Epic fantasy is storytelling at its biggest and best. From the creation myths and quest sagas of ancient times to the mega-popular fantasy novels of today, these are the stories that express our greatest hopes and fears and create worlds so rich that we long to return again and again.
ISBN: Print ISBN: 9781616960841; Digital ISBN: 9781616961060
Published: 2012
Available Format(s): Trade Paperback and eBooks
There is a sickness in the land. Prophets tell of the fall of empires, the rise of champions. Great beasts stir in vaults beneath the hills, beneath the waves. Armies mass. Gods walk. The world will be torn asunder.
Epic fantasy is storytelling at its biggest and best. From the creation myths and quest sagas of ancient times to the mega-popular fantasy novels of today, these are the stories that express our greatest hopes and fears, that create worlds so rich we long to return to them again and again, and that inspire us with their timeless values of courage and friendship in the face of ultimate evil—tales that transport us to the most ancient realms and show us the most noble sacrifices, the most astonishing wonders.
Now acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams (Wastelands, The Living Dead) brings you seventeen tales by today’s leading authors of epic fantasy, including George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire), Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea), Robin Hobb (Realms of Elderlings), Kate Elliott (Crown of Stars), Tad Williams (Of Memory, Sorrow & Thorn), Patrick Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle), and more.
Return again to lands you’ve loved or visit magical new worlds. Victory against the coming darkness is never certain, but one thing’s for sure—your adventure will be epic.
“For newcomers and fans of the genre, this solid collection offers a strong sampler of short fiction by 17 masters and rising stars of epic fantasy, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Paolo Bacigalupi, N. K. Jemsin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Brandon Sanderson. An excellent showcase of epic fantasy at its best.”
—Library Journal
“At over 600 pages, Epic: Legends of Fantasy will definitely get you your money’s worth, and the seventeen stories inside will help satisfy your epic fantasy cravings, or possibly leave you wanting more.”
—SFF Chat
John Joseph Adams is the best-selling editor of Wastelands, The Living Dead, and The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Hailed as “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble.com, he has been nominated for the World Fantasy and Hugo awards. Adams is also the editor and publisher of Lightspeed Magazine and is the co-host of The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast.
Praise for Wastelands
“This harrowing reprint anthology of 22 apocalyptic tales reflects the stresses of contemporary international politics, with more than half published since 2000. All depict unsettling societal, physical, and psychological adaptations their authors postulate as necessary for survival after the end of the world.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“This collection of short stories is a retrospective of possible post-apocalyptic scenarios, ranging from the immediate aftermath to far, far in the future. While a few horror and dark fantasy stories have been thrown in the mix, most of these excellent selections are straightforward science fiction depicting various ways of coping with the end of everything.”
—Huffington Post
Praise for The Living Dead
“Believe the hype. The Living Dead is absolutely the best zombie anthology I’ve ever read (and I’ve read many)…. If you have even a vague interest in zombie fiction, you MUST buy this book.”
—HorrorScope
“A superb reprint anthology that runs the gamut of zombie stories. Great storytelling for zombie fans as well as newcomers.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
Praise for By Blood We Live
“The reigning king of the anthology world is John Joseph Adams…. [By Blood We Live is] yet another masterful—dare I say perfect—anthology.”
—Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble.com
“As he’s done on Wastelands and The Living Dead, John Joseph Adams has given readers another definitive anthology.”
—SFF World
“Homecoming” by Robin Hobb
“The Word of Unbinding” by Ursula K. Le Guin
“The Burning Man” by Tad Williams
“As the Wheel Turns” by Aliette de Bodard
“The Alchemist” by Paolo Bacigalupi
“Sandmagic” by Orson Scott Card
“The Road to Levinshir” by Patrick Rothfuss
“Rysn” by Brandon Sanderson
“While the Gods Laugh” by Michael Moorcock
“Mother of All Russiya” by Melanie Rawn
“Riding the Shore of the River of Death” by Kate Elliott
“The Bound Man” by Mary Robinette Kowal
“The Narcomancer” by N. K. Jemisin
“Strife Lingers in Memory” by Carrie Vaughn
“The Mad Apprentice” by Trudi Canavan
“Otherling” by Juliet Marillier
“The Mystery Knight” by George R. R. Martin
EPIC: Legends of Fantasy
John Joseph Adams, ed.
