Lord Dunsany - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

Connavar · 4th November 2009, 11:40 AM

Since there weren't a thread about him i had to make it.

A general thread for your thoughts about this author,his works you have read etc

I'm reading The Collected Jorkens Vol.1 The Travel Tales of Mr Joseph Jorkens and Jorkens Remembers Africa.

Its different than i thought so far but in a pleasant way. Less poetic writing but short short stories that take you to exciting places and its so imaginative. I can see it all so clearly.

Fried Egg · 4th November 2009, 12:53 PM

Well, there are a couple of threads about him at least:

Lord Dunsany - Science Fiction
Best of Lord Dunsany

I have read "The King of Elfland's Daughter" and the six collections of short stories collected in the Fantasy Masterworks edition "Time and the Gods":

I love the imagery, the feel and the humour that he creates in his stories.

Connavar · 4th November 2009, 04:20 PM

Yeah i knew of those threads but this is general Dunsany thread. After all Science Fiction isnt what you read Dunsany for.

The imagery is my fav part with his prose style. Like Yeats says in cover blurbs of The King of Elfland's Daugther :

Lord Dunsany "who has imagined colors, ceremonies and incredible processions . . . has yet never wearied of the most universal of emotions and the one most constantly associated with the sense of beauty; and when we come to examine these astonishments that seemed so alien we find that he has but transfigured with beauty the commons sights of the world."

blacknorth · 1st December 2009, 11:50 PM

I'll never forget my first experience of Dunsany.

It must have been about 1976. I was like Jeffty, five. We (my mum, brother and myself) were homeless in Belfast and were being moved around various shelters and dingy flats. For a while the Housing Exec decided to put us in the notorious Divis Flats complex on the Falls. So we were shown into this unfurnished crawlspace; unfurnished apart from two things - a broken old rocking horse, and a faded hardback book called The World's 1000 Best Short Stories.

Divis was a very spooky place, tragic throughout its short 20 year span. And we knew all the terrible history of it - even at that age, we knew... could sense... the despair of that solitary generation of inhabitants. While we were huddled up for the first night, my mum decided to read us some short stories from the book. None of them were comforting and a few were disturbing, until she hit upon Dunsany's story The City On Mallington Moor. Well, that was it - the story transported us to the moor and the moor transported us to the city; Divis was quite gone. Dunsany to the rescue. She read it again, night after night, until they moved us from that awful place. It made such a tremendous impression on me back then, and even now my mind is still sometimes capable of opening in the way Dunsany bid it.

I reread the story from time to time, and I still have that exact book.

AE35Unit · 2nd December 2009, 01:03 PM

I've not read any of his but I loved the film wth Peter O Toole recently, Dean Spanley! Excellent movie!
I expect JD will pop up soon

Connavar · 2nd December 2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacknorth

I'll never forget my first experience of Dunsany.

It must have been about 1976. I was like Jeffty, five. We (my mum, brother and myself) were homeless in Belfast and were being moved around various shelters and dingy flats. For a while the Housing Exec decided to put us in the notorious Divis Flats complex on the Falls. So we were shown into this unfurnished crawlspace; unfurnished apart from two things - a broken old rocking horse, and a faded hardback book called The World's 1000 Best Short Stories.

Divis was a very spooky place, tragic throughout its short 20 year span. And we knew all the terrible history of it - even at that age, we knew... could sense... the despair of that solitary generation of inhabitants. While we were huddled up for the first night, my mum decided to read us some short stories from the book. None of them were comforting and a few were disturbing, until she hit upon Dunsany's story The City On Mallington Moor. Well, that was it - the story transported us to the moor and the moor transported us to the city; Divis was quite gone. Dunsany to the rescue. She read it again, night after night, until they moved us from that awful place. It made such a tremendous impression on me back then, and even now my mind is still sometimes capable of opening in the way Dunsany bid it.

I reread the story from time to time, and I still have that exact book.

That's is wonderful,to find comfort in Dunsany's writing

I myself think highly of his ability to transport you to his magical settings. From bland day to his stories.

