The first essay in my D&D reading series, which looks at R.A. Salvatore's The Crystal Shard (1988), the groundbreaking novel that introduced nerds everywhere to the drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden.
Author: sonofsagan
Dungeons & Dragons: A Reading Series
This is the landing page for my Dungeons & Dragons essay series, a lengthy quest to read an ungodly amount of D&D novels.
Who Cares about Dungeons & Dragons Novels Anyway?
A manifesto or sorts for why scholars of literary, cultural, and genre history should care about D&D novels.
Ballantine Adult Fantasy: Reading “The Wood Beyond the World” by William Morris
The fourteenth essay in my Ballantine Adult Fantasy reading series, which looks at William Morris's The Wood Beyond the World (1894), a winding, strange romance about Golden Walter and his (mis)adventure into the Wood and beyond.
Reading “Where Is the Bird of Fire?” by Thomas Burnett Swann
Thomas Burnett Swann’s Where Is the Bird of Fire? (1970) is the author's second (and final) story collection, bringing together three works of short fiction from 1962–1970, including the Hugo-nominated title story.
The Forgotten Fantasies of Thomas Burnett Swann: A Reader’s Introduction
My guide to the work of fantasy author Thomas Burnett Swann (1928-1976), with links to my essays about every novel and short story collection, as well as other resources for curious readers, critics, and scholars.
Reading “The Dolphin and the Deep” by Thomas Burnett Swann
Thomas Burnett Swann’s The Dolphin and the Deep (1968) is the author's first story collection, bringing together three of his earlier (and uneven but ambitious) works of short fiction from 1963–1966.
Reading “Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time” by James Gurney (Dinotopia 1)
James Gurney's Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time (1992) is an incredible illustrated utopian novel of an adventurer's arrival and education in a land where dinosaurs and humans live side-by-side in harmony. And it fucking rules!
Ballantine Adult Fantasy: Reading “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” by Lord Dunsany
The thirteenth essay in my Ballantine Adult Fantasy reading series, which looks at Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter (1924), a fairy tale mixed with a heroic romance that offers a cautionary tale of what happens when you invite magic in.
Reading “Cry Silver Bells” by Thomas Burnett Swann
Thomas Burnett Swann’s Cry Silver Bells (1977), the author's sixteenth and final novel, returns to the Country of the Beasts on Crete and tells the tragic story of the Minotaur Silver Bells.
Genre Fantasies 