The Gods of Pegāna (1905) is a short story collection by Lord Dunsany.
Published at the beginning of his career, The Gods of Pegāna would
influence such writers as J. R. R. Tolkein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and H. P.
Lovecraft. Recognized as a pioneering author of fantasy and science
fiction, Dunsany is a man whose work, in the words of Lovecraft, remains
"unexcelled in the sorcery of crystalline singing prose, and supreme in
the creation of a gorgeous and languorous world of incandescently exotic
vision." "Whether the season be winter or whether it be summer, whether
it be morning among the worlds or whether it be night, Skarl still
beateth his drum, for the purposes of the gods are not yet fulfilled."
The Gods of Pegāna, Dunsany's debut collection of stories, contains
some of his finest tales of fantasy and adventure. The Mana-Yood-Sushai
created the gods of Pegāna before falling asleep in the middle of Time.
The only thing keeping him from creating new gods and worlds is the
drummer Skarl, who can never cease his playing. In their creator's
absence, dozens of small gods and a thousand local deities have free
reign to create the worlds and realities they want. As they compete to
outdo one another, the order and peace of Pegāna hangs in the balance.
Humorous and inventive, Dunsany's tales of high fantasy continue to
delight over a century after they first appeared in print. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of Lord Dunsany's The Gods of Pegāna is a classic of Irish
fantasy fiction reimagined for modern readers.