Fried Egg · 2nd December 2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AE35Unit

I've not read any of his but I loved the film wth Peter O Toole recently, Dean Spanley! Excellent movie!
I expect JD will pop up soon

I didn't even know anything about that movie. Is it based on a story by the same name? If so, I've never read it...

Connavar · 2nd December 2009, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fried Egg

I didn't even know anything about that movie. Is it based on a story by the same name? If so, I've never read it...

Its a play, he was apparently a big playwright. Had many famous shows.

You can actually buy some of his plays today.

AE35Unit · 2nd December 2009, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fried Egg

I didn't even know anything about that movie. Is it based on a story by the same name? If so, I've never read it...

There you go oh Fried One.
According to FF its a novel
My Talks with Dean Spanley by Lord Dunsany

j. d. worthington · 2nd December 2009, 04:26 PM

Not a play, but a short novel, My Talks with Dean Spanley. This is one of those I've not yet read, but I have read very positive comments on it... and I've seen the artwork that Sidney H. Sime (who worked with Dunsany so often, both being inspired by and inspiring him). From what I gather, it's a thoroughly enchanting little book... need to get a copy.....

AE35Unit · 2nd December 2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

Not a play, but a short novel, My Talks with Dean Spanley. This is one of those I've not yet read, but I have read very positive comments on it... and I've seen the artwork that Sidney H. Sime (who worked with Dunsany so often, both being inspired by and inspiring him). From what I gather, it's a thoroughly enchanting little book... need to get a copy.....

You need to see the movie JD, its really really good, heartwarming and makes you think. And O'Toole is such a fine actor!

Connavar · 2nd December 2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

Not a play, but a short novel, My Talks with Dean Spanley. This is one of those I've not yet read, but I have read very positive comments on it... and I've seen the artwork that Sidney H. Sime (who worked with Dunsany so often, both being inspired by and inspiring him). From what I gather, it's a thoroughly enchanting little book... need to get a copy.....

Weird how i got it mixed. I'm crushed i confused Dunsany info

Fried Egg · 29th January 2010, 09:23 AM

I'm currently reading:

Once again I'm really impressed with his writing. He just seems to have such a wonderful way of putting things, a turn of phrase which I find...aesthetically pleasing.

It's been a while now since I've read any Dunsany and it makes me wonder why I've left it so long. Perhaps it's because I've read the most easilly available stuff and I'm now exploring his lesser known work...

Connavar · 4th February 2010, 04:43 PM

If you want his lesser known works, Jorkens collections showed me a totally different side of Lord Dunsany that i enjoyed alot. They were many kind of stories adventure,sf,horror with more straight forward storytelling that you might expect from storytellers of that time like Doyle,ERB.

No wonder they were his most popular works in his days and the only series he did.

GOLLUM · 5th February 2010, 12:24 AM

Yes, Dunsany is one of my favourites. I'm finalising my collection of all of his novels in 2010. The only thing I won't have will be a complete set of is the Jorkens tales but I'm content enough with my sample.

Despite certain "differences", we appear to have fairly similar tastes Mr. Egg....

Huh? Worthington hasn't read My Talks with Dean Spanley yet. Now that's a turn up for the books!....

I guarantee you'll like it Sir.....

I have the copy with the movie tie-in, so plenty of interesting photos of O'Toole and co.

4th November 2009, 11:40 AM	#1 (permalink)
Connavar Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 7,990	Lord Dunsany Since there weren't a thread about him i had to make it. A general thread for your thoughts about this author,his works you have read etc I'm reading The Collected Jorkens Vol.1 The Travel Tales of Mr Joseph Jorkens and Jorkens Remembers Africa. Its different than i thought so far but in a pleasant way. Less poetic writing but short short stories that take you to exciting places and its so imaginative. I can see it all so clearly.

4th November 2009, 12:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
Fried Egg Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Devon Posts: 2,898	Re: Lord Dunsany Well, there are a couple of threads about him at least: Lord Dunsany - Science Fiction Best of Lord Dunsany I have read "The King of Elfland's Daughter" and the six collections of short stories collected in the Fantasy Masterworks edition "Time and the Gods": I love the imagery, the feel and the humour that he creates in his stories.

