he also wrote children's works in the same vein, including Haroun and the Sea of Stories and Luka and the Fire of Life. In honor of his services to literature, Rushdie has been awarded some of the highest honors that both England and America can bestow, such as election to both the Royal Society of Literature and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_Rushdie)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=rushdie_salman)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/rushdie_salman)
Official website (http://www.salmanrushdie.com/)
Conceptual Fiction – Midnight's Children (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/midnights_children.html)
Black Gate – Some Thoughts on Grimus (https://www.blackgate.com/2013/04/27/some-thoughts-on-grimus/)
British Council: Literature – Salman Rushdie (https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/salman-rushdie)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Salman-Rushdie)
The Guardian – Salman Rushdie: "I Like Black Comedy in Dark Times" (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jun/16/salman-rushdie-the-golden-house-interview)



So now we move back to reality. But never fret – there is more coming on the way. Leave any comments and discussions below, and for further reference, look for the forum topic here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

Some of these people I've been wanting to get to for a long time, so I'm excited to finally get there. If there's one thing I love as much as classic and influential fantasy, it's original fantasy, and I hope that you find these names as original as I do. So let's get right to it.



JAMES P. BLAYLOCK (1950- )

Born and raised in California, James P. Blaylock was mentored by legendary sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick alongside fellow up-and-coming writers Tim Powers and K. W. Jeter, becoming one of the original creators of the steampunk movement. Inspired by Verne, Wells, Stevenson, Doyle, and Dickens, his most notable contributions to speculative fiction include the Balumnia fantasy trilogy (The Elfin Ship, The Disappearing Dwarf, and The Stone Giant) and a loosely connected steampunk series of novels made up of The Digging Leviathan, Homunculus, Lord Kelvin's Machine, Zeuglodon, The Aylesford Skull, and Beneath London, in addition to several novellas and short story collections. His personal style is one of "fabulism" – fantastic stories set in the present day, shot through with humor.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Blaylock)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=blaylock_james_p)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/blaylock_james_p)
Official website (https://jamespblaylock.com/)
Great Science-Fiction & Fantasy Works: James P. Blaylock (http://greatsfandf.com/AUTHORS/JamesBlaylock.php)
Black Gate – Three Men and a Dog: The Elfin Ship by James P. Blaylock (https://www.blackgate.com/2014/09/23/three-men-and-a-dog-the-elfin-ship-by-james-p-blaylock/)
Black Gate – Return of the Master Cheeser: The Disappearing Dwarf by James P. Blaylock (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/04/07/return-of-the-master-cheeser-the-disappearing-dwarf-by-james-p-blaylock/)
Black Gate – Return to Balumnia: The Stone Giant by James P. Blaylock (https://www.blackgate.com/2016/08/09/return-to-balumnia-the-stone-giant-by-james-p-blaylock/)



TIM POWERS (1952- )

After dabbling in science fiction for two novels, Tim Powers made his mark mixing sci-fi and fantasy with "secret histories" – stories in which major historical events are revealed to have an occult background underlying them. The Drawing of the Dark, in which the 1529 Siege of Vienna is a cover for a climactic battle between Eastern and Western spiritual powers, was his first major novel, followed by the massive success of The Anubis Gates, a time travel story considered one of the defining texts of steampunk; Caribbean piracy (On Stranger Tides), Romantic poetry (The Stress of Her Regard), Las Vegas poker players (Last Call), Cold War espionage (Declare), Einstein's theories (Three Days to Never), and Hollywood mansions (Medusa's Web) are just some of the many other story germs that he has used to wildly profitable ends. Powers is one of the most respected, original modern fantasy authors in the new millennium, a pure joy to discover.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Powers)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=powers_tim)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/powers_tim)
Official website (http://www.theworksoftimpowers.com/)
TV Tropes (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/TimPowers)
The Guardian – Tim Powers: "I Don't Have to Make Anything Up" (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jun/03/tim-powers-i-dont-have-to-make-anything-up)
Black Gate – The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers (https://www.blackgate.com/2014/07/08/the-drawing-of-the-dark-by-tim-powers/)
Tor.com – Jo Walton: As Neat as It Gets: Tim Powers's The Anubis Gates (https://www.tor.com/2009/03/13/as-neat-as-it-gets-tim-powerss-the-anubis-gates/)
Tor.com – Time Travel and the Tempest: Three Days to Never by Tim Powers (https://www.tor.com/2013/01/10/time-travel-and-the-tempest-three-days-to-never-by-tim-powers/)
Tor.com – Lost in Hollywood: Medusa's Web by Tim Powers (https://www.tor.com/2016/01/18/book-reviews-medusas-web-by-tim-powers/)



SHIRLEY JACKSON (1916-1965)

A solitary child while growing up, Shirley Jackson found her creative release by writing, by which she would become one of the most famous literary figures in American letters. She first came to public attention with "The Lottery", a short story of a seemingly ordinary American town with a dark secret, followed by well-received psychological novels such as The Bird's Nest and The Sundial. Her greatest success would be The Haunting of Hill House, one of the greatest haunted house novels ever written, considered to be a milestone in the development of written horror. Her personal life, in the meantime, would slowly deteriorate due to her own personal psychological problems, and she would die of heart failure three years after publishing her final completed work, the Gothic mystery We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Her influence extends to such luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Richard Matheson, and Stephen King, and in 2007, an award in her name for superior achievement in the dark fantastic was established.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Jackson)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=jackson_shirley)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/jackson_shirley)
Official website (http://shirleyjackson.org/)
The New Yorker – The Haunted Mind of Shirley Jackson (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/the-haunted-mind-of-shirley-jackson)
The New York Times: Archives – Obituary of Shirley Jackson (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1214.html)
Black Gate – Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House (https://www.blackgate.com/2013/02/05/shirley-jacksons-the-haunting-of-hill-house/)
Black Gate – We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/09/15/we-have-always-lived-in-the-castle-by-shirley-jackson/)
Tor.com – The Haunted Houses and Haunted Psyches of Shirley Jackson (https://www.tor.com/2017/10/03/the-haunted-houses-and-haunted-psyches-of-shirley-jackson/)
Tor.com – Whatever Walked There, Walked Alone: The Haunting of Shirley Jackson by Shirley Jackson (https://www.tor.com/2016/12/06/whatever-walked-there-walked-alone-the-haunting-of-hill-house-by-shirley-jackson/)



JAMES HILTON (1900-1954)

Son of the headmaster of Walthamstow's Chapel End School in England, James Hilton was a bestselling author of his day, remembered primarily for sentimental mainstream novels such as Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Random Harvest, We Are Not Alone, and So Well Remembered. His sole excursion into fantasy and science fiction is perhaps his best remembered novel, Lost Horizon, an adventure story in which a British consul discovers the hidden Tibetan lamasery of Shangri-La, where the inhabitants have achieved longevity of life as well as peace of mind. It is generally thought to be one of the first mass market paperback bestsellers in America and was later made into a successful film by Frank Capra in 1937.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hilton_(novelist))
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=hilton_james)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/hilton_james)
The James Hilton Society (http://www.jameshiltonsociety.co.uk/)
The SF Site – Review of Lost Horizon (https://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/hilton.html)



NNEDI OKORAFOR (1974- )

After her athletic career was derailed by complications due to scoliosis, Nigerian-American Nnedimma Nkemdili Okorafor turned to writing seriously at a close friend's suggestion. Her first books, The Shadow Speaker and Zahrah the Windseeker, were for young adults but were nevertheless critically acclaimed, and her first adult novel, Who Fears Death, won the World Fantasy Award in 2011; further works include the Binti trilogy (Binti, Binti: Home, and Binti: The Night Masquerade), the children's book Long Juju Man, the young adult novel Akata Witch, and the science fiction novel Lagoon. In addition, he was also hired by Marvel Comics to continue their Black Panther series. Mrs. Okorafor is one of the leading figures in Afrofuturism, blending her West African heritage with her American life for stories of greater diversity.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nnedi_Okorafor)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/okorafor_nnedi)
Official website (http://www.nnedi.com/)
The University Daily Kansan – Author Nnedi Okorafor Talks Origins of Storytelling Career at Liberty Hall (http://www.kansan.com/arts_and_culture/author-nnedi-okorafor-talks-origins-of-storytelling-career-at-liberty/article_ed6d09c2-e464-11e8-bf4a-4bc3eb43119c.html)
The New York Times – Nnedi Okorafor and the Fantasy Genre She Is Helping Redefine (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/books/ya-fantasy-diverse-akata-warrior.html)
The Chicago Tribune – Nnedi Okorafor Talks Words, Career, "Black Panther" and C2E2 (https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-nnedi-okorafor-c2e2-interview-20180319-story.html)
Shondaland – The Marvelous Nnedi Okorafor (https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/books/a19564695/the-marvelous-nnedi-okorafor/)
The Guardian – "So Many Different Types of Strange": How Nnedi Okorafor Is Changing the Face of Sci-Fi (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/18/so-many-different-types-of-strange-how-nnedi-okorafor-is-changing-the-face-of-sci-fi)
Tor.com – Hope and Vengeance in Post-Apocalyptic Sudan: Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (https://www.tor.com/2017/11/07/hope-and-vengeance-in-post-apocalyptic-sudan-who-fears-death-by-nnedi-okorafor/)
Tor.com – Nnedi Okorafor's Lagoon Makes the Alien Seem Familiar (https://www.tor.com/2018/01/11/nnedi-okorafors-lagoon-makes-the-alien-seem-familiar/)
Tor.com – "There Is Juju in This Book": Exploring Nnedi Okorafor's Akata Witch Series (https://www.tor.com/2017/10/17/there-is-juju-in-this-book-exploring-nnedi-okorafors-akata-witch-series/)
Tor.com – Of Jellyfish, Otjize, and Afrofuturism: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (https://www.tor.com/2015/09/21/of-jellyfish-otjize-and-afrofuturism-binti-by-nnedi-okorafor/)



