Author | William Morris |
---|---|
Illustrator | Edward Burne-Jones |
Language | English |
Genre | Fantasy novel |
Publisher | Kelmscott Press |
Publication date | 1894 |
Publication place | United Kingdom |
Media type | Print (Hardback) |
Pages | 261 |
ISBN | 978-1682041819 |
The Wood Beyond the World is a fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with the element of the supernatural, and thus the precursor of much of present-day fantasy literature. [1] It was first published in hardcover by Morris's Kelmscott Press, in 1894. The book's importance in the history of fantasy literature was recognized by its republication by Ballantine Books as the third volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in July, 1969. The Ballantine edition includes an introduction by Lin Carter.
When the wife of Golden Walter betrays him for another man, he leaves home on a trading voyage to avoid the necessity of a feud with her family. However, his efforts are fruitless, as word comes to him en route that his wife's clan has killed his father. He has a vision of three figures: a stately Lady, her Maid, who wears an iron ring on her anklet, and a Dwarf in a yellow hood. The figures pass through the port he is docked in, and he sets sail.
Shortly into his voyage, a storm waylays his ship. He docks in an unknown country, where the only inhabitant appears to be an old hermit. Walter and his companions begin a hunt for food, but Walter strays northward up a steep path. After several days of travel, he rests in a wood, and is woken by the Dwarf from his vision. The Dwarf reveals that Walter has strayed into the land of the Lady, who keeps a grand house at the heart of the wood. Shortly after, Walter comes across the Maid, who begs for Walter's aid in escaping the clutches of her mistress. Walter agrees and seeks the house of the Lady and swears fealty to her, citing his vision as his reason for entering her lands. The Lady introduces Walter to her lover, the King's Son, who disregards Walter for his low rank.
Soon after, the King's Son falls out of the Lady's favour when she discovers that he has attempted to seduce the Maid, who refused him. Walter overhears the Lady conspiring with the Dwarf, who she tasks with killing the King's Son. After Walter defends the Lady from a wild lion, she seduces him. Walter acquiesces, fearful that the Lady will order his death should she learn of his plan to help the Maid escape.
One night, the Maid begs Walter to meet her in the wood. When he does, they make their escape. They are pursued by the Dwarf, who declares that the Maid has murdered the Lady before Walter kills him. The Maid is distraught, but confirms the Dwarf's account. She reveals that she invited the King's Son to her bed, and cast a glamour over him such that he looked like Walter. When the Lady entered the room, she thought him to be an unfaithful Walter and killed him in his sleep; the Lady then killed herself [2] with a dagger. Walter is shocked to hear the events, but after the Maid tells him that the Lady had imprisoned her for countless years, he accepts that her freedom could only be won by the death of the Lady or the Maid. They declare their love for one another, and Walter breaks the Maid's iron ring.
The pair travel into a region inhabited by Bear-People who are known to sacrifice most foreigners to their female God. The Maid proclaims herself as an incarnation of the God, thus saving herself and Walter from sacrifice. They depart, but on their travels meet a troupe of knights, who lead Walter to a great city. Stripped naked, his body is inspected and he is invited to don either beautiful robes or the armour of battle. He chooses the armour, and is thus proclaimed as the new King. An elder reveals to Walter that the city, Stark-Wall, has the custom of filling the vacant throne by sending knights to the valley south of the city, who take the first foreigner to arrive to the city. Should their body be fit, and their choice be to wear the garb of battle and not of peace, they are declared as the new King.
Walter and the Maid are wed, whereupon the Maid loses her magic powers. She regrets deceiving the Bear-People, and teaches them agriculture to avail the effects of longstanding drought in their land. Walter abolishes Stark-Wall's prisons, establishes support for the hungry and poor, defeats foes in battle, and leaves a long line of heirs. When his bloodline is ended, the people of Stark-Wall abolish the monarchy.
Morris considered his fantasies a revival of the medieval tradition of chivalrous romances. In consequence, they tend to have sprawling plots comprising strung-together adventures. His use of archaic language is a challenge to some readers.
