Legends Short novels by the masters of modern fantasy

Orson Scott Card, Ursula Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Jordan, et al. It reads like a who's who of modern sf/fantasy writers. This anthology is a stellar compilation of new stories by 11 masters of the genre, with each tale set in a well-established and well-loved universe. Stephen King leads off with a grisly but compelling episode in the Dark Tower saga. Terry Pratchett's offering is an amusing incident in his Discworld series; editor Silverberg revisits the Majipoor of Lord Valentine; Tad Williams tells a haunting story that stems from his Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy; and Raymond Feist spins a poignant tale of revenge within his Riftwar setting. Fans of Jordan's massive Wheel of Time saga will be especially interested to learn just how Lan and Moiraine first met and how their search for the baby who would become the Dragon Reborn began. Silverberg sets the scene with a fine introduction to fantasy in general and the contributors in particular; each of the novellas is preceded not only by an introductory note on the saga involved but also by a listing of all the books in the series to date. What is so noteworthy about this collection is the fact that all the selections are first rate and are well integrated into their universes, making the book a bonanza not only for avid fans who are familiar with the various series and want more but also for less well read fantasy readers, who will find each story herein a great introduction to a writer's world. --Sally Estes

Microcosmic glimpses of broadly imagined worlds and their larger-than-life characters distinguish this hefty volume of heavyweight fantasy. Silverberg collects 11 previously unpublished short "novels" by genre celebrities, each a window on a sprawling saga that has shaped the way modern fantasy fiction is written and read. Stephen King weighs in with "The Little Sisters of Eluria," set early in the Dark Tower saga and deftly weaving threads of horror, quest fantasy and the western into a dangerous snare for his indefatigable gunslinger, Roland of Gilead. Ursula K. Le Guin contributes "Dragonfly," a tale about a young woman who would be a wizard that offers a savvy dissection of the sexual politics that govern Le Guin's Earthsea empire. Neo-Arthurian fantasy gets its due in George R.R. Martin's "The Hedge Knight," a prequel to the Song of Ice and Fire series. Only a sliver of fantasy insinuates Silverberg's own "The Seventh Shrine," a Majipoor murder mystery that becomes a fascinating exploration of clashing cultures. Although most of the selections are sober sidebars to serious literary fantasy cycles, Terry Pratchett's "The Sea and Little Fishes" is a giddy Discworld romp that pits cantankerous witch Granny Weatherwax against her crone cronies, and Orson Scott Card's "Grinning Man" is corn-fed tall talk in which Alvin Maker outwits a crooked miller in the alternate America of Hatrick River. Some entries, among them Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar tale "The Wood Boy" and Anne McCaffrey's "Runner of Pern," shine only as light glosses on their authors' earlier achievements. Still, there's enough color, vitality and bravura displays of mythmaking in this rich sampler, which also includes tales by Terry Goodkind, Tad Williams and Robert Jordan, to sate faithful fans and nurture new readers on the stuff of legends still being created. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Eleven substantial new ``short novels'' set in (mostly) famous multivolume fantasy worlds that need little or no introduction. Stephen King offers a tale of the Dark Tower featuring Roland the Gunslinger. Terry Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax, as amusing as ever, materializes from Discworld. Terry Goodkind dusts off the Sword of Truth. Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker puts in an appearance, as does editor Silverberg's Lord Valentine of Majipoor. Ursula K. LeGuin, concise and elegant as always, revisits Earthsea; Tad Williams delves into Memory, Sorrow and Thorn; Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Fern fly again; Raymond E. Feist expands on his Riftwar Saga; and Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time rolls on. The odd one out would is George R. R. Martin, whose Song of Ice and Fire thus far boasts but a single entry. Will readers relish a volume of such utterly disparate yarns? Well, fantasy fans like what they like, and will read anything regardless of normal, rational considerations; neither does Silverberg's introduction shed any light on the modern predilection for grossly distended, interminable, pseudo-medieval sagas. So the answer is: probably yes. ($250,000 ad/promo)