The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories (1908) is a short story
collection by Lord Dunsany. Published at the beginning of his career,
The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories--which features the pantheon
of gods first portrayed in The Gods of Pegāna (1905)--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." "At the end of that avenue was a colossal chariot with three
bronze horses driven by the winged figure of Fame, and behind her in the
chariot the huge form of Welleran, Merimna's ancient hero, standing with
extended sword." The Sword of Welleran and Other Stories, Dunsany's
third collection of short fiction, contains some of his finest tales of
fantasy and adventure. While the people of Merimna sleep soundly, while
the guards of the city sing songs and tell stories of the warriors
Welleran and Rollory, the tribesmen of the plains below look up in awe,
wondering if the day will come when Merimna's glory fades. Behind the
ramparts, a young boy named Rold looks up at the statues of his heroes,
hoping to take their place. 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 Sword of Welleran and Other Stories is a
classic of Irish fantasy fiction reimagined for modern readers.
