Viriconium - by M John Harrison (Paperback)

About the Book

Out of print in the United States for more than two decades, four early fantasy works by the award-winning author of "Light" are gathered for this omnibus edition. Includes "The Pastel City, A Storm of Wings, The Floating Gods," and "Viriconium Nights."

Book Synopsis

A magnificent city existing on the ringes of the past, and on the brink of destruction, Viriconium

Available to American readers for the first time, this landmark collection gathers four groundbreaking fantasy classics from the acclaimed author of Light. Set in the imagined city of Viriconium, here are the masterworks that revolutionized a genre and enthralled a generation of readers: The Pastel City, A Storm of Wings, In Viriconium, and Viriconium Nights. Back in print after a long absence, these singular tales of a timeless realm and its enigmatic inhabitants are now reborn and compiled to captivate a whole new generation.

Praise for M. John Harrison's Viriconium

"The world that Harrison depicts is intricate and authentic, peopled with a multitude of strange yet lifelike characters--a combination which serves to make his richly imagined empire of Viriconium feel very real indeed. . . . This omnibus collection from the author of Light is canon-reading for those who wish to know the genre's roots, as well as the heights, to which it can aspire."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Brilliant, beautiful, and absolutely essential reading. The breadth of vision and imagination alone in these books is unparalleled. It is truly one of a kind and will continue to haunt you in the best possible way for years."--Jonathan Carroll, author of White Apples

"Harrison's Viriconium sequence is the jewel in the crown of 20th-century fantasy, a work that proves irrefutably that fantastic literature can be Art with a capital A, holding its own alongside the very finest writing of our time, or any other."--Elizabeth Hand, author of Mortal Love

"M. John Harrison is a true master of English prose. He possesses the eye of a painter, the ear of a bard, and a rigorous and playful intellect. The Viriconium novels and stories are infused with a haunting genius that never falters."--K.J. Bishop, author of The Etched City

Review Quotes

"The world that Harrison depicts is intricate and authentic, peopled with a multitude of strange yet lifelike characters--a combination which serves to make his richly imagined empire of Viriconium feel very real indeed. . . . This omnibus collection from the author of Light is canon-reading for those who wish to know the genre's roots, as well as the heights, to which it can aspire."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About the Author

M. John Harrison is the award-winning author of eight previous novels and four collections of short stories. His fifth novel, Viriconium, was shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Prize and his sixth, Climbers, won the Boardman Tasker Award. Light was recently awarded the James Tiptree Jr. Award and shortlisted for the 2002 Arthur C. Clarke Award.