THE BIG BOOK OF CLASSIC FANTASY
by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer
(Vintage • On Sale: 7/2/19 • Price: $25.00 • ISBN: 9780525435563)
For those of us looking to escape the insanity of today’s world, here is a book that can immerse the reader into pure fantasy landscapes.
From Ann and Jeff VanderMeer—esteemed editors of The Big Book of Science Fiction and scholars of the fantastic—comes a globe-spanning anthology that unearths the origins of fantasy all the way from the 1800s through the World War II period.
The VINTAGE ORIGINAL includes fantasy tales we first heard as children, all the way through the best fantasy stories that have always been with us. They illuminate the odd and the uncanny, the wondrous and the fantastic: all the things we know are lurking just out of sight—on the other side of the looking-glass, beyond the music of the impossibly haunting violin, through the dark trees of the forest. Other worlds, talking animals, fairies, goblins, demons, tricksters, and mystics: these are the elements that populate a rich literary tradition that spans the globe.
In this Authorlink AUDIO interview, Ann and Jeff talk about the excitement and the challenges of compiling the 800-page-plus collection, including fantasy stories by literary giants such as Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, Oscar Wilde, Vladimir Nabokov, J.R.R. Tolkien and more.
Here the editors explain what they mean by “classic fantasy” and the term “fey,” referring more to fairy folk as opposed to wonderment, though there is plenty of wonder in this volume. They also share their insights into the authors themselves.
The husband and wife editing and writing team have edited numerous guides to fantasy and science fiction. Jeff Vandermeer is the author of fictional works including The Southern Reach Trilogy, and The Book of Lost Places, as well as several nonfiction books. Ann has written Steampunk III: Steampunk Revolution. together they have edited more than a dozen works. They say they work well together because each has their own set of skills so rather than being in competition with each other they compliment each one’s talents.
