FANTASY!

Imagination Without Boundaries!

Fantasy and Heroic Fantasy.

In the past thiry years Fantasy and Heroic Fantasy have emerged as one of the most popular forms of fiction. In the 1960's the world experienced the rediscovery of the fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs; with his immortal creation, Tarzan of The Apes. Millions of readers were exposed to the adventures of heroic men and beautiful women.

These readers clamored for more, and the wondrous works of Robert E. Howard were published in paperback form. Conan the Cimmerian stalked arrogantly through the pages of wondrous works, entertaining new generations of readers, and his other characters and worlds entertained millions.

In the 1970's this tradition of heroic fantasy was kept alive with works from author John Norman in his "Gor" books, where Tarl Cabot,also known as "Bosk", battled for honor and destiny on a "Counter-Earth".

The art to the right was painted by noted artist Boris Vallejo, and is a beautiful depiction of a scene from the type of fantasy world which fires our blood and captures our imaginations.

Edgar Rice Burroughs and other writers who emulated his style created brave, heroic warriors and imaginative worlds and creatures. Princesses and heroines captured our imagination and the hearts of the heroes; but the power remained with the males, since traditional combat and societal structures favored the physical prowess of the men. Magical powers did not exist in these books.

Conan of Cimmeria encountered more than muscle in his Hyborean adventures. He encountered mysticism and magic. Soon increasing numbers of books appeared which featured dark creatures and savage, immmortal beasts. Vengeful queens and sorceresses were representative of powers which had heretofore been denied the female sex.

The art to the right is a Vallejo painting, indicative of the types of villains, male and female, which were encountered by warriors such as Conan, Elric, numerous others who were forcd to deal with magic as well as might as they fought and loved their way their own destinies.

The hero in this painting seems unsuprised, and unafraid, of the monster as he protects the girl. His demeanor could represent Conan of Cimmeria.

New worlds appeared to be discovered in the fiction of a new breed of imaginative writers. Dark novels of bizarre societies and almost limitless powers emerged. In addition to the works of Edgar Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, and John Norman I discovered the works of Michael Moorcock, Fred Saberhagen, Fritz Lieber, and others. In the past twenty years many more imaginative writers have emerged in this genre

Few artists have captured the breathtaking beauty and uncompromising savage splendor of such heroic fiction as have Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell. This site will feature several of their works, but one can only explore the depth and range of their talents by reviewing the numerous works they display on their web site.

The above mentioned fiction I tend to refer to as "Heroic Fantasy", which combines traditional heroes with magical creatures. Another genre was inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien; "Pure Fantasy", though there is much blending, among writers, artists, and works

His "Lord of the Rings" trilogy captured an entire generation, including me, back in the 1960's, and is still the standard by which all fantasy is measured.

Tolkien popularized the utilization of mythical creatures; dragons, elves, dwarves, trolls, goblins, wizards, and demons. Since his landmark work, scores of writers have explored the market he created. One author, Terry Brooks, has succeeded beyond all expectation, and in my view stands with Tolkien head and shoulders above the rest. His "Shannara" books are my favorite fantasy, surpassing even Tolkien in my own scale.

The art depicted to the right is from the dust jacket of "The Talismans of Shannara" the fourth and final book of the "Heritage of Shannara" series. This superb painting is by Keith Parkinson, the artist who painted five Shannara dust jackets, as well as two covers for Brooks' "Landover" series.

I had been waiting for this final book to appear on the shelves, and when I saw this beautiful cover I was stunned by it's beauty. Keith Parkinson's haunting paintings capture the dark moods reflected in the magic of Shannara, and his other works are similarly beautiful.

This art captures the forbidding walls of Paranor; and the dust creates a sensation of movement which is mesmerizing. The book dust jacket cropped this art, to focus on the figures, and the massive structural power of Paranor was lost, and is clearly evident here. In this beautiful painting Walker Boh, now the last Druid, seeks to escape from Paranor, the fortress of the Druids, as he battles "Death", one of four lethal and seemingly immortal creations of the dark magic of the Shadowen. This is one of the best sequences in any of Terry Brooks' Shannara novels, and is captured in spectacular fashion by this artist.