I am a sucker for these old Lin Carter anthologies. They contain the
best of, at least, three generations of Fantasy Fiction. The first two
volumes both contain tales by Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith.
Both volumes have new or rare material from Fritz Leiber, L. Sprague de
Camp, Jack Vance and Carter. The tales which I often enjoy most are from
the young writers of the time. Vol. 1 of The Year's Best Fantasy
Stories features newcomers Pat McIntosh and Charles R Saunders. There is
also a piece of lost history of Middle Earth as told by Marrion Zimmer
Bradley, The Sword of Dyrnwyn by Lloyd Alexander and a posthumous work
by Hans Bok. Every sentence is classic, enduring fantasy enjoyment and most of these folks are listed as inspirational reading in Appendix N of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Master's Guide.2014 was a quest of personal accomplishment for me which I have completed with success. I am now free of the literal and proverbial text books, free to read any smut, pulp or trash that I may like. And free to wonder the wastelands of fantasy role playing enthusiasts, a journey I hope to renew and share the travels of the polyhedral dice bag.
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