The Book of the Demon Dragon

Name: The Book of the Demon Dragon
ISBN: 9787513346917

乔纳森·斯特拉罕 / 秦含璞May 2022

4.0

Word count: 305K words
Chapters: 32
ISBN: 9787513346917

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Summary

The Book of Dragons, as the title suggests, is dragon-centered—a relatively rare themed anthology of short fantasy fiction by celebrated authors, all revolving around dragons of every kind. The collection brings together a host of fantasy writers active at the forefront of today's literary scene, including Jane Yolen, the "American Andersen"; Kelly Barnhill, author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon; Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn; Garth Nix, Australia's national treasure of fantasy; Scott Lynch, author of The Gentleman Bastards; and Chinese American writers Ken Liu and R. F. Kuang.

The book gathers nearly thirty engaging short stories closely tied to dragons, among them the evil dragons familiar from Western fantasy worldbuilding, unexpectedly endearing and emotionally rich dragons, and dragon keepers and dragon slayers whose lives are bound up with dragons.

Editor's review

This is a collection of fantasy short stories by renowned authors, all centered on a single theme: dragons. It is a rare anthology that gathers nearly thirty pieces around one image, featuring not only the familiar ferocious dragons of Western fantasy but also unexpectedly endearing dragons full of emotion, along with stories of dragon riders and dragon slayers. The contributor list spans Jane Yolen, Kelly Barnhill, Peter S. Beagle, Garth Nix, Scott Lynch, as well as Chinese American writers such as Ken Liu and R. F. Kuang. The range of styles is wide, making it an ideal single volume for quickly sampling the many approaches to contemporary fantasy short fiction. The short format suits fragmented reading time; each piece stands alone, so readers can jump in by interest, and the collection also works as a model for fantasy writing. For dragon enthusiasts, the book offers diverse variations on a single image; for general fantasy readers, it is more like a window onto different authors' narrative interests and emotional sensibilities through the motif of the dragon.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Fantasy readers who love dragons and Western fantasy worldbuilding
Readers who want to quickly sample the styles of many contemporary fantasy authors through short fiction
Readers who need reading in fragmented time and prefer self-contained stories
Writers interested in fantasy short fiction who want to study a variety of approaches

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a single long-form main plot who dislike short-story collections
Readers uninterested in dragons who prefer realistic fiction or hard science fiction
Readers hoping for a unified worldbuilding setting rather than stylistically varied shorts

Reading tips

You don't have to read in order; start with stories by familiar authors, then go back for unfamiliar ones to lower the barrier to entry.
After each story, jot down a sentence or two of impressions; halfway through, look back to see more clearly which kinds of dragon stories you prefer.
Treat the stories as bedtime or commute reading, one or two at a time, to avoid the fatigue of mixed styles from continuous reading.
If using the book as a writing reference, pick favorite pieces and break down how they shift perspective and emotion within the same motif.

版权信息
致谢
前言
英雄主义的启迪
入学礼
神龙圣人希卡亚特·斯里·布扬
尤里
一抹蓝
尼德霍格
当河流变成混凝土
栖息地
水痘
九曲河
卢辛达的龙
我把自己变成龙
放逐
周六除外
神速号
骑士遗言
漫途
菲兹先生，再给我一支羽毛笔吧
宝藏
李尔飞龙
最后一次狩猎
生生不息
小鸟的请求
龙
屠龙人
伪装
我们不会讨论龙
也许该上去看看
一杯好茶

FAQ

I haven't read other works by these authors—can I read this collection directly?

Yes. Each piece is a standalone short story that doesn't depend on prior context from other works. The contributor list includes authors from different backgrounds such as Jane Yolen, Peter S. Beagle, and Ken Liu, so the book works well as a sampler; if you find an author you like, you can then seek out their novels or major works.

Are all the dragons in the book the ferocious Western type?

Not all. The material indicates that the book includes both the familiar ferocious dragons of Western fantasy worldbuilding and unexpectedly endearing, emotionally rich dragons, as well as characters closely tied to dragons such as dragon riders and dragon slayers. The images and emotional tones vary considerably within the same theme, so the reading experience is not monotonous.

Is a short-story collection suitable for reading from start to finish?

You can, but it's not required. With nearly thirty pieces of varied style, continuous reading can feel mixed. It's better to jump around by interest or read one or two at a time, leaving room to savor each; if you want a systematic sense of different authors' approaches, reading straight through in table-of-contents order is fine too.

Is this book suitable for children?

The material does not specify an age range, so it should not be recommended directly as a children's book. The collection is aimed at fantasy readers, and the emotional intensity and subject matter vary from piece to piece; whether it suits a child is best judged by a parent flipping through the specific stories first.

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About the author

乔纳森·斯特拉罕 Author

Jonathan Strahan is an author with a limited number of works in this Chinese library collection—three titles in total—and publicly available information about him is likewise quite limited, so his nationality, dates of birth and death, and full writing career cannot yet be confirmed. Judging from the works held here, he is mainly active in the field of science fiction and fantasy anthologies. His representative works include The Best Science Fiction Anthology: Blurry Edges (2 volumes), The Book of Dragons, and Born to Obey: A Guide to Robot Malfunctions. These works center on science fiction imagination, otherworldly settings, and robot ethics, and fall under categories such as fine fiction, otherworldly continents, and science fiction. Blurry Edges gathers short science fiction in anthology form, The Book of Dragons leans toward fantasy and dragon themes, and Born to Obey: A Guide to Robot Malfunctions focuses on imagined robot behavior and obedience. Overall, his editorial vision spans the borderland between science fiction and fantasy, and his works are distinguished by thematic anthologizing.

秦含璞 Author

Qin Hanpu is an author about whom limited public information is available. Two works by this author are currently held in the library: Fuzzy Edge: The Best Science Fiction Anthology (2 Volumes) and The Book of the Magic Dragon. Judging from the titles and categories of these two works, Qin Hanpu's creative and editorial interests lie mainly in science fiction and fantasy, involving imaginative settings such as otherworldly continents, and the works are often classified as premium fiction. Fuzzy Edge, presented as a science fiction anthology, indicates the author's involvement in selecting and compiling short science fiction, while The Book of the Magic Dragon, based on its title, leans toward fantasy and dragon-themed narrative. As information such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name is not recorded, the author's personal history and full body of work remain difficult to ascertain; this introduction can only outline the author's thematic orientation based on the works held in the library, and further background awaits additional public information.