The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories

Lord Dunsany

Jan. 2022 · Graphic Arts Books

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The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories (1908) is a short story collection by Lord Dunsany. Published at the beginning of his career, The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories—which features the pantheon of gods first portrayed in The Gods of Pegāna (1905)—would influence such writers as J. R. R. Tolkein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and H. P. Lovecraft. Recognized as a pioneering author of fantasy and science fiction, Dunsany is a man whose work, in the words of Lovecraft, remains “unexcelled in the sorcery of crystalline singing prose, and supreme in the creation of a gorgeous and languorous world of incandescently exotic vision.” “At the end of that avenue was a colossal chariot with three bronze horses driven by the winged figure of Fame, and behind her in the chariot the huge form of Welleran, Merimna's ancient hero, standing with extended sword.” The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories, Dunsany’s third collection of short fiction, contains some of his finest tales of fantasy and adventure. While the people of Merimna sleep soundly, while the guards of the city sing songs and tell stories of the warriors Welleran and Rollory, the tribesmen of the plains below look up in awe, wondering if the day will come when Merimna’s glory fades. Behind the ramparts, a young boy named Rold looks up at the statues of his heroes, hoping to take their place. Dunsany’s tales of high fantasy continue to delight over a century after they first appeared in print. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Lord Dunsany’s The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories is a classic of Irish fantasy fiction reimagined for modern readers.

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Lord Dunsany (1878-1957) was a British writer. Born in London, Dunsany—whose name was Edward Plunkett—was raised in a prominent Anglo-Irish family alongside a younger brother. When his father died in 1899, he received the title of Lord Dunsany and moved to Dunsany Castle in 1901. He met Lady Beatrice Child Villiers two years later, and they married in 1904. They were central figures in the social spheres of Dublin and London, donating generously to the Abbey Theatre while forging friendships with W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory, and George William Russell. In 1905, he published The Gods of Pegāna, a collection of fantasy stories, launching his career as a leading figure in the Irish Literary Revival. Subsequent collections, such as A Dreamer’s Tales (1910) and The Book of Wonder (1912), would influence generations of writers, including J. R. R. Tolkein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and H. P. Lovecraft. In addition to his pioneering work in the fantasy and science fiction genres, Dunsany was a successful dramatist and poet. His works have been staged and adapted for theatre, radio, television, and cinema, and he was unsuccessfully nominated for the 1950 Nobel Prize in Literature.