The Gods of Pegana: Classic Fantasy Stories [Paperback]

Lord Dunsany (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2010

"The Gods of Pegana" is a rich tapestry of imaginative fantasy, one of the landmark collections of short stories from the early 20th century, and a tremendous influence on writers ranging from H.P. Lovecraft to Ursula K. LeGuin. "Dunsany was the second writer (William Morris in the 1880s being the first) fully to exploit the possibilities of . . . adventurous fantasy laid in imaginary lands, with gods, witches, spirits, and magic, like children's fairy tales but on a sophisticated adult level." -- L. Sprague de Camp. "[Dunsany's] rich language, his cosmic point of view, his remote dream-worlds, and his exquisite sense of the fantastic, all appeal to me more than anything else in modern literature." --H. P. Lovecraft

Product Details

• Paperback: 108 pages
• Publisher: Borgo Press (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880448947
• ISBN-13: 978-1880448946
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,595,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Word magic, February 21, 2005

By 

R. Benardes "www.maquinariodanoite.blogspot.com" (Bahia - Brazil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gods of Pegana: Classic Fantasy Stories (Paperback)

Pegana's interlinked stories are perhaps the most underrated work of fantasy of all time.The poetic beauty and philosophical depth of Dunsany's stories are unmatched by any other writer and his skill with the english language borders on the scary.
This slim volume, as well as subsequent collections such as The Time and the Gods and Sword of Welleran, has more beauty, poetry and sense of wonder than the vast majority of "big fat" fantasy novels written nowadays.Don't missed it.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thank the "Gods", May 4, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gods of Pegana: Classic Fantasy Stories (Paperback)

"In the mists before the Beginning, Fate and Chance cast lots to decide whose the Game should be." With that enticing opener, Lord Dunsany kicked off "The Gods of Pegana," an intriguing collection of heroes-and-gods tales that the Irish nobleman created.

It starts off by describing the creator of the gods, MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI (always in capitals), and how the gods created the worlds "to amuse Ourselves." And then Dunsany describes the lord of death Mung and his encounters with a poor man, the "chaunt of the priests," the God of Mirth, the rebellion of the Home Gods, prophets and cities and temples and finally the end of Pegana ("For at the last shall the thunder, fleeing to escape from the doom of the gods, roar horribly among the Worlds").

When it comes to fantasy, nobody has equalled the "fictional Bible" of J.R.R. Tolkien, the Silmarillion. But "The Gods of Pegana" (first published in 1905) got to that turf first, with the littler gods under an overseeing deity (MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI -- isn't that a great name?) who made all of them, the lush language and complex histories. It's not hard to see why Tolkien was a fan of Dunsany's.

Dunsany seems to have been having a good time creating his own myths and legends. But even so, there's a feeling of melancholy to "The Gods of Pegana," and the sense that even at the beginning of the world, things are headed straight for the apocalyptic end. There's little of Dunsany's humor and irony in these stories, though his semi-mythic, descriptive language is very much present ("... then shine the blue eyes of the gods like sunlight on the sea, where each god sits upon his mountain.")

Before the Silmarillion, there was "The Gods of Pegana." This enticing early fantasy is a wonderful example of the invented myth, and a good read for fans of the classic fantasies.