Part V: Goldman/Mirrlees/Le Guin/Anderson/Beagle/Peake/E. Walton/Adams

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Masters of Fantasy: Part V

<img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.lostpathway.com/images/coir/leguin.jpg" alt="" width="400">

Photo Credit: Ursula K. Le Guin, Copyright © by Marian Wood Kolisch

So far, we've looked at those who have "built the industry," so to speak, thus providing a sort of framework on which to build a concise history of fantasy, if one wishes. Now, we'll start looking on variations on this framework. Of course, these authors are definitely not of lesser quality - some are considered titans of the genre, and others have made addictively fun cult classics not to be missed. Let's give them their due, shall we?



WILLIAM GOLDMAN (1931-2018)

A talented novelist and screenwriter, Goldman is responsible for the scripts to such classic films as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, and Misery; one of his most famous novels, which he also adapted to the screen, is the taught thriller Marathon Man. But probably his most fondly remembered work - and I think I speak for everyone when I say this, let alone fantasy fans - is The Princess Bride (which, again, he also wrote the screenplay for). Despite some minor changes which may feel less memorable than Rob Reiner's wonderful film, the book is still just as charming and whimsical as what lies in the public consciousness.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Goldman)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=goldman_william)
Article on The Daily Beast - American Dreams, 1973: The Princess Bride (https://www.thedailybeast.com/american-dreams-1973-the-princess-bride-by-william-goldman)
Tor.com - Meta, Irony, Narrative, Fromes, and The Princess Bride (https://www.tor.com/2015/12/24/meta-irony-narrative-frames-and-the-princess-bride/)
The SF Site Review - The Princess Bride (https://www.sfsite.com/04a/pb54.htm)



HOPE MIRRLEES (1887-1978)

Author of two historical novels and a set of poetry (which has recently undergone a re-evaluation), this friend of Virginia Woolf is best remembered for her underrated third novel, Lud-in-the-Mist, a tale of a city on the border of the world of Faerie and the results of the interaction with its inhabitants. It is highly regarded as a forgotten masterpiece.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Mirrlees)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=mirrlees_hope)
Tor.com - Next-Door to Fairyland: Mope Mirrlees' Lud-in-the-Mist (https://www.tor.com/2010/10/06/next-door-to-fairyland-hope-mirrlees-lud-in-the-mist/)
Hope Mirrlees on the Web (http://hopemirrlees.com/)
The Lady Who Wrote Lud-in-the-Mist - by Michael Swanwick (http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/introduces/mirrlees.htm)
Black Gate - The Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series: Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees (https://www.blackgate.com/2014/12/27/the-ballantine-adult-fantasy-series-lud-in-the-mist-by-hope-mirrlees/)



URSULA K. LE GUIN (1929-2018)

One of the most influential voices in science fiction, tackling environmental and sociological themes, she is also famous for the Earthsea Cycle, a young adult series situated in a watery world filled with numerous islands and a unique magic system based on the balance of nature; it is held by some fans just as fondly as Middle-Earth and Narnia. The series consists of A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, and The Other Wind, plus a collection of short stories. Ged Sparrowhawk, the protagonist of the first book who journeys from naïve child to experienced wizard, figures in roles of various importance in most of the books.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._Le_Guin)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=le_guin_ursula_k)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/le_guin_ursula_k)
The Official Website of Ursula K. Le Guin (http://www.ursulakleguin.com/)
Biographical Sketch (http://www.ursulakleguin.com/BiographicalSketch.html)
The New Yorker - The Fantastic Ursula K. Le Guin (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/the-fantastic-ursula-k-le-guin)
The Guardian - David Mitchell on Earthsea: A Rival to Tolkien and George R. R. Martin (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/23/david-mitchell-wizard-of-earthsea-tolkien-george-rr-martin)



POUL ANDERSON (1926-2001)

Much like Le Guin, Anderson's reputation rests mostly on his science fiction works, filled with heroic blustery characters and high adventure. His smaller fantasy work, however, is still considered just as outstanding, two novels in particular regarded as definite classics. The Broken Sword (published around the same time as The Lord of the Rings) is a Nordic tale set during the encroachment of Christianity which recounts the life of Skafloc, a mortal raised among the elves, and his changeling counterpart Valgard, as they are inevitably drawn into the war between the elves and the trolls, into which plays a strange sword broken in two which will set in motion the events leading to Ragnarok. The other is Three Hearts and Three Lions, in which an American-Danish engineer during WWII is pulled into a fantasy world in which the Matter of France is true and conflict is rising between the forces of Law and Chaos. Other notable works include Hrolf Kraki's Saga, A Midsummer Tempest, and The Merman's Children.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poul_Anderson)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/anderson_poul)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=anderson_poul)
FantasyLiterature.com (http://www.fantasyliterature.com/fantasy-author/andersonpoul/)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/PoulAnderson)
Black Gate - Broken in Two: Poul Anderson's Two Versions of The Broken Sword (https://www.blackgate.com/broken-in-two-poul-andersons-two-versions-of-the-broken-sword/)
Black Gate - The Whole Northern Thing: Hrolf Kraki's Saga by Poul Anderson (https://www.blackgate.com/2013/12/03/the-whole-northern-thing-hrolf-krakis-saga-by-poul-anderson/)
Black Gate - Poul Anderson and the Northern Mythic Tradition: An Introduction (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/02/11/poul-anderson-and-the-northern-mythic-tradition-an-introduction/)
Black Gate - Chaotic and Lawful Alignments in Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/02/25/chaotic-and-lawful-alignments-in-poul-andersons-three-hearts-and-three-lions/)
Black Gate - Northern Matter in Poul Anderson's "Middle Ages" of The Broken Sword and in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/03/04/northern-matter-in-poul-andersons-middle-ages-of-the-broken-sword-and-in-j-r-r-tolkiens-middle-earth/)
Black Gate - The Parallel Worlds of Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/04/15/the-parallel-worlds-of-poul-andersons-operation-chaos/)
Black Gate - Sex and Violence in Poul Anderson's Rogue Sword (https://www.blackgate.com/2015/04/08/sex-and-violence-in-poul-andersons-rogue-sword/)
Tor.com - Swiftly Goes the Swordplay: The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson (https://www.tor.com/2010/12/31/swiftly-goes-the-swordplay-poul-andersons-the-broken-sword/)



