Tag Archives: epic

Thought of the Week: Gormenghast

I’m awfully excited!

Some time ago, I read an intriguing review by Ash Silverlock over on Fabulous Realms about an author I had never heard of, and a trilogy of books that had somehow passed me by.

It is a rambling tale of gothic masonry, doomed nobility, and isolation. It is a work of literature that, bizarrely, seems to have no journey, no passage; one in which the events are linked not by character or progression, but by the castle:

Gormenghast.

At least…so I am told. I haven’t read them yet. In fact, I would hand over the task of telling you about to Ash, who described them so well that I was compelled to seek them out.

And all I really have to say here is that I have them! I found the complete trilogy for $4.00 in a used book store. I am very excited; here is what people have said on the back of the book:

Mervyn Peake is a finer poet than Edgar Allan Poe…

Roberston Davies

Peake’s books are an addition to life…

C.S. Lewis

Many readers admire Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, but fans of Mervyn Peake’s Titus trilogy maintain that this extravagant epic…is the true fantasy classic of our time.

Washington Post

Well…those are some big shoes to fill – I hope it lives up to it!

The Redemption of Erâth: History of Erâth – The First Age (Part I)

The history of Erâth can be defined by the passing of Ages. The Ages are not determined by a fixed passage of time, but rather by the predominant changes (or lack thereof) during that period, and the subsequent demise and ruin of those changes. In principal, the majority of Ages have lasted for around 3,000 − 4,000 years, placing the age of Erâth itself at some 30,000 years old. It is possible Erâth was in existence long before this, but given the lack of knowledge passed from one Age to the next, it is unknown if anything existed on Erâth during this period.

The events described in these books take place at the end of the Third Major Age, and in fact describe the ending of that Age and the beginning of the Fourth, and final, Age of Erâth. Many of the myths that impact the lives of these characters have their origins in the history of the Second Age, and the legends of the First Age. I will attempt to recount the development, major events, and downfall, of these Ages.

(i) Before the First Age

There were, in fact, no less than three Ages predating the First Age, but are […]

Read the complete section here.

The Redemption of Erâth: History of Erâth – Geography of Erâth

As noted in the Overview, Erâth is a flat world. The origins of this are a mystery; certainly this does not fit the laws of the Universe in which we live, but it is clear Erâth does not exist in quite the same lifespace. In finite terms, Erâth spans approximately 3,000 leagues in an East-West direction, and slightly more than 2,000 North-South. Most places in Erâth are of temperate climate, with cold winters and warm summers, rainfall and leaf-fall in Spring and Autumn.

Erâth’s surface is made of six major land masses, with one, large, interconnected sea separating them all. There is also one very small island in the northernmost part of Erâth, no more than 200 leagues East to West, unique in that it does not appear to have originated from any of the larger land masses.

These seven land masses form the seven regions of Erâth, and are Golgor, Naruun, Faerün, Cathaï, Thaeìn, Aélûr, and Oríthiae. The names of these lands are one of the few remnants of the Ancients; as long as there have been men in Erâth, so have the seven lands been named. However, they have not always been as they are

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Read the complete section here.