Showing results by author "Dunsany" in All Categories

The Gods of Pegāna is the first book by influential fantasy writer Lord Dunsany. In a series of short vignettes, Lord Dunsany invents a pantheon of deities who dwell in Pegāna and chronicles the history of their imagined universe. It was followed by a further collection, Time and the Gods. In lush language and dreamlike prose, Lord Dunsany’s talents are on full display as he lays the groundwork for the fantasy genre. The Dunsany Mythos features the complete contents of The Gods of Pegāna and Time and the Gods in a single audiobook edition.

The King of Elfland's Daughter is one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time. Lord Dunsany, in his inventive, poetic style, tells the heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess. This masterpiece has influenced some of our greatest contemporary fantasists, including Neil Gaiman, J.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, Ursula K. Le Guin, and C.L. Moore, who stated: "No one can imitate Dunsany, and probably everyone who's ever read him has tried." Dunsany's "The Gods of Pegana" follows "The King of Elfland's Daughter."

This is a 1924 fantasy novel by Anglo-Irish writer Lord Dunsany, which became public domain in January 2020. It is widely recognized as one of the most acclaimed works in all of fantasy literature. Highly influential upon the fantasy genre as a whole, the novel was particularly formative in the subgenres of "fairytale fantasy" and "high fantasy". And yet, it deals always with the truth: the power of love, the allure of nature, the yearning for contentment, the desire for fame, the quest for immortality, and the lure and the fear of magic. Arthur C. Clarke said this novel helped cement Dunsany ...

Tales of Three Hemispheres is a collection of fantasy short stories by Lord Dunsany. The first edition was published in Boston by John W. Luce & Co. in November, 1919; the first British edition was published in London by T. Fisher Unwin in June, 1920. The book collects 14 short pieces by Dunsany; the last three, under the general heading "Beyond the Fields We Know," are related tales, as explained in the publisher's note preceding the first, "Idle Days on the Yann," which was previously published in the author's earlier collection A Dreamer's Tales, but reprinted in the current one owing to ...

The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories is the third book by Irish fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. Le Guin and others. It was first published in hardcover by George Allen & Sons in October, 1908, and has been reprinted a number of times since. Issued by the Modern Library in a combined edition with A Dreamer's Tales as A Dreamer's Tales and Other Stories in 1917. The book is a series of short stories, some of them linked by Dunsany's invented pantheon of deities who dwell in Pegāna, which were the focus of ...

The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of The King of Elfland's Daughter has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time, a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the 'happily ever after'.

This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice. Discover the fascinating world of the Pegana pantheon, created by fantasy master Lord Dunsany. This groundbreaking book will take you on a journey to a realm where gods rule by whim and reality intertwines with myth. "The Gods of Pegana" is a collection...

This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice. “The Charwoman’s Shadow” is a beautiful tale about an apprentice sorcerer who discovers that his master is unscrupulously using stolen shadows. He decides to free an elderly lady from this captivity. The book is one of the pioneering works in the...

"A Dreamer's Tales" is the fifth book by Irish fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of H. P. Lovecraft, J. R. R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, Michael Moorcock and others. "A Dreamer's Tales" is a collection of sixteen fantasy short stories, and varies from the wistfulness of "Blagdaross" to the horrors of "Poor Old Bill" and "Where the Tides Ebb and Flow" to the social satire of "The Day of the Poll." (text from Wikipedia articles on Lord Dunsany and "A Dreamer's Tales")

A coming of age story blended with a swashbuckling road trip through an mythical "golden age" of Spain. The titular character is excluded from the inheritance of the family castle on the grounds that given his expertise with sword and mandolin he should be able to win his own estate and bride. Setting out to achieve his place in the world, Rodriguez quickly acquires a Sancho Panza-like servant, Morano, and goes on to experience a series of adventures, often humorous, en route to his goal. Lord Dunsany, well known as an influence on J.R.R. Tolkein, H.P. Lovecraft, Ursula Le Guin, Neil Gaiman, ...

Delightfully imaginative, somewhat similar to Dunsany's blockbuster fantasy novel, The King Of Elfland's Daughter (and published just two years after it), this equally entertaining, verbally voluptuous tale brings us in touch with the heraldry, artistry, and superstitions of the bygone Golden Age of Spain; with the magical arts of ancient times-- alchemy, wizardry, potions, forest creatures that go bump in the night, quests for esoteric knowledge, use of the Philosopher's Stone, and the Catholic church's war against the 'Black Art". Above all, Dunsany explores the many mysterious properties of...

Dunsany's first novel, begun during WWI. It is set in Spain's Golden Age, and features the adventures of Don Rodrigues as he sets out to seek his fortune after the death of his father. There is no Dulcinea but there is a Serafina, and although no windmills, there is a forest like that of Sherwood. And some bad guys, too. - Summary by Michael Broschat

This collection brings together three landmark works from Lord Dunsany, one of fantasy literature’s earliest and most imaginative voices. Filled with dreamlike kingdoms, strange gods, heroic legends, and hauntingly poetic prose, these stories helped shape the foundations of modern fantasy. Together, they offer a mesmerizing journey into myth, wonder, and worlds just beyond the edge of reality.

Dive into a captivating collection of very short stories that explore the shadows of human imagination. Each tale is meticulously crafted and often concludes with an unexpected twist, drawing on rich mythological themes that delve into the mysteries beyond our everyday reality. - Summary by Rosslyn Carlyle

Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, (July 24, 1878 - October 25, 1957), commonly known as Lord Dunsany, was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist who published more than 90 books during his lifetime, as well as hundreds of short stories, plays, and essays. He gained a name in the 1910s as a great writer in the English-speaking world. The following recording includes the short stories "The Sword of Welleran" and "Carcassone."

Set in a fairy-tale version of medieval Spain, the story follows Ramon Alonzo's initiation to the "Dark Arts" with a magician in order to procure the gold necessary for his sister's dowry. He befriends his master's charwoman, an old, despairing figure who has given up her shadow in exchange for immortal life. Ramon vows to help her while staying true to his initial purpose of helping his sister who, as it turns out, is willing to embrace her shadows in order to choose her own destiny...

The story began when the lord of Erl was told by his people they wanted a magic lord to rule them. That took some doing, but he sent his son, Alveric, to retrieve Lirazel, daughter of the king of Elfland, to be his wife and thus fix the situation. At first, the king was angered and sent guards to kill Alveric, but the young man of Erl fought them off, and Lizarel fell for him and decided to leave with him. Later, under a spell, she decided she wanted to see her old home again.

Sent forth on a quest to bring magic to the Vale of Erl, the young lord Alveric obtains a sword of thunderbolt iron, and crosses the twilight border into Elfland, returning with the beautiful Princess Lirazel as his bride. But, for two people from different worlds, however much in love, happiness is not guaranteed, and in the fields, we know, where all things are subject to the remorseless march of time, nothing truly lives happily ever after.

A collection of fables, vignettes, and parables from the fanciful mind of Lord Dunsany. These brief tales feature characters such as Time, Death, Fame, Winter, Spring, the Fog, the North Wind, the blackbird, the god Pan, the river Styx boatman Charon, and others - in fantastical, whimsical, allegorical, and poignant scenarios.

The audiobook is a collection of short stories linked by Dunsany's invented pantheon of deities, witches, magic, and spirits who live in Pegāna. It is a work of ironic fantasy in a unique blend of language and fantastical imagery, simultaneously occupying the science-fiction and fairy-tale genres.