Previous SFF Author: Tee Morris
(1834-1896)
William Morris was the first author of fantasy literature to use a completely invented setting for his novels. He was an important influence on J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The copyrights on William Morris’s work have expired, so they are available for free download (some in audio format) at public domain sites such as Project Gutenberg.
The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris
I read The Wood Beyond the World largely because I enjoyed the author’s The Well at the World’s End so much. I was disappointed in it, though. It doesn’t have the depth of the slightly later book (they were published two years apart), and the story itself is not as satisfying, nor is the main character as strong.
Golden Walter is what I call a spoiled protagonist. He ends up with benefits that he doesn’t earn.
Mike Reeves-McMillan´s rating: 2 | William Morris | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
The Well at the World’s End by William Morris
Notes: Because the copyright has expired, you can get The Well at the World’s End for free on the Kindle at Amazon or at Project Gutenberg. Make sure you have the entire book. Some publishers have divided it into two installments.
William Morris, a textile artist, was enamored of medieval chivalric romances, so The Well at the World’s End, published in 1896, is his contribution to that dying literary genre.
Kat Hooper´s rating: 4 | William Morris | Free! | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
We welcome a new guest reviewer: Michaela Hausmann.
The Sundering Flood by William Morris
The Sundering Flood (1897) is the last fantasy romance by William Morris. Unfinished during his lifetime, the romance was published posthumously by his daughter May Morris. It relates the trials and tribulations of the young hero Osberne and his female friend and future lover Elfhild. Although both are separated from each other by an impassable river (the eponymous Sundering Flood), they can communicate with each other across the water and form a close bond.
Michaela Hausmann´s rating: 4 | William Morris | Stand-Alone | SFF Reviews | 8 comments |
Previous SFF Author: Tee Morris
The black, white and blue is VERY striking, and carries the sense of a night sky and mystery.
Thanks, Kat, great input!
Marion, thanks for the audiobook article! Interestingly, they list All Systems Red by Martha Wells. Here's part of my review…
And, oh...as to that 2.5-star rating: I think I gave Damon Knight's "Beyond the Barrier" a similar halfhearted rating earlier…
And speaking of mixed, that's how the book left me...mixed! As in MIXED UP!