A Dreamer's Tales by Lord Dunsany
"A Dreamer's Tales" is a collection of sixteen stories by Lord Dunsany that transports readers to imaginative realms featuring fantastical creatures and enchanting landscapes. Predominantly set in the mystical Land of Dreams, the narratives explore themes of adventure, longing, and mystique, interwoven with elements from both ancient Earth and modern London. Among the tales, "Poltarnees, Beholder of Ocean" follows a hunter tasked with uncovering the mystery behind the disappearance of young men, only to be seduced by the ocean’s allure. Another story, "Bethmoora," delves into the enigma of a city's abandonment, revealing the malevolent influence of a sinister emperor.
Dunsany's storytelling often features unique perspectives, such as in "Blagdaross," narrated by discarded objects, bringing an imaginative twist to commonplace items. The collection also includes fascinating explorations of human experiences, as in "The Madness of Andelsprutz," which contemplates the fate of fallen cities, and "Poor Old Bill," depicting survival amidst dire circumstances. Each story is a window into a world where the boundaries of reality are blurred, making "A Dreamer's Tales" a rich tapestry of fantasy that invites readers to embark on extraordinary journeys.
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A Dreamer's Tales
First published: 1910
Type of work: Stories
Type of plot: Fantasy—magical world
Time of work: Various times between the Stone Age and the early twentieth century on Earth; undefined in the Land of Dreams
Locale: London, England, various other locations on Earth, and the Land of Dreams
The Plot
Lord Dunsany’s stories in A Dreamer’s Tales present readers with a remarkable vista of strange realms and fantastic creatures. Most of the sixteen stories are set in the fabulous Land of Dreams, a domain of beautiful cities and endless wonders. A few tales are set in London or during Earth’s ancient history, but these still fall firmly in the realm of the fantastic. From “Poltarnees, Beholder of Ocean” to “The Unhappy Body,” Lord Dunsany creates a series of stories set in fantastic realms with fascinating characters and enchanting settings.
Several of Lord Dunsany’s stories are set in the Land of Dreams or in another fantasy world. The first story, “Poltarnees, Beholder of Ocean,” is set in a valley where four kingdoms are isolated from the ocean. To discover the reason behind the disappearance of many young men from the kingdoms, the kings offer Athelvok, a hunter, a beautiful princess, Hilnaric, as his wife if he can return from looking upon the ocean. Athelvok fails in his mission when the voice of the sea seduces him into staying by the ocean. Another tale, “Bethmoora,” deals with the mysterious abandonment of a fabulous city in the Land of Dreams. A story that appears later in the book, “The Hashish Man,” reveals the true reason for the abandonment of Bethmoora. In this tale, a dreamer tells of his discovery of how the sinister emperor, Thuba Mleen, caused Bethmoora to be abandoned through his advice to leave before the city was engulfed by the advancing desert.
The famous tale “Idle Days on the Yann” is an account of the dreamer’s fabulous journey down the river Yann in the Land of Dreams. During his voyage, the dreamer encounters beautiful cities, hears about an immense monster, and witnesses many other wonders. Another fantasy, “Carcassonne,” tells the story of the fruitless quest of a king, Camorak, and his army to find a legendary city that does not exist.
Even the stories set on Earth contain elements of the fantastic. “Blagdaross” is narrated by a cork, a rope, a kettle, a rocking horse, and other common, abandoned objects. The rocking horse, Blagdaross, is rescued from its abandonment by two young boys who allow it to carry them to new realms of imagination. “The Madness of Andelsprutz” reveals where the spirits of dead cities go after the cities fall. The story “Where the Tides Ebb and Flow” tells of a dream about the long torture endured by a soul trapped in a corpse that does not find its final rest until humanity has vanished. “The Sword and the Idol” tells of the triumph of a primitive man who carves an idol over his competitor who forges an iron sword. Another tale set on Earth, “Poor Old Bill,” tells the story of a desperate crew who resort to cannibalism to survive the curse of their monstrous captain.