LEV GROSSMAN (1969- )

Lev Grossman came from a very productive family, graduating from Harvard with a degree in literature and eventually becoming a book critic and technology writer for Time, as well as contributing to several other periodicals such as The New York Times, Wired, Salon, and The Wall Street Journal. After mixed success with two science fiction novels, he took a shot at fantasy with The Magicians, in which a young man named Quentin Coldwater is admitted to a secret college for sorcery in upstate New York, all the while discovering that the magic land in his favorite childhood book is frighteningly real; two sequels followed – The Magician King and The Magician's Land. The trilogy has received great critical acclaim, allowing Grossman to pursue writing full-time, and as of this writing, he is working on a King Arthur novel entitled The Bright Sword. Hailed as one of the brightest new voices in fantasy, his career will be followed with great interest.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Grossman)
Official website (http://levgrossman.com/)
Tor.com – Not an Escapist Fantasy: The Magicians by Lev Grossman (https://www.tor.com/2011/08/03/the-magicians-by-lev-grossman/)
Tor.com – "What If Harry Potter Were a Reader?": SDCC Spotlight on Lev Grossman (https://www.tor.com/2015/07/14/what-if-harry-potter-were-a-reader-sdcc-spotlight-on-lev-grossman/)
Vox.com – Novelist Lev Grossman on Why James Joyce's Dublin Matches J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth (https://www.vox.com/2018/2/7/16978880/lev-grossman-the-magicians-interview)
NPR – Morally Complex "Magicians" Recasts Potter's World (https://www.npr.org/2009/08/11/111751056/morally-complex-magicians-recasts-potters-world)
The Atlantic – Confronting Reality by Reading Fantasy (https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/08/going-home-with-cs-lewis/375560/)
Conceptual Fiction – The Magicians (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/the_magicians.html)



JACK CADY (1932-2004)

Though he conscientiously objected to the Korean War, Jack Cady fulfilled his services in the Maine Coast Guard, after which he held numerous jobs before turning to teaching creative writing, first at the University of Washington, then finally at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. He is best remembered as a fantasist and horror writer, highly appraised for his short stories, including the Nebula Award-winning "The Night We Buried Road Dog." The Well, about a man confronting the ghosts of his past in an ancestral house believed to have trapped the Devil, is considered a horror classic, and further speculative tales include The Jonah Watch, McDowell's Ghost, The Man Who Could Make Things Vanish, The Off Season, The Hauntings of Hood Canal, and Rules of '48. He is highly regarded both by his students and by other writers who followed after him.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Cady)
Realms of Night – Jack Cady (http://realmsofnight.com/2017/04/23/jack-cady/)
The Seattle Times – Obituary of Jack Cady (http://old.seattletimes.com/html/obituaries/2001838641_cadyobit17.html)
The Port Townsend Leader – Obituary of Jack Cady (http://www.ptleader.com/obituary-noted-author-jack-cady-has-finished-his-best-work/article_0056487c-3dd6-5eae-8273-5768995f9da4.html)
Skulls in the Stars – Review of The Well (https://skullsinthestars.com/2014/04/28/jack-cadys-the-well/)
Tor.com – Jack Cady's Rules of '48: Ghosts of the Past ( https://www.tor.com/2010/01/02/jack-cadys-rules-of-48-ghosts-of-the-past/ )
Black Gate – A Few Thoughts on Jack Cady's The Off Season (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/10/01/a-few-thoughts-on-jack-cadys-the-off-season/)



DIANA GABALDON (1952- )

Diana Gabaldon's career originally began in marine biology before founding Science Software Quarterly while employed at Arizona State University. Deciding to attempt a novel simply for fun, she was set on making it historical until she caught a rerun of a Doctor Who episode; with the new idea of making it a time travel story, she spent considerable research on 18th century Scotland to write what would be the bestselling Outlander, in which a nurse in the postwar British Army of 1946 is mysteriously transported into the midst of the Scottish highlands of 1743, where she falls in love with a dashing young clansman and is eventually roped into the Jacobite Rebellion. The book proved immensely successful, with eight sequels (at present) following – Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo on the Bone, Written in My Heart's Own Blood, and Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. With a franchise spanning multiple media, she is one of the most popular authors on the market today.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Gabaldon)
Official website (http://www.dianagabaldon.com/)
Faerie Magazine – An Interview with Diana Gabaldon (https://www.faeriemagazine.com/an-interview-with-diana-gabaldon/)
Outlandish Observations – Interview with Diana Gabaldon, Part 1 (http://www.outlandishobservations.com/2018/08/interview-with-diana-gabaldon-part-1.html)
Outlandish Observations – Interview with Diana Gabaldon, Part 2 (http://www.outlandishobservations.com/2018/08/interview-with-diana-gabaldon-part-2.html)



IRA LEVIN (1929-2007)

After his college education, Ira Levin's career began with writing training films, radio plays, and scripts for television, eventually turning to Broadway; his best-known work for the stage is the comedy thriller Deathtrap. His first novel, A Kiss Before Dying, was a highly regarded mystery, but his greatest success came with Rosemary's Baby, a suspense-horror story in which a young woman comes to believe that the residents of her apartment complex may have sinister, apocalyptic plans for her newborn son; it is generally credited for kicking off what would become the horror boom of the 70's and 80's. His other works would rely on science fiction concepts and social commentary for suspense, such as dystopia (This Perfect Day), feminism (The Stepford Wives), and cloning (The Boys from Brazil). His influence on horror and suspense can still be felt to this day, although he might not totally approve of it.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Levin)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=levin_ira)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/levin_ira)
Official website (http://iralevin.org/)
The Guardian – Obituary of Ira Levin (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/nov/15/guardianobituaries.booksobituaries)
The New York Times – Obituary of Ira Levin (https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/books/14levin.html)
The Sun – Obituary of Ira Levin (https://www.nysun.com/obituaries/ira-levin-78-revived-horror-in-rosemarys-baby/66439/)
The Criterion Collection – "Stuck with Satan": Ira Levin on the Origins of Rosemary's Baby (https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2541--stuck-with-satan-ira-levin-on-the-origins-of-rosemary-s-baby)
Bustle.com – Ira Levin's Feminist Horror Novels Are Still Terrifying Because Women's Rights Are Still Under Attack (https://www.bustle.com/p/ira-levins-feminist-horror-novels-are-still-terrifying-because-womens-rights-are-still-under-attack-12145315)



Another set done. I really hope you all are enjoying this so far. If there's anything that you would like to see or have me change up, feel free to let me know. I'd love to have some new material to deal with. Comments and discussions are always welcome, and the forum topic can be found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

This next batch is predominantly made up of some of the great names in fantastic fiction, plus a couple of relative newcomers you should keep your eye on. There's no overarching theme amongst them, it's just some really good writers. So here we go!



JACK FINNEY (1911-1995)

Walter Braden "Jack" Finney began his career in 1943 with a story supportive of the war effort, and, from that point onward, he would establish himself as one of the slickest thriller writers of the age. While his entire body of work is notable, two novels in particular stand out, especially to fans of speculative fiction. The first, The Body Snatchers (appropriately retitled Invasion of the Body Snatchers after the success of the film), is one of the most popular (and frequently filmed) alien invasion stories, a haunting tale of slow terror and paranoia in which extraterrestrial seed pods quietly begin to assimilate a small California town as emotionless duplicates of the residents, and only a young doctor and his girlfriend must attempt to thwart them. The second is Time and Again, in which an advertising agent in New York City is recruited into a government project seeking to achieve time travel through hypnotic means; he finds himself in 1882, where he becomes torn between the impending present and the idyllic satisfaction of the past. Finney's work remains highly regarded, as he won the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1987.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Finney)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=finney_jack)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/finney_jack)
The New York Times: Archives – Obituary of Jack Finney (https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/17/nyregion/jack-finney-84-sci-fi-author-of-time-travel-tales-dies.html)
NPR.org – The Sad Lesson of Body Snatchers: People Change (https://www.npr.org/2011/10/17/141416427/the-sad-lesson-of-body-snatchers-people-change)
Tor.com – Time Travel Times Two: Jack Finney's Time and Again (https://www.tor.com/2009/03/17/time-travel-times-two-jack-finneys-time-and-again/)