When the novel was reissued in the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series, James Blish noted that Morris's style was a successful recapturing of the style of Sir Thomas Malory, "all the way down to the marginal glosses and the nonstop compound sentences hitched together with scores of semicolons. He also recaptured much of the poetry; and if the reader will make the small effort necessary to accommodate himself to the rhythm of the style, he will find both it and the story rewarding." [3]
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger is a dark-fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It is the first volume in his Dark Tower series. The Gunslinger was first published in 1982 as a fix-up novel, joining five short stories that had been published between 1978 and 1981. King substantially revised the novel in 2003; this version has remained in print ever since, with the subtitle "RESUMPTION". The story centers Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, who has been chasing his adversary, "the man in black," for many years. The novel fuses Western fiction with fantasy, science fiction, and horror, following Roland's trek through a vast desert and beyond in search of the man in black. Roland meets several people along his journey, including a boy named Jake, who travels with him part of the way.
The Mists of Avalon is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine, a priestess fighting to save her Celtic religion in a country where Christianity threatens to destroy the pagan way of life. The epic is focused on the lives of Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), Viviane, Morgause, Igraine and other women of the Arthurian legend.
Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circumstances are obscure, but she commanded high respect in Robin’s circle for her courage and independence as well as her beauty and loyalty. For this reason, she is celebrated by feminist commentators as one of the early strong female characters in English literature.
A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award. The novella Blood of the Dragon, comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. In January 2011, the novel became a New York Times Bestseller and reached No. 1 on the list in July 2011.
A Storm of Swords is the third of seven planned novels in the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2000, with a United States edition following in November 2000. Its publication was preceded by a novella called Path of the Dragon, which collects some of the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel into a single book.
Brandon Stark, also known as Bran, is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones, where he is portrayed by English actor Isaac Hempstead Wright. Introduced in 1996's A Game of Thrones, Bran subsequently appears in A Clash of Kings (1998) and A Storm of Swords (2000). He is one of a few prominent characters that are not included in the fourth novel A Feast for Crows (2005), but returned in the fifth novel A Dance with Dragons (2011).
Sansa Stark, later Alayne Stone, is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. Introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996), Sansa is the eldest daughter and second child of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife, Lady Catelyn Stark. She subsequently appeared in the following three novels: A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), and A Feast for Crows (2005). While absent from the fifth novel, A Dance with Dragons, Sansa will return in the forthcoming book, The Winds of Winter.
Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women is a fantasy novel by Scottish writer George MacDonald published in London in 1858.
Theon Greyjoy is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. Theon is the youngest son and heir of Balon Greyjoy, taken as a ward by Lord Eddard Stark following Balon's failed rebellion. Theon's complex and troubled relationship with both his family and his captors is central to the character's arc throughout the novels and its television adaptation.
Catelyn Stark, later known as Lady Stoneheart, is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. She is a prominent point of view character in the first three novels. She also appears in the fourth novel, A Feast for Crows (2005), and will return in a prominent role for the forthcoming sixth novel, The Winds of Winter.
The Summer Tree is a 1984 novel written by Canadian fantasy author Guy Gavriel Kay and the first novel of The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy.
Albhutha Dweep is a 2005 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy film directed by Vinayan. The plot is set on an otherworld island where all men are dwarfs and women are of normal height, and humans are considered monsters. The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Guinness Pakru alongside Mallika Kapoor, Jagathy Sreekumar, Jagadish, Indrans, Kalpana, Ponnamma Babu and Bindu Panicker in supporting roles.
Melisandre of Asshai is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. She is a priestess of the god R'hllor from the continent Essos and a close advisor to King Stannis Baratheon in his campaign to take the Iron Throne. She is often nicknamed the Red Woman, due to the color of her hair and clothes, and has mysterious powers over fire and shadow. She is a prominent example of Martin's use of magic within the story, and is the source of several important prophecies that guide the narrative.
The Well at the World's End is a high fantasy novel by the British textile designer, poet, and author William Morris. It was first published in 1896 and has been reprinted repeatedly since, most notably in two parts as the 20th and 21st volumes of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, in August and September 1970.
Book of a Thousand Days is a 2007 young adult fantasy novel by Shannon Hale. It is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Maid Maleen.
The Book of Atrix Wolfe is a fantasy novel written by American author Patricia A. McKillip, published in 1995. It was a finalist for the 1996 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature.
Brienne of Tarth is a fictional character in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. She is a prominent point of view character in the novels.
Arya Stark is a fictional character in American author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire epic fantasy novel series and its HBO television adaptation Game of Thrones, where she was portrayed by English actress Maisie Williams. She is a prominent point-of-view character in the novels with the third most viewpoint chapters and is the only character to have a viewpoint chapter in every published book of the series, with her chapters having various alternative titles such as "Cat of the Canal", "The Blind Girl", "The Ugly Little Girl" and "Mercy" from the fourth book onwards.