The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories

by Ray Bradbury, Peter S. Beagle, Larry Niven, et al.

Book Overview

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 In the present century, far from being outdated by the rise of technology and science fiction, fantasy has once more become a major literary genre expressive of the deepest feelings about humanity and its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.
In The Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories, Tom Shippey brings...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192823981
• ISBN13: 9780192823984
• Release Date: June 1995
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

GREAT STORIES!

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.

Not Free SF Reader

This book takes a look at fantasy in chronological order, taking books from different years from the 1880s up to Terry Pratchett in the 1990s. The editor gives an introduction to the subject, and some types, as well as a discussion of treatment of the genre over the years. He also gives a useful bibliography of where some of the work in this anthology has come from, and suggestions for further reading, including osme criticism. So, even though the stories only average 3.37, that is worth bonus points on the rating scale, certainly. Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Demon Pope - Richard Garnett Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Fortress Unvanquishable Save for Sacnoth - Lord Dunsany Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Through the Dragon Glass - Abraham Merritt Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Nameless City - H. P. Lovecraft Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Wind in the Portico - John Buchan Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Tower of the Elephant - Robert E. Howard Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Xeethra - Clark Ashton Smith Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Jirel Meets Magic - Catherine L. Moore Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Bleak Shore - Fritz Leiber Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Homecoming - Ray Bradbury Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : See You Later - Henry Kuttner Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Liane the Wayfarer - Jack Vance Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Desrick on Yandro - Manly Wade Wellman Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Silken-Swift - Theodore Sturgeon Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Operation Afreet - Poul Anderson Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Singular Events Which Occurred in the Hovel on the Alley Off of Eye Street - Avram Davidson Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Sudden Wings - Thomas Burnett Swann Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Same Time Same Place - Mervyn Peake Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Timothy - Keith Roberts Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Kings of the Sea - Sterling E. Lanier Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Not Long Before the End - Larry Niven Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Wager Lost by Winning - John Brunner Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Lila the Werewolf - Peter S. Beagle Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Johanna - Jane Yolen Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Erl-King - Angela Carter Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Beyond the Dead Reef - James TiptreeJr. Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Subworld - Phyllis Eisenstein Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Bite-Me-Not or Fleur de Fur - Tanith Lee Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : The Night of White Bhairab - Lucius Shepard Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Thorn - Robert Holdstock Oxford Book of Fantasy Stories : Troll Bridge - Terry Pratchett Pontiff or Devil, they aren't sure which is worse. 3.5 out of 5 To kill an immortal ruler is easy, not.. First you need to kill the invulnerable dragon to get the invincible sword to get through the impenetrable fortress. The there is the whole won't die thing

ETBR - Oxford Book of Fantasy

1. Reflections: Tom Shippey has tried to put together a book of stories from 31 of the most influential short story fantasy authors, while also paying attention to little known works. Does this collection stand on its own, or is it lacking something that would give it that 'classic' flavor?2. Thematics: Shippey maintains that a major theme is sword versus sorcery, barbarian versus wizard, realism versus magic. How does each story show this?3. Characterization: This collection contains some of the most lovable characters of all fantasy literature, including Conan, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, Cohen, the Devil, and a whole plethora of individually crafted short story characters that are unforgettable. What is it that makes these characters so powerful?4. Symbolism: Throughout all of the stories, mythology remains an important symbol. Nearly all of the stories hearken back to a previous time in which legends lived just as we live today. Would these stories stand on their own if that was taken away?5. Authorship: Many of the stories represented are little known works, backshelf stories that have finally been given credit. Do these stories accurately portray the authors' legacy?

A nice collection, but missing something...

You cannot fault the stories selected here: we get a variety of them, all generally classics. I just can't help it, though... this book is missing some kind of spark. Basically the introduction is nice, but not deeply informative. The stories themselves are neither introduced or postscripted. While, as I say, you cannot fault the selection, the selections are all too safe for my taste. Lovecraft, Dunsany, Howard, Pratchet. Okay, safe ground.But there should have been some more risk taken here I think. James Branch Cabell instead of Dunsany, perhaps. Or Moorcock or LeGuin or Tanith Lee for Pete's sake. But the stories are all good and a good introduction (if you need it) or good sampling if not.

A great variety from well-known and lesser known authors

diverse collection of fantasy short stories, including heavyweights such as H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, and Larry Niven as well as other lesser-known but skilled writers. Some of the stories I just couldn't get into, such as "The Erl-King" by Angela Carter, and some dragged on a bit. However, others I now consider among my favorite short stories, such as "The Nameless City", my first taste of Lovecraft. Other favorites include "The Fortress Unvanquishable, Save for Sacnoth" written in 1908 by Lord Dunsany, "The Kings of the Sea" by Sterling Lanier, "Lila the Werewolf" by Peter Beagle, "Beyond the Dead Reef" by James Tiptree, Jr. and "Troll Bridge" by Terry Pratchett.