Talk:Arthurian Bookshelf/@comment-209.212.28.58-20130910184835

John Steinbeck: The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights – Yes, THAT Steinbeck. He fell in love with the King Arthur story at the age of nine (the book is dedicated to his baby sister Marie who acted as his squire when they played together) and he finally got a chance of write his own version many years later.

T H White – The Once and Future King – A modern classic incorporating four works originally published separately (The Sword in the Stone, The Queen of Air and Darkness/The Witch in the Wood, The Ill-Made Knight, The Candle in the Wind) covering respectively, Arthur’s boyhood, the sons of the House of Orkney (Morgause’s sons Gawain, Agravain, Gareth & Gaheris), Lancelot and Guinevere and how Mordred’s hatred of Arthur brought down the House of Pendragon and destroyed Camelot. Fantasy historian Lin Carter wrote, "...the single finest fantasy novel written in our time, or for that matter, ever written, is, must be, by any conceivable standard, T. H. White's The Once and Future King. I can hardly imagine that any mature, literate person who has read the book would disagree with this estimate. White is a great writer."

Thomas Berger: Arthur Rex – The author of Little Big Man puts his own humorous and bent view on a retelling that gently (?) skewers Camelot

Mark Twain: Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court – A late 19th Century American ends up in Camelot as Twain characteristically uses the situation to comment on contemporary society

Jean Marvale: King of the Celts – A scholarly work that serves as a good overview and introduction to the study of The Matter of Britain

Mary Stewart: The Merlin Trilogy - Myrddin Emrys is the protagonist of The Crystal Cave (childhood to young manhood), The Hollow Hills (from Arthur’s conception to his coronation) and The Last Enchantment (from Arthur’s coronation to Merlin’s retirement from Camelot in his dotage).

 The trilogy is followed by the Wicked Day (from Mordred’s arrival at court to his and Arthur’s death).

 The latest volume in her Arthurverse is The Prince and the Pilgrim and features a young knight seeking justice from Arthur for the murder of his father and a female pilgrim who might be bearing the Holy Grail.

 Marion Zimmer Bradley – The Avalon Cycle – Seven novels and counting, giving a feminist take on Camelot. Not as grim as it sounds and it’s certainly a different perspective

Poul Anderson – Three Hearts and Three Lions – The famous science-fiction author tries his hand at fantasy with an engaging story concerning Holger Carlsen, a member of the Danish Underground during World War II, who is transported to the Carolingian Universe after being knocked out in combat to eventually find he is Ogier the Dane, awoken from a trance lasting centuries at his country’s hour of need. Although only loosely tied to Arthur (Ogier is associated with Charlemagne and The Matter of France, but there is an appearance by Morgan le Fay, who is in some of the legends concerning Ogier), it is worth reading as the portion set in Faerie is very similar to Arthurian tales.

Mike Ashley, editor - The Merlin Chronicles, The Pendragon Chronicles, The Camelot Chronicles, The Chronicles of the Holy Grail, The Chronicles of the Round Table, The Mammoth Book of Arthurian Legends, The Mammoth Book of Merlin, The Mammoth Book of King Arthur - A series of Arthurian compilations with short stories ranging from the original works translated into modern English to contemporary authors. Some stories are exciting, others poignant and some humorous – the reader is bound to find something to their taste