Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder

Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder is a 1989 anthology edited by David G. Hartwell that collects fantasy short stories and novellas from multiple decades. The collection features works from authors like Lord Dunsany, James Thurber, John Crowley, and Ursula K. Le Guin. The stories range from traditional fairy tales to modern literary fantasy, representing different approaches to the genre across time periods and styles. Each piece is introduced with context about its author and publication history. The anthology mixes well-known classics with harder-to-find works, creating a survey of fantasy literature's development. The selections include humorous pieces, dark tales, and literary experiments with form and structure. The collection demonstrates fantasy's ability to examine human nature and society through metaphor and imagination. Through its variety of voices and approaches, the book highlights the genre's evolution from pure escapism to a medium for social commentary and psychological exploration.

Readers note this is a substantial anthology spanning multiple fantasy sub-genres, with 33 stories from authors like Tolkien, LeGuin, and Howard. Readers appreciated: - Mix of famous and lesser-known stories - Balance between light and dark fantasy - Quality of Hartwell's author introductions - Inclusion of hard-to-find works Common criticisms: - Length of some selections - Uneven quality across stories - Limited representation of contemporary fantasy Review scores: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (87 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (11 ratings) Several readers single out "The Drowned Giant" by J.G. Ballard and "Come Lady Death" by Peter Beagle as highlights. A few note that Howard's "The Tower of the Elephant" feels out of place among the more literary selections. Some questioned the inclusion of excerpts from longer works rather than complete stories. One reader called it "a good introduction to fantasy's roots but not representative of where the genre went after 1980."

The Big Book of Classic Fantasy by Ann, Jeff VanderMeer This anthology spans from 1800s to 1950s and contains foundational fantasy stories that established many tropes found in Hartwell's collection.

Faeries by Brian Froud, Alan Lee The combination of folklore tales and detailed illustrations creates a window into mythical creatures similar to those found in fantasy masterworks.

Tales Before Tolkien by Douglas A. Anderson This collection presents the stories that influenced modern fantasy and includes works from authors featured in Hartwell's anthology.

The Secret History of Fantasy by Peter S. Beagle The compilation features non-traditional fantasy stories that challenge genre conventions while maintaining the sense of wonder present in classic collections.

The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories by Jeff VanderMeer, Ann VanderMeer This collection bridges fantasy and horror with stories that explore the boundaries between genres represented in Hartwell's anthology.

🌟 David G. Hartwell edited over 40 anthologies during his career, helping shape the modern fantasy and science fiction publishing landscape 📚 The anthology includes "Lila the Werewolf" by Peter S. Beagle, which later became part of the inspiration for his novel "The Last Unicorn" ✨ Hartwell won three Hugo Awards and two World Fantasy Awards for his editorial work, and was a senior editor at Tor Books for over 30 years 🎭 The collection features both classic and contemporary authors, spanning from Victorian-era fantasists to modern masters like Gene Wolfe 🔮 Several stories in the anthology were previously difficult to find or out of print, making this collection a valuable preservation of important fantasy works