''The Twilight of the Gods and Other Tales'' is a collection of
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
short stories by
Richard Garnett, generally considered a classic in the genre. Its title notwithstanding, the collection "has nothing to do with the Norse gods—although it draws upon everything else, from Arabic legends and Chinese fairy tales to Roman history and Greek mythology."
[Lin Carter, ed. ''Discoveries in Fantasy'', Ballantine Books, 1972, p. 61.] The title story actually concerns the release of
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning " forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, kn ...
, upon the ultimate eclipse of Greek paganism by Christianity, from the torture to which he was sentenced by
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek relig ...
.
Publication
The collection was first published in hardcover by
T. Fisher Unwin
T. Fisher Unwin was the London publishing house founded by Thomas Fisher Unwin, husband of British Liberal politician Jane Cobden in 1882.
Unwin was a co-founder of the Johnson Club, formed 13 September 1884, to mark the hundred years since th ...
in 1888. A "new and augmented edition" was published by
John Lane in 1903. In this form the collection continued to be reprinted and available through 1911. An edition with an introduction by
T. E. Lawrence and illustrations by Henry Keen was published in 1924 by John Lane and by
Dodd, Mead
Dodd, Mead and Company was one of the pioneer publishing houses of the United States, based in New York City. Under several names, the firm operated from 1839 until 1990.
History Origins
In 1839, Moses Woodruff Dodd (1813–1899) and John S. Ta ...
in the United States.
Its importance in the history of fantasy literature was recognized by the inclusion of two of its tales ("The Poet of Panopolis" and "The City of Philosophers") in the anthology ''
Discoveries in Fantasy'', edited by
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. ...
and published by
Ballantine Books
Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains p ...
as the forty-third volume of the celebrated
Ballantine Adult Fantasy series
The Ballantine Adult Fantasy series was an imprint of American publisher Ballantine Books. Launched in 1969 (presumably in response to the growing popularity of Tolkien's works), the series reissued a number of works of fantasy literature which w ...
in March, 1972. Carter intended to reissue the complete collection as a volume in the series, though this hope was not realized.
Contents
The original edition of the book collected sixteen tales by the author; the 1903 edition added twelve more. Stories added in the 1903 edition are indented.
*"The Twilight of the Gods"
*"The Potion of Lao-Tsze"
*"Abdallah the Adite"
*"Ananda the Miracle-Worker"
*"The City of Philosophers"
*"The Demon Pope"
*"The Cupbearer"
:*The Wisdom of the Indians"
*"The Dumb Oracle"
*"Duke Virgil"
:*"The Claw"
:*"Alexander the Ratcatcher"
:*"The Rewards of Industry"
*"Madam Lucifer"
:*"The Talismans"
*"The Elixir of Life"
*"The Poet of Panopolis"
*"The Purple Head"
:*"The Firefly"
:*"Pan's Wand"
:*"A Page From the Book of Folly"
*"The Bell of St. Euschemon"
*"Bishop Addo and Bishop Gaddo"
:*"The Philosopher and the Butterflies"
:*"Truth and Her Companions"
:*"The Three Palaces"
:*"New Readings in Biography"
*"The Poison-Maid"
*Notes
Reception
Mary Butts
Mary Francis Butts, (13 December 1890 – 5 March 1937) also Mary Rodker by marriage, was an English modernist writer. Her work found recognition in literary magazines such as '' The Bookman'' and '' The Little Review'', as well as from fellow m ...
praised ''The Twilight of the Gods'', writing in 1925 "How immensely effective is Dr. Garnett's method, ''The Twilight of the Gods'' because he knows the trick of telling realistically the mystery tale".
E. F. Bleiler
Everett Franklin Bleiler (April 30, 1920 – June 13, 2010) was an American editor, bibliographer, and scholar of science fiction, detective fiction, and fantasy literature. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he co-edited the first "year's best" s ...
has described ''The Twilight of the Gods'' as a "collection of stories which cover many times and places with cosmopolitan learning
nd whichis almost unique in literature. Wryly whimsical narratives, rather than formal stories, they are gracefully expressed, witty, and timeless. Only
Vernon Lee
Vernon Lee was the pseudonym of the British writer Violet Paget (14 October 1856 – 13 February 1935). She is remembered today primarily for her supernatural fiction and her work on aesthetics. An early follower of Walter Pater, she wrote o ...
has been able to work successfully in the same vein".
Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford (born 25 July 1948) is a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped ...
has praised ''The Twilight of the Gods'' as containing "deft and delicate fantasies" whose moral is "that
Epicurean
Epicureanism is a system of philosophy founded around 307 BC based upon the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism. Later its main opponent became Stoicism.
Few writings by Ep ...
humanism
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "human ...
is always to be preferred to
Puritan
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...
intolerance". In a 1932 letter to his friend Brenda Salkeld,
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalit ...
described reading the book as "positively a duty" and praised "The Purple Head" as "excellent".
References
External links
Google Books etext of the 1888 editionGoogle Books etext of the 1903 edition
- another etext of the 1903 edition.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twilight of the Gods and Other Tales, The
1888 short story collections
Fantasy short story collections
T. Fisher Unwin books
British short story collections