RICHARD MATHESON (1926-2013)

For over half a century, Richard Matheson blazed trails in the horror, science fiction, and fantasy genres, becoming one of the most respected practitioners and a precursor to figures such as Stephen King and Steven Spielberg. His work includes numerous short stories for various magazines and screenplays for television shows like The Twilight Zone, which rank among the very best of their kind. His novels include such groundbreaking classics such as I Am Legend, the story of the last man on earth's grueling survival against the hordes of the undead, which both revitalized the vampire subgenre and prefigured the notorious zombie apocalypse. Other famous fabulations followed such as The Shrinking Man (filmed as The Incredible Shrinking Man); A Stir of Echoes; Hell House; Bid Time Return (filmed as Somewhere in Time); and What Dreams May Come. He ranks as a giant in several halls of fame and should not be passed up, as his importance to the development of speculative fiction cannot be overstated.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=matheson_richard)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/matheson_richard)
The New York Times – Obituary of Richard Matheson (https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/books/richard-matheson-writer-of-haunted-science-fiction-and-horror-dies-at-87.html)
Conceptual Fiction – The Scariest of Them All: A Tribute to Richard Matheson (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/richard_matheson.html)
Conceptual Fiction – What Dreams May Come (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/what_dreams_may_come.html)
Tor.com – Matthew R. Bradley: Richard Matheson – Storyteller (https://www.tor.com/series/richard-mathesonstoryteller/)
Tor.com – Terror on a Deadline: Remembering Richard Matheson (https://www.tor.com/2016/02/20/richard-matheson-on-this-day/)
Sci-Fi Station: Richard Matheson (http://www.scifistation.com/matheson/matheson_index.html)



PETER STRAUB (1943-2022)

Peter Straub, a Milwaukee native, has made a substantial career out of writing literary horror, combining the tropes of terror with the artistic integrity of mainstream writing, becoming as respected in the field as Stephen King. He began with nonsupernatural mainstream novels before writing the gothic novel Julia, further dabbling in horror with If You Could See Me Now, and finally achieving bestselling success with Ghost Story. Further works in the same vein include Shadowland, Floating Dragon, and a collaboration with Stephen King, The Talisman. His next shift in tone came with the loosely connected Blue Rose Trilogy (Koko, Mystery, and The Throat), followed by other thrillers before returning to collaborating again with Stephen King in a sequel to their first work, Black House. He has won numerous literary awards in the field, bringing a respectability where it is greatly needed.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Straub)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=straub_peter)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/straub_peter)
Official website (http://peterstraub.net/)
Tor.com – Where to Start with the Works of Peter Straub (https://www.tor.com/2015/07/10/where-to-start-with-the-works-of-peter-straub/)



JORGE LUIS BORGES (1899-1986)

Raised in a bilingual home on Shakespeare and Schopenhauer, Jorge Luis Borges grew from a lad with little formal education and few benefits to the most beloved writer in Argentina, drawing on fable and fabulism to create a sense of wonder and imagination even in the midst of his own early-onset blindness. His best-known works include the short story collections Ficcones and The Aleph, featuring such stories as "The Aleph", "The Secret Miracle", "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius", "The Library of Babel", "Funes, the Memorious", and others, tackling themes of infinity, theology, mathematics, and science. Vindicated by the eruption of Latin American writers in subsequent years, he remains one of the original creators of magic realism.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Luis_Borges)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=borges_jorge_luis)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/borges_jorge_luis)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jorge-Luis-Borges)
The Modern World (https://web.archive.org/web/20101130011634/http://themodernword.com/borges/index.html)
New World Encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jorge_Luis_Borges)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 39: Jorge Luis Borges (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/4331/jorge-luis-borges-the-art-of-fiction-no-39-jorge-luis-borges)
The New York Times: Archives – Obituary of Jorge Luis Borges ()
TV Tropes ([url=https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JorgeLuisBorges]]https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JorgeLuisBorges])
TV Tropes (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/JorgeLuisBorges)
Conceptual Fiction – Ficciones (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/ficciones.html)



THEODORE STURGEON (1918-1985)

Born Edward Hamilton Waldo, Theodore Sturgeon was one of the most respected and prolific writers of the Golden Age of science fiction, although his output also covered fantasy, horror, and mystery. Not much known by the general public, his influence on later writers is considered quite significant. He wrote over 200 short stories, which were considered his best work but that's not to say that his novels were of any less quality, which include The Dreaming Jewels, More Than Human, Venus Plus X, and Some of Your Blood. He is also well remembered as a screenwriter for Star Trek and for coining "Sturgeon's Law": "Ninety percent of [science fiction] is crud, but then, ninety percent of everything is crud."

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Sturgeon)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=sturgeon_theodore)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/sturgeon_theodore)
The Theodore Sturgeon Page (http://www.physics.emory.edu/faculty/weeks//misc/sturgeon.html)
The Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust (http://theodoresturgeontrust.com/)



SOFIA SAMATAR (1971- )

An American educator of Somali heritage, Sofia Samatar started out as a language instructor in Sudan and Egypt before turning to writing fiction in 2012. Her acclaimed stories have been featured several genre magazines, and her first novel, A Stranger in Olondria – a tale of a pepper merchant's son and a young girl's ghost in a far-off kingdom on the brink of war – was an immediate success, winning both the World Fantasy Award and the British Fantasy Award as well as nominated for the Nebula and Locus Awards. A relative newcomer to the genre, she also published two short story collections, Monster Portraits and Tender, and a sequel to her first novel, The Winged Histories.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Samatar)
Official website (http://www.sofiasamatar.com/)
L.A. Times – Sofia Samatar on the Many Influences on Her Fantasy Novel, The Winged Histories (http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-sofia-samatar-the-winged-histories-20160315-story.html)
Tor.com – The Powerful Acts of Writing and Reading: A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar (https://www.tor.com/2013/05/14/review-a-stranger-in-olondria-by-sofia-samatar/)
Tor.com – Expanding Olondria: The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar (https://www.tor.com/2016/03/14/book-reviews-the-winged-histories-by-sofia-samatar/)
Literary Hub – Sofia Samatar on Kafka, Binge-Writing and the Search for Monsters (https://lithub.com/sofia-samatar-on-kafka-binge-writing-and-the-search-for-monsters/)
Post45 – Interview with Sofia Samatar (http://post45.research.yale.edu/2014/12/interview-sofia-samatar/)
Uncanny.com – Interview with Sofia Samatar (https://uncannymagazine.com/article/interview-sofia-samatar/)
Medium.com – Q&A with Sofia Samatar (https://medium.com/@theoffingmag/q-a-with-sofia-samatar-author-of-an-account-of-the-land-of-witches-797211675f04)
Black Fox Literary Magazine – A Conversation with Sofia Samatar (http://www.blackfoxlitmag.com/2014/12/22/a-conversation-with-sofia-samatar/)



G. WILLOW WILSON (1982- )

Having grown up with an appreciation of comics, Gwendolyn Willow Wilson, who converted to Islam while attending Boston University, moved from journalism to graphic novels with Cairo, illustrated by M. K. Perker, eventually coming to work on several ongoing titles for both Marvel and DC; her most notable success in the field bay be the creation of the Kamala Khan, a Muslim-American teenager who becomes the new Ms. Marvel, which has been extremely well-received. Her first novel, Alif the Unseen, is a fantasy about an Arab computer hacker who discovers a mysterious book that may change the fate of information technology; it won the World Fantasy Award in 2013 and garnered considerable praise. Her second novel, The Bird King, follows a concubine in the end of the era of Muslim Spain who must protect her closest friend – a mapmaker who can draw maps of places unheard of. Mrs. Wilson is one of the rising new stars of fantasy fiction and the comics industry, well worth any fan's time.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Willow_Wilson)
Official website (http://gwillowwilson.com/)
Little Village Magazine – Ms. Marvel Author G. Willow Wilson Discusses Faith, Gender and the Comics Industry (https://littlevillagemag.com/g-willow-wilson-ms-marvel-author-iowa-city-book-festival/)
Alif the Unseen – Official Website (http://aliftheunseen.com/)
The Guardian – Alif the Unseen: Speculative Fiction Meets the Arab Spring (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/dec/13/alif-the-unseen-g-willow-wilson)
Vulture.com – Meet G. Willow Wilson, the Muslim Woman Revolutionizing Superhero Comics (https://www.vulture.com/2014/03/g-willow-wilson-ms-marvel-kamala-khan-interview.html)



GÜNTER GRASS (1927-2015)

