Dragons: The Greatest Stories

by Martin H. Greenberg (Editor), Ray Bradbury (Contributor), John Wyndham (Contributor)

Just like the title reads...This is for Dragon and Fantasy Lovers alike...Great collection of authors...

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Dragons, Fiction, Short Stories, Science Fiction Fantasy, Magic

307 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Martin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.

For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.

Reviews

[Andrew Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your traditional sword & sorcery stuff when it comes to these dragon stories!
There's the gene-genered kind of dragon, the cyber kind of dragon, the off beat Dragon Council story, and several other kinds.
Those that are in a medieval type setting have strange and beautiful twists to them!

[Andrew Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dragon by Ray Bradbury 3/5
A short and seemingly comical story about perception and a rip in the fabric of time. In the year 900, maybe, two knights stake out the moor, rumored to have many sinister happenings, to fight the fearsome dragon. Fearing that the moor messes with reality and time, the knights face their fear with an unlikely outcome that only the tracks of Time will tell. And Fred.

The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey 3/5
Somewhere in the timeline of the Pern series, it's not too exciting at first but it ends on an open opportunity for an enchanting coming-of-age. A story about being small not being a verdict against success. Dragonboys of Pern march to the Benden Weyr volcano Hatching Grounds where the newly hatched baby dragons will emerge to choose their young forever riders. Young Keevan, fostered to a boy's home since his father lives among the dragon caves, is the smallest and most teased, perceived to be the least likely to be chosen. Bully Berteli will choose to harass but Heth will choose to uplift.

The Rule of Names by Ursula K. Le Guin 3/5
A weird environment as only Ursula can manifest, and taking place at some point and time among the Earth Sea Cycle, the whimsical Shire-like people and their weird customs ends with a dark reckoning. The potential for an interesting history was more mentioned than explored. 50-year-old "Mr. Underhill" lives in a cave under a hill on Sattins Island. He's the resident wizard, though he leaves a lot to be desired in his capabilities. In this world, their is control over knowing names so you must never tell nor ever ask a name. So when a Sealord of Pendor comes searching for stolen treasure, do the names of legends lose control? Can beasts perform magic too?

St. Dragon & the George by Gordon R. Dickson 4/5
A prequel of sorts to the Dragon Knight series, though starting off weird with hypnotism and college philosophy talk, the often humorous adventure speaks at times with quotable inspiration and ends with a heroic heartfelt battle among unlikely allies, good and evil. College Americans Jim Eckert and his fiance, Angie, are transported back in time to a Britain with dragons, ogres, killer worms, and wizards. The centuries old battle between dragons and humans (georges) is put into question by an older thoughtful Smrgol, a dragon who wants an alliance between them all. But evil Anark has stolen Angie for his own pleasures and carried her away to an Evil land where fear drives and heroes die. A final battle between two groups: an aging humanist dragon, an ulcer-inflicted wizard, a man spirited into a dragon, a fearful mere-dragon, a valiant Knight against a young evil-hearted dragon, an almost unbeatable mindless worm, an ogre with impenetrable muscles, and a creeping evil dark mist that only Light can fight.
"The world goes never the way we want it by itself, but must be haltered and led." - Carolinus
"Gorbash, you don't understand the situation. Every time of your retreat from something like this, it gains and you lose. The next time the odds would be even worse against us." - Carolinus

The Champion of Dragons by Mickey Zucker Reichert 4/5
A gritty and somber tale with a sad and happy conclusion, the door is left open for demonic adventure in Miyamet, and new battles beyond. Miura Usashibo is Miyamoto's fourteenth champion to face the dragon every ten years. None ever return. His warrior fervor for the Master and Sensei has destroyed his friendship with Otake Nakamura and is heading that way with his wife, Rumiko. Feeling alienated by a people who see him as more or less than human, Usashibo's only path is a lonely trek to destroy the vicious cycle of the "dragon".
"Winning had become mundane. But the physical and emotional peak attained in combat never dulled. It seemed as if no reality existed beyond the feelings of inner peace and power he could reach only through all consuming violence."

Take Me Out to the Ball Game by Esther M. Friesner 3/5
Witty and playful, a modern story of a man's obsession with sports fandom with a minimal amount of socio-political waxing by the author. A questionable duo, Larry and his aide, Shannon, have went to extreme measures in summoning a dragon (who enjoys literal metal so much that a few metal rock posters meet their ends) for quite the mission: kill the pitcher for the New York Mets so his Cubs can win. The tale spends its time teaching the dragon about baseball, while demeaning the winless Cubs and ogre-compared Republicans, and showing a volatile relationship between an unassertive virgin wizard and his smug attractive assistant, only to see unintended consequences for not being literal enough for the wise and hungry dragon.
"The scene down on the field and up in the stands was that uncomfortable amalgam of good old American survival instinct versus good old American rubber-neckers death wish."

