What do you think?
Rate this book
The Year's Best Fantasy Stories #5
The Year's Best Fantasy Stories 5
Another collection of year's best fantasy stories, from Evangeline Walton, De Camp, Robert E. Howard, Tanith Lee, and T. H. White
Contents:
* "The Year in Fantasy" (Lin Carter)
* "The Troll" (T. H. White)
* "In the Balance" (Tanith Lee)
* "The Gem in the Tower" (L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
* "Above Ker-Is" (Evangeline Walton)
* "Ms. Lipshutz and the Goblin" (Marvin Kaye)
* "Rhian and Garanhir" (Grail Undwin)
* "Lord of the Dead" (Robert E. Howard)
* "Child of Air" (Pat McIntosh)
* "A Malady of Magicks" (Craig Shaw Gardner)
* "St. George" (David Mallory)
* "Astral Stray" (Adrian Cole)
* "Demon and Demoiselle" (Janet Fox)
* "The Year's Best Fantasy Books" (Lin Carter)
Contents:
* "The Year in Fantasy" (Lin Carter)
* "The Troll" (T. H. White)
* "In the Balance" (Tanith Lee)
* "The Gem in the Tower" (L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter)
* "Above Ker-Is" (Evangeline Walton)
* "Ms. Lipshutz and the Goblin" (Marvin Kaye)
* "Rhian and Garanhir" (Grail Undwin)
* "Lord of the Dead" (Robert E. Howard)
* "Child of Air" (Pat McIntosh)
* "A Malady of Magicks" (Craig Shaw Gardner)
* "St. George" (David Mallory)
* "Astral Stray" (Adrian Cole)
* "Demon and Demoiselle" (Janet Fox)
* "The Year's Best Fantasy Books" (Lin Carter)
204 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 2, 1980
About the author
Lin Carter
437 books178 followersLin 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 5, 2019
The women carry this collection. Lin Carter says as much, though he includes "Grail Undwin" in that assertion (who would be, in fact, himself). The anchor stories (by men) are simply not very good.
"The Gem in the Tower" is a Conan pastiche by the usual suspects, which appears in a Conan collection of Lin Carter's involvement in the year of this publication. Carter laments in his "The Year In Fantasy" that the Conan collection he was involved with that year was awful. So, connect the dots. As a Conan story of Howard's Hyborian Age, it doesn't work: you can't hire wizards found in taverns, and wizards don't make themselves widely known with strongholds and political pressure. This is not how Howard did things. If you shear away the Hyborian Age setting and rename Conan--he's not very Conan-ish anyways--then it comes together better.
"Lord of the Dead", one more Robert E Howard piece found in a trunk or something, is more properly an adventure pulp weird tale, heavy on the Orientalism. Howard felt like doing some Sax Rohmer, and went as far as including the casual racism of asserting whole character traits to ethnicities. It takes a very strange right hand turn halfway through as the hard-as-nails private detective protagonist suddenly bails the plot in progress in order to pursue some other criminal. Calling this a 'fantasy' is a big stretch.
Lee's "In The Balance" walks away from its most interesting idea: if the foundation of the Wizard's Guild is moral behavior and discipline, and if an initiate violates those principles horribly, then what of those who witness but do not act? An opportunity was lost in favor of a (clever) trick ending.
It is a real shame that McIntosh's Thula stories are not collected, and that her output of them appears to have ended. Like the rest of them, in "Child of Air" the reader is dropped into a story already in progress: What is she involved in? Who are these people, and how do they relate to one another? It's always fascinating to piece it together from the limited information, and to see how Thula addresses the problem at the base of the conflict.
"Astral Stray" is a tale of the Voidal that only reinforces that I must seek out more of this cosmic, multidimensional fantasy. This is a vignette of the intricacies and cruelties of this omniverse, containing potent images and clever plotting.
In contrast, "St. George" poses that the title character is sexually aroused by the sadism of piercing a foe with a spear. On the up side, the printing arrangement allows the book owner to carefully slice out these pages with an X-Acto knife.
Fox's "Demon and Demoiselle" retreads gender-disguise tropes, but does so in new ways. The men of the piece are repeatedly shown to be the weaker gender: emotionally driven, inconsistent, and kind of dim.
"The Gem in the Tower" is a Conan pastiche by the usual suspects, which appears in a Conan collection of Lin Carter's involvement in the year of this publication. Carter laments in his "The Year In Fantasy" that the Conan collection he was involved with that year was awful. So, connect the dots. As a Conan story of Howard's Hyborian Age, it doesn't work: you can't hire wizards found in taverns, and wizards don't make themselves widely known with strongholds and political pressure. This is not how Howard did things. If you shear away the Hyborian Age setting and rename Conan--he's not very Conan-ish anyways--then it comes together better.
"Lord of the Dead", one more Robert E Howard piece found in a trunk or something, is more properly an adventure pulp weird tale, heavy on the Orientalism. Howard felt like doing some Sax Rohmer, and went as far as including the casual racism of asserting whole character traits to ethnicities. It takes a very strange right hand turn halfway through as the hard-as-nails private detective protagonist suddenly bails the plot in progress in order to pursue some other criminal. Calling this a 'fantasy' is a big stretch.
Lee's "In The Balance" walks away from its most interesting idea: if the foundation of the Wizard's Guild is moral behavior and discipline, and if an initiate violates those principles horribly, then what of those who witness but do not act? An opportunity was lost in favor of a (clever) trick ending.
It is a real shame that McIntosh's Thula stories are not collected, and that her output of them appears to have ended. Like the rest of them, in "Child of Air" the reader is dropped into a story already in progress: What is she involved in? Who are these people, and how do they relate to one another? It's always fascinating to piece it together from the limited information, and to see how Thula addresses the problem at the base of the conflict.
"Astral Stray" is a tale of the Voidal that only reinforces that I must seek out more of this cosmic, multidimensional fantasy. This is a vignette of the intricacies and cruelties of this omniverse, containing potent images and clever plotting.
In contrast, "St. George" poses that the title character is sexually aroused by the sadism of piercing a foe with a spear. On the up side, the printing arrangement allows the book owner to carefully slice out these pages with an X-Acto knife.
Fox's "Demon and Demoiselle" retreads gender-disguise tropes, but does so in new ways. The men of the piece are repeatedly shown to be the weaker gender: emotionally driven, inconsistent, and kind of dim.
Read
November 4, 2022The first four volumes of this series are filled with many great stories. This one...less so. I'm not in a hurry to read no. 6 now.
May 4, 2014
Contrary to the Goodreads listing, this is actually edited by Lin Carter, like the previous Four. Good stories include an unpublished pulp thriller by Robert E. Howard, "Lord of the Dead," a short story by Evangeline Walton and a number of humorous entries; the Carter/deCamp Conan story is stock, though.
December 31, 2008
Not one of the best of these collections, but with good stories from Robert E. Howard and Janet Fox.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews