Last Wednesday, I reviewed My Favorite Science Fiction Story (you can read the review here). Then, Todd Mason, learning of the existence of My Favorite Horror Story, reviewed it here. Now, I complete the trifecta with My Favorite Fantasy Story (2000). This is my favorite volume of the three because some of my favorite stories can be found in this volume. “That Hell-Bound Train” won Robert Block a Hugo Award. Jack Vance is celebrated by Robert Silverberg choosing “Mizirian the Magician” and George R. R. Martin choosing ” Liane the Wayfarer.”
Classics like L. Sprague de Camp’s “The Gnarly Man” and Charles Dickens’s “The Bagman’s Story” are represented. I enjoyed Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald’s spy mashup, “Stealing God” where the Holy Grail makes an appearance. And Andre Norton pick’s one of my favorite Manly Wade Wellman stories, “The Spring.” All in all, an excellent anthology! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION by Martin H. Greenberg — 1
- “Ghosts of Wind and Shadow” (Charles de Lint) – selected by Tanya Huff — 7
- “Mazirian the Magician” (Jack Vance) – selected by Robert Silverberg –38
- “Troll Bridge” (Terry Pratchett) – selected by Michelle West — 56
- “The Tale of Hauk” (Poul Anderson) – selected by Mickey Zucker Reichert — 67
- “In Our Block” (R. A. Lafferty) – selected by Neil Gaiman — 90
- “The Gnarly Man” (L. Sprague de Camp) – selected by Terry Pratchett –98
- “Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad” (M. R. James) – selected by Morgan Llywelyn — 121
- “Homeland” (Barbara Kingsolver) – selected by Charles de Lint — 141
- “Stealing God” (Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald) – selected by Katherine Kurtz — 160
- “Shadowlands” (Elisabeth Waters) – selected by Marion Zimmer Bradley — 181
- Mopsa the Fairy (Jean Ingelow) – selected by Gene Wolfe — 192
- “Liane the Wayfarer” (Jack Vance) – selected by George R. R. Martin –303
- “The Spring” (Manly Wade Wellman) – selected by Andre Norton — 315
- “That Hell-Bound Train” (Robert Bloch) – selected by Rick Hautala —328
- “The Dancer from the Dance” (M. John Harrison) – selected by Stephen R. Donaldson — 343
- “More Spinned Against” (John Wyndham) – selected by Matt Costello — 367
- “The Bagman’s Story” (Charles Dickens) – selected by Margaret Weis — 379
- “Unicorn Variations” (Roger Zelazny) – selected by Fred Saberhagen —-394
Looks like a good selection. I have read most of these. The exception the Dickens & the b John D. MacDonald. And am a fan of Vance, Lafferty, Bloch and Wellman. Nothing here I remember not liking.
Steve, MY FAVORITE FANTASY STORY is a strong anthology. Maybe the best of the “MY FAVORITE” trilogy.
If you had been asked to contribute, George, what story would you have chosen?
Jerry, excellent question! Off the top of my head, I’d say Fritz Leiber’s “The Bazaar of the Bizarre.” But ask me 10 minutes from now and I’d pick a story by Clark Ashton Smith or Lord Dunsany.
Off the top of my head. George, I would have gone with Leiber’s “The Bleak Shore.” I still remember the thrill of reading it 59 years ago in Don Benson’s anthology THE UNKNOWN.
Jerry, why am I not surprised you and I both picked Fritz Leiber stories? Leiber was a great fantasy writer and greatly underrated!
I’ve only read four of these–the two by Vance and the ones by M. R. James and Robert Bloch, and the latter two are more frequently categorized as horror than fantasy. Never been much of a fantasy fan, that this would seem to be a pretty good indicator of that.
Michael, the line between horror and fantasy is thin indeed.
Barbara KIngsolver’s name is a surprise.
Patti, Diane’s Book Club has read several of Barbara Kingsolver’s books.
I know I’ve read the M. R. James and the Bloch and the de Camp. I can see I’m going to have to look for that one too.
Jeff, I know the pandemic has been a hardship for many people, but on the Plus Side it has given me an opportunity to read books that have been on my shelves for years (sometimes, decades!). This MY FAVORITE series offers plenty of wonderful stories. And the introductions to the stories by the writers who chose them are very insightful.
I put this one on hold at the library and it is already In Transit, so I should have it fairly soon. They have copies of the other two books too, so will get those in time.
Jeff, I’m impressed with this “MY FAVORITE” trilogy. Greenberg did an excellent job with this volume!
Why am I not surprised an anthology with two Vance stories would be a favorite of yours. I’d take the Anderson story, which I have elsewhere, but would skip most of this one.
Rick, Poul Anderson wrote some fine fantasy stories, too.
Wonder what happened to the Ray Bradbury story? It’s listed on the cover but not in the contents, so it looks like it had to be pulled for some reason.
Jeff, what sharp eyes you have! I completely missed that!
Thanks for the tip, George. The genre is outside my usual hard-boiled crime (or non-fiction) reading. So, the book looks like a good place to get acquainted with authors I have only heard of, but never read.
Elgin, you’ll like both the stories in MY FAVORITE FANTASY STORY and the wonderful introductions to the stories.