“Tanith’s work is lush and rich with beauty, darkness, and sensuality. More than almost anyone else whom I have ever read, Tanith’s work sounds like it was meant to be read aloud, perhaps while huddled around a fire in the dark forest or in the quiet and still air within an ancient temple.” Jeremy Brett, (Cushing Memorial Library & Archives, Texas A&M University) Tanith Lee wrote fifteen stories for the acclaimed US genre magazine ‘Realms of Fantasy’, which ran from 1994 to 2009 and was founded and edited by her close friend, Shawna McCarthy. Venus Burning: Realms collects all these stories in one volume for the first time, some of which only ever appeared in the magazine and will therefore be new to some of Tanith’s fans. The stories in this collection are among her best work, in which Tanith takes myth and fairy tale tropes and turns them on their heads. You might find fantasy swordsmen (Woman in Scarlet), vampires (Israbel), werewolves (Moonblind), dragons (The Children of his Old Age), ghostly dolls (Doll Skulls) and tales reminiscent of the Arabian Nights (I Bring You Forever), but these are nothing like stories of those genres you’ve read before. Lush and lyrical, deep and literary, Tanith Lee created fresh poignant tales from familiar archetypes. This book also includes three previously uncollected stories from her Flat Earth mythos. “We published fifteen of Tanith Lee’s brilliant works. All of those wonderful, mystical, gorgeous, glorious stories are in this volume, and I’m so glad that Immanion Press is sharing them with new (and old) readers.” Shawna McCarthy - founder and editor of ‘Realms of Fantasy’ Table of Contents: Preface by Shawna McCarthy Beauty, Darkness and Sensuality: The Magic of Tanith Lee’s Writing: An introduction by Jeremy Brett The Story Told by Smoke (From the Journals of St. Strange) Doll Skulls (a Paradis novelette) Death Loves Me Old Flame (From the Journals of St. Strange) The Lady-Of-Shalott House I Bring You Forever The Woman in Scarlet The Children of His Old Age The Man Who Stole the Moon (A Story of the Flat Earth) Moonblind Israbel Stalking the Leopard En Forêt Noire The Snake (A Story of the Flat Earth) Our Lady of Scarlet (A Story of The Flat Earth)
Author
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.
