It was a very sad day in 2022 when I read Patricia A. McKillip had died at the age of 74. I’d been reading McKillip’s wonderful fantasies for decades. It started back in 1976 when I first read The Riddle-Master of Hed. By the final page of the book, I knew I had just read what would be considered a classic.
I went back and read McKillip’s 1975 fantasy, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Brilliant! And, as the years went by, I read every McKillip book that came my way. In addition to being a gifted novelist, McKillip could dazzle readers with her short stories, too.
Tachyon Press has honored Patricia A. McKillip with a marvelous collection of her best fantasy stories. And, surprisingly, two non-fiction pieces–“What Inspires Me” and “Writing High Fantasy”–shares McKillip’s approach to writing and her love for fantasy. These insights made me appreciate McKillip even more! If you haven’t read Patricia A. McKillip, The Essential Patricia A. McKillip is the perfect place to start! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction by Ellen Kushner
Stories
“Lady of the Skulls”
“Wonders of the Invisible World”
“The Lion and the Lark”
“The Harrowing of the Dragon of Hoarsbreath”
“Out of the Woods”
“The Fortune Teller”
“The Witches of Junket”
“Byndley”
“Jack O’Lantern”
“The Stranger”
“The Gorgon in the Cupboard”
“Mer”
“Weird”
“Hunter’s Moon”
“Undine”
“Knight of the Well”
Nonfiction
“What Inspires Me”: Guest of Honor Speech at WisCon
“Writing High Fantasy”
I have a Pat McKillip story! Her sister Kathy was best friends with my ex-wife, Lorene! I spent a bit of time at their house and attended their nightly Happy Hour a few times! The old man was a bit of a tippler, but he was also a bombardier on B-24s during WWII so I didn’t judge him! Naturally, I knew Pat, and I knew she was a writer, but I didn’t know the degree of her success at that time! When Lorene and I moved to Bremerton, WA, Pat paid us a visit! She came to see me in a play I was doing, FORTY CARATS. I read the two books you mentioned around that time! Once Lorene and I divorced, I lost track of Pat and the whole McKillip brood!
Bob, I’m constantly amazed at all the Famous People you know!
Oh my, that is a lovely cover. I am not familiar with the author. The book is pretty pricey at this point since it was just recently published.
Tracy, THE ESSENTIAL PATRICIA A. MCKILLIP is a wonderful book. This is a hardcover edition. A paperback edition might be less expensive…
I’m a little late to reply but wanted to toss in my two cents.
I stumbled over The Forgotten Beasts of Eld at a time when I didn’t usually read fantasy but the cover sucked me in. TOTALLY worth it!
I’ve enjoyed many of her stories over the years. Yet another author that needs revisiting.
Thanks for the reminder, George.
Beth, I’ve been sucked in by HUNDREDS of covers!
Wow, it’s been a while since I commented here…eventful week.
I’ve been meaning, in a low-priority way, to read some of her books since reading the excerpt in FIRST WORLD FANTASY AWARDS, edited by Gahan Wilson, back when it was new in ’77 (I was 12 or 13 then, so fairly new)…that anthology included a short excerpt of ELD, the first novel to win the Howard [a Lovecraft statue designed and sculpted by Wilson)]to be replaced some years later). I wasn’t blown away by the excerpt (as opposed to nearly all the other fiction included), so it was a checkmark in my mind to see, eventually, if the passage in situ would be more impressive. Still taking my time…but at least there are more examples now, even if I can’t congratulate her.
Todd, you’ll enjoy Patricia A. McKillip’s work. THE ESSENTIAL PATRICIA A. MCKILLIP would be a good place to start…