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A Treasury of Fantasy
1981, hardcover edition, Crown / Avenel, NY. Attractive omnibus edition, 504 pages, featuring heroic adventures in imaginary lands. 46 exceptional b&w illustrations. Wonderful illustrators Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Hughes, Richard Doyle, and others. The stories here include the writing John Ruskin, George MacDonald, William Morris, Lord Dunsany, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Ursula K. Le Guin, and others. Very nicely done.
504 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 30, 2015
Note, Dec. 30, 2015: I just edited this review to correct a repeated misspelling of the editor's name.
As his short introduction to this unique anthology indicates, editor Wilkens sees the basic impulse behind what we know today as the fantasy genre to be something as old as storytelling itself. He's clearly very fascinated by the evolution of the tradition, and sets out here to share some of that fascination with the readers of this collection of 11 chronologically-arranged selections. The unusually historicist approach here sets the book apart from the general run of fantasy anthologies.
Wilkens begins with three excerpts from 19th-century translations, by such figures as William Morris and Mrs. Andrew Lang, of medieval writings such as the Icelandic saga of Sigurd and the Arthurian canon, which had in turn crystallized in written form even older stories. The heroes, settings, and story elements of these tales essentially create fantasy worlds that became the mother lode which the later European and American (the tradition in the English language is the predominate one here) authors of literary fantasy would mine to create many of the tropes and archetypes of the genre. These are followed by Ludwig Tieck's "The Elves," representing the fantasy strand in early 19th-century German Romanticism, which became another inspiration for the next generation of British fantasists. (This story is included in Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy, and I discussed it briefly in my review of the anthology.)
From there, we move on to Victorian and early 20th-century British fantasy, which is represented by four selections, three of which are complete novels (the other is John Ruskin's "The King of the Golden River," which draws on German folklore). All three of these --George MacDonald's Phantastes, Morris' The Wood Beyond the World, and Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter-- are works that I've already reviewed separately in their own right. Finally, we have three stories by 20th-century American authors that sample "the diverging paths the genre has taken." H. P. Lovecraft's "The Doom That Came to Sarnath" was most probably thought of by the author in science-fictional terms; but it's written with the flavor of ancient legend, and set in an imaginary antiquity of opulence and mystery, a world of palaces and temples, kings and pagan gods. Swords-and-sorcery fantasy is represented by Robert E. Howard's Kull story, "Swords of the Purple Kingdom." This was my first introduction to Howard's work, and one of my two favorite stories here. My other favorite is Ursula LeGuin's "The Rule of Names," set in her fantasy world of Earthsea, which draws on the common folkloric concept of the power of "true names." Unlike Wilkens, I wouldn't characterize this one as "humorous;" but it is one of LeGuin's best, IMO.
Given the large amount of Victorian (and older) prose here, this collection won't appeal to every reader. Some will have a real problem with the diction of the older stories; and there's often, in the older works, a tendency towards a slow narrative pace, which some readers won't get into. For those who aren't put off by these characteristics, though, this collection is a treasury indeed, a kind of trip through the genre's history while experiencing some rewarding reads. Its value in that respect could have been enhanced if Wilkens had added some introductory material for the individual selections (besides what's in his two-page general introduction), or even noted the publication dates of each story. One enhancing feature the book does have, though, are the occasional reproductions of some of the original artwork for the books and stories included here.
As his short introduction to this unique anthology indicates, editor Wilkens sees the basic impulse behind what we know today as the fantasy genre to be something as old as storytelling itself. He's clearly very fascinated by the evolution of the tradition, and sets out here to share some of that fascination with the readers of this collection of 11 chronologically-arranged selections. The unusually historicist approach here sets the book apart from the general run of fantasy anthologies.
