''Magical Beginnings'' is an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

edited by Steven H. Silver and

Martin H. Greenberg Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ov ...

, first published in paperback by DAW Books in February 2003. It is a compilation of the first published stories of sixteen prominent authors in the genre, and features introductions to the stories provided (in most instances) by the authors of those stories. ''Magical Beginnings '' was the second of three similarly-themed anthologies, its companions being '' Wondrous Beginnings'' and '' Horrible Beginnings'', compiling the first published stories of authors writing in the

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

and horror genres, respectively. The series follows the example of the earlier '' First Flight: Maiden Voyages in Space and Time'', edited by

Damon Knight Damon Francis Knight (September 19, 1922 – April 15, 2002) was an American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He is the author of "To Serve Man", a 1950 short story adapted for ''The Twilight Zone''.Stanyard, ''Dimensions Behind th ...

(

Lancer Books Lancer Books was a publisher of paperback books founded by Irwin Stein and Walter Zacharius that operated from 1961 through 1973. While it published stories of a number of genres, it was noted most for its science fiction and fantasy, particularl ...

, 1963) and '' First Voyages'', edited by Damon Knight, Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander (

Avon Books Avon Publications is one of the leading publishers of romance fiction. At Avon's initial stages, it was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. The shift in content occurred in the early 1970s with multiple Avon romance titles reach ...

, 1981), which focused on science fiction authors only and did not include individual introductions.

*"Introduction" (

Steven H Silver Steven H Silver (born April 19, 1967) is an American science fiction fan and bibliographer, publisher, author, and editor. He has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer twelve times and Best Fanzine seven times without winni ...

) *"Introduction to 'People of the Crater'" (

Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton, February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name ...

) *"The People of the Crater" (1947) (

) *"Introduction to 'My Daughter's Name Is Sarah'" ( Peter S. Beagle) *"My Daughter's Name Is Sarah" (1959) ( Peter S. Beagle) *"Introduction to 'April in Paris'" (

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

) *"April in Paris" (1962) (

) *"To Light a Fire" (

Susan Shwartz Susan Shwartz (born December 31, 1949) is an American author.King, T. Jackson. "SFC Interview: Susan Shwartz". ''Science Fiction Chronicle'' 16(7): 5, (pp. 30-33). June/July 1995. Education and career She received her B.A. in English from M ...

) *"The Fires of Her Vengeance" (1980) ( Susan M. Shwartz) *"Introduction to 'The Fane of the Grey Rose'" (

Charles de Lint Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a Canadian writer of Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese ancestry. He is married to, and plays music with, MaryAnn Harris. Primarily a writer of fantasy fiction, he has composed works of urban fantasy, cont ...

) *"The Fane of the Grey Rose" (1979) (

) *"Introduction to 'Bones for Dulath'" (

Megan Lindholm Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (born March 5, 1952), known by her pen names Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, is an American writer of speculative fiction. As Hobb, she is best known for her fantasy novels set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', w ...

) *"Bones for Dulath" (1979) (

) *"Introduction to 'The Unicorn Masque'" (

Ellen Kushner Ellen Kushner (born October 6, 1955) is an American writer of fantasy novels. From 1996 until 2010, she was the host of the radio program '' Sound & Spirit'', produced by WGBH in Boston and distributed by Public Radio International. Backgroun ...

) *"The Unicorn Masque" (1981) (

) *"Introduction to 'The Stuff of Heroes'" (

Esther Friesner Esther Mona Friesner-Stutzman, née Friesner (born July 16, 1951) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. She is also a poet and playwright. She is best known for her humorous style of writing, both in the titles and the works themsel ...

) *"The Stuff of Heroes" (1982) (

) *"Introduction to 'The Ulfjarl's Stone'" (

Mickey Zucker Reichert Mickey Zucker Reichert (born as Miriam Susan Zucker in 1962) is an American fantasy fiction author of several best selling novels. Personal life Reichert is a pediatrician, and holds a Doctorate of Medicine (M.D.). She is from a town in Iowa. ...

) *"The Ulfjarl's Stone" (1989) (

) *"Introduction to 'Rending Dark'" (

Emma Bull Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated ''Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy ''War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologies se ...

) *"The Rending Dark" (1984) (

) *"Introduction to 'A Different Kind of Courage'" ( Mercedes R. Lackey) *"A Different Kind of Courage" (1985) (

Mercedes Lackey Mercedes Ritchie Lackey (born June 24, 1950) is an American writer of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar. Her Valdemar novels include i ...

) *"Introduction to 'Third Time Lucky'" (

Tanya Huff Tanya Sue Huff (born 1957) is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science fiction series. One of these, her '' Blood Books'' series, featuring detective Vicki Ne ...

) *"Third Time Lucky" (1986) (

) *"On "Sing'" (

Kristine Kathryn Rusch Kristine Kathryn Rusch (born June 4, 1960) is an American writer and editor. She writes under various pseudonyms in multiple genres, including science fiction, fantasy literature, fantasy, Mystery fiction, mystery, Romance novel, romance, and m ...

) *"Sing" (1987) (

) *"Introduction to 'Birthnight'" ( Michelle West) *"Birthnight" (1992) ( Michelle West) *"Introduction to 'The Jewel and the Demon'" ( Lisanne Norman) *"The Jewel and the Demon" (1998) ( Lisanne Norman) *"Introduction to 'The Raven's Quest'" (

Fiona Patton Fiona Patton (born 1962) is a Canadian fantasy author. She has written more than 50 short stories including within the genres heroic fantasy, horror and science fiction and is well known for her The Warriors of Estavia series. Born in Calgary, A ...

) *"The Raven's Quest" (1998) (

) *"About the Authors"

References

{{reflist 2003 anthologies Fantasy anthologies Martin H. Greenberg anthologies DAW Books books

Contents

References