Günter Grass was conscripted into the Waffen-SS some time after leaving his parents' home, them was taken as a prisoner of war by the Allied forces, before turning to sculpture and stonemasonry to earn a living. Eventually, he would turn his artistic talents to writing, becoming one of the leading figures in postwar German literature with the publication of his classic magic realist text The Tin Drum, about a boy who refuses to grow up physically and lives through several historic events; it was followed by two more works, Cat and Mouse and Dog Years, to collective form the Danzig Trilogy. Other books such as The Flounder and The Rat continue a mix of fairytale and social criticism which would earn Grass the Nobel Price in Literature in 1999. His work has been both praised and criticized, and he remains important in understanding Germany in the latter half of the 20th century.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Günter_Grass)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=grass_gunter)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/grass_gunter)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gunter-Grass)
The New York Times – Obituary of Günter Grass (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/world/europe/gunter-grass-german-novelist-dies-at-87.html)
The Guardian – Günter Grass: The Man Who Broke the Silence (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/18/gunter-grass-tributes-man-broke-silence)
The Guardian – Hans Kundnani: Günter Grass Personified Germany's Difficult Relationship with Its Nazi Past (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/14/gunter-grass-personified-germanys-relationship-nazi-past)
Slate.com – Günter Grass, Reconsidered (https://slate.com/culture/2007/07/gunter-grass-reconsidered.html)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 124: Günter Grass (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2191/gunter-grass-the-art-of-fiction-no-124-gunter-grass)
Conceptual Fiction – The Tin Drum (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/the_tin_drum.html)



That's all for now, so stay tuned for the next set. As always, comments and discussions are appreciated, even encouraged, and the forum topic can be found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

With this, I reach my twentieth entry on this blog. I really hope that some people have got something out of it. I mean, I know you can't simply pick up everything right away, as reading takes time, but I would hope that I've gotten people interested in the history of fantasy and introduced some heretofore forgotten authors that should be remembered better. If I weren't so lazy, I'd probably have more entries already, but I thank you all for keeping up with me as I go along.

Today's batch, with a couple exceptions, is mostly connected with the term "magic realism", which basically realistic storytelling infused with fantastic elements; it's a movement that has a large following in Central American countries, as well as other European nations, though the American/English side has some big names behind it. It's often debated whether this can be classified as fantasy per se, but I personally think it qualifies, so I'm pleased to share it with you. The topic deserves more analysis elsewhere, and I'd be glad to discuss it more. So here are some names worth checking out.



MARGARET ATWOOD (1939- )

One of the most respected Canadian authors today, Margaret Atwood began her career at an early age, writing plays and poems at age six, although she hadn't set about it professionally until age 16. She published her first novel, The Edible Woman, in 1969, although her breakthrough wouldn't come until 1972's Surfacing, after which she would start a close association with feminism, Canadian identity, politics, and other issues. Some of her works have been classified as speculative fiction to differentiate them from typical science fiction tropes. One of her most recognizable works is The Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian story set in a theocratic society in which women are made subservient to the men in charge; metafictional elements can be found in The Blind Assassin, and themes of apocalypse and climate change figure into the MaddAdam Trilogy (Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, and MaddAdam). Supported by an associative body of literary and historical fiction, Atwood is one of the premiere figures in 20th- and 21st-century literature.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Atwood)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/atwood_margaret)
Margaret Atwood's Website (http://margaretatwood.ca/)
The Margaret Atwood Society (https://atwoodsociety.org/)
The Guardian – Light in the Wilderness: A Profile of Margaret Atwood (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/apr/26/fiction.margaretatwood)
Poetry Foundation: Margaret Atwood (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/margaret-atwood)
Literary Hub – Margaret Atwood on How She Came to Write The Handmaid's Tale (https://lithub.com/margaret-atwood-on-how-she-came-to-write-the-handmaids-tale/)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 121: Margaret Atwood (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2262/margaret-atwood-the-art-of-fiction-no-121-margaret-atwood)



PATRICK SÜSKIND (1949- )

Little is known about the private life of German author and screenwriter Patrick Süskind, who lives reclusively without intrusion from public interviews and photographers. What is known is that he is the son of a famous journalist and has many aristocratic relatives; he studied medieval and modern history but never graduated. Perhaps his most successful work is his sole novel, Das Parfum, translated into English as Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, a historical mystery-horror-magic realist tale of a young man born with a superhuman sense of smell, isolated socially from the world around him, who soon takes to murder to find the perfect scent; a best seller in Germany for nine years, it was an international success, translated into 49 languages and selling 20 million copies worldwide, even winning the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1987.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Süskind)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=suskind_patrick +)
GradeSaver – Biography of Patrick Süskind (https://www.gradesaver.com/author/patrick-suskind)
The SF Site – Review of Perfume (https://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/perfume.html)
The New York Times – Archived Interview/Review (https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/09/books/success-of-smell-is-sweet-for-new-german-novelist.html)
Black Gate – A Dash of the Past: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (https://www.blackgate.com/2012/12/19/a-dash-of-the-past-perfume-the-story-of-a-murderer/)
Black Gate – In Defense of an Abominable Personage: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind (https://www.blackgate.com/2017/05/31/in-defense-of-an-abominable-personage-perfume-the-story-of-a-murderer-by-patrick-suskind/)



MIKHAIL BULGAKOV (1891-1940)

Mikhail Bulgakov worked as a doctor during WWI and the Russian Civil War before subsequent illnesses led him to become a writer, publishing works that combined satire and science fiction like Diaboliad, The Fatal Eggs, and Heart of a Dog, in addition to acclaimed theater productions. Some of them, however, couldn't be published in the new Soviet climate, and those that did see the light of day were often criticized for being unsupportive of the regime, but Bulgakov managed to attain the personal protection of Stalin himself, which probably saved his life. His masterpiece, unpublished in his lifetime for fear of the response, was The Master and Margarita, a biting satirical fantasy in which the Devil himself appears in atheist Russia with a monstrous retinue in tow, while an unnamed writer struggles with an important biography of Jesus Christ; first released in a censored format in 1967, with an unabridged version following in 1973, the book has been regarded as one of the crowning achievements of the 20th century and a resonant milestone in Russian literature.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Bulgakov)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=bulgakov_mikhail)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/bulgakov_mikhail)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mikhail-Bulgakov)
The Library of Congress – Mikhail Bulgakov in the Western World: A Bibliography (https://www.loc.gov/rr/european/bulgaklc.html)
The Guardian – Baddies in Books: Woland, Bulgakov's Charming Devil (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/mar/03/baddies-in-books-woland-devil-master-and-margarita)
The Guardian – Satan and Satire: Sympathy for the Devil in The Master and Margarita (https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jun/14/sympathy-for-the-master-and-margarita-devil-mikhail-bulgakov)
The Guardian – How Did the Master and Margarita Become Bulgakov's Title Characters? (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jun/21/how-did-the-master-and-margarita-become-bulgakovs-title-characters-reading-group)
Conceptual Fiction – The Master and Margarita (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/master_and_margarita.html)



MICHAEL FRAYN (1933- )

Michael Frayn is one of the leading British authors and playwrights of the 20th and 21st centuries, first coming into notice as a satirical reporter for both The Guardian and The Observer; he is also highly regarded for his translations of Anton Chekhov's works. His best-known work may be the farce Noises Off, about a theatrical production gone comically wrong, as well as the dramas Copenhagen and Democracy. Of his highly acclaimed novels, two are of interest to speculative fiction. A Very Private Life is a science fiction story about the social divide in a future society between those who live in an isolated environment fueled by drug-induced torpor and those in the untamed ruined wilderness. Sweet Dreams is a fantasy in which an English architect suddenly finds himself in a Heaven tailored to his own wants and desires, even getting the opportunity to start a partnership with God.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Frayn)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=frayn_michael)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/frayn_michael)
British Council: Literature – Michael Frayn (https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/michael-frayn)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Frayn)
The Neglected Books Page – Sweet Dreams (http://neglectedbooks.com/?p=35)



MARK HELPRIN (1947- )

Being the son of a film producer and a stage actress, Mark Helprin, a Harvard graduate, seemed born for the limelight, but he chose the path of a writer instead, identifying with no school of thought or movement except his own personal style. He has contributed to numerous periodicals, including The New Yorker, Claremont Review of Books, and The New York Times, as well as having won a few prestigious honors. His most well-known work for adults is Winter's Tale, a modern fairy tale of sorts set in a mythic New York city featuring a time-traveling young man and a magical white horse; it has ben well-received as one of the key magic realism texts of American literature, getting a glowing recommendation in the New York Times Book Review. Also of note is his Swan Lake Trilogy written for children and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, comprising Swan Lake, A City in Winter, and The Veil of Snows, following a displaced princess who must reclaim her kingdom. More recent is Freddy and Fredericka, in which a British royal couple (equivalents for Prince Charles and Princess Diana) are sent to America to achieve a great destiny.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Helprin)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=helprin_mark)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/helprin_mark)
Official website (http://markhelprin.com/)
America's Future Foundation – Best of Doublethink Flashback: Interview with Mark Helprin (https://americasfuture.org/best-of-doublethink-flashback-interview-with-mark-helprin/)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 132: Mark Helprin (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1962/mark-helprin-the-art-of-fiction-no-132-mark-helprin)
Conceptual Fiction – Winter's Tale (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/winters_tale.html)
Tor.com – Chris Lough: Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale Is a Failure That Genre Fans Must Experience (https://www.tor.com/2014/02/11/winters-tale-is-a-failure-that-genre-fans-must-experience/)
The Guardian – Season's Reading: Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2010/dec/14/season-s-readings-mark-helprin)
The New York Times – Archived Review: Winter's Tale (https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/04/books/winters-tale.html)



GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ (1927-2014)

In the 20th century and beyond, perhaps no other writer is so linked with magic realism as Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez, one of the greatest and most respected writers in the Spanish language, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Influenced tremendously by the storytelling techniques of his grandparents, Gabo (as he is affectionately called) sought to convey a singular type of story, one in which the fantastic and the marvelous occurred with as much nonchalance as the mundane, first achieving success with this synthesis in his best-known novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, about the generations of the founding family in the fictional Colombian town of Macondo; since its 1967 publication, it has been held as one of the best novels in the Spanish literary canon and helped spark the Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970s. More novels and novellas would follow a similar style, such as The Autumn of the Patriarch, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Love in the Time of Cholera, The General in His Labyrinth, Of Love and Other Demons, and Memories of My Melancholy Whores. Despite coming into conflict with numerous politicians during his life, his death in 2014 was mourned nationally, and he remains a central figure of Latin American culture.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_García_Márquez)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=garcia_marquez_gabriel)
Conceptual Fiction – One Hundred Years of Solitude (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/one_hundred_years_of_solitude.html)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gabriel-Garcia-Marquez)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 69: Gabriel García Márquez (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/3196/gabriel-garcia-marquez-the-art-of-fiction-no-69-gabriel-garcia-marquez)
The New York Times – Obituary of Gabriel García Márquez (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/books/gabriel-garcia-marquez-literary-pioneer-dies-at-87.html)
Culture Trip – The Best Books by Gabriel García Márquez You Must Read (https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/colombia/articles/the-best-books-by-gabriel-garcia-marquez-you-must-read/)
Vanity Fair – The Secret History of One Hundred Years of Solitude (https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/12/gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred-years-of-solitude-history)
The Guardian – One Hundred Years of Solitude, 50 Years On (https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/may/30/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-50-years-on)



FRANZ KAFKA (1883-1924)

Franz Kafka is one of the towering figures in 20th century literature, even though it was never his intention to be so. Trained as a lawyer, he wrote constantly in his spare time while working as an insurance agent; upon his death, most of his work was finally published against his wishes, to the good fortune of lovers of the written word. His bibliography is a mix of the fantastic and the surreal with everyday life, tackling themes of alienation and absurdity in the face of incomprehensible bureaucracy. The Metamorphosis, in which a man finds himself transformed into a giant insect, is considered one of the greatest stories ever written; his novels, such as The Trial and The Castle, are also highly regarded. Today, the term "Kafkaesque" has entered the modern lexicon to describe anything marked by a surreal, senseless complexity with menacing overtones.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=kafka_franz)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/kafka_franz)
Kafka Society of America (http://www.kafkasocietyofamerica.org/)
Franz Kafka Online (http://www.kafka-online.info/)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franz-Kafka)



ITALO CALVINO (1923-1985)

Raised with an intense dislike of the ruling National Fascist Party, Italo Calvino would be a lifelong non-conformist, eventually becoming the most translated contemporary Italian author at the time of his death. His surreal, postmodern works are allegorical exercises in fabulism and fairy tales, often reflecting his ambivalence of the prevailing politics of the age. Among his best-known works are the magic realist Our Ancestors trilogy (The Cloven Viscount, The Baron in the Trees, and The Nonexistent Knight), the science fiction collection Cosmicomics, the imaginative Invisible Cities, and the experimental If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. He remains one of the most important names in Italian literature and the contemporary postmodern movement.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_Calvino)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=calvino_italo)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/calvino_italo)
Outside the Town of Malbork: A Site for Italo Calvino (http://www.italo-calvino.com/)
Italo Calvino on Myth (http://alangarner.atspace.org/calvino.html)
An Italo Calvino Resource Page (https://www.uky.edu/~eushe2/Pajares/calvino/)
Publisher's Weekly – The 10 Best Italo Calvino Books (https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/58423-the-10-best-italo-calvino-books.html)
The Paris Review – The Art of Fiction, No. 130: Italo Calvino (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2027/italo-calvino-the-art-of-fiction-no-130-italo-calvino)
The New York Times: Archives – Obituary of Italo Calvino (https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/19/books/italo-calvino-the-novelist-dead-at-61.html)
The New York Times – Jonathan Lethem: Italo for Beginners (https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/20/books/review/italo-for-beginners.html)



That's all I got for now. But more is definitely coming, and I'll try not to keep you waiting for so long; I think I'm beginning to get back into the spirit of doing these again, anyway. I'm open to any comments or suggestions, so feel free to leave them at your leisure. The forum topic certainly hasn't been used in a while, but it can still be found here if anyone wishes to make any more use out of it: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

So now we move into November. Only one more month left in the year. As Thanksgiving and the eventual onset of winter looms, so do my recommendations. And I hope you all like what I have for you.

Reading: The Broken Sword (1954) by Poul Anderson

Published in the same year as The Fellowship of the Ring, science fiction legend Poul Anderson's Viking epic is fondly remembered by fantasy fans, although probably overshadowed by the colossus of Tolkien's works. The story follow Skafloc Half-elven, son of a Viking warlord raised among elves, whose Edenic existence is doomed to shatter by the coming of Christianity; in his place among men, a changeling, Valgard, grows up brooding and vicious. Ultimately, the two are fated to come together in the eternal war between the elves and the trolls, the tide of which hinges on a mysterious sword broken in two by the Norse gods, which spells disaster for the future. Told with all the relish and panache of the ancient Norse Eddas, this novel is one of the original grimdark tales, not to be missed by anyone looking for a great story.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Sword-Poul-Anderson/dp/1504054954/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1541044271&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Sword-Poul-Anderson-ebook/dp/B00PI181JI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1541044271&sr=8-1



Viewing: Howl's Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004)

After an unpleasant encounter with the notorious Witch of the Waste, young Sophie is transformed into a ninety-year-old woman, and her only hope of breaking the curse lies with the elusive wizard Howl, who resides in a walking castle powered by a fire demon. They soon find themselves drawn into a war with another kingdom, and it is up to Howl, with Sophie's assistance, to keep them from destroying one another, while confronting his own dark secrets. Loosely based on the eponymous novel by Diana Wynne Jones and made largely as a response to the Iraq War, this wonderfully animated film keeps up Miyazaki's typical themes of pacifism, technology, and feminism in an evenly entertaining way, sure to delight both children and adults with its whimsy and core messages. Definitely a must-watch.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Howls-Moving-Castle-Christian-Bale/dp/B074121MFT/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1541044303&sr=8-2
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Howls-Moving-Castle-Blu-ray-Christian/dp/B074121MFS/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1541044303&sr=8-2


A Happy Thanksgiving and a merry fall to all of you! May you find these choices as entertaining as I did.

Well, I've put it off for long enough. I'm sure my steadiest readers are eagerly awaiting some new names to hear about, and I'm more than happy to share them. I would very much like it if these authors were not totally forgotten, and only you can make that happen. So here they are.



THOMAS BURNETT SWANN (1928-1976)

Thomas Burnett Swann taught English literature at Florida Atlantic University before turning to full-time writing in the 1960's, first publishing sentimental poetry (he was an avid lover of the poem form) before penning a science fiction story, "Winged Victory", in 1958. He continued to write until his death from cancer, after which several of his novels were posthumously published. The majority of his work is pure fantasy, following a progressive history of the thinning of magic in the world and the tragic fates of the old classical inhabitants as modern empires and religions take hold; strangely enough, his sequences are published in reverse chronological order. Of note are the Minotaur Trilogy (Day of the Minotaur, The Forest of Forever, and Cry Silver Bells), which is set in ancient Greece, and the Latium Trilogy (Lady of the Bees, Green Phoenix, and Queens Walk in the Dust), which is told from a Roman perspective; other single novels include The Weirwoods, Moondust, The Goat Without Horns, Wolfwinter, How the Mighty Are Fallen, and The Minikins of Yam.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Burnett_Swann)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=swann_thomas_burnett)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/swann_thomas_burnett)
Steven Saylor's Thomas Burnett Swann Tribute Site (http://www.stevensaylor.com/ThomasBurnettSwann/)
Eight Miles Higher – Thomas Burnett Swann: Into the Wander-Wood (http://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2013/08/science-fantasy-thomas-burnett-swann.html)



RODERICK MACLEISH (1926-2006)

Nephew of the acclaimed poet Archibald MacLeish, Roderick MacLeish served as news director for WBZ Radio in Boston during the 1950's as well as a co-founder of Westinghouse Broadcasting's London and Washington, D.C. divisions; in his later years, he contributed commentary to CBS News, National Public Radio, and The Christian Science Monitor. He also published both literary and mystery fiction as well as nonfiction. One of his most noted works is Prince Ombra, in which a young New England boy discovers that he is the 1,001st incarnation of an appointed champion destined to face the eponymous essence of evil for the fate of the world.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roderick_MacLeish)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=macleish_roderick)
Epiphyte.net – Brief review of Prince Ombra (http://epiphyte.net/SF/prince-ombra.html)



RUSSELL HOBAN (1925-2011)

