The Worm Ouroboros
by E. R. Eddison
It is the book that shapes the landscape of modern science fiction and fantasy. When The Lord of the Rings first appeared, critics inevitably compared it to this iconic work. Tolkien himself openly acknowledged his influence with a warm praise for his creative appeal. The story of the great battle of a distant planet between two kingdoms is considered the "Iliad of heroic fantasy". In the best traditions of the Homeric epics, the Norse epics and the Arthurian myths, author E. R. Addison weaves a convincing adventure with his glorious, Shakespearean narrative style. Its extensive narrative follows battles between warriors and witches on the tops of the mist-shrouded mountains and in the depths of the ocean, as well as romantic breakouts, behind-the-scenes intrigues and episodes of the most brutal betrayal.
