The Dragon Path: Collected Tales of Kenneth Morris

Sepharial

ISBN 10: 0312853092 / ISBN 13: 9780312853099

Published by Tom Doherty Associates/TOR, 1995

About this Item

(1st edition, 1st printing) Sturdy book, shiny black covers, very bright gilt lettering on spine, 382 pages. DJ beneath mylar, glossy in shades of lavender and white, an illustration like an envelope sealed with red wax on front, praise from Ursula Le Guin at bottom front, more on back. DJ has very light crease at top back. Near Very Fine DJ/Very Fine book.

Seller Inventory # 54399

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Dragon Path: Collected Tales of Kenneth Morris
• Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates/TOR
• Publication Date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312853092
• ISBN 13: 9780312853099
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Very Fine

About this title

Synopsis

A treasury of fantasy by an author whose fiction ranges through the mythologies of major cultures of the world includes

Reviews

Though he wrote in obscurity, Morris (who died in 1937) was one of the formative influences on modern fantasy: in his novels, The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed (1914) and Book of Three Dragons (1930), he essentially invented the Celtic fantasy subgenre. This volume gathers all of Morris's shorter fiction, much of which was published pseudonymously in such out-of-the-way places as The Theosophical Path. Thus Anderson's collection offers students of fantasy a rare opportunity to rediscover one of the category's founding fathers. Unfortunately, the tales are unlikely to interest the majority of fantasy readers?Morris's prose is dense and antiquated, and his stories often slowed by repetitious description. Taken one or two at a time, the antique tone and languid pacing provide an intriguing change from today's action-packed fantasy, but together they grow rather tedious. Still, if only for the stories' historical and academic importance, this is an illuminating collection from an early master.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

According to the scholarly introduction to these short stories by the author of The Chalchiuhite Dragon (1992), Morris (1879-1937) was one of the founders of fantasy derived from the mythology and folklore of his native Wales. The tales here include a baker's dozen of creditable Celtic stories, stories using Chinese and other cultures' myths and general backgrounds, and stories set in Morris' own time and place, which he exploited for both fantastic and humorous purposes. Morris' style may strike many as a trifle anachronistic in a good many spots, but no book containing stories of the caliber of "The King and the Three Ascetics," "A Mermaid's Tragedy," or "The Last Adventure of Don Quixote"--to mention three outstanding titles--is a mere literary curiosity. Morris' other work, which includes plays, novels, and poetry, is apparently also scheduled for reprinting, so shelve this one beside Chalchiuhite Dragon and keep an eye peeled for future Morris volumes. Roland Green

This collection of short fiction from one of fantasy literature's seminal authors includes a number of pseudonymous works as well as a thoughtful essay on Morris's often-overlooked contributons to the genre.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.