An American expatriate in London for the last half of his life, Russell Hoban started out primarily as a young children's writer before penning The Mouse and His Child, a dark tale of two wind-up mice and their adventures, for a slightly older audience. Eventually, he would turn out work for adults beginning with  The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz, in which a quest for the ultimate map which leads to everything instigates a search for long-disappeared lions; further fantasies of note include the abstract metaphysical Kleinzeit (an advertising copywriter is thrust into a bizarre sequence of events involving living concepts and repressed creativity), Pilgermann (a Jewish eunuch receives a vision of Christ and sets out for the Holy Land, encountering an increasingly strange cast of characters), and The Medusa Frequency (a writer looking to beat a creative block is left with experiencing conversations with what he believes is the head of Orpheus). His most celebrated work is the post-apocalyptic science fiction story Riddley Walker, told in a unique fictional dialect, set in a future England ravaged by nuclear war where civilization is beginning to reemerge. Other speculative stories such as Fremder, Amaryllis Night and Day, and Angelica Lost and Found are worth considerable mention.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Hoban)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=hoban_russell)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/hoban_russell)
The Official Russell Hoban Website (http://www.russellhoban.org/)
The Telegraph – Obituary/Retrospective of Russell Hoban (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8957017/Russell-Hoban.html)
The Head of Orpheus: A Russell Hoban Reference Page (http://www.ocelotfactory.com/hoban/)
The New York Times, Archived Article – Russell Hoban, Reinventing English (https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/01/books/russell-hoban-reinventing-english.html)



PHILIP JOSÉ FARMER (1918-2009)

Philip José Farmer decided he wanted to become a writer at an early age, being a voracious reader, eventually receiving a bachelor's degree in English at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, while working at a steel mill. His first literary success was the novella The Lovers in 1952, about a sexual encounter between a human and an extraterrestrial; further success would come fifteen years later with another novella, Riders of the Purple Wage, allowing him to pursue writing full-time in 1969. From that point on, Farmer would become one of the most respected science fiction writers in the field, well-known for his pioneering use of religious and sexual overtones running throughout his work. Almost 60 novels and over 100 short stories and novelettes would round out his 60-year career, including the World of Tiers sequence (The Maker of Universes, The Gates of Creation, A Private Cosmos, Behind the Walls of Terra, The Lavalite World, and More Than Fire); the afterlife themed Riverworld series (To Your Scattered Bodies Go, The Fabulous Riverboat, The Dark Design, The Magic Labyrinth, and Gods of Riverworld); and numerous homages to pulp fiction heroes like Tarzan and Doc Savage, including the Secrets of the Nine trilogy (A Feast Unknown, Lord of the Trees, and The Mad Goblin).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_José_Farmer)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=farmer_philip_jose)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/farmer_philip_jose)
The Official Philip José Farmer Web Page (http://www.pjfarmer.com/)



PETER ACKROYD (1949- )

Peter Ackroyd received a rather prestigious education and began his career in poetry, eventually going on to chronicle several lengthy biographies of figures such as Eliot, Blake, Dickens, Pound, and others, as well as several books of English history. Eventually, he took up novel writing, several of which are of fantasy interest and nearly all of which in some way chronicle the spirit and place of London. These include The Great Fire of London (the makers of a movie of Dickens's Little Dorrit are haunted by the original characters), Hawksmoor (a series of murders in 20th century London correspond to the erection of seven churches in the 18th century, rooted in occult psychogeography), First Light (the appearance of the night sky over an ancient dig site matches that of thousands of years ago, drawing together an eccentric cast of characters), and The House of Doctor Dee (the main character believes that he may be a homunculus created by the alchemist of Elizabeth I). Further interest may be found in Milton in America, The Plato Papers, The Fall of Troy, and The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ackroyd)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=ackroyd_peter)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/ackroyd_peter)



KEN GRIMWOOD (1944-2003)

Growing up with an interest in EC Comics and radio journalism, Ken Grimwood released a rather short but quite notable bibliography before his death of a heart attack at age 59. His debut novel, Breakthrough, a tale of reincarnation, attracted some attention but went out of print early, as did his other novels of immortality (Elise) and mind control (The Voice Outside). However, his shot at stardom came with his best-known work, the time travel fantasy Replay, in which a radio journalist inexplicably finds himself reliving his life consecutively in increasingly shorter intervals; the book has remained in print continually since its publication, being translated into several languages and optioned for film, as well as winning the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1988. His work seeks to impart a life-affirming message on the reader, one that is always well-needed in an increasingly cynical world.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Grimwood)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=grimwood_ken)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/grimwood_ken)
The Independent – Obituary of Ken Grimwood (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ken-grimwood-36631.html)
BirthMoviesDeath.com – On EDGE OF TOMORROW and Ken Grimwood's REPLAY (https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2014/06/06/on-edge-of-tomorrow-and-ken-grimwoods-replay)
NPR.org – In 'Replay', A Life Full of Second Chances (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92131281)
Tor.com – Jo Walton: Re-living Your Own Life: Ken Grimwood's Replay (https://www.tor.com/2012/02/02/re-living-your-own-life-ken-grimwoods-replay/)
Travels Through Iest – Review of Replay (http://travelsthroughiest.blogspot.com/2012/03/replay-by-ken-grimwood.html)



GEOFF RYMAN (1951- )

A gay Canadian expatriate in England, Geoff Ryman is one of the founders of the "mundane science fiction" movement (so names because it deals with terrestrial concepts based on modern science as it is rather than speculative fancies), as well as a co-designer of the official websites of the UK government. Among his most noted science fiction titles are The Child Garden, 253, Air: Or, Have Not Have, and The King's Last Song. Perhaps his most accomplished work, by consensus, is the revisionist fantasy Was, which follows the connections between a gay actor dying of AIDS in the present day and a disturbed young girl named Dorothy Gael in the 1860's, upon whom L. Frank Baum based the main characters of his famous Oz books, as she retreats into a personal fantasy to alleviate the dreariness of her won life.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Ryman)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=ryman_geoff)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/ryman_geoff)
Slate.com – The Uses of Enchantment: Review of Was (https://slate.com/culture/2014/07/geoff-rymans-wizard-of-oz-novel-was-reviewed.html)



FLANN O'BRIEN (1911-1966)

Brian O'Nolan, a contemporary of James Joyce, is considered one of the seminal figures in 20th century Irish literature, known for his biting wit and relentless satire of contemporary Irish life. He wrote prolifically under numerous pseudonyms, with particular note given to his column in The Irish Times, "Cruiskeen Lawn", under the name Myles na gCopaleen. To English readers, he is best remembered as Flann O'Brien, under which he penned the modernist classic At Swim-Two-Birds, a metafictional tale in which the characters of a literature student's novel try to take control of the story; it is highly regarded as one of the best English novels ever written by many academic sources. Also well appreciated is The Third Policeman, a surreal story involving a sinister police force and the bending of reality; it was published posthumously as no publisher would accept it originally, causing some elements of it to be recycled in the similar novel The Dalkey Archive, in which (among other things) a mad scientist plots to destroy the world by depleting it of its oxygen.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_O%27Nolan)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=obrien_flann)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/obrien_flann)
The Guardian – Flann O'Brien: Lovable Literary Genius (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/05/flann-obrien-loveable-literary-genius)
The Irish Times – The Fantastic Flann O'Brien (https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-fantastic-flann-o-brien-1.611390)
The Atlantic – The Last Laugh (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/05/the-last-laugh/306769/)
ConceptualFiction.com - At Swim-Two-Birds (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/at_swim_two_birds.html)
Postmodern Mystery - The Third Policeman (http://postmodernmystery.com/the_third_policeman.html)



GREGORY MAGUIRE (1954- )

Gregory Maguire, a native of Albany, New York, was deeply affected by the loss of his mother due to complications in childbirth, so much that it would feature heavily in his own writing. He earned degree in American, English, and children's literature from several universities, eventually co-founding Children's Literature New England in 1987 in an effort to nurture the role of books in young developing lives. His earliest works were for children, but he really entered the public consciousness in 1995 with his adult reimagining of L. Frank Baum's Oz series told from the perspective of the villain – Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West; three more books in the same setting would follow (Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out from Oz). His other adult work would follow a similar pattern of reimagining classic fairy tales for mature, contemporary audiences, such as Cinderella (Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister), Snow White (Mirror, Mirror), Alice in Wonderland (After Alice), and the Nutcracker (Hiddensee). Continuing to write for children, Maguire spends his time contributing to NPR's "All Things Considered" and lecturing worldwide on literature and culture; his best-known work would be adapted for Broadway in 2003 as the musical Wicked, becoming the sixth longest-running show in Broadway history.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Maguire)
Gregory Maguire's Official Webpage (http://gregorymaguire.com/)
Britannica.com (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gregory-Maguire)
American Fairy Tales: A Conversation with Gregory Maguire (http://www.frodelius.com/wirelesstelegraph/maguire.html)
Tor.com – Responding to Fairyland: Gregory Maguire's Wicked (https://www.tor.com/2010/12/16/responding-to-fairyland-gregory-maguires-wicked/)
Tor.com – Self-discovery in Fairyland: Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch (https://www.tor.com/2010/12/30/self-discovery-in-fairyland-gregory-maguires-son-of-a-witch/)
Tor.com – Drifting in Fairyland: Gregory Maguire's A Lion Among Men (https://www.tor.com/2011/01/06/drifting-in-fairyland-gregory-maguires-a-lion-among-men/)
Tor.com – A Possible Farewell to Fairyland: Out of Oz (https://www.tor.com/2011/11/01/a-possible-farewell-to-fairyland-out-of-oz/)



Well, that's all I have for now. I hope I haven't disappointed anyone who's been waiting since February. I still have six more parts already planned out, though I can't make any promises on when they'll come. Let me know what you think in the comments and let's get some discussions going. As ever, the forum topic can be found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/index.php/topic,16.0.html#forum

Practically every place in the world has a story, ever nook and cranny having some dark shadow behind it. Manly Wade Wellman, one of the most respected writers in fantasy and horror, told tales based on the collective folklore of the Appalachian region. I'll bet that somewhere where you are right now has some good fantastic story to tell.