Lethal Perspective by Alan Dean Foster3/5
A short tale with a message about humankind's ability to destroy themselves more than an outside predator, and a criticism, it seems, of a certain habit. An array of world dragons meet in a Special Place to impress each other with how much chaos and mayhem they covertly cause humankind, a contest of braggadocio. From war, to devastation, it will be even the littlest addiction that spreads like fire.

The Storm King by Joan D. Vinge 3/5
A squalid and depressing landscape, grey and muddy, the potential of the mythology and introspection is weighed down by the author's heavy focus of privileged men versus women fighting to survive, of civilized men and their inactive gods versus women of the Goddess Earth living in muck. I reminded of the same atmosphere and religious separation as in Robin La Fevers' 'Grave Mercy'. Prince Lassan-din, upon his mad king father's death, is exiled and maimed by his devious uncle. Earth-worshipping witches, one an old crone who stole the soul of her slave and the other a soulless slave, have the power to help Lassan-din to force the Storm King dragon into giving him invulnerability and his throne back, but they seem not to be able to wield their Goddess' power as strongly as he, or they simply choose not to help the land. Unfortunately, this dragon also devastates the land with crop-killing storms and graying the skies with gloom and death. One can only help themselves, as the gods and the Goddess are either absent or weak. Fallatha, the slave witch, forces herself onto Lassan-din to gain her own soul back (cringe) while Lassan-din think of others over himself to gain his. In the end, the faithful Earth worshippers chose not to help the land while the haughty prince did.
"I desire to be left in peace with my [girl]child and my goddess." - Fallatha, the Earth's Own

Dragon's Teeth by David Drake 4/5
Straight into action, Drake gives us a small touch of ancient Roman politics but leads us into a darkly magical frontier of morbid machinations. Dama and Lucius make for a potent buddy adveture even if the atmosphere is cold and gritty. Lucius Vettius, with his black bearskin cape and cowl, is a Roman legate leading a crew military vets on a mission of vengeance against the Samartians that continually raid against them. In Torgu, the shaman wizard Hydaspes has created giant warriors, golems of sorts, to do his bidding, rallying Samartian clans against the Roman border towns. With hands tied from Dacian Count Celsus' political fears, Lettius and his merchant friend, Dama, a brute warrior and a cunning cutthroat, travel behind enemy lines to see what happens when a shaman plants human and dragon teeth into the earth and chants dead language encantations with his pet monkey.

Two Yards of Dragon by L. Sprague de Camp 3.5/5
de Camp has a witty buddy romp from a land of dwindling chivalry to a land of advancement in laws, technology, religion, and cons. 23-year-old Eudoric Dambertson is tasked with finding dragon hide for Baldonius' magical enchantments. Two yards worth, in fact. All so he can fulfill his traditional duty to marry Baldonius' daughter Lusina and become knighted. With the considerably older Jillo Godmarson at 33, Jillo's mule, and Eudoric's own steed, Morgrim, they head to the distant Pathenia/Pantorozia for his mission. The environment seems at odds from generation to generation, among philosophies, religions, and traditions.
"Young men are wont to swallow every new idea that flits past, like a frog snapping at flies. Betimes they find they've engulfed a wasp, to their scathe and dolor."

Chinese Puzzle by John Wyndham 3/5
An odd choice in language for the people's dialect, this tale was less exciting and more of a commentary on propaganda. The Hughesesof Wales inherit a large egg from their son, who is away in China, for safekeeping. Upon hatching, the whole community is convinced it is a dragon except for a cynical neighbor who antagonizes with politics and propaganda. But as much as he wants to pick a fight, some creatures are lonely and looking for mates with no regard to national boundaries or political skews.

The George Business by Roger Zelazny 4/5
What's love got to do with a sense of security? This quick take of humor and cunning is a buddy adventure that I'd like to see more of. Dart the dragon hasn't battled a knight in a long time, living in peace among his meager hoard. George the knight isn't too hot himself with monetary security. Like-minded in many ways, both agree to dupe uninterested, yet rich, counterparts (Rosalind, daughter of a baron, and a rich older dragon). Things may not go as planned but a budding friendship of two conmen will make for some zany adventures.

A Hiss of Dragon by Gregory Benford & Marc Laidlaw 3.5
At first, it became a bit jarring with the science-fiction set up and the rhetoric/slang involved but the fast-paced action kept it going. It was like a mini-Star Wars story so though I may not have followed everything at first, there was an adventure to be had. On planet Lex, metal and technology are scarce but thistleberries are a luxurious commodity. Humans have inhabited it for 1,200 years. Dragons hoard the thistleberries too. This is due to thousands of years of bioengineering and gene splicing of humans and about 5 years of doing the same for Lexian bloats and making them into Dragons. Drake is a new skimmer pilot that older Leopold (the Dragon creator) is all too happy to bring aboard. This career change will help Drake and Evelaine stay in the city of Kakatin but volatile creatures and shady opportunists will test their survivability.

