Today is July 24, the birthday of Lord Dunsany (1878-1957).
Dunsany isn’t as well remembered today as he once was. He wrote The King of Elfland’s Daughter, which is still in print and his his most higly regarded work. I’ve read it, and it’s a book I want to reread at some point. Most of his other work isn’t in print, at least that I’m aware of.
Dunsany wrote mostly short fiction, much of it only a page or two in length.
Early in the two thousands, Night Sahde published a set of Dunsany’s work regarding a man name Joseph Jorkens, a member of a ficitious club in London. Jorkens will tell a story if someone will buy him a drink.
This is an example of a club story, in which someone in a club or bar tells a tall tale. L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, Arthur C Clarke, and P. G. Wodehouse have all written this type of story. these days, the only practitioner of club stories is Larry Niven, who will occasionally write a Draco’s Tavern story.
I’ve only read one or two of the Jorkens tales, and that was long ago. I’d like to read some of them, but these days I don’t have a lot of time for reading.They aren’t available in audiobook that I can find. I spend more time listening to audiobooks than I have time to read.
Have any of you read some of the Jorkens stories, and if so, what did you think?
The first Jorkens (or Dunsany for that matter!) story I ever read was “In A Dim Room,” in the “Alfred Hitchcock’s Ghostly Gallery” book for YA readers that Robert Arthur actually edited. This was 50 + years ago in Jnr. High and I didn’t get the joke. I have since read a lot of Jorkens and other Dunsany and enjoyed them immensely! And I recommend “In A Dim Room.” A wonderful tale that actually is about telling someone a story! I would pair it with H.G. Wells’ “The Inexperienced Ghost,” which has some similarities. Again, I will thank you for these birthday posts; they are enlightening and entertaining! In other words: fun! Oh and I’ve written several club stories of my own set at “Demeter’s Bar.” (Some of which are on my blog, some published elsewhere.) In preparation I read a bunch of the club stories by the authors you mentioned.
YOu’re quite welcome, Jeff. I appreaciate the kind words.