Anyone have any bits of folklore about their native region that they'd like to share? Any strange/creepy tales or pieces of myth that have caught your ears over time? What fantastic stories can be told about the good old American land?

I wish I had a link to give you, but I can't find anything, so I guess I'm going to have to go by myself.

I hope I haven't delivered a clickbait title, but I feel that short stories don't get a lot of love around here. I know I haven't really given much attention to them in the Recommended Reading. I just need to find the right collection.

I love short stories. I guess I prefer novels in general, but nothing beats a well-told short story. It's a form going back to oral storytelling - not to say that novels (and serial storytelling) didn't appear out of there, but old campfire tales are basically just short stories. Besides, some stories are better suited for short format, and some authors have made a living out of it. A lot of times in genre fiction, it seems, short stories will often be the preferred format for starting out before moving on to the novel. After all, it might be best to see if you can master short form before you take on longer material, though I wouldn't say that it's a universal truth - some people could possible leap right into novel writing and succeed.

If there's anything I would like anyone to get out of this, it would be to read more short stories. Even if you prefer novels, seek out the shorter stuff - there's an art to doing them, and some of the great writers are masters of the form. You may even learn something that will prove beneficial to novel writing. Sure, there are weaknesses, but that applies to every format as well. Sometimes, a novel is just too great a commitment; a story can be told succinctly and effectively within a small space.

So let's discuss it some. What are some of your favorite short stories? Who are some of your favorite short story writers? What do you want to get out of a short story?

I saw this yesterday night, and I thought everyone would be amused by it.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/schoolgirl-excalibur-king-arthur-lake-discover-dozmary-pool-cornwall-bodmin-moor-matilda-jones-a7930881.html

It would appear that a normal schoolgirl - one Matilda Jones of Doncaster - discovered an unexplained sword in Dozmary Pool on Bodmin Moor, which, according to legend, is where Arthur was granted Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake. The bad news is that, at the end, the father assumes that it must be an oldish film prop as the sword seems only 20-30 years old.

Still, it must be quite an exciting moment to find something so coincidentally like that. Fantasy fans can only wish they could be so lucky.

Here we are, in the last third of the year, and the witching hour is upon us - the Halloween season is here! Therefore, though it may not be to everyone's taste, I think it fitting to recommend some fantastically chilling stories for the month, something to keep you up at night. And here we go!

Reading: The Shining (1977) by Stephen King

It may certainly be expected to bring up the Master of Horror's third novel - the one that firmly established him as one of the most eminent names in American fiction - but don't let that be a mark against the book's quality. The story should be familiar to all: struggling writer Jack Torrance is given a last chance job as the winter caretaker of Colorado's prestigious Overlook Hotel, bringing his wife and young son with him to wait out until the new opening season. Little does anyone suspect the presence within the walls of the building, one which takes a particular interest in the gifted son, and it soon may cost them all dearly when it tries to use Jack as a conduit for its own purposes. A perennial favorite of many a fan of supernatural terror, this classic tale earns its place in the public consciousness with its frank dialogue, psychological breakdown, and steady pacing, mounting the eeriness incrementally until the fiery climax. A treat for any occasion!

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Shining-Stephen-King/dp/0345806786/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1538374130&sr=8-3
Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/Shining-Stephen-King/dp/0307743659/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1538374130&sr=8-3
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Shining-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B001BANK32/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1538374130&sr=8-3



Viewing: Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982)

Written and produced by Steven Spielberg (and alleged by some to be the real director), this story follows a well-to-do California family whose daughter strangely begins to converse with the TV one night. Events begin to mount when it becomes clear that the house is occupied by spirits, one in particular that wishes more than mere pranks on the living occupants. One of the best supernatural horror films of the 1980's, this is a wonderful film full of that trademark Spielberg charm, balancing both whimsical sentimentality with creeping dread; the soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith is quite evocative, and the special effects still hold up remarkably well today. A great ride for anyone who loves a good scare.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Poltergeist-JoBeth-Williams/dp/B000V4UFZK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1538375492&sr=8-3&keywords=poltergeist+dvd
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Poltergeist-Blu-ray-Craig-T-Nelson/dp/B003O97W5K/ref=sr_1_11_atc_badge_A2N1U4I2KOS032_twi_blu_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1538375399&sr=8-11&keywords=poltergeist
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Poltergeist-Craig-T-Nelson/dp/B004742Y68/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1538375399&sr=8-11


This took quite a bit of thought, and I made a last minute change to the reading; I hope this is well suited for the season. Happy Halloween!

Well, as of this writing, I just turned 31. Oddly enough, I don't feel any older, and maybe that's a good thing.

But that's not why I wanted to make this post. It's to inform everyone (that small handful of us) of a new book released that may be a major milestone. On August 30, 2018, The Fall of Gondolin by J. R. R. Tolkien was published in hardcover, edited as always by the faithful Christopher Tolkien. If I can estimate from past releases, the paperback version should be out next year.

Now it may not seem like such a big deal, other than being another part of the legendarium in yet another format, and I know I've never read anything of Tolkien's past The Silmarillion, but this is significant in a few ways. Firstly, this may be one of the last unreleased works that the Tolkien estate has to make available - everything else may have already been published, so we may be seeing the end of an era, but don't hold me to that, because I don't know for sure. Secondly, in my (limited) research into Tolkien, The Fall of Gondolin is one of three stories from his legendarium that he felt had a right to be published separately on their own in long-form narratives, the other two being Beren and Lúthien and The Children of Húrin; now, with this publication, all three stories have been presented in a form as Tolkien wished, as close to complete as possible in the cases where he was unable to properly finish them before his death, curated from his numerous papers and manuscripts. Thirdly, for those in the know, this may also be the first real public extant version of the story to date, as only bits and pieces of the Gondolin story have appeared in Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth; I mean, I can't say for certain as I haven't read it yet (I think I'll wait for the paperback), but it sounds like this is the full deal, which would be quite a major milestone. However it is, any Tolkien publication is worth noting for fantasy fans.

Copies of the book can be found here for the hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1328613046/?coliid=I2VBPLY5SQGSHJ&colid=1V6GL1W9HI161&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

E-book edition can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Gondolin-J-R-R-Tolkien-ebook/dp/B07CFKN31Z/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1537493564&sr=8-1

Looking back over the original universal recommended reading topic, I've come to really be thankful of the changes I've made. Sure, there's a lot more books I would love for everyone to check out, but I feel it would be a disservice if I didn't give each one of them my own stamp of approval, so I'm glad I've stuck with what I've known. I'll probably be adding a series or two in the future, but that will only be a special occasion, and only then when I've actually read the entire series. I don't want to overwhelm anyone.

So, as we move closer to my 31st birthday, I have a couple special recommendations for this month. I guess they aren't really that significant to my development too much, but they're still good ones worth treasuring.

Reading: Charlotte's Web (1952) by E. B. White

In all honesty, I haven't read this book in YEARS, and I'm debating on whether I should pick up a new copy of it just to preserve my old present one. But don't let that discourage you - this is one of the classics, written by a seasoned veteran of carful craftsmanship (White was the co-author and former student of the acclaimed writing guide The Elements of Style, after all). Probably everyone who had a childhood has eventually come across the story of the young pig Wilbur, who strikes up a friendship with an intelligent barnyard spider named Charlotte A. Cavatica, who in turn hatches a plan to save Wilbur from becoming butchered for food. It's a simple story intelligently told which has resounded with readers since its publication in 1952 and will hopefully continue to do so as long as people continue to read.

Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Charlottes-Web-B-White/dp/0061124958/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1536104840&sr=8-7
Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Charlottes-Web-B-White/dp/0064410935/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1536102821&sr=8-7
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Charlottes-Web-B-White-ebook/dp/B07D6NJW22/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1536102821&sr=8-7



Viewing: Hook (Steven Spielberg, 1991)

Probably everyone know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn't grow up, in some way. It took legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg to postulate on what came after. Peter Pan has become Peter Banning, a neurotic workaholic father with little time for his children's frivolous sides, having forgotten everything in his past. But Captain Hook still remembers, and when the children are abducted to Neverland, Peter must rediscover his heritage if he is to match wits with the pirate crew. A critical disappointment (Spielberg himself included) but an audience favorite, this whimsically fantastic fairy tale, anchored by some of John Williams's best music (yes, that's saying a lot), is probably a large part of any child of the 90's, and while it's easy to pick it apart, it still holds a place as a highly treasured piece of nostalgic cinema for me, at least. Pick it up and see for yourselves.


DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Hook-Julia-Roberts/dp/0767836324/ref=tmm_dvd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1536102875&sr=8-2
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Hook-Blu-ray-DVD-Dustin-Hoffman/dp/B005IA9JZO/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1536102875&sr=8-2
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Hook-Dustin-Hoffman/dp/B009NY3CL8/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1536102875&sr=8-2

I love learning about fantasy classics. This means that I tend to focus on the past rather than the present, but I do admit that there are a lot of good works coming out now. But there's one place that both past and present come together and are given new life: on a screen, whether a home television or a theater. And believe me, there's a treasure trove to work from.

And so, gentleviewers, in the spirit of Raven's offsite link to the 50 best fantasy books of the 21st century (so far), I give you Tor.com's graciously compiled list of almost every fantasy, science fiction, and comic book adaptation for film and television in the works as of the article's publication date (July 5, 2018).

https://www.tor.com/2018/07/05/sff-adaptations/

Given what I know of Hollywood, you must bear in mind that these are probably TENTATIVE titles, and that means that, most likely, not all of them are going to come through. Still, it's fun to speculate, as there are certainly many that I definitely want to see in some form or another.

So keep your eyes peeled. It sounds like good stuff's coming.

I've been doing some thinking about the recommendation topics. I definitely want to keep doing them, but I'm sort of running into roadblocks that I've unintentionally set up for myself. See, with my own personal reading/viewing schedules, what I take in is limited, and I try to focus on actually GOOD works. Therefore, I feel I'm kind of running low on material to work with. So I'd like to offer some options/updates for everyone to consider.

Point 1) There's no written rule that I have to be the only one making recommendations - I simply took it up when Raven suggested it - so I'm not averse to outsourcing. If anyone would like to take over for a month and give their own personal picks, I'd be happy to oblige. You don't necessarily need to stick to the exact same format as I have, but if there was one nitpick I have to make, I would suggest that you stick with books and movies that you've actually read and seen, not simply what you've heard about. I admit that I was originally working that way in the early stages, but I realize that it might be unwise to recommend based on something other than personal experience. You don't want others getting into things that you wouldn't get into yourself. So if you're gonna do it, stick with what you know.

Point 2) Fantasy technically falls under the broad term speculative fiction, which encompasses science fiction and horror as well. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in me branching out and including science fiction and horror titles in the mix. I know that the main focus of this site and its viewers seems to be primarily fantasy, but to keep things interesting and to give a broader view of the field, I'd like to be as inclusive as I can, since there are many cases in which genres overlap. Feel free to let me know - I'd rather not do anything unless I have support for it.

Point 3) When I started this series in its "proper form", I made it a rule not to include series as recommendations because I didn't want to keep suggesting books by the same author the following month or have there be a large break in which time people may have let the previous entry slip out of their mind. Also, I don't want to make anyone spend more money than they have to. HOWEVER, as time has gone on, I feel that series needs its proper representation, and I'd like to include it when I can. Of course, if you haven't picked up from that wording, I don't want to make it a regular thing. I still intend to stick with what I know, and since I haven't actually read that many series myself, it would only be an occasional special entry on my part, so you don't need to feel overwhelmed. But if anyone agrees to Point 1 and takes over the series for a month and you've read an entire series, feel free to give it a mention. It's a good thing to keep them circulating.

Point 4) As of this writing, I haven't updated my Masters of Fantasy series in months. I still want to continue with it, but a thought occurs to me: I've listed out quite a few names of authors that way but only given some brief descriptions of them and their work. I don't know if I want to do it here in the forum or on the blog, but I think that we should take some time out someday to spotlight a particular author that I've covered (maybe even some I haven't) and give more focus on his/her contribution to the field. Sure, you can look that stuff up already in the offsite resources, but I'd really like to get some discussion going. It's just something to think about.

Well, that's all I have right now. Let me know what you all think about this; any criticism is welcome (as long as it's polite, of course). Have you actually been enjoying the recommendations? Would you like them to continue, or are they just taking up space?

It seems we've been kind of dead for a while. Still, it's a new month, so we have some new recommendations.

Reading: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum

Here is the original fantasy classic, beloved by so many for over 100 years. Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, is swept up in a tornado to the magical land of Oz, where she is joined by a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodsman, and a Cowardly Lion to seek out the mysterious Wizard of the Emerald City, who may be able to grant their deepest desires. The movie may be ubiquitous, but the original novel is a special kind of magic - the journey is longer and more wondrous, the inhabitants more fleshed out. A true classic for both children and adults. For added magic, seek out the original illustrations by W. W. Denslow

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Wizard-Modern-Library-Classics/dp/081297011X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1533843226&sr=8-2&keywords=the+wonderful+wizard+of+oz+modern+library
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Wizard-Modern-Library-Classics-ebook/dp/B008C82QPO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533843390&sr=8-1&keywords=the+wizard+of+oz+modern+library+kindle
Extra Trade - OZ THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, VOL. 1: https://www.amazon.com/Oz-Complete-Collection-Wonderful-Marvelous/dp/1442485477/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1533843316&sr=1



Viewing: How to Train Your Dragon (Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, 2010)

Based on Cressida Cowell's young adult series, this film from DreamWorks Animation follows Hiccup, a teenage Viking, who tries to become a dragon slayer but ends up befriending a rare breed of dragon, a Night Fury he names Toothless. When he discovers that dragons are a greatly misunderstood species, he finds himself bringing together the warring denizens of the village of Berk with their ancient dragon enemies in an effort to subdue a common enemy. Originally released during the big 3D craze, this is a gorgeous film helmed by the director's of Disney's Lilo and Stitch, anachronistically acted but forgiven by the sheer amount of heart in the story, populated by lovable characters and imaginative designs. Highly recommended.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/How-Train-Your-Dragon-Baruchel/dp/B002ZG97YM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1533843724&sr=8-6&keywords=how+to+train+your+dragon+dvd
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/How-Train-Your-Dragon-Blu-ray/dp/B07BX3KJ7S/ref=sr_1_3_twi_blu_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1533843724&sr=8-3&keywords=how+to+train+your+dragon+dvd
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Train-Your-Dragon-Dean-DeBlois/dp/B079J5PLV2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1533843654&sr=8-3&keywords=how+to+train+your+dragon

The summer has officially begun, and I hope that everyone is doing well in this heat (if you have the heat). I can't say that I have anything exciting this time around to coincide, but at least it's something.

Reading: The Phantom Tollbooth (1961) by Norton Juster


Young Milo is bored with life until a strange package containing a tollbooth appears in his room. It turns out to be a gateway to the Kingdom of Wisdom, where the feuding kingdoms of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis have been thrown into disarray due to the disappearances of the Princesses of Rhyme and Reason. Beset by numerous idiomatic obstacles, Milo and his two companions - a "watchdog" named Tock and an anthropomorphic Humbug - must seek out the Castle in the Air and put things right before demons of discord and dissonance take over. Being the author's first book, this 1961 classic, laced with puns and wordplay, has been enchanting readers with a love of education ever since its surprisingly welcoming reception and is bound to delight both children and the childlike at heart. Put it on your shelves as soon as you can.


Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Tollbooth-Norton-Juster/dp/0394820371/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530482007&sr=8-1&keywords=the+phantom+tollbooth
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Tollbooth-Norton-Juster-ebook/dp/B004IK8Q90/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1530482007&sr=8-1




Viewing: Wizards (Ralph Bakshi, 1977)

After a nuclear holocaust wipes out most of civilization, the old magical inhabitants of the world, the fair folk, repopulate the charred remains, guided by a good wizard; however, the shadow of the past begins to take hold when the wizard's mutant brother unearths a great evil - the war machines and propaganda of Nazi Germany - and begins to reshape society in the mode of a fascist regime. The good wizard, a fairy princess, an elf warrior, and a defecting robot must now venture into the fortress of the evil sorcerer and destroy his secret weapon - a projection machine - before war once again scorches the earth. This was the first of legendary underground animator Ralph Bakshi's works to be deliberately family oriented, though it must be warned that his old tricks of sexuality, language, and violence still find their way into the picture. A rumination on the intrinsic nature of technology and war, reminiscent of Tolkienian epics, this flawed but intriguing film is one that should be experienced both by fantasy fans and lovers of independent animation (it was a precursor to the unfinished adaptation of The Lord of the Rings). Definitely recommended, though parents are strongly cautioned.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Wizards-Jesse-Welles/dp/B0001NBMIK/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1530595728&sr=8-10&keywords=wizards
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Wizards-Jesse-Wells/dp/B06XCTJFFR/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1530595728&sr=8-10