4th November 2009, 04:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
Connavar Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 7,990	Re: Lord Dunsany Yeah i knew of those threads but this is general Dunsany thread. After all Science Fiction isnt what you read Dunsany for. The imagery is my fav part with his prose style. Like Yeats says in cover blurbs of The King of Elfland's Daugther : Lord Dunsany "who has imagined colors, ceremonies and incredible processions . . . has yet never wearied of the most universal of emotions and the one most constantly associated with the sense of beauty; and when we come to examine these astonishments that seemed so alien we find that he has but transfigured with beauty the commons sights of the world."

1st December 2009, 11:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
blacknorth Stuck Inside a Cloud Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Belfast Posts: 579	Re: Lord Dunsany I'll never forget my first experience of Dunsany. It must have been about 1976. I was like Jeffty, five. We (my mum, brother and myself) were homeless in Belfast and were being moved around various shelters and dingy flats. For a while the Housing Exec decided to put us in the notorious Divis Flats complex on the Falls. So we were shown into this unfurnished crawlspace; unfurnished apart from two things - a broken old rocking horse, and a faded hardback book called The World's 1000 Best Short Stories. Divis was a very spooky place, tragic throughout its short 20 year span. And we knew all the terrible history of it - even at that age, we knew... could sense... the despair of that solitary generation of inhabitants. While we were huddled up for the first night, my mum decided to read us some short stories from the book. None of them were comforting and a few were disturbing, until she hit upon Dunsany's story The City On Mallington Moor. Well, that was it - the story transported us to the moor and the moor transported us to the city; Divis was quite gone. Dunsany to the rescue. She read it again, night after night, until they moved us from that awful place. It made such a tremendous impression on me back then, and even now my mind is still sometimes capable of opening in the way Dunsany bid it. I reread the story from time to time, and I still have that exact book.

2nd December 2009, 01:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
AE35Unit ]==[]===© • Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Darlington Posts: 5,577	Re: Lord Dunsany I've not read any of his but I loved the film wth Peter O Toole recently, Dean Spanley! Excellent movie! I expect JD will pop up soon

2nd December 2009, 04:26 PM	#10 (permalink)
j. d. worthington Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 13,183	Re: Lord Dunsany Not a play, but a short novel, My Talks with Dean Spanley. This is one of those I've not yet read, but I have read very positive comments on it... and I've seen the artwork that Sidney H. Sime (who worked with Dunsany so often, both being inspired by and inspiring him). From what I gather, it's a thoroughly enchanting little book... need to get a copy.....

29th January 2010, 09:23 AM	#13 (permalink)
Fried Egg Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Devon Posts: 2,898	Re: Lord Dunsany I'm currently reading: Once again I'm really impressed with his writing. He just seems to have such a wonderful way of putting things, a turn of phrase which I find...aesthetically pleasing. It's been a while now since I've read any Dunsany and it makes me wonder why I've left it so long. Perhaps it's because I've read the most easilly available stuff and I'm now exploring his lesser known work...

4th February 2010, 04:43 PM	#14 (permalink)
Connavar Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 7,990	Re: Lord Dunsany If you want his lesser known works, Jorkens collections showed me a totally different side of Lord Dunsany that i enjoyed alot. They were many kind of stories adventure,sf,horror with more straight forward storytelling that you might expect from storytellers of that time like Doyle,ERB. No wonder they were his most popular works in his days and the only series he did.

5th February 2010, 12:24 AM	#15 (permalink)
GOLLUM Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia, Victoria Posts: 9,196	Re: Lord Dunsany Yes, Dunsany is one of my favourites. I'm finalising my collection of all of his novels in 2010. The only thing I won't have will be a complete set of is the Jorkens tales but I'm content enough with my sample. Despite certain "differences", we appear to have fairly similar tastes Mr. Egg.... Huh? Worthington hasn't read My Talks with Dean Spanley yet. Now that's a turn up for the books!.... I guarantee you'll like it Sir..... I have the copy with the movie tie-in, so plenty of interesting photos of O'Toole and co.

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