Book cover of The Wood Beyond the World

Book description

A source of inspiration for the modern fantasy genre. A major influence on many writers of fantasy fiction, including C.S. Lewis (Narnia) and J.R.R. Tolkein (The Lord of the Rings). With a new Introduction by Ebenezer DuLally Uvney


William Morris (1834-1896) is best known as a designer of fabrics, wallpaper,…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Wood Beyond the World as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

When I first came across this story by William Morris, I didn’t think it was Victorian at all. The language and tone are archaically medieval, as are the plot points involving daggers and dwarves. And yet Morris was very much a nineteenth-century writer insofar as he shared that period’s interest in foreign times and places, including the historical past.

While Thackeray liked the eighteenth century, Morris was obsessed with the Middle Ages, and this book represents an attempt to adapt the style and spirit of chivalric romances to the form of the modern novel. The resulting work, by turns dreamy…

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The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

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