Non-Modern Fantastic Literature

[SilentRoamer]

Hey Chillypolly,

I am not sure if this fits with your list or not as I suppose it more qualifies as Science Fiction but at the time I think it may have been more likely read as a fantasy.

E. M. Forster - The Machine Stops (1909) which is *very* short at about 40 pages but I found fantastic.

I have recently been targeting older Sci-Fi (a lot younger than everything on this list) and this sprang to mind. It might not be relevant but even if not I would recommend it to anyone looking for older recs on this thread.

[ChillyPolly]

Hey Chillypolly,

I am not sure if this fits with your list or not as I suppose it more qualifies as Science Fiction but at the time I think it may have been more likely read as a fantasy.

E. M. Forster - The Machine Stops (1909) which is *very* short at about 40 pages but I found fantastic.

I have recently been targeting older Sci-Fi (a lot younger than everything on this list) and this sprang to mind. It might not be relevant but even if not I would recommend it to anyone looking for older recs on this thread.

Thanks. I added it in. And yes, sci-fi counts.

[Cats]

Useful list, thank you. A few others:

- Ferdousi : The Shahnameh (1010)

No unabridged translation in print currently, though the current Penguin prose/verse by Dick Davis is almost 1000 pages long and probably the best english choice.

- Clemence Housman : The Unknown Sea (1898), The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis (1905)

- Jeremias Gotthelf: The Black Spider (1842)

- E. T. A Hoffmann: , The Sandman (1817), The Life and Times of the Tomcat Murr(1820)

- Guy de Maupassant : The Horla (short story) (1886/7)

- Nickolai Gogol : various short stories; Viy, The Overcoat, The Nose ect.

- Andrew Lang : The twelve Fairy Books; Blue,Red, Olive, Grey, Crimson, Pink ect. (1889-1910)

- Gustave Flaubert : Three Tales (1877)

- Ambrose Bierce : various short stories; An Inhabitant of Carcosa, The Death of Halpin Frayser, Moxon's Master ect. His collection Can Such Things Be (1893) is mostly supernatural/horror stories.

-W.B Yeats : Irish Faerie Tales (1892)

Others did come to mind, but are a few years under the century mark, like E.R Eddison and Kafka.

[ChillyPolly]

Useful list, thank you. A few others:

- Ferdousi : The Shahnameh (1010)

No unabridged translation in print currently, though the current Penguin prose/verse by Dick Davis is almost 1000 pages long and probably the best english choice.

- Clemence Housman : The Unknown Sea (1898), The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis (1905)

- Jeremias Gotthelf: The Black Spider (1842)

- E. T. A Hoffmann: , The Sandman (1817), The Life and Times of the Tomcat Murr(1820)

- Guy de Maupassant : The Horla (short story) (1886/7)

- Nickolai Gogol : various short stories; Viy, The Overcoat, The Nose ect.

- Andrew Lang : The twelve Fairy Books; Blue,Red, Olive, Grey, Crimson, Pink ect. (1889-1910)

- Gustave Flaubert : Three Tales (1877)

- Ambrose Bierce : various short stories; An Inhabitant of Carcosa, The Death of Halpin Frayser, Moxon's Master ect. His collection Can Such Things Be (1893) is mostly supernatural/horror stories.

-W.B Yeats : Irish Faerie Tales (1892)

Others did come to mind, but are a few years under the century mark, like E.R Eddison and Kafka.

Thank you. I'm in the process of adding these in.

[ChillyPolly]

I just read the EPIC OF GILGAMESH in R. Campbell Thompson's 1928 translation/reconstruction. I'm not sure it belongs on the list, since it is so fragmentary it barely be said to even exist as a work of literature. Also, the "reconstructions" of the story (fragmentary though they are) are all post-1915 creations.

It is famous because it contains a version of the flood story evidently similar to that in GENESIS. Some consider this fact significant for one reason or another. But anyone who wants to read a coherent connected version of the story is better off sticking with the one in GENESIS.

[The Marquis de Leech]

I just read the EPIC OF GILGAMESH in R. Campbell Thompson's 1928 translation/reconstruction. I'm not sure it belongs on the list, since it is so fragmentary it barely be said to even exist as a work of literature. Also, the "reconstructions" of the story (fragmentary though they are) are all post-1915 creations.

It is famous because it contains a version of the flood story evidently similar to that in GENESIS. Some consider this fact significant for one reason or another. But anyone who wants to read a coherent connected version of the story is better off sticking with the one in GENESIS.

It is famous because it is the oldest surviving human story that has been written down. Even in fragmentary form, it is still a story.

(Also, new fragments are dug up all the time. We've made a fair amount of progress since 1928; the most recent English translation is from 2003).

[ChillyPolly]

It is famous because it is the oldest surviving human story that has been written down. Even in fragmentary form, it is still a story.

(Also, new fragments are dug up all the time. We've made a fair amount of progress since 1928; the most recent English translation is from 2003).

Going by Cambpell's version, I would say it's barely true that it is "still a story". Yes, fragments are there, and you can play "connect the dots" and create a sort of story, but it would be very foolhardy to suppose that the story you reconstruct has the same meaning and significance as what was originally present.

Yes, I imagine some more progress has made since 1928, but judging from the summaries I have seen, it has not had a huge impact on what R. Campbell Thompson came up with. Perhaps I am wrong about this. I will check out a modern version if I can find one.

I'm not doubting its importance as an item of academic significance, merely its status as a surviving work of literature.