Wilkens begins with three excerpts from 19th-century translations, by such figures as William Morris and Mrs. Andrew Lang, of medieval writings such as the Icelandic saga of Sigurd and the Arthurian canon, which had in turn crystallized in written form even older stories. The heroes, settings, and story elements of these tales essentially create fantasy worlds that became the mother lode which the later European and American (the tradition in the English language is the predominate one here) authors of literary fantasy would mine to create many of the tropes and archetypes of the genre. These are followed by Ludwig Tieck's "The Elves," representing the fantasy strand in early 19th-century German Romanticism, which became another inspiration for the next generation of British fantasists. (This story is included in Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy, and I discussed it briefly in my review of the anthology.)
From there, we move on to Victorian and early 20th-century British fantasy, which is represented by four selections, three of which are complete novels (the other is John Ruskin's "The King of the Golden River," which draws on German folklore). All three of these --George MacDonald's Phantastes, Morris' The Wood Beyond the World, and Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter-- are works that I've already reviewed separately in their own right. Finally, we have three stories by 20th-century American authors that sample "the diverging paths the genre has taken." H. P. Lovecraft's "The Doom That Came to Sarnath" was most probably thought of by the author in science-fictional terms; but it's written with the flavor of ancient legend, and set in an imaginary antiquity of opulence and mystery, a world of palaces and temples, kings and pagan gods. Swords-and-sorcery fantasy is represented by Robert E. Howard's Kull story, "Swords of the Purple Kingdom." This was my first introduction to Howard's work, and one of my two favorite stories here. My other favorite is Ursula LeGuin's "The Rule of Names," set in her fantasy world of Earthsea, which draws on the common folkloric concept of the power of "true names." Unlike Wilkens, I wouldn't characterize this one as "humorous;" but it is one of LeGuin's best, IMO.
Given the large amount of Victorian (and older) prose here, this collection won't appeal to every reader. Some will have a real problem with the diction of the older stories; and there's often, in the older works, a tendency towards a slow narrative pace, which some readers won't get into. For those who aren't put off by these characteristics, though, this collection is a treasury indeed, a kind of trip through the genre's history while experiencing some rewarding reads. Its value in that respect could have been enhanced if Wilkens had added some introductory material for the individual selections (besides what's in his two-page general introduction), or even noted the publication dates of each story. One enhancing feature the book does have, though, are the occasional reproductions of some of the original artwork for the books and stories included here.
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August 22, 2008A Treasury of Fantasy by Cary Wilkins (1984)
January 2, 2020
I generally judge anthologies by how many bad stories vs how many good stories the book has in it. Unfortunately this one had more bad than good. Not recommended
January 17, 2017
While I didn't love every story in this collection, there were some great tales. My favorite was the last, The Rule of Names, by Ursula K. Le Guin.
March 16, 2023
A good, beefy anthology of mostly 19th & early 20th century fantasy with authors ranging from Johann Ludwig Tieck and John Ruskin to H.P. Lovecraft and Ursula K. Le Guin.
The centerpiece of the collection is three short novels, presented in their entirety: Phantastes by George MacDonald, William Morris' The Wood Beyond the World and L. Frank Baum's The Master Key.
I first picked this up off of a public library shelf back in 1990, attracted in part by a few names I recognized; and this was my first real introduction to some fairly major old authors -- Morris and MacDonald, primarily, both of whose other works I've since gone on to track down and read.
This was my first time revisiting the anthology as a whole since that 1990 library visit and I admit that sometimes it felt like a bit much to take on all in one sitting, but I'm glad I persevered; and if your preference is to dip in and out, reading a specific tale or two as the mood takes you, that also seems like a very fine approach.
The centerpiece of the collection is three short novels, presented in their entirety: Phantastes by George MacDonald, William Morris' The Wood Beyond the World and L. Frank Baum's The Master Key.
I first picked this up off of a public library shelf back in 1990, attracted in part by a few names I recognized; and this was my first real introduction to some fairly major old authors -- Morris and MacDonald, primarily, both of whose other works I've since gone on to track down and read.
This was my first time revisiting the anthology as a whole since that 1990 library visit and I admit that sometimes it felt like a bit much to take on all in one sitting, but I'm glad I persevered; and if your preference is to dip in and out, reading a specific tale or two as the mood takes you, that also seems like a very fine approach.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews