Vathek by William Beckford
Nyki Blatchley
During the course of the 18th century, two types of “exotic” fantasy fiction became fashionable. The “oriental” story was largely inspired by the Arabian Nights, gradually becoming available in western…
classic SFF
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Idlewilder
“Dear Diary, he began. On Friday I had a job, a fiancée, a home, and a life that made sense. (Well, as much as any life makes sense). Then I…
Shadow Castle by Marian Cockrell
Faith M. Boughan
Shadow Castle may be one of the best books of classic children’s fantasy that you’ve never heard of, but here’s a tip: If your mother reads fantasy, and has loved…
Witch World by Andre Norton
In a recent article, I observed that, although there isn’t complete gender equality in fantasy today, female fantasy authors are too usual to need any comment. Similarly, it’s hardly unusual…
A List of Egregious Omissions
Zachary A. Matzo
I consider myself to be a well-read human being. Sure, I’ve read a lot of books. More books than the average reader, I’d dare say. I’ve read most of The…
Perceval: The Story of the Grail by Chrétien de Troyes
So far, my series about fantasy classics has been mainly about 20th century works, occasionally straying back as far as the 19th. This time, however, I’m going right back to…
Phantastes by George MacDonald
It’s been widely argued (for example, by Lin Carter in Imaginary Worlds) that fantasy literature as we know it today began in the 1890s with William Morris’s romances, such as…
The Dying Earth by Jack Vance
Fantasy authors who want to get away from familiar contemporary or historical surroundings have various broad types of setting to choose from. They can create a fictional prehistory, as both…
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H.P. Lovecraft
We all know what to expect from a story by H. P. Lovecraft. It’ll be a tale of cosmic horror, in the which the Old Ones, such as Cthulhu and…
Elves In Mythology and Fantasy
Leo Elijah Cristea
When most people think classic fantasy, they might think Tolkien, and then they might think elves. And with good reason: elves have been in fantasy for a very long time,…
The Worm Ouroboros by Eric Rucker Eddison
We all know what epic fantasy is supposed to be like. It should involve a vast war between good and evil (or at least between significantly better and significantly worse)…
David Gemmell Author Spotlight
Hierath
David Gemmell (1948-2006) liked to open his public appearances by reading choice, hilarious samples from his vast stash of rejection letters. In person, he embodied much of the self-deprecating humour,…