Beyond the Gates of Dream

by Lin Carter

Book by Carter, Lin

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1969

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

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a varied collection of fantasy and science fiction stories that's really not very good but is written and introduced with such a vibrant and obvious enthusiasm it's hard not to like. I think Carter must have used Forrest J. Ackerman as a role model. Two of the stories are reprinted from F & SF, including a humorous fanfic collaboration with Randall Garrett which was Carter's first professional sale, and there's another "collaboration," a Conan novelette that Carter wrote based on a Howard fragment that appeared in Lancer's Conan, but other than that the other three stories appear to be original to the book, presumably because he was unable to place them with a magazine. There's a fragment of a novel called The Mantichore which is skippable, but the stories are entertaining, a weird mixture of fantasy, science fiction, and horror stories that have flaws but also some nostalgic charm.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Lin Carter:

What the hell? I was cruising through this innocuous collection, mildly bemused at the typical Leisure Books foolishness of the incorrect title on the cover and binding and back cover text that describes some novel involving a Gate of Dream--and it does use the word 'novel' in there--and proceeding through the contents.

It's all pretty typical stuff, being a mixed bag of genres tending towards the pulpish. "Master of the Metropolis" took its one joke, went too far with it and then abruptly changed direction before expiring in an undignified position on the floor. "Keru" is meh. "Owlstone" was the sort of thing that got me hooked on your writing in the first place: throwing a bunch of half-cooked but engaging morsels at high velocity. "The Hand of Nergal" is servicable...but despite your hard work in matching Howard's style, I don't think you nailed his intent with the character.

But there, in between the unreadably awful "Harvey Hodges, Veebelfetzer" and "The Mantichore"---

Which, just so you know, is better than the Khymyrium fragment shared a year later in New Worlds for Old, where you took the world-building exercise up to 11. This one is merely bogged-down reading experience whose paragraphs wander far afield of their starting point, laden with descriptive tangents and impressively run-on. And I'm not sure what events in these chapters are meant to convey for the story. I am intensely interested in what you have to say about Khymyrium in Imaginary Worlds, especially on why you thought that a project with a full title of Khymyrium: The City of the Hundred Kings, from the Coming of Aviathar the Lion to the Passing of Spheridion the Doomed has a chance of bouncing off the runway...

--lies some thing else.

"Uncollected Works". It's conventional. It fits sort of in the gold-to-silver age science fiction of the time. You've completely missed the point of the "infinite monkey theorem". It amounts to two people talking, even within the framing device.

You knocked it out of the park, dude. The narrator has the perfect world-weary old man voice. You play with the audience, in that the old man is speaking to a fresh-out journalist now receiving the same treatment that he had received many decades previous, leaving the same paradoxical non-conclusion with just a hint of hope to it. The old man resents that hope represented by the journalist's youth.

I don't get it. Where did this come from? From "Veebelfetzer" to a 1966 Nebula nominee which you bluntly state, "Oddly, it turned out to my most successful short story ever" ?

So I ask you, Mr. Carter: What the hell do I do now? Am I keeping this book just for one decent one and one amazing one? Am I going to have to invest in a copy of World's Best Science Fiction 1966 just to salvage this one story?

Jerk.

[Tim Pendry · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Beyond the Gates of Dream' is a collection of Carter's shorter items from as early as the mid-1950s covering the many pulp genres that Carter took up at some stage. It has a very interesting and chatty Introduction about the pulp culture that fascinated him as a kid and as a teenager.

We have straight pulp science fiction (actually a satire on the perceptions of his own culture), cosmic science fiction, horror, sword and sorcery, comic science fiction, an attempt at a Borgesian story and a selection from his Dunsanyian work that goes beyond mere pastiche.

It is all solid stuff, above the average in each genre even if I had to suspend my instinctive loathing for comic soap opera in 'Harvey Hodges, Veebelfeltzer'. None of it is bad. Some of it is quite good, especially the reconstitution of a Howard fragment into a fine Conan tale ('The Hand of Nergal').

Carter is fundamentally a brilliant literary mimic with the ability to create new twists to his mimicry so that, even if nothing here is truly original in scope, what is produced holds the attention as faithful tributes to greater writers and to existing traditions.

When he tries too hard and moves out of his skill set (the Borgesian 'Uncollected Works' is a case in point) the cracks start to show but within the constraints of genre fiction he is competent and entertaining. A minor anthology but not an unworthy one.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of very poor short stories by Lin Carter.

The only story worth reading is "The Hand Of Nergal" which is a Conan short based on an incomplete story by Robert E. Howard. This is a very good read and shows how well Lin can emulate Howard's writing style as I had no idea when Howards words ended and Lin's words started.

If you like Conan and cannot find the Conan short story anywhere else it might be worth picking up, otherwise don't bother.

[Alexii · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow! Really bad! I know it was released as a serial at the time, but most of the stories feel half finished and not very thought out, they're little more than Carter spitballing. Many are either over before they've begun or ramble on, not many interesting plots in any of them.

[Chris Vokins]

Nice varied set of short stories

I had previously only read Lin Carter's Conan stories southeast interesting to read some of his other work, I was not disappointed!

[Gavin Bodnar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, pretty badass.
Got the book in Calumet MI at a use book store.

[Devon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carter himself refers to this anthology as a mixed bag, although perhaps not with the negative connotations that come along this that. This book felt like a collection of B-sides. The Conan pastiche is probably the best thing going here followed by Uncollected Works. It's only worth your time if you're really committed to reading through the Lovecraft Circle.

[Andy Hamilton]

goofy lovecraft worship