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Beyond The Fields We Know – Fantasy Prime
“Beyond the Fields We Know”. That is the recurring phrase in the work of one, Lord Dunsany.
It is fitting that a writer who is considered to have lain the groundwork for modern fantasy, lived in a castle – Dunsany Castle – perhaps Ireland’s longest lived-in home by a single family. Dunsany’s relatives go back to the 12th Century.
One can imagine him walking the ancient halls, walkways and gardens, allowing his imagination to go wild, as a child and to the end of his days. Most of his writing took place in a room in one of the towers. How great is that?
I wonder if he was, in fact, a wizard…perhaps the last of the true wizards, and in his fantasy work he bequeathed to us the magic of the olden times so we may take it forward, so Tolkien could bring to life his illustrious Istari protagonist…perhaps even Ian McKellen is of this order…why not imagine it so? I think Dunsany would be pleased.
In his first book, The Gods of Pegana, Dunsany created a fictional pantheon. Now such is commonplace with much fantasy. The core of his work for me, however, and that which I call ‘Fantasy Prime’, is his ‘The King Of Elfland’s Daughter’.
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