PETER S. BEAGLE (1939- )

Author of the screenplay of the late 70s animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, he also wrote the introduction to the Del Rey editions of the books. However, I have found that he is also a respected writer in his own right, penning such works as A Fine and Private Place (his first novel, greatly regarded by many), The Innkeeper's Song, The Folk of the Air, and Tamsin. But his most famous work, one of the most beloved works in the fantasy genre, is The Last Unicorn, a comical, thoughtful, somewhat self-aware and ultimately bittersweet story of a unicorn who sets out to discover the mystery of her kind's disappearance and the wild and wonderful characters she meets along the way. Its animated adaptation is probably the best thing ever put out by Rankin/Bass (yes, the puppet holiday special company).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_S._Beagle)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=beagle_peter_s)
The Green Man: Interviews, Reviews, Essays, etc. (http://thegreenmanreview.com/gmr/oneoffs/peterbeagle.html)
TV Tropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/PeterSBeagle)
Christ and Pop Culture - "In a World That Holds Such Beauty": Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn Turns 50 (https://christandpopculture.com/in-a-world-that-holds-such-beauty-peter-s-beagles-the-last-unicorn-turns-50/)
The Atlantic - One of the Best Fantasy Novels Ever Is Nothing Like The Lord of the Rings (https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/11/last-unicorn-peter-beagle-50th-anniversary-reality-magic/575641/)
Tor.com - "Haven't You Ever Been in a Fairy Tale Before?": Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn (https://www.tor.com/2014/01/28/havent-you-ever-been-in-a-fairy-tale-before-peter-s-beagles-the-last-unicorn/)



MERVYN PEAKE (1911-1968)

Born to missionary parents in China and influenced by the works of Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson, he began work as a painter and illustrator of considerable acclaim, eventually adding nonsense poetry to his repertoire. The work for which he is most appraised is a surreal Gothic fantasy-of-manners trilogy detailing the life of Titus Groan, 77th heir to the Earldom of the ancient city of Gormenghast, a monolithic stone structure filled with bizarre inhabitants, governed by ancient customs and traditions which have long since lost their meaning; within the ancient, dust-shrouded halls, a shrewd, manipulative kitchen boy schemes to overthrow the system, while the young Earl yearns for the freedom of the outside world. It was meant to be part of a larger cycle, but Peake's deteriorating health and ultimate death from dementia and Parkinson's put an end to it. The trilogy - Titus Groan, Gormenghast, and Titus Alone - while underappreciated in his lifetime, has never been out of print and has been regarded by many as one of the definitive fantasy texts, sometimes comparable in status to Tolkien though vastly different in style.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervyn_Peake)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=peake_mervyn)
Mervyn Peake, the Official Site (http://www.mervynpeake.org/)
TV Tropes - Gormenghast (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Gormenghast)
Black Gate - The Centenary of Mervyn Peake (https://www.blackgate.com/2011/07/03/the-centenary-of-mervyn-peake/)



EVANGELINE WALTON (1907-1996)

Much like T. H. White, Evangeline Walton is best known for retelling an ancient legend for the 20th century - in her case, the Mabinogion, the entirety covered in four books: Prince of Annwn, The Children of Llyr, The Song of Rhiannon, and The Island of the Mighty (arranged chronologically). Other noteworthy titles include the horror novel Witch House and the historical The Cross and the Sword. Many of her works remain unpublished, though her estate is working on rectifying the situation.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangeline_Walton)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=walton_evangeline)
Official website (https://evangelinewalton.wordpress.com/)



RICHARD ADAMS (1920-2016)

Richard Adams has an interesting body of work, but his fame really stems from one novel -  his first, Watership Down, one of the best written animal fantasies ever made, concerning a warren of rabbits and their search for a new burrow after the old one is destroyed by land development. Part of the fantastic element comes from the rabbits having their own mythology about the creation of the world and the rise and adventures of a precocious folk hero. Other notable titles include The Plague Dogs (a pair of dogs escape a laboratory and are subsequently pursued), Shardik (a bear in a fictional empire is taken to be the representation of the power of God, but his hunter still pursues him), The Girl in a Swing (a young antiques/ceramics collector with latent psychic abilities and his new bride are haunted by a mysterious supernatural presence), and Traveller (a historical recount of the exploits of Robert E. Lee told from the viewpoint of his horse).

Offsite resources:

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



Next time, even more blanks will be filled. The forum topic can still be found here: http://www.lostpathway.com/tavern/index.php/topic,16.0.html