The Hashish Man and Other Stories

by Lord Dunsany

A century after his heyday, the prolific author continues to delight in a short story collection containing fanciful tales of strange adventure in imaginary locales and depicting grim visions of otherworldliness. Original.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Horror, Science Fiction Fantasy, Classics

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, eighteenth baron of Dunsany, was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist, notable for his work in fantasy published under the name Lord Dunsany. More than eighty books of his work were published, and his oeuvre includes hundreds of short stories, as well as successful plays, novels and essays. Born to one of the oldest titles in the Irish peerage, he lived much of his life at perhaps Ireland's longest-inhabited home, Dunsany Castle near Tara, received an honourary doctorate from Trinity College, and died in Dublin.

Reviews

[Hon Lady Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I dreamt I was with Lord Dunsany on the grounds of St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Shoreham, Kent. We were there to visit his grave. He looked around irritated, like a proper Irishman, wondering how would we find it, but I casually told him to follow me as I had been there once before in the real world. We step out of the tree allée leading up to the church and walk for no more than 30 paces, where I point towards a particularly weather battered tombstone. Dunsany looks down at it for a moment. Then looks at me. And smiles. That's when I wake up. And smile.

"Once I found out the secret of the universe, I have forgotten what it was, but I know that the Creator does not take Creation seriously, for I remember that he sat in Space with all his work in front of him and Laughed.

I have seen incredible things in fearful worlds. As it is your imagination that takes you there, so it is only by imagination that you can get back. And somehow I imagined my way back and only just in time, for my body was already stiffening in a chair in my room; and the fire had gone out and everything was cold, and I had to move each finger one by one, and there were pins and needles in them, and dreadful pain in the nails, which began to thaw; and at last I could move one arm, and reached a bell, and for a long time no one came, because everyone was in bed."

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lord Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, Baron Dunsany (or Lord Dunsany, if you haven't got all day) is like Charlie Parker - a much-imitated, never-equaled original. The feverish, liquid reveries of his language led many other authors down a primrose path of overheated, turgid prose. Lovecraft tried and failed. There is no excuse for the delirious orgy of sensory description and evocative sound Dunsany employs, and in anyone else's hands it would fail. Here it succeeds beyond all expectation. Reading these stories is like losing yourself in Salvador Dali or W.B. Yeats - you come out less certain of the objectivity of the observable.

[Alexander Veee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And then the sailors knelt on the decks and prayed, not all together, but five or six at a time. Side by side there kneeled down together five or six, for there only prayed at the same time men of different faiths, so that no god should hear two men praying to him at once. As soon as any one had finished his prayer, another of the same faith would take his place. Thus knelt the row of five or six with bended heads under the fluttering sail, while the central stream of the River Yann took them on towards the sea, and their prayers rose up from among the lanterns and went towards the stars. And behind them in the after end of the ship the helmsman prayed aloud the helmsman's prayer, which is prayed by all who follow his trade upon the River Yann, of whatever faith they be. And the captain prayed to his little lesser gods, to the gods that bless Belzoond."

[Jennifer Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and whimsical. The stories are short and read a bit stream-of-consciousness but considering they are intended to be experienced like dreams, it works. Definitely antiquated in its subjects but still lovely to escape into now and then. I kept it by my bedside for several months and read a story or two each night, to help me unwind.

[Elizabeth]

I'd already read these stories in other collections, but those were all digital, and Dunsany really deserves paper. I found this and The King of Elfland's Daughter at Powell's and bought them both. If they'd had more of his books, I would have bought them all.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of stories by one of the great fantasy writers of the early 20th Century, Lord Dunsany. Dunsany has fallen into partial obscurity, but his impact on modern fantasy is profound. Dunsany was one of the main influences of H.P. Lovecraft (he also influenced Tolkien, Eddings, and many other authors), and the stories in this collection seem to have been chosen to appeal to Lovecraft fans. The mystery and creepiness factor is certainly high, although there isn't as much pure horror in Dunsany's work. Instead, the stories are the epitome of fantasy in its purest sense, stripped of many of the cliches it would acquire over the years--stories that evoke a sense of wonder, mystery, and imagination. Highly recommended.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of the 25 stories I liked these: Charon, The Three Sailors' Gambit, The Hashish Man, and The Secret of the Sea. Dunsany is exquisite in his descriptions of imaginary places, and he can conjure up an atmosphere of mystery and anticipation and eeriness in just a few words. I found his style refreshing and lyrical. This particular collection is not big on plot, however, and I felt like I was being teased - drawn in completely, but ultimately left unsatisfied. I only picked this book up because "The King of Elfland's Daughter" was not available when I was at the library - so I'm hoping Dunsany proves more satisfactory in his novels.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyrical, bizarre, creepy and sublime. I found the stories hit and miss, but it's pleasant to encounter something that is so unique, and something that probably wouldn't get past commercial editors today. Fair warning that these tales are stuffed with orientalist tropes, so anyone who's actually from the Middle East or Northern Africa will need to read these with his or her "historical context" hat on.

My favourite tales were 'Charon,' 'Where the Tides Ebb and Flow,' 'The Field,' 'Bethmoora,' and 'The Madness of Andelsprutz.'

This particular edition by Manic D Press is poorly edited and full of errors, so go for another version if buying.

[Matthew J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good, some bad. Lord Dunsany is not always easy to read. As one of Lovecraft's major inspirations, particularly for his Dreamlands stories, you can imagine he's a bit...verbose. A few of the stories are really good. A few are almost unreadable.

[Jarad Coats · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cool set of old fashioned tales. The birth of horror wasn't far off.

[MJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories by a writer from early 20th century. A mix of fantasy and other topics. Admittedly, I lost interest in tales of sultans and kings getting prophecies from ripple smoking hashish. I wanted to like this but I struggled.

[Alex Beckers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the stories are great, exactly what I expected, but too many read like long descriptions of dreams. They're pretty but they don't go anywhere. And they all start to blend together

[Joe Nobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a find
I'm so glad i stumbled upon this gem

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lord Dunsany inspired both J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft. I mostly thought these beautiful and haunting stories were too short or seemed unfinished although In the Twilight was flawless.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, classic fantasy.

[Frederick Gault]

Lyrical, soothing, fantastic, unique.