Brief Notes on Heroic Fantasy

Abstract

Author Phil Spencer beings this note to dispute the fact that some people believe that Tolkien is the only good fantasy author - which Spencer greatly disagrees with. He believes that Tolkien is a great author, daresay, a brilliant one, but doesn’t want fans to lose sight of other amazing fantasy authors. He discusses authors Lord Dunsany, James Cabell (who had a society formed around his writing as well), Mervyn Peake, H.P. Lovecraft, Poul Anderson, Fritz Leiber, Lyon Sprague de Camp, and Fletcher Pratt. He notes famous books of these authors, and other tales to read while maintaining that while Tolkien is wildly talented and influential, he did not invent fantasy, nor did fantasy end with him.