2013 World Fantasy award nominee
Epic fantasy is storytelling at its biggest and best. From the creation myths and quest sagas of ancient times to the mega-popular fantasy novels of today, these are the stories that express our greatest hopes and fears and create worlds so rich that we long to return again and again.
EPIC: Legends of Fantasy
by John Joseph Adams, ed.
ISBN: Print ISBN: 9781616960841; Digital ISBN: 9781616961060
Published: 2012
Available Format(s): Trade Paperback and eBooks
There is a sickness in the land. Prophets tell of the fall of empires, the rise of champions. Great beasts stir in vaults beneath the hills, beneath the waves. Armies mass. Gods walk. The world will be torn asunder.
Epic fantasy is storytelling at its biggest and best. From the creation myths and quest sagas of ancient times to the mega-popular fantasy novels of today, these are the stories that express our greatest hopes and fears, that create worlds so rich we long to return to them again and again, and that inspire us with their timeless values of courage and friendship in the face of ultimate evil—tales that transport us to the most ancient realms and show us the most noble sacrifices, the most astonishing wonders.
Now acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams (Wastelands, The Living Dead) brings you seventeen tales by today’s leading authors of epic fantasy, including George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire), Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea), Robin Hobb (Realms of Elderlings), Kate Elliott (Crown of Stars), Tad Williams (Of Memory, Sorrow & Thorn), Patrick Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle), and more.
Return again to lands you’ve loved or visit magical new worlds. Victory against the coming darkness is never certain, but one thing’s for sure—your adventure will be epic.
“For newcomers and fans of the genre, this solid collection offers a strong sampler of short fiction by 17 masters and rising stars of epic fantasy, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Paolo Bacigalupi, N. K. Jemsin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Brandon Sanderson. An excellent showcase of epic fantasy at its best.”
—Library Journal
“At over 600 pages, Epic: Legends of Fantasy will definitely get you your money’s worth, and the seventeen stories inside will help satisfy your epic fantasy cravings, or possibly leave you wanting more.”
—SFF Chat
John Joseph Adams is the best-selling editor of Wastelands, The Living Dead, and The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Hailed as “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble.com, he has been nominated for the World Fantasy and Hugo awards. Adams is also the editor and publisher of Lightspeed Magazine and is the co-host of The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast.
Praise for Wastelands
“This harrowing reprint anthology of 22 apocalyptic tales reflects the stresses of contemporary international politics, with more than half published since 2000. All depict unsettling societal, physical, and psychological adaptations their authors postulate as necessary for survival after the end of the world.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“This collection of short stories is a retrospective of possible post-apocalyptic scenarios, ranging from the immediate aftermath to far, far in the future. While a few horror and dark fantasy stories have been thrown in the mix, most of these excellent selections are straightforward science fiction depicting various ways of coping with the end of everything.”
—Huffington Post
Praise for The Living Dead
“Believe the hype. The Living Dead is absolutely the best zombie anthology I’ve ever read (and I’ve read many)…. If you have even a vague interest in zombie fiction, you MUST buy this book.”
—HorrorScope
“A superb reprint anthology that runs the gamut of zombie stories. Great storytelling for zombie fans as well as newcomers.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
Praise for By Blood We Live
“The reigning king of the anthology world is John Joseph Adams…. [By Blood We Live is] yet another masterful—dare I say perfect—anthology.”
—Paul Goat Allen, Barnes & Noble.com
“As he’s done on Wastelands and The Living Dead, John Joseph Adams has given readers another definitive anthology.”
—SFF World
Visit the John Joseph Adams website.
Foreword by Brent Weeks
“Homecoming” by Robin Hobb
“The Word of Unbinding” by Ursula K. Le Guin
“The Burning Man” by Tad Williams
“As the Wheel Turns” by Aliette de Bodard
“The Alchemist” by Paolo Bacigalupi
“Sandmagic” by Orson Scott Card
“The Road to Levinshir” by Patrick Rothfuss
“Rysn” by Brandon Sanderson
“While the Gods Laugh” by Michael Moorcock
“Mother of All Russiya” by Melanie Rawn
“Riding the Shore of the River of Death” by Kate Elliott
“The Bound Man” by Mary Robinette Kowal
“The Narcomancer” by N. K. Jemisin
“Strife Lingers in Memory” by Carrie Vaughn
“The Mad Apprentice” by Trudi Canavan
“Otherling” by Juliet Marillier
“The Mystery Knight” by George R. R. Martin