Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy

Terry Brooks. David Eddings. George R. R. Martin. Robin Hobb. The top names in modern fantasy all acknowledge J. R. R. Tolkien as their role model, the author whose work inspired them to create their own epics. But what writers influenced Tolkien himself? Here, internationally recognized Tolkien expert Douglas A. Anderson has gathered the fiction of authors who sparked Tolkien's imagination in a collection destined to become a classic in its own right.Andrew Lang's romantic swashbuckler, The Story of Sigurd, features magic rings, an enchanted sword, and a brave hero loved by two beautiful women- and cursed by a ferocious dragon. Tolkien read E. A. Wyke-Smith's The Marvelous Land of Snergs to his children, delighting in these charming tales of a pixieish people only slightly taller than the average table. Also appearing in this collection is a never-before-published gem by David Lindsay, author of Voyage to Arcturus, a novel which Tolkien praised highly both as a thriller and as a work of philosophy, religion, and morals.In stories packed with magical journeys, conflicted heroes, and terrible beasts, this extraordinary volume is one that no fan of fantasy or Tolkien should be without. These tales just might inspire a new generation of creative writers.Tales Before Tolkien: 22 Magical StoriesThe Elves by Ludwig TieckThe Golden Key by George MacdonaldPuss-Cat Mew by E. H. Knatchbull-HugessenThe Griffin and the Minor Canon by Frank R. StocktonThe Demon Pope by Richard GarnettThe Story of Sigurd by Andrew LangThe Folk of the Mountain Door by William MorrisBlack Heart and White Heart by H. Rider HaggardThe Dragon Tamers by E. NesbitThe Far Islands by John BuchanThe Drawn Arrow by Clemence HousmanThe Enchanted Buffalo by L. Frank BaumChu-bu and Sheemish by Lord DunsanyThe Baumhoff Explosive by William Hope HodgsonThe Regent of the North by Kenneth MorrisThe Coming of the Terror by Arthur MachenThe Elf Trap by Francis StevensThe Thin Queen of Elfhame by James Branch CabellThe Woman of the Wood by A. MerrittGolithos the Ogre by E. A. Wyke-SmithThe Story of Alwina by Austin Tappan WrightA Christmas Play by David Lindsay