[ChillyPolly]

I've been continuing to add to this list. Latest addition: Herman Melville's MOBY DICK (1851). I figure it belongs on the list, because of supernatural prophesies; heavy hints that the White Whale is a supernatural force, and the over-the-top denouement.. However, it is a long book, and some might argue that the "fantastic" elements are too few and far between.

To further justify bumping this thread, here's some random opinions about stuff on the list.

Stoker's DRACULA is great in the beginning, but then falters.

As a completed novel, Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN is much better; and it is also much better than any film version ever made.

Le Fanu's CARMILLA is a also very good. However, contrary to widespread popular belief, there are no lesbians in it; and it isn't really about lesbianism.

[ChillyPolly]

I added Sir Walter Scott's IVANHOE (1819). I think it is outrageous enough to qualify, even if nothing occurs that is explicitly supernatural.

[Jo498]

I do not understand why Ivanhoe should qualify as "fantastic". This is clearly a historical novel intended to be historically correct (although it is not in some respects) without any fantastical elements. This is not like some of the 19th century "gothic" literature that do have supernatural elements

[ChillyPolly]

I do not understand why Ivanhoe should qualify as "fantastic". This is clearly a historical novel intended to be historically correct (although it is not in some respects) without any fantastical elements. This is not like some of the 19th century "gothic" literature that do have supernatural elements

Well, as I said, the criteria for "fantastic" is meant to be a bit broader than that which is explicitly supernatural. Sir Walter Scott did not seem to share your assessment of his book. Scott writes in a footnote: "The

resuscitation of Athelstane

has been much criticized, as too violent a breach of probability, even for a work of such fantastic character." But he seems entirely unrepentant.

Disguises and secret identities galore? A mystery archer who can reliably split an arrow at 100 yards? Nothing fantastic about that? And I'm not sure that Rebecca's healing balm, that can restore in 8 days a wound that would take a month or more to heal, is a realistic depiction of the virtues of Jewish medical science of the period.

Even as to the supernatural, one cannot say there were not several hints of it, in the outcome of the

final trial by combat

, and in the mystical premonition that helps bring one of the participant's to the scene. Yes, the author dutifully hints at a rational explanation for

Bois-Gilbert's sudden death

, as required to placate the rationalist pedants who were the dominant literary critics of the period. But he would not have written it the way he did, if he did not mean to raise other ideas in the readers' minds.

[Puppy Stark]

I've read the Kojiki and Nihongi a few years ago. They're a collection of historical and folklorical anecdotes of the first emperors of Japan, compiled around the 7th or 8th century, which have their most famous legends about gods and monsters. It's very archaich in style, but interesting reads nonetheless. From Japan there's also the Tale of Genji, a 11th century or so novel about life at court, with some stories featuring heavily supernatural elements like ghosts and such.

I also really love the Outlaws of the Marsh, as someone suggested before. I've read the 70 chapter version released in english by Tuttle.

Another book I'd recommend is the Sundjata tale, a tale of an emperor of the Mali empire on the 13th century, which survived on oral tradition until being written down by african historian Djibril Tamsir Niane. It's a great tale with most of what we've learned to love on epic stories, from evil sorcerors to even some political intrigue.

[Puppy Stark]

I just read the EPIC OF GILGAMESH in R. Campbell Thompson's 1928 translation/reconstruction. I'm not sure it belongs on the list, since it is so fragmentary it barely be said to even exist as a work of literature. Also, the "reconstructions" of the story (fragmentary though they are) are all post-1915 creations.

It is famous because it contains a version of the flood story evidently similar to that in GENESIS. Some consider this fact significant for one reason or another. But anyone who wants to read a coherent connected version of the story is better off sticking with the one in GENESIS.

I don't remember right now which version I've read, but Gilgamesh is actually considered to be the oldest work of written literature that survived to this day, and that's part of why it's considered such an important story, more than just the flood account. Also, I think the story itself is very good, dealing with themes like challenging of the gods and accepting one owns mortality.

[Adam de Felden]

beowulf

William blake

cadd goddeu

romance of the three kingdoms

shakeies caesar

[ChillyPolly]

I've read the Kojiki and Nihongi a few years ago. They're a collection of historical and folklorical anecdotes of the first emperors of Japan, compiled around the 7th or 8th century, which have their most famous legends about gods and monsters. It's very archaich in style, but interesting reads nonetheless. From Japan there's also the Tale of Genji, a 11th century or so novel about life at court, with some stories featuring heavily supernatural elements like ghosts and such.

Added these. Thanks.

[ChillyPolly]

Another book I'd recommend is the Sundjata tale, a tale of an emperor of the Mali empire on the 13th century, which survived on oral tradition until being written down by african historian Djibril Tamsir Niane. It's a great tale with most of what we've learned to love on epic stories, from evil sorcerors to even some political intrigue.

I don't think Niane's version fits the century-old requirement. I know there are versions transcribed in the 1890s, but I don't know if they are available in English.

[ChillyPolly]

beowulf

William blake

cadd goddeu

romance of the three kingdoms

shakeies caesar

Thanks. I am adding some of these. But I don't know what the last item on this list is? Also, can you suggest a work by Blake that qualifies?

[The Marquis de Leech]

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg (1824)

[ChillyPolly]

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg (1824)

Added it. Thanks.

[HexMachina]

Thanks. I am adding some of these. But I don't know what the last item on this list is? Also, can you suggest a work by Blake that qualifies?

I assumed it meant Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. It's not one I've read though so not sure if it has fantastical elements or not