The Last Book of Wonder

The Last Book of Wonder, originally published as Tales of Wonder, is the tenth book and sixth original short story collection of Irish fantasy writer Lord Dunsany, considered a major influence on the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. Le Guin and others.

The Last Book of Wonder
First US edition
AuthorLord Dunsany
Original titleTales of Wonder
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreFantasy
PublisherElkin Mathews (UK)
John W. Luce (US)
Publication date
1916
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Preceded byFifty-One Tales 
Followed byPlays of Gods and Men 

Editions and title variants

The first edition, in hardcover, was published in London by Elkin Mathews in October 1916 as Tales of Wonder, followed by a Boston hardcover publication in November 1916, by John W. Luce & Co.. The title of the American edition, The Last Book of Wonder, was Dunsany's own preferred title. The British and American editions also differ in that they arrange the material slightly differently.

The book collects nineteen short stories by the author.

Contents
  • "Preface"
  • "A Tale of London"
  • "Thirteen at Table"
  • "The City on Mallington Moor"
  • "Why the Milkman Shudders When He Perceives the Dawn" (also published in a chapbook)
  • "The Bad Old Woman in Black"
  • "The Bird of the Difficult Eye"
  • "The Long Porter's Tale"
  • "The Loot of Loma"
  • "The Secret of the Sea"
  • "How Ali Came to the Black Country"
  • "The Bureau d'Echange de Maux"
  • "A Story of Land and Sea"
  • "A Tale of the Equator"
  • "A Narrow Escape"
  • "The Watch-Tower"
  • "How Plash-Goo Came to the Land of None's Desire"
  • "The Three Sailors' Gambit"
  • "The Exiles' Club"
  • "The Three Infernal Jokes"
gollark: And speaking of the main characters, again they are badly written and flawed. Right from the start they are portrayed as a group of bumbling fools that mess up at every turn. It is really hard to believe that these clowns had the brains to build a time machine.
gollark: I know, I was just saying how nonspurious it was.
gollark: People mow lawns when they are too long. Grass grows when sunny. QED.
gollark: That's not spurious, that seems totally related.
gollark: That one is in memeCLOUD™, I think.

References
  • Joshi, S. T. (1993). Lord Dunsany: a Bibliography / by S. T. Joshi and Darrell Schweitzer. Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 6–7.


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