Fantasy of the 20th Century

by Randy Broecker

Ever since ancestral storytellers drew myths and monsters, lost worlds, dragons, and heroes from the very mist of their imaginations, fantastic tales have allowed us to visit wondrous worlds "beyond" while nestled comfortably in an armchair. This is the stuff dreams are made of, where the past gives way to Fantasy of the 20th Century.

Author Randy Broecker is your guide to fantasy history as he maps its many splendors. From the earliest classical epics of gods and mortals, such as Homer's Odyssey, The Nibelungenlied with its saga of Seigried, and the exotic wonders of The Arabian Nights, this book is a journey through the imaginations of many talented individuals who gave form to their fancies. Here are the voyages launched by some of the celebrated pioneers of the genre: William Morris, Lord Dunsany, H. Rider Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, A. Merritt, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard, writers who sailed off the edge of the known world into worlds of their own creation. In Fantasy of the 20th Century you will visit these fabulous lands and a multitude of others, from L. Frank Baum's enchanted land of Oz to the grand scale of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth.

Prepare to set sail on a magical voyage of discovery, whether it's the majesty of King Arthur's domain or that of Faerie, a sword pulled from a stone to claim a
kingdom or weapons wielded against sorcerous magic in the hands of Conan the Barbarian.Collectors, aficionados, and readers alike will be amazed by the depth and breadth of Broecker's historical survey-and will be proud to make it a
part of their library.

Randy Broecker is a well-established resident of the world of fantasy, having illustrated its wonders worldwide for over 30 years. He has been sought by numerous award-winning publishers and his works have graced the pages of several grand masters of fantasy literature. As an artist and longtime collector of fantasy art and literature, Broecker offers a unique perspective showcasing both writers and artists and how their fantastic worlds have stimulated our imaginations for over a century. He lives with his wife in Chicago, where he continues to create fantastic illustrations in his century-old brick bungalow.

Genres: Fantasy, Art, Reference, Books About Books

256 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun. There should have been a chapter beyond England and America, though. I liked that it was 20th Century only and so older works of fantasy only get mentioned when they are reprinted by Ballantine in the post-LOTR 60s and 70s fantasy boom. Tons of great cover art. The pulp era Conan art is hilariously wrong; looks like Clark Kent goes barbarian.

Weird Tales and other pulps loom large in here. I think fans of fantasy writing are lucky to be out of the 20th Century now. Really most of it was reprints from the pulps, Tolkien and Conan clones... I mean I know that with any genre most of it is garbage but there are gems among the trash... but it seems to me that the stories are more diverse now... it might be the same tropes but at least the fantasy settings (and isn't that why we read them... the 'world building') are getting new ingeredients and flavors.

[Emmalyn Renato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read one of the companion volumes to this one: Science Fiction in the 20th Century compiled by Frank M. Robinson. This micro-review is going to be very similar.

Published in October 2001, the majority of this book consists of three parts:

- A history of fantasy magazines over the last century. It also includes some of the earliest single fantasy examples that appeared in general magazines.

- A sampling of fantasy in book form (hardcovers and paperbacks). It also gives a lot of the progenitors in the fantasy field.

- A brief history of fantasy on the large and small screen.

For the magazines and books it's all about the cover artwork, and for the movies and TV shows, it's the artwork from posters. Some of the book selections seemed a little off, but like any such book, the author is likely to have their set of favorites that are going to be different than yours.

Because of the year of release. there's no mention of digital books, the disruptive potential of AI and only a slight mention of some of the new authors just arriving on the scene. If the book was written now, a lot of it would have to be revised.

I've added more stories, novels (and a couple more movies) to my TB(R/W) lists.

[Matthew Schacht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun and informative read. Great history of the genre, and a mountain of recommendations of books to check out (from 2001 and before at least, which is honestly what I mostly read).

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok first off what ever happened to this books details it does not have 1200 pages.
This is the sister book the Science Fiction of the 20th Century book i read earlier. This book is very much on the same sort of layout and as such is equally fascinating - only now there are sections on styles and subjects as much as eras and publications of significance.
The book (as you would expect) is beautifully printed and laid out - and is addictive to read - not only for ideas of titles to seek out and read but also to understand the subject - I will admit Fantasy is not my strongest genre but reading this I feel guilty and a little ashamed that I have over looked and missed so much and not fully appreciated such a rich and fascinating field.

[Thomas R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable look at the history of fantasy in the last century. This is not an academic exercise but a stroll through the stories and their illustrations. It is as much and perhaps more about the artists who graced the stories with images to entice the reader to enter the world of the author's fantasy story.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was super crazy cool.