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The Doom of Camelot
Green Knight Publishing's first original release is a collection of stories exploring the downfall of Arthur's realm. What brought about the end of the dream? The answers offered by these tales range from a madman's obsession with justice, to an innocent jest gone horribly wrong, to the pervasive, yet subtle flaws in the idea of Camelot itself. From Dark Ages squalor to fantastic splendor, The Doom of Camelot presents a wide range of tones and styles, with stories from such notable authors as Phyllis Ann Karr, Cherith Baldry, Catherine Wells, Elaine Cunningham, Ed Greenwood, Mike Ashley, and others. Cover by Chesley-award winning artist Marc Fishman.
- GenresArthurian
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2000
1 person is currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
James Lowder
87 books105 followersaka Richard Awlinson, J D Lowder, Jim Lowder
James Lowder has worked extensively in fantasy and horror fiction on both sides of the editorial blotter. He's authored several best-selling dark fantasy novels, including Prince of Lies and Knight of the Black Rose, and has had short fiction appear in such anthologies as Shadows Over Baker Street and Genius Loci. He's penned comic book scripts for several companies and the city of Boston. His book and film reviews, feature articles, and role-playing game design work can be found in such diverse publications as Amazing Stories, Milwaukee Magazine, and The New England Journal of History. As an editor, he's directed lines or series for TSR, Green Knight Publishing, Chaosium, and CDS Books. He's helmed more than twenty anthologies, including Hobby Games: The 100 Best and Curse of the Full Moon. In the media, he is a regular contributor to the Public Radio show "Lake Effect" in Milwaukee, provided werewolf lore on the TV show Weird or What? and tabletop game industry lore for the documentary The Dreams in Gary's Basement, and served as a puppeteer on the indie film Misfit Heights.
James Lowder has worked extensively in fantasy and horror fiction on both sides of the editorial blotter. He's authored several best-selling dark fantasy novels, including Prince of Lies and Knight of the Black Rose, and has had short fiction appear in such anthologies as Shadows Over Baker Street and Genius Loci. He's penned comic book scripts for several companies and the city of Boston. His book and film reviews, feature articles, and role-playing game design work can be found in such diverse publications as Amazing Stories, Milwaukee Magazine, and The New England Journal of History. As an editor, he's directed lines or series for TSR, Green Knight Publishing, Chaosium, and CDS Books. He's helmed more than twenty anthologies, including Hobby Games: The 100 Best and Curse of the Full Moon. In the media, he is a regular contributor to the Public Radio show "Lake Effect" in Milwaukee, provided werewolf lore on the TV show Weird or What? and tabletop game industry lore for the documentary The Dreams in Gary's Basement, and served as a puppeteer on the indie film Misfit Heights.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 28, 2013
I love this series and of all the collection of short stories this is my favourite. All the stories are well written and carefully chosen, there are a lot of good stories and a lot of excellent stories. I particularly recommend this book to people who love Galahad, Agravaine and Dinadan and to people who like to read about the end of Camelot.
My favourite story was "Grail Wisdom"
For more specific toughts (no spoilers, don't worry!) on some of the stories, here you are:
1. Catherine Wells, “A Hermit’s Tale”:
In this first story we have Bedivere as a narrator who talks to “you” about what caused the fall of Arthur’s kingdom. Bedivere is quite jovial and very amusing. This story is short but worthy, the setting is historical and all the characters are pretty realistic (the main characters Bedivere describes are Medraut, Arthur and Guinevere).
4. Phyllis Ann Karr, “The Realm of the Dead and the Dreaming”:
This story is longer than the previous ones and it is (until now) my favourite and it's definitely very original and very complex.
5. Phyllis Ann Karr, “The Last Idle of the King” (poem):
This is a short poem. There is not a lot to say about it. It’s funny. Like, a lot funny.
8. India Edghill, “Grail Wisdom”:
This is probably one of my favourites. The story starts with the knights that convince Galahad to go seek the grail because Arthur is old and they fear that the pure Galahad will protect seven-year-old Mordred (the future next king) from their influence. Original ending and answer to often not well retold Grail Quest.
