Read them right now, for free.
From SRP author Taylen Carver.
Most casual readers of fantasy presume that J.R.R. Tolkien invented it.
Not quite.
Fantasy as an element of fiction has been around since history began, in all cultures and eras. The bible itself has fantastical stories, Greek myths are stuffed full of it, even The Arabian Nights tales are pure fantasy. Aladdin, anyone?
But modern fantasy, the types of stories found on the Fantasy shelf these days, began just a little bit earlier than Tolkien’s era.
The generally accepted “father” of modern fantasy was George MacDonald, who, in 1858 published Phantastes, which is considered to be the first fantasy novel written for adults.
He also wrote The Princess and the Goblin, in 1872.
A few years later, William Morris wrote The Wood Beyond the World (1894) and The Well at the World’s End (1896).
MacDonald, in particular, was a major influence for both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
All four titles I’ve mentioned, along with many more by both authors, are available for free on Project Gutenberg. I’ve linked to each book — click on the titles, above, to jump to that book.
I’ve downloaded all four and added them to my TBR pile. I’m looking forward to dipping into them and seeing how they read.
Taylen Carver
SRP Fantasy Author
Browse Taylen’s books here.
