Tales of Three Hemispheres

T Fisher Unwin. London: T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd., 1920  8vo., brown cloth-backed boards, spine lettered in gilt; in the blue printed dustwrapper, priced 6/- net to spine; pp. [viii], 147, [i]; decorative initials to each chapter; a very good copy, mildly bruised to spine ends and spotted to outer edges of text block; endpapers lightly offset; the very good, and seldom-found jacket slightly darkened at spine and folds, a couple of minor dark markings; chipped to extremities, more to spine tips, with no loss of lettering; beginning to split along spine folds; internal tape reinforcement but otherwise unrestored.  The rare first UK edition, together with the scarce jacket. Originally published in the US by John W. Luce & Co. in November 1919.  A collection of twelve stories on the subject of the Orient, which combines poetic prose, magical lands, old Gods, atmospheric castles, ghosts and magic. Of these tales, 'Idle Days on the Yann' is perhaps the one for which he is best known, and follows an Irishman's voyage down a river flanked by fantastical cities. Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett (1878-1957) arguably laid the foundation of fantasy fiction at the turn of the 20th century. His short stories appeared predominantly between 1905 and 1920, during a time in which fantasy had still not been recognised as a distinct genre. It was not until 1976 that Tales of Three Hemispheres became a popular work of fantasy fiction, when it was republished by Owlswick Press together with illustrations by Tim Kirk and a foreword by H. P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft was greatly inspired by Dunsany, using many of his themes in his own stories. He had, in fact, penned an article on Dunsany in 1922, but it remained unpublished until 1944.  . Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 1920.