Legends 3

by Robert Silverberg (Editor), Terry Pratchett (Contributor), Ursula K. Le Guin (Contributor)

The great anthology of short novels by the masters of modern fantasy.

Robert Jordan relates crucial events in the years leading up to The Wheel of Time in "New Spring."

Ursula K. Le Guin adds a sequel to her famous books of Earthsea, portraying a woman who wants to learn magic, in "Dragonfly."

Tad Williams tells a dark and enthralling story of a haunted castle in the age before Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, in "The Burning Man."

Terry Pratchett relates an amusing incident in Discworld, of a magical contest and the witch Granny Weatherwax, in "The Sea and Little Fishes."


Third volume of the three volume mass market reprint of the first Legends anthology

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Epic, American

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

There are many authors in the database with this name.

Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.

Reviews

[AndrewP · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final volume of the first Legends collection. I'm not sure if this was originally in one volume as a hardback, but in paperback the collection is split into 3 books. This one contains 4 stories:

The Wheel of Time: New Spring by Robert Jordan.
This is a prequel novel to the Wheel of Time series. I believe Jordan later expanded this story to become the novel of the same name. Not a bad story but I think it would have enjoyed it more if I had read more of the series. *** stars.

Earthsea: Dragonfly by Ursula K Le Guin.
Typical Le Guinn in that it was a slog for me to get through. Most people seem to enjoy her books but personally I can't stand her writing. * star.

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: The Burning Man by Tad Williams.
This story is a prequel and takes place a long time before the trilogy of the same name. This can be read as a stand alone as it has little of no reference to anything in the main books. The most engaging story in this collection. **** stars

Discworld: The Sea and Little Fishes by Terry Pratchet
A short novella in the Witches story line. Granny Weatherwax always wins the annual witches trials contest, so some of the other witches try and persuade her not to take part. **** stars.

Overall ***.5 stars I think. If you can find this series of books they are well worth reading although I think your enjoyment will vary depending on your familiarity with the book series they relate to.

[Mark Muckerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable!

Anthologies are generally good, and good anthologies are generally great!

Overall the writing and storytelling was solid throughout, and I'd give this one a Good Read Thumbs Up for any reader, regardless of how familiar they may or may not be with the four authors and their respective canons and worlds - it's just an enjoyable read.

My personal story-specific commentary:

Robert Jordan's work is the strongest of the four - I think he's the author with the best depth of story and development. Plus, I'm already deep in the Wheel of Time, so there's a natural affinity.

I had no prior exposure to Ursula Le Guin, but I really enjoyed her storytelling, and will likely pursue the series this story links to. THAT is the true beauty of a good anthology - you pick it up for one author, and discover new ones that draw you in.

Tad Williams. . . well, for me he always falls just a little short of Good. I find his writings "good enough", and never a bad read, but never quite robust, compelling or engrossing enough to really hook me. If he was a medieval bard he'd make a very solid living from town to town and have a known reputation, but he's not good enough that any king or lord would ever set him up permanently in residence as the court entertainer. This story was an okay read, but for me lacked completeness or any real satisfactory closure - perhaps it was meant to be more of a philosophical allegory than I cared for. . . who knows.

Terry Pratchett - I'll absolutely acknowledge he is a legend in the fantasy genre; I think I just had a bad Pratchett experience once upon a time, because I've never been remotely motivated to read any more of his stuff. However - I really enjoyed this Discworld tale of witches and witchcraft. Well written, well told, entertaining, and well capable of standing on its own as a short story (as I have NO prior reading of Discworld).

So: 2 great stories, 1 good story, and 1 good enough - I'd call that a win for an anthology.

[Nick Dinaso · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was exactly what I expected and I'm happy about that. It's a nice collection of short fantasy stories, giving a taste of each author's style. I started with the 3rd in the series as I had already read New Spring (and all of the Wheel of Time) as a standalone and am familiar with Pratchett's work through Guards Guards!, so I'd only be reading Williams and Le Guin for the first time.
These were my thoughts to myself about each story

New Spring (RJ): A fun memory of a story I love, and a decent example of Jordan's style. But probably not the best place to be introduced to the story, it feels like the weight of the prequel reveals don't pay off unless you've read the first 5 or 6 books of WoT

Dragonfly (UL): Unfortunately underwhelming. The story was boring, the characters were unlikeable, and there was a uncomfortable amount of sexism that may have been par-for-the-course when it was written but did not hold up well. I have no interest in reading EarthSea if it's more of the same.

The Burning Man (TW): Pleasantly surprised. There was some age in the writing style, a bit like the Greenwood style, but the story was easier to follow than I've felt like with Greenwood. I'm looking forward to reading Shadowmarch, and even more excited about reading his recent releases to see if his style shakes off that age.

