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The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories Hardcover – Import, 1 February 1994


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Stories of the unreal, of trolls and werewolves, spells and sorcerers, and magic lands have been part of the human psyche for as long as there are records. In the present century, far from being outdated by the rise of technology and science fiction, fantasy has once more become a major literary genre expressive of the deepest feelings about humanity and its relation to the natural world. Fantasy is indeed one of the most successful of modern literary genres, as can been from the sales of Tolkien and his successors. Yet the rise of the fantasy "trilogy" has tended to obscure a long tradition of short fantasy fiction, just as enjoyable as the long books. Built on the ancient foundation of the fairy tale, but sharply distinguished from it, the fantasy story has evolved in often ephemeral and little-known magazines. This selection of 31 of the best short fantasy stories from the last 100 years include the authors John Buchan, Lord Dunsany, H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, Mervyn Peake, Larry Niven, Angela Carter, Tanith Lee, Lucius Shepard and Terry Pratchett. Many of the stories were first published in fiction magazines and should be new to fantasy readers. Tom Shippey is the editor of "The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories", the co-editor of "Fiction 2000", and author of "The Road to Middle-Earth".

Product description

From Booklist

Shippey discusses the long tradition of fantasy and then offers stories from 1888 through 1992 to illustrate its growth in this century. Some familiar names, such as Kate Wilhelm and James Blish, aren't to be found here, and some overrated ones, such as Lord Dunsany and Robert E. Howard, are; but for the most part, Shippey avoids chestnuts and offers unusual, provocative tales. There's Phyllis Eisenstein's childlike "Subworld," about an unhappy, confused little boy who finds a secret passageway in the subway system and becomes a mouse; there's Lucius Shepard's "Night of White Bhairab," a witty parody of the spiritual search featuring a spaced-out, drunken American's fumblings as he blunders into an epic battle between good and evil. Though published in 1888, Richard Garnett's "Demon Pope" gives a fresh spin to the myth of Mephistopheles: the devil trades places with the pope, and no one can tell the difference. But the best tale here is Poul Anderson's manic "Operation Afleet," which takes the crisp, desperate quality of an army combat mission and combines it with weird magic and the powers werewolves can evoke. Vast, mythic, and wild. John Mort

About the Author


About the Editor:
Tom Shippey is the Walter Ong Professor of Literature at St Louis University, Missouri. He also edited The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press (1 February 1994)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 521 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 019214216X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0192142160
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 720 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14.61 x 4.04 x 22.23 cm

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  • Joshua and Leah Urie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on 25 February 2016
    Verified Purchase
    One of the best short story collections around.
  • TheTravman
    5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT STORIES!
    Reviewed in the United States on 24 September 2009
    Verified Purchase
    I needed the book for school. The book contains a good amount of solid fantasy stories. The book is out of print now, so they're harder to find.