The Gods of Pegna

The Gods of Pegāna (1905) is a short story collection by Lord Dunsany. Published at the beginning of his career, The Gods of Pegāna would influence such writers as J. R. R. Tolkein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and H. P. Lovecraft. Recognized as a pioneering author of fantasy and science fiction, Dunsany is a man whose work, in the words of Lovecraft, remains “unexcelled in the sorcery of crystalline singing prose, and supreme in the creation of a gorgeous and languorous world of incandescently exotic vision.” “Whether the season be winter or whether it be summer, whether it be morning among the worlds or whether it be night, Skarl still beateth his drum, for the purposes of the gods are not yet fulfilled.” The Gods of Pegāna, Dunsany’s debut collection of stories, contains some of his finest tales of fantasy and adventure. The Mana-Yood-Sushai created the gods of Pegāna before falling asleep in the middle of Time. The only thing keeping him from creating new gods and worlds is the drummer Skarl, who can never cease his playing. In their creator’s absence, dozens of small gods and a thousand local deities have free reign to create the worlds and realities they want. As they compete to outdo one another, the order and peace of Pegāna hangs in the balance. Humorous and inventive, Dunsany’s tales of high fantasy continue to delight over a century after they first appeared in print. This edition of Lord Dunsany’s The Gods of Pegāna is a classic of Irish fantasy fiction reimagined for modern readers. Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book. With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.