Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy Volume II

Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy #2

by Lin Carter (Editor)

Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy Volume Lin Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy Volume Ballantine FIRST First Edition Thus, First Printing. Not price-clipped. Published by Ballantine Books, 1973. 12mo. Paperback. Book is very good. Covers have some light shelf wear. Seller 416093 Pulp Paperbacks

Genres: Fantasy

248 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1973

About the author

Lin Carter was an American author, editor, and critic best known for his influential role in fantasy literature during the mid-20th century. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, he developed an early passion for myth, adventure stories, and imaginative fiction, drawing inspiration from authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, and J. R. R. Tolkien. After serving in the U.S. Army, Carter attended Columbia University, where he honed his literary skills and deepened his knowledge of classical and medieval literature, myth, and folklore — elements that would become central to his work.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.

Reviews

[Derek]

Carter does what Carter does best and provides a collection with a personal touch: some of these are excerpted from larger works for specific reasons, and it especially now it is rare to see that sort of personal touch. Unfortunately, as for "The Woman in the Mirror" and "The Transmutation of Ling", the source isn't given explicitly.

Of them, "The Repairer of Reputations" is the odd man out, as it explores intricate madness from the inside in a peculiar alt-history version of what at the time was a near future. Chambers plays with unreliable narration but also suggests the revelation of hidden knowledge exposed by _The King in Yellow_, and shows the unraveling of Hildred Castaigne to enormous effect. Philip K Dick may not have been influenced by this, but they share a thread of commonality.

I couldn't make it through "The Transmutation of Ling", which is unfortunate because another Ernest Bramah collection sits on the nightstand. The satirical, stereotypic Asia is vaguely unsettling and Jack Vance recycled the voice and ideas by transposing the setting to fantasy or baroque outer space with better effect and more surgically done.

"The Lavender Dragon", to my surprise, is not a work of farce. It is actually a rather open and straightforwardly Utopian work--possibly Socialist--that collapses into didacticism after a very charming start. One can hide lessons through allegory and pure good writing but here it is butter spread too thinly on the bread.

"The Woman in the Mirror" is interesting from what it does not say: the source and reasoning about the curse is never explained, as is Cosmo's adventure to locate the mirror within the mansion.

[Quentin Wallace]

This was a collection of several short novels of fantasy, most of them over 100 years old. As such, the prose was a little dense for me, but overall it was enjoyable.

THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR: This dealt with the classic fantasy/horror trope of the enchanted mirror. While this story wasn't horror, it was a bit sad. Overall not bad.

THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS: This is an excerpt from THE KING IN YELLOW. Since I haven't read that yet, it seemed to be a bit incomplete, although still interesting. I plan on reading TKIY soon, maybe that will give me a clearer view of the story.

THE TRANSMUTATION OF LING: This one I liked. It dealt with a Chinese Warrior/Scholar who is surrounded by rogues and liars. It seems like he just can never win. Then he drinks a liquid which, upon death, will cause his entire body to change to gold. He tried to figure out a way to profit on this without having to die. Overall, this one was humorous and entertaining.

THE LAVENDER DRAGON: This was my other fave of the collection. The story of a dragon who is not at all what you would expect. Great fantasy tale.

This really isn't my genre, but I do enjoy some fantasy from time to time. It was also a little older than my usual reads, as I mostly read contemporary. I have read the classics however, and enjoyed them, so I don't regret giving this one a read.

If you enjoy classic fantasy written in lyrical prose, you'll probably really enjoy this volume.

[Gregory]

This is another ingenious selection of fantastic stories curated by Lin Carter for the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series.

I was attracted to this collection by the Eden Phillpotts' novella at the end but was pleased to find the rest of the contents much to my liking as well.

At first I rolled my eyes at Carter's choice to include an excerpt from George MacDonald's Phantastes as Ballantine had already published that novel and, being a huge fan of MacDonald, I had already read it. Despite what Carter says in his introduction, I did remember the story in question, which he redubs "The Woman in the Mirror," but in the end I happily defer to his better judgment. It stands very well by itself and is a story of a magical Prague that made me think of the fictions of the great Gustav Meyrink. It is a tale of love and longing, diabolic magic and deceit, though it does not quite last as long as a short novel so much as a short story.

Following "The Woman in the Mirror" is another story I was already familiar with; Robert W. Chambers' "The Repairer of Reputations." This is the first story in Chambers' famous collection The King in Yellow and one of the ones that actually contains elements of fantasy and references to the titular play. This story takes place in the (then) near future in a reformed New York where the first Government Lethal Chamber has just opened and Hildred Castaigne plans to become the King of America. Castaigne is obviously disturbed and is under the influence of the eponymous "Repairer of Reputations," the grotesque Mr. Wilde. Like all of Chambers' work I have read so far this story is highly ambiguous and the reader is left to decide what they believe has actually occurred based on various contrary pieces of evidence. It is an exciting read but I preferred "The Maker of Moons" collected in the first Great Short Novel of Adult Fantasy.

After Chambers' we meet again with Ernest Bramah fantastic China in "The Transmutation of Ling" imported from The Wallet of Kai Lung. Here we read about the misadventures of the hapless Ling who through his own incompetence and the disingenuous motives of others falls upward through the Byzantine caste system of this China that never was to command a company of archers. He stands against a bloodthirsty rebel army despite perilous odds and is rewarded with slanderous accusations from unworthy higher ups. At this time he also falls in love and is transformed; any part of him, say for instance his hair, that is removed from his person or life source, becomes the purest gold. Thus Ling becomes immensely valuable...as someone who will turn into a mass of gold when he dies. Hilarity ensues. This has been my favorite offering from the Kai Lung stories so far.

Rounding out the collection is Eden Phillpotts' melancholy "The Lavender Dragon" which was actually published as a novel in its time unlike the other stories collected here. This is a story about Utopias and injustice and what exactly we can and can't do to improve the human condition. Of course, what qualifies this for inclusion in a fantasy series is the one trying to improve the human condition is an immensely old, vegetarian, and all around benevolent dragon. A knight whose chivalry and pure heart is so out of place in this world that he seems Quixotic is "kidnapped" to a peaceful, contained society by the L.D. (as his people call him) and there find love, admiration, but he cannot find purpose. Eventually he must leave for it is a knight's duty to be in places of war and injustice and the wise Dragon dies leaving behind a kingdom that quickly subsides into human quarreling and without changing the minds of any other bloodthirsty drakes. I found this story terribly sad but I cannot vouch for Phillpotts writing enough.

I hope you have the time to peruse these novels at your leisure and find as much therein as I have.

[Fraser Sherman]

What is about Carter's judgment that fails him whenever he selects novellas? This is the third collection from the Ballantine Adult Fantasy line that flopped with me. Ernest Bramah's "Transmutation of Ling" is charming, but "The Lavender Dragon" and "Repairer of Reputations" are a lot of wasted pages.