Tales from the Flat Earth

Series · 7 books · 1978-1987

By Tanith Lee

Books in series

Night's Master

1978

Azhrarn, Prince of Demons, delights in creating amazing rewards, dangers, and horrors for the inhabitants of his world

Death's Master

1979

Death's Master, winner of the August Derleth Award for Fantasy, is the second book of the stunning arabesque high fantasy series Tales from the Flat Earth, which, in the manner of the One Thousand and One Nights, portrays an ancient world in mythic grandeur via connected tales.Long time ago when the Earth was Flat, beautiful indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above, curious passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below, and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle. Uhlume, Lord of Death, second of the Lords of Darkness, King of Shadow and Pallor, makes an unusual bargain which sets in motion an intricate sequence of events that entangle men and gods, queens and kings, sorcerers and witches, and lowly wanderers. When the secret to immortality falls into human hands, dark magic and wickedness are unleashed, testing the bounds of mortal love and sanity, and questioning the nature and purpose of life itself. Come within this ancient world of brilliant darkness and beauty, of glittering palaces and wondrous elegant beings, of cruel passions and undying love. Rediscover the exotic wonder that is the Flat Earth.

Delusion's Master

1981

When the world was flat and the gods had not yet restructured the universe, the cities and hopes of mankind hung upon the whims of the immortal lords of all diabolical powers. For these, such as Azhrarn, Night's Master, and Uhlume, Death's Master, the world was a flesh-and-blood playground for all their strangest desires. But among those demonic lords, the strangest was the master of madness, Chuz. The game that Chuz played with a beautiful woman, with an ambitious king, with an ancient imperial city, was a webwork of good and evil, of hope and horror. But there was always Azhrarn to interfere—to bend delusion to a different outcome—and it was a century-long conflict between two vain immortals with women and men as their terrified pawns.

Delirium's Mistress

1985

Azhriaz, daughter of Azhrarn, Demon Lord of Night, and a mortal woman, is hidden on a mysterious island, destined to spend her life in dreams, until her father's enemy, Prince Chuz, Delusion's Master, rescues her and transforms her into Delirium's Mistress

Night's Sorceries

1987

In the age of demons, when the Earth was still flat, Prince Chuz, Delusion’s Master, stole Azhriaz, daughter of the Demon Lord of Night, from the underworld citadel meant to be her eternal prison. Pursued by the vengeful Lord of Night, Chuz and Azhriaz fled to the world above, to the lands of mortal men, seeking a haven for their love. Yet when demons dwelt in the realm of men, terror and wonders were bound to result. And so it was for all who came in contact with Chuz, Azhriaz, and their dread pursuer. As all three worked their powerful sorceries, men and women, from the highest lords to the lowest peasants, were led into new kingdoms of enchantment where a man could learn to commune with beasts, where magicians found their spells recast, where a woman’s kindness could turn back time, and where a mortal might fulfill a prophecy that would place the very sun and moon within his grasp…

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Sovrani delle Tenebre

1978

In dialogo con i capisaldi della letteratura fantastica di tutti i tempi, il "Ciclo della Terra Piatta" (di cui la trilogia qui presentata costituisce l'inizio) ripropone la narrazione di vicende non scontate, ispirate a una sintesi tra modelli prestigiosi quali le leggende della tradizione romantica e le novelle orientali nello stile delle "Mille e una notte". Le “storie concentriche” della Lee, con i loro vari protagonisti – divini o demoniaci, mortali o immortali – trasferiscono fin dai loro esordi lettrici e lettori nel regno dell'epos e delle fiabe, in cui l'amore implica insospettate crudeltà e la discesa nel regno dei morti può anche ammettere il ritorno tra i vivi.

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Night's Daughter

1986

Born of a Demon Lord's whim, she must find her destiny in the world above. Two vividly imagined volumes in one: Delirium's Mistress. Azhriaz, Daughter of Night, was the child of Night's Master, and he had hidden her where none could find her None, that is, but his enemy Chuz, who spirited Azhriaz away to the world above. But Azhrarn would not easily accept losing that which he considered his, and even such determined lovers as Delusion's Master and Delirium's Mistress could not long hide from the Demon Lord's wrath. Night's Sorceries. While Chuz and Azhriaz dwelt together in the world of men, their magic worked strange spells on all with whom the lovers and their pursuer came in contact. Time itself was turned back, wizards found their most powerful spells recast, and a mere mortal dared to reach as high as the moon and the sun.

Author

Tanith Lee

Author · 131 books

Tanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7." Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress. Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971. Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing. Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror. Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s. Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.