No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Never-before-published stories by Neil Gaiman, Eoin Colfer, Garth Nix, and a magical lineup of writers.
Throughout the ages, the wizard has claimed a spot in human culture-from the shadowy spiritual leaders of early man to precocious characters in blockbuster films. Gone are the cartoon images of wizened gray-haired men in pointy caps creating magic with a wave of their wands. Today's wizards are more subtle in their powers, more discerning in their ways, and-in the hands of modern fantasists-more likely than ever to capture readers' imaginations.
In Neil Gaiman's "The Witch's Headstone," a piece taken from his much-anticipated novel in progress, an eight-year-old boy learns the power of kindness from a long-dead sorceress. Only one woman possesses two kinds of magic-enough to unite two kingdoms-in Garth Nix's "Holly and Iron." Patricia A. McKillip's "Naming Day" gives a sorcery student a lesson in breaking the rules. And a famished dove spins a tale worthy of a meal, but perhaps not the truth, in "A Fowl Tale" by Eoin Colfer.
Cover Artist: John Jude Palencar
From book cover:
An outstanding adventure awaits in this collection of brand new works by some of the masters of modern fantasy.
For readers of all ages, these spellbinding stories will raise the pulse and quicken the heartbeat. Two kingdoms are united by magic in Garth Nix's 'Holly and Iron'. The ambition to catch a dragon drastically changes a life in 'The Ruby Incomparable' by Kage Baker. A starving dove tells its story in Eoin Colfer's 'A Fowl Tale'. Relish the magic of learning about kindness in Neil Gaiman's 'The Witch's Headstone'.
From dark graveyards to great halls, with witches and wizards and lonely souls, these startling and original stories weave a magic all of their own.
Prepare to be mesmerised by these modern-day wizards of fantasy literature.
Cover illustration Ⓒ David Wyatt
CONTENTS
Preface
BY JACK DANN AND GARDNER DOZOIS
The Witch's Headstone
BY NEIL GAIMAN
Holly and Iron
BY GARTH NIX
Color Vision
BY MARY ROSENBLUM
The Ruby Incomparable
BY KAGE BAKER
A Fowl Tale
BY EOIN COLFER
Slipping Sideways Through Eternity
BY JANE YOLEN
The Stranger's Hands
BY TAD WILLIAMS
Naming Day
BY PATRICIA A. MCKILLIP
Winter's Wife
BY ELIZABETH HAND
A Diorama of the Infernal Regions, or The Devil's Ninth Question
BY ANDY DUNCAN
Barrens Dance
BY PETER S. BEAGLE
Stone Man
BY NANCY KRESS
The Manticore Spell
BY JEFFREY FORD
Zinder
BY TANITH LEE
Billy and the Wizard
BY TERRY BISSON
The Magikkers
BY TERRY DOWLING
The Magic Animal
BY GENE WOLFE
Stonefather
BY ORSON SCOTT CARD
Мистика
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SUMMARY: Never-before-published stories by Neil Gaiman, Eoin Colfer, Garth Nix, and a magical lineup of writers. Throughout the ages, the wizard has claimed a spot in human culture-from the shadowy spiritual leaders of early man to precocious characters in blockbuster films. Gone are the cartoon ima