''The Jaguar Hunter'' is a collection of

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 uni ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving 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 literature and d ...

and horror stories by American author

Lucius Shepard Lucius Shepard (August 21, 1943 – March 18, 2014) was an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leaned into other genres, such as magical realism. Career Shepard was a native of Lynchburg, Virginia where ...

. Illustrated by J. K. Potter, it was released in May,

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

and was the author's first book published by

Arkham House Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...

. It was originally published in an edition of 3,194 copies, with a second printing later in 1987 of 1,508 copies. Bantam Books issued a trade paperback edition in 1989, and

Four Walls Eight Windows Four Walls Eight Windows was an American independent book publisher in New York City. Known as 4W8W or Four Walls, the company was notable for its dual commitment to progressive politics and adventurous, edgy literary fiction. History Four W ...

reprinted the collection in 2001. The first British publication came as a Paladin Books trade paperback in 1988, followed quickly by a Kerosina Books hardcover. A Rumanian translation appeared in 2008. ''The Jaguar Hunter'' won the 1988

World Fantasy Award The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous ann ...

for best collection, as well as the

Locus Award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine ''Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. In addition to the pl ...

in the same category. Five of the stories were nominated for the Nebula Award, one winning the award; three of those were also nominated for the Hugo Award; and one nominated, for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. Ten of the eleven stories placed in the annual ''Locus'' polls, eight reached the top ten, and two won Locus Awards.

* Foreword ( Michael Bishop) * "The Jaguar Hunter" (''

F&SF ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...

'' 1985) * "The Night of White Bhairab" (''F&SF'' 1984) * " Salvador" (''F&SF'' 1984) * "How the Wind Spoke at Madaket" (''

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publicatio ...

'' 1985) * "Black Coral" (''Universe 14'', 1984) * "R & R" (''

'' 1986) * "The End of Life as We Know It" (''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine'' 1985) * "A Traveler's Tale" (''Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine'' 1984) * "Mengele" (''Universe 14'', 1984) * "The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule" (''F&SF'' 1984) * "A Spanish Lesson" (''F&SF'' 1985) The precise contents of this collection vary from edition to edition. The Bantam reprint omits "R & R". The Paladin and Kerosina editions omit "R & R" and add three additional stories. The 2001 reissue adds one story to those found in the original edition.

Reception

Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...

gave the collection a highly favorable review, declaring that "Shepard is the best new short-fiction writer of the eighties" and "is capable of dazzling brilliance."

Neil Barron Richard Neil Barron (23 March 1934 - 5 September 2010) was a science fiction bibliographer and scholar. His training was as a librarian. He is perhaps best known for his book '' Anatomy of Wonder: A Critical Guide to Science Fiction''. He won the ...

described ''The Jaguar Hunter'' as "One of the finest collections of fantasy and science fiction published in the 1980s."Neil Barron, ''

Anatomy of Wonder ''Anatomy of Wonder — A Critical Guide to Science Fiction'' is a reference book by Neil Barron, which covers hundreds of works of science fiction. The review of ''Anatomy of Wonder'' by Dave Langford says that it is a unique reference book ...

'' (5th edition), Libraries Unlimited, 2004, p.374.

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jaguar Hunter, The 1987 short story collections Short story collections by Lucius Shepard Speculative fiction short story collections World Fantasy Award-winning works

Contents

Reception

References

Sources