Lin Carter (1930-1988) blazed a trail in fantasy literary criticism, and for that we owe him a debt. Today on what would have been his 90th birthday I celebrate his pioneering efforts as a historian and guide, thank him for treating fantastic material with respect and enthusiasm—and also offer some critique I think he might have welcomed.
Read MoreIn these latter days, a Lin Carter fandom has emerged from the shadows, largely, I gather, thanks to Social Media. For decades all scholars and fans of fantasy literature have gladly acknowledged Lin’s accomplishments as an anthologist and editor.
Read MoreTo cut straight to the one-line review: Jamie Williamson’s The Evolution of Modern Fantasy (Palgrave McMillan, 2015) is a must-read if you’re at all interested in how the popular genre now known as “fantasy” came about. Even if it’s a little difficult to obtain and get into.
Read MoreFans of Clark Ashton Smith have been waiting a long time for a collection of his stories set in the fictional medieval French province of Averoigne. There have been many attempts to collect all 11 stories over the decades, but none of them were able to get off the ground until recently.
Read MoreToday marks what would have been the 89th birthday of Lin Carter, author, editor, and historian, and an altogether polarizing figure in fantasy fiction. Carter is perhaps best known today for his role as series editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series.
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