The Bully and the Beast by Orson Scott Card 3.75/5
There's a general message here but it's never quite settled in my opinion. Heroism is valiant but is it true? Nobility is desirable but is it corrupt? Honesty is liberating but is fear cowardice or freedom? Bork the Bully, a giant of his time at 7 feet tall, and stronger than multiple men. Unfortunately, he's been treated as a dim bulb all his life, used for his strength, and taken advantage of by his "best" friend, by the cook he works under, and by the Count who wants to treasonously be king. Grief and joy are not weighed on the same scale but an honest man will set the beast free.
"My life matters because I'm alive, joy or pain, whatever comes, I'm alive and that means enough. It's true, isn't it, dragon! I'm not here to fight you. I'm not here for you to kill me. I'm here to make myself alive! - Bork

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

The greatest stories about dragons? I don't think so. Two of these stories do not even have dragons in them. Color me crazy but shouldn't a dragon story have a DRAGON in it?



The majority of the stories are "humorous fantasy" and lets you better appreciate the late great Sir Terry Pratchett (who sadly does not appear in this anthology.) He was the master and the rest are but pale imitations. The one who got even close -- and had the most original dragon in the bunch presented here -- was "St. Dragon and the George" by Gordon R. Dickson. This novella was the original version of Dickson's popular novel The Dragon and the George.

Still, great cover, eh? I think it's been on a few books now.

[Book2Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thouroughly enjoyed this collection. Greenberg collections rarely disappoint me. Some stories I enjoyed more than others, and some I'd just shrug my shoulders at. But by and large they were enjoyable and had the requisite twist and surprise. Best of all, the dragons were not "Bad" dragons, and only one I think was killed (becase he asked to be).
The best of all, I would say, was Orson Scott Card's "The Bully and the Beast". It had a moral and that was fitting for the current day. Last entry in the book and well worth waiting for. I'm sure you will find your favorites too; would love to hear what they were.

[C.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skip-jigging fun collection of dragon tales, from odd and satiric to faintly high fantasy--'twas well worth the read.

[Syreeta Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to shelve a book with as many authors and portrayals as this. It's a compilation of short stories, ranging from wizards at baseball matches, to a spin off of Eragon, or even the every popular "knight battles dragon for princess" trope. They're not just by Martin H Greenburg, but also including, but not limited to: Ray Bradbury, Orson Scott Card, and Anne McCaffery. They, and other authors, portray dragons as friends, enemies, intelligent, or mere beasts. It isn't lore, but there might be lore within one. It isn't history, but you could find historical inspiration in them. They're not all on Earth, but a few are. Exciting, enchanting, and memorable.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this collection of short stories for I thought the majority of it would be about dragons and the world of fantasy that circles around them. Unfortunately the only thing that really pertained to the fantasy part of dragons was the summary on the dust jacket and parts of the introduction by the editor otherwise the majority of the stories could be taken either as moral tales or sci-fi that held wicked dragons.

The characters in the majority of the stories were either foolish, redundant or just plain personality-less. And the worse the story was the longer it was in my opinion especially when you came to the last story the "The Bully and the Beast" whose title was more interesting than the story itself.

I can say there is only one story that I enjoy out of the collection and that was "The Smallest Dragonboy", which is the first and only book I have read in the Dragonriders of Pern series. I think I will be keeping an eye out for the series.

A bit of trivia that I thought was interesting is that the editor who wrote out the introduction was trying to describe a few stories while getting the author and title match-up of one story wrong even when he had the collection before him. Anyway that is something small and doesn't add nor subtract away from the book.

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I'm about two-thirds of the way through. My overall experience has been 'Meh...'. I know that most short story collections have a story or two I won't like. This book so far has had more than that. I found them trite, or their humor wasn't strong enough to carry them along, or they made assumptions about their readers that simply didn't apply to me. I was pretty excited to see that Bradbury and LeGuin were in here, and they did not disappoint. However, their influence over the quality of the rest of the book was weak.
I would say this is a good book for the dragon loving teen (or older) who is in between their Eragon sagas, or can't find the next Anne McCafferey until the library gets it in. In other words, it's an adequate sampler, just not a particularly satisfying one for me. This is for two reasons: too many parts I had read elsewhere; the morals of some stories were full of casual attitudes or their philosophies proved to be a mild depressant. Not enough of the timeless nature of a great tale- dragons are of the mythos! Get mythic, already!
Ok, final note: I finished the book and it held up at just the same level as ever: some good, some bad, some in between, and over all just not quite good enough to keep.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not very good at rating short story collections. I enjoyed nearly all of the stories in this one, though. They're all reprints, selected from all over the second half of the 20th century (hence "the greatest stories". They vary widely in tone, but of course, all feature dragons of some sort.

[Kristie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its hard to rate a collection of short stories, because some were really good, and some were not.

[Lori Posten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it . Wish it was a little more gripping .