10. Ed Greenwood, “The Shadow of a Sword”:
King Constantine meets some old ghosts (Arthur, Bedivere and other knights) and has to fight against the magic of Morgan le Fay, who wants to take Excalibur.
11. Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, “Surrendering the Blade”:
It’s a poem about Camlann. Nothing special to tell :D but for the fact that it’s very elegant.
12. Susan Fry, “The Battle Lost”:
This story is very short but very interesting. It is placed in a village, under Arthur’s reign, during the times of Camlann and betrayal. The main character, a villager pregnanti woman whose husband is fighting with Arthur, meets a dying knight. The story is touching and very interesting, especially in the parts where the characters are angry at Arthur and at how he raised the taxes organizing tournaments and quests.
13. Darrell Schweitzer, “Saxon Midnight”:
It’s a sort of horror story where the main character and his son, who live after Constantine’s kingdom, are attacked by saxons. The saxons kill the child but let the protagonist live. He is obsessed by arthurian legends (because his father served under Constantine) and he digs up the body of a knight, a zombie knight who starts killing every saxon, man, woman or child, to finally reach the old Camelot. once in the ruins of Camelot, the main characters finds out that the knight is Mordred who wants to finally rule over a world of death. The protagonist, with the help of a saxon priest, manages to exorcise him and defeat him and finds out that, while he was the zombie’s squire, he lived nearly a century and a lot of time has passed since the saxons had only been cruel invasors.
14. Douglas W. Clark, “The Knight who wasn’t there”:
An incredibly interesting story about Dinadan and Mordred. During the grail quest, Dinadan decides to make up a character, calling him Mordred, so that he could use this fantasy character as a bad example to make everyone feel better about themselves. The story is about how the imaginary Mordred keeps gaining power, very slowly, because Agravaine decides to exploit the idea of a bastard son of Arthur.
15. Meredith L. Patterson, “How Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth”:
Agravaine is the protagonist of this story. I was particularly glad to find a story where he is not used as a mean to take out the blame from the other characters. He deserves some love too.
16. Verlyn Flieger, “Avilion, a Romance of Voices”:
Avilion is a short novel and a collection of short stories, each one dedicated to a character.
In the end
This book was probably my favourite collection of short stories. I liked all of them and some of them I truly loved. I bought this book because I wanted to read Cherith Baldry’s short story and, irony, that story was probably the one which I liked less (maybe because the other stories were so amazing or maybe because of my high expectations in comparison to her other short stories that always satisfy me).
My favourite story was "Grail Wisdom"
For more specific toughts (no spoilers, don't worry!) on some of the stories, here you are:
1. Catherine Wells, “A Hermit’s Tale”:
In this first story we have Bedivere as a narrator who talks to “you” about what caused the fall of Arthur’s kingdom. Bedivere is quite jovial and very amusing. This story is short but worthy, the setting is historical and all the characters are pretty realistic (the main characters Bedivere describes are Medraut, Arthur and Guinevere).
4. Phyllis Ann Karr, “The Realm of the Dead and the Dreaming”:
This story is longer than the previous ones and it is (until now) my favourite and it's definitely very original and very complex.
5. Phyllis Ann Karr, “The Last Idle of the King” (poem):
This is a short poem. There is not a lot to say about it. It’s funny. Like, a lot funny.
8. India Edghill, “Grail Wisdom”:
This is probably one of my favourites. The story starts with the knights that convince Galahad to go seek the grail because Arthur is old and they fear that the pure Galahad will protect seven-year-old Mordred (the future next king) from their influence. Original ending and answer to often not well retold Grail Quest.
10. Ed Greenwood, “The Shadow of a Sword”:
King Constantine meets some old ghosts (Arthur, Bedivere and other knights) and has to fight against the magic of Morgan le Fay, who wants to take Excalibur.
11. Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, “Surrendering the Blade”:
It’s a poem about Camlann. Nothing special to tell :D but for the fact that it’s very elegant.
