Be forewarned, this is not “sword & sorcery”, it’s more “literary fantasy”.
That said, it’s great! And it’s a piece of history for all gamers, since without Lord Dunsany there very well might be no D&D; since Dunsany inspired Tolkien, who in turn inspired Gygax.
I highly recommend this collection of short stories (and I do mean short, none of them are more than a few pages long and easy to read in one sitting).
Some of my personal favorites are:
<><><>“Probable Adventure of the Three Literary Men”
A story about three thieves who plan to steal the fabled Golden Box from its sleeping guardian.
<><><>“The Hoard of the Gibbelins”
An old knight plans to rob the Gibbelins vast treasure-vaults…treasure which they use to attract their favorite food, man.
<><><>“How Nuth Would Have Practiced His Art Upon the Gnoles”
A master thief decides to top off his career with robbing the one place all thieves fear, the house of the gnoles. [A story of particular interest to gamers, the gnoles of the story being the forefathers of the gnolls of the game]
<><><>“The Coronation of Mr. Thomas Shap”
The story of a man who became obsessed with a fantasy world he dreamed up.
<><><>“Chu-bu and Sheemish”
Chu-bu, an idol, sat happily in his temple for over a hundred years, and each Tuesday the priests would come in and chant ‘There is none but Chu-bu”. Then one day they come and chant “There is also Sheemish”…
<><><>“The Wonderful Window”
A man buys a magical window that he uses to look into another world.
My ultimate favorite is probably “Chu-bu and Sheemish”, a story like no other, dealing with a battle of wills between two insignificant deities.
I would recommend this at any price, but hey! It’s FREE! So add it to your cart for your next order and, after reading some of the stories, you may want to join me in my chant:
“There is none but Lord Dunsany!”
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