The Sea and little fishes (TP): Exactly as I suspect most of his writing. Smart, funny, turns a troupe on its nose and runs with it. My only hang-up is that I sometimes miss the joke and feel like I lose what's happening and who's-who. I love the imagination and look forward to reading more

[David Grimstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legends was a unique way of bringing the ten biggest names in fantasy together in one anthology (albeit separated into two groups for the paperbacks). One of the really fascinating elements was seeing which of the authors they expected to sell the most in a particular territory. This is the UK paperback by Harpercollins Voyager, so headlined by Josh Kirby cover for Terry Pratchett’s Deep Sea and Little Fishes (naturally the best story in the anthology for me). Of the other authors, I was particularly impressed by both Tad Williams (love Tad) and George R.R. Martin…but the Anne McCaffrey and Robert Jordan pieces were fine, too.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Legends series of shorts stories came out, I was thrilled! The different authors compiling short story after short story often with little background info on favorite characters of books or series that are favorites of various fantasy novels. It’s one of those books I look forward to reading at my own pace. The details not given in the various novels adds flavor to the series when I do read about the particular characters. Get your hands on each copy of the different versions of the Legends books. You’ll appreciate that u did!

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good way to sample the works of authors I'd not yet had a chance to read (Robert Jordan & Tad Williams) as well as works by authors I have. (Ursula K LeGuin & Terry Pratchett)
Each story was able to stand on its own although all are relevant to specific series.
No doubt that each author is extremely talented & the stories varied in degree of darkness. As always I appreciate Terry Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax & mourn his loss again.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid sampling of some well-known writers, in their best-known worlds. Nothing that really stood out, and some not necessarily strong at standing up alone if a person hasn't read any of the author's works previously, yet each is enough of a taste to see if a person would enjoy reading more of the works of each author.

[CONNIE BALTHROP · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of my favorite authors are in this book. There's a little bit of everything in this book.

[Rob Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Went to read it and found out I already had earlier this year.
Includes New Spring, which was obviously a reread.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really want to read more of the work from these authors thanks to this collection.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The work of all four authors in this volume is largely unfamiliar territory. I''ve never read Robert Jordan or Tad Williams, have only read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin, and wasn't particularly engaged by the one Discworld novel I consumed (it was Witches Abroad, in case you're curious -- sorry, Terry Pratchett fans). So this was an opportunity to explore new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go.... *shakes self* Sorry. Ventured into the geekhood momentarily.

Ahem. On with the commentary.

I have been considering tackling Robert Jordan's massive Wheel of Time series. The novella included in this collection convinced me otherwise. "Early Spring" crammed too much magic and mythology into 150 pages; I needed a guide book that wasn't available. Even though the story is billed as a prelude to The Eye of the World (Book 1), I felt as if I were missing critical information and background. So, no thanks, Mr. Jordan, but I hope your health improves soon.

Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series has long been another entry on the "maybe I'll read that" list. Her submission to this collection, "Dragonfly", is a follow-up to the series. In contrast to "Early Spring", this sequel didn't leave me feeling as if I'd missed anything, although I've never read any of the Earthsea novels. Now I'll definitely read them.

Tad Williams is most familiar to me through the cover art of his novel, Tailchaser's Song. I've never read it, but I love that ginger tabby. His Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series is totally new to me. This prelude, "The Burning Man", impressed me enough to consider reading the series itself. I love stories that seem to take place in Earth's distant mystical past, and this one held enough hints of Norse/Finnish mythology and culture to captivate my imagination.

As I mentioned above, the one Discworld novel I read did nothing for me. I have come to the conclusion, however, that Discworld may be better consumed in short stories, because I enjoyed Granny Weatherwax's predicaments in "The Sea and Little Fishes." Maybe I'll enter Discworld again. But then again, maybe not.

[David Melbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read this one first, probably because I saw Terry Pratchett's name on the cover. This was one of the most important books that I read years ago that sparked my interest in some authors that I was not aware of. I had been out of te fantasy loop for quite a few years. I am from the Tolkien, McCaffrey, Brooks, Donaldson era, and I was out fo touch. This book and the second volume, as well as the Legends II books of the last decade are essential if you want to jump into fantasy but do not know where to start. Start with vol. 1! What follows are my brief reviews of the stories in this volume:

My first taste of Robert Jordan with his new story of events in the years leading up to The Wheel of Time in "New Spring." Then I talked to a book store employee about the WOT series and he told me that I need to get started. I did. Today (December 24, 2010) I found "Book Twelve: The Gathering Storm." I was totally blown away because I thought the series would not continue after Jordan's death in 2007. I cannot wait to dive into it!!!

Ursula K. Le Guin contributes a new Earthsea tale, "Dragonfly." Le Guin is another author that I have always been a big fan of, so I was happy to read this new story. It is great!