12. Susan Fry, “The Battle Lost”:
This story is very short but very interesting. It is placed in a village, under Arthur’s reign, during the times of Camlann and betrayal. The main character, a villager pregnanti woman whose husband is fighting with Arthur, meets a dying knight. The story is touching and very interesting, especially in the parts where the characters are angry at Arthur and at how he raised the taxes organizing tournaments and quests.
13. Darrell Schweitzer, “Saxon Midnight”:
It’s a sort of horror story where the main character and his son, who live after Constantine’s kingdom, are attacked by saxons. The saxons kill the child but let the protagonist live. He is obsessed by arthurian legends (because his father served under Constantine) and he digs up the body of a knight, a zombie knight who starts killing every saxon, man, woman or child, to finally reach the old Camelot. once in the ruins of Camelot, the main characters finds out that the knight is Mordred who wants to finally rule over a world of death. The protagonist, with the help of a saxon priest, manages to exorcise him and defeat him and finds out that, while he was the zombie’s squire, he lived nearly a century and a lot of time has passed since the saxons had only been cruel invasors.
14. Douglas W. Clark, “The Knight who wasn’t there”:
An incredibly interesting story about Dinadan and Mordred. During the grail quest, Dinadan decides to make up a character, calling him Mordred, so that he could use this fantasy character as a bad example to make everyone feel better about themselves. The story is about how the imaginary Mordred keeps gaining power, very slowly, because Agravaine decides to exploit the idea of a bastard son of Arthur.
15. Meredith L. Patterson, “How Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth”:
Agravaine is the protagonist of this story. I was particularly glad to find a story where he is not used as a mean to take out the blame from the other characters. He deserves some love too.
16. Verlyn Flieger, “Avilion, a Romance of Voices”:
Avilion is a short novel and a collection of short stories, each one dedicated to a character.
In the end
This book was probably my favourite collection of short stories. I liked all of them and some of them I truly loved. I bought this book because I wanted to read Cherith Baldry’s short story and, irony, that story was probably the one which I liked less (maybe because the other stories were so amazing or maybe because of my high expectations in comparison to her other short stories that always satisfy me).
November 5, 2012
It seems that the story told in the Arthurian legends is forever doomed to go pear-shaped even when everyone is making their very best efforts to do well... though I trust there will occasionally be an exception to the rule. (BBC Merlin, I'm looking at you!)
This volume springs from a cool idea: 16 authors each spin a tale about that doom. Some include supernatural elements, some are all too human. The stories are all worth reading, for one reason or another, and are each quite different. An interesting read!
This volume springs from a cool idea: 16 authors each spin a tale about that doom. Some include supernatural elements, some are all too human. The stories are all worth reading, for one reason or another, and are each quite different. An interesting read!
September 28, 2019
There's plenty of good stuff here, but it's worth it just for the story "The Knight Who Wasn't There." I mean, damn.
August 9, 2013
Having studied the Arthurian Legends for more than three decades, I delight in discovering new twists on the timeless tales, and The Doom of Camelot contains many enjoyable surprises. As its title implies, the anthology presents 16 original takes on the fabled kingdom's downfall.
The answers offered by authors Mike Ashley, India Edgehill, Phyllis Ann Karr and others range from the clash of faiths and ideals to the pervasive yet subtle flaws in Camelot's concept. Settings transport the reader from Dark Age squalor to medieval opulence. The tones and styles vary just as widely, from a clever Tennyson-esque "Idle" poem dedicated to Alfred E. Neuman to a novelette-length encapsulation of Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur written from the viewpoints of 15 major and semi-major characters.
Not a fan of Malory remakes, I found the novelette, "Avilion," to be my least favorite of the collection. The author draws heavily upon stock character profiles without adding new insights into their personalities or motives. But you might find this piece a help if you need to cram for a Medieval Lit exam.
Otherwise, you'll find several other gourmet delicacies at this literary smorgasbord. Feast upon the tale of the Mordred invented to ease everyone's spirits after the Grail Quest -- an innocent jest that goes horribly wrong. Take a deep draught from the Grail, manifested in two mysterious ladies wielding the power to control time itself. Thoughtfully chew upon the vignette of a pregnant peasant woman whose life changes when a knight dies in her field after the battle of Camlann. The 320-page banquet offers something to please even the most discerning palate.
