''Time and the Gods'' is the second book by
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
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 ...
writer
Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
,
H. P. Lovecraft,
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 ...
, and others.
The book was first published in hardcover by
William Heinemann
William Henry Heinemann (18 May 1863 – 5 October 1920) was an English publisher of Jewish descent and the founder of the Heinemann publishing house in London.
Early life
On 18 May 1863, Heinemann was born in Surbiton, Surrey, England. Heine ...
in September, 1906, and has been reprinted a number of times since. It was issued by the
Modern Library
The Modern Library is an American book publishing imprint and formerly the parent company of Random House. Founded in 1917 by Albert Boni and Horace Liveright as an imprint of their publishing company Boni & Liveright, Modern Library became an ...
in an unauthorised combined edition with ''
The Book of Wonder
''The Book of Wonder'' is the seventh book and fifth original short story collection of Irish fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. Le Guin, and others. It was fi ...
'' under the latter's title in 1918.
Dunsany had a brief preface in the original edition and added a new introduction to the 1922 edition.
The book is a series of short stories linked by Dunsany's invented
pantheon
Pantheon may refer to:
* Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building
Arts and entertainment Comics
*Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization
* ''Pantheon'' (Lone S ...
of deities who dwell in Pegāna. It was preceded by his earlier collection ''
The Gods of Pegāna'' and followed by some stories in ''
The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories
''The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories'' is the third book by Anglo-Irish fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. Le Guin, and others. It was first published in h ...
''.
The book was illustrated by Dunsany's preferred artist
Sidney Sime
Sidney Herbert Sime (;1865 – 22 May 1941) — he usually signed his works as S. H. Sime — was an early 20th century English artist, mostly remembered for his fantastic and satirical artwork, especially his story illustrations for Irish f ...
, who provided a range of black and white plates, the originals of which are still at
Dunsany Castle
Dunsany Castle ( ga, Caisleán Dhún Samhnaí), Dunsany, County Meath, Ireland is a modernised Anglo-Norman castle, started c. 1180 / 1181 by Hugh de Lacy, who also commissioned the original Killeen Castle, nearby, and the famous Trim Castle ...
. These were present in the 1906 and 1922 editions, not in the unauthorised collections and not in most modern reproductions.
The title is thought to have been influenced by
Algernon Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He wrote several novels and collections of poetry such as '' Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition ...
, who wrote the line "Time and the Gods are at strife" in his 1866 poem "
Hymn to Proserpine".
Contents
:*"Preface"
:*"Time and the Gods"
:*"The Coming of the Sea"
:*"A Legend of the Dawn"
:*"The Vengeance of Men"
:*"When the Gods Slept"
:*"The King That Was Not"
:*"The Cave of Kai"
:*"The Sorrow of Search"
:*"The Men of Yarnith"
:*"For the Honour of the Gods"
:*"Night and Morning"
:*"Usury"
:*"Mlideen"
:*"The Secret of the Gods"
:*"The South Wind"
:*"In the Land of Time"
:*"The Relenting of Sardinac"
:*"The Jest of the Gods"
:*"The Dreams of the Prophet"
:*"The Journey of the King"
Sources
*
External links
*
*
1906 short story collections
Fantasy short story collections
Short story collections by Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany
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