Tad Williams is represented with a tale of a haunted castle in the age before Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, in "The Burning Man." I still need to get into Williams. So little time, so many books!!

By the time that I read this new Terry Pratchett Discworld tale, I had already become a fan of Granny Weatherwax. In "The Sea and Little Fishes" the sardonic witch is in full swing!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Jordan's NEW SPRING: I read the first few WHEEL OF TIME books back in high school and thought they were awesome. Unfortunately, that was a long time ago, and to fully enjoy NEW SPRING requires a greater understanding of Jordan's mythology than what I currently possess. Furthermore, since this story was later expanded into a full-length novel, I no longer see much point in reading the original version.

Ursula K. Le Guin's DRAGONFLY: I enjoyed the first half of this female empowerment story, but the second half really lost me. This is almost certainly my fault, since I haven't read the EARTHSEA books that this is a sequel to. I gotta say, though...even if I were an expert on this series, I doubt it would change the hugely anti-climactic nature of the ending.

Tad Williams' THE BURNING MAN: This one bored me. I blame the narrative style, which was more in the vein of literary romance than epic fantasy. Near the end, the story caught my attention by suddenly delving into serious spiritual matters, but it ultimately had nothing interesting to say.

Terry Pratchett's THE SEA AND LITTLE FISHES: This story was a blast! When Discworld's most notorious grump suddenly takes everyone's advice to start acting more caring and nice, people suspect they're being set up for the biggest dirty trick of all.

[Georgene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started out NOT wanting to read this book because I thought it was science fiction and I'm no longer as thrilled with sci-fi as I once was. However, my son pointed out that it was fantasy, not science fiction. So, today I set out to read it...and finished it.

Four novellas by four of the leading fantasy authors of our day, I found the stories engrossing and interesting. I had already read "Wheel of Time: New Spring", by Robert Jordan, but enjoyed re-reading it. I've never read much of Ursula K. Le Guin, even though she is a homegrown author. I found "Earthsea: Dragonfly" to be very enthralling and entertaining. I have never read anything by Tad Williams before and liked his story, "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: The Burning Man". I have read almost every Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. Therefore, I really enjoyed Pratchett's novella, Discworld: The Sea and Little Fishes", featuring Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg.

So, if you happen across this book, buy it or check it out from your public library. It's worth reading.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trouble began, and not for the first time, with an apple.

"The trouble with being a witch - at least, the trouble with being a witch as far as some people were concerned - was that you got stuck out here in the country. But that was fine by Nanny. Everything she wanted was out there. Everything she'd ever wanted was here, although in her youth she'd run out of men a few times. Foreign parts were all righ to visit but they weren't really serious. They had interestin' new drinks and the grub was fun, but foreign parts was where you went to do what might need to be done and then you came back here, a place that was real."
[letto solo "The sea and the Little Fishes" di Terry Pratchett]

[Tom Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novellas which fit existing series of works by well known authors. Some are placed chronoligicaly within work previously done, some are prequels.
Robert Jordan, added to "The Wheel of Time".
Ursula LeGuin adds to her Earthsea series; my favorite in the "Legends" series of three (and counting).
Tad Williams, with a prequel to Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
Terry Pratchett adds to his "Discworld" saga.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought it for the Ursula K LeGuin story of Earthsea, ended up reading the Robert Jordan and recalling what I liked--and found tedious--about his Wheel of Time books, and gave up on Terry Pratchett's short story, like I did when I was a teenager. Never having gotten into Tad Williams I skipped this and that's the tale of the paperback.

[Clare K. R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Spring by Robert Jordan: did not finish
Dragonfly by Ursula K. Le Guin: five stars
The Burning Man by Tad Williams: four stars
The Sea and Little Fishes by Terry Pratchett: four stars

[callahan09]

"The Burning Man" by Tad Williams: 4 Stars. Different style than the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn novels, but it turned out interesting and a good quick read nonetheless. A sad but maybe a little bittersweet ending.

[Richp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of a series of short fantasy novels in well known series of the genre. It serves as an introduction for one not that much into sword and sorcery, and only one of the stories stood out as above average, but none were bad.

[Daryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for the Ursula K. LeGuin and Tad Williams novellas. Four stars for "The Sea And Little Fishes", by Terry Pratchett, which I found thoroughly enjoyable.
No stars for Robert Jordan. I read a couple of pages before deciding that I'd wasted enough of my life on him.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

a synapsis of their sereies, and a short exert of the stories to wet your appitate for a new story.. First chapter has most of the beginning word for word of robert jordan's new spring

[Jutta · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed the tad williams story, so of course i have ti now go reread that series.

read 2000

[Nikki Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really terrific stories by the masters of fantasy.