The Doom of Camelot represents the first in a planned series of annual Arthurian anthologies by Green Knight Press. Just as well. For, much like Chinese food, in an hour you'll be hungry for more.
(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)
The answers offered by authors Mike Ashley, India Edgehill, Phyllis Ann Karr and others range from the clash of faiths and ideals to the pervasive yet subtle flaws in Camelot's concept. Settings transport the reader from Dark Age squalor to medieval opulence. The tones and styles vary just as widely, from a clever Tennyson-esque "Idle" poem dedicated to Alfred E. Neuman to a novelette-length encapsulation of Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur written from the viewpoints of 15 major and semi-major characters.
Not a fan of Malory remakes, I found the novelette, "Avilion," to be my least favorite of the collection. The author draws heavily upon stock character profiles without adding new insights into their personalities or motives. But you might find this piece a help if you need to cram for a Medieval Lit exam.
Otherwise, you'll find several other gourmet delicacies at this literary smorgasbord. Feast upon the tale of the Mordred invented to ease everyone's spirits after the Grail Quest -- an innocent jest that goes horribly wrong. Take a deep draught from the Grail, manifested in two mysterious ladies wielding the power to control time itself. Thoughtfully chew upon the vignette of a pregnant peasant woman whose life changes when a knight dies in her field after the battle of Camlann. The 320-page banquet offers something to please even the most discerning palate.
The Doom of Camelot represents the first in a planned series of annual Arthurian anthologies by Green Knight Press. Just as well. For, much like Chinese food, in an hour you'll be hungry for more.
(Originally published in Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)
September 8, 2024
Every story in this anthology is set around or after King Arthur’s time has come to an end.
The Doom of Camelot is another interesting gem that’s come out of Green Knight Publishing (see also: my review of The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis ). Each story was well-written, keeping my attention all the way through, and worth reading, but not many of them appealed to me very strongly. There were two I liked best: “The Last Road” by Elizabeth Wyrick Thompson, Arthur’s end as told by Sir Lucan’s nameless squire, and “The Battle, Lost” by Susan Fry, a story from a point of view you don’t see very often, a common farm woman during Arthur’s latter days. The anthology’s closing tale, the novella “Avilion: A Romance of Voices” by Verlyn Flieger, was ambitious, and I do think the author did a great job of capturing the unique voices and perspectives of all the prominent figures in King Arthur’s stories. The only thing I wished the author didn’t include was clear misogyny in many of the chapters. I thought to myself the first time I encountered it, “maybe Kay’s opinion here on women is supposed to be realistic for the time period…” but then each female character’s perspective after Kay calls Genever a bitch, and Genever’s chapter opens by directly stating she has no use for other women and continues in the same vein from that attitude, so, maybe the author was working through something, who knows.
The Doom of Camelot is another interesting gem that’s come out of Green Knight Publishing (see also: my review of The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis ). Each story was well-written, keeping my attention all the way through, and worth reading, but not many of them appealed to me very strongly. There were two I liked best: “The Last Road” by Elizabeth Wyrick Thompson, Arthur’s end as told by Sir Lucan’s nameless squire, and “The Battle, Lost” by Susan Fry, a story from a point of view you don’t see very often, a common farm woman during Arthur’s latter days. The anthology’s closing tale, the novella “Avilion: A Romance of Voices” by Verlyn Flieger, was ambitious, and I do think the author did a great job of capturing the unique voices and perspectives of all the prominent figures in King Arthur’s stories. The only thing I wished the author didn’t include was clear misogyny in many of the chapters. I thought to myself the first time I encountered it, “maybe Kay’s opinion here on women is supposed to be realistic for the time period…” but then each female character’s perspective after Kay calls Genever a bitch, and Genever’s chapter opens by directly stating she has no use for other women and continues in the same vein from that attitude, so, maybe the author was working through something, who knows.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews