Robert Holdstock is the winner of the World Fantasy Award for his classic fantasy novel MYTHAGO WOOD. He is regarded as one of the 20th century's leading writers of myth and fantasy, and has written novels for over twenty years, including the MYTHAGO sequence, the novel of John Boorman's film, THE EMERALD FOREST and THE FETCH.
The dark mysteries of Ryhope Wood draw Richard Bradley into its depths in search of his son Alex, whose fearful imaginings threaten to erode the old forest's delicate magical balance. Like Mythago Wood (Avon, 1991) and The Bone Forest (Avon, 1992), Holdstock's latest novel unravels the mythic landscape of the unconscious mind, revealing a world where dreams and legends become uncomfortably real. Powerful storytelling and strong characters make this a good choice for fantasy collections.
Playing with archetype, myth and the nature of reality, Holdstock returns to the landscape of his World Fantasy Award-winning Mythago Wood , a primeval woodland in modern England that has defended itself through the eons with mythagos, embodiments of the human need for heroes and heroic acts. Devastated by the death of his young son, Alexander, Richard Bradley meets Alexander Lytton and Helen Silverlock, who indicate that the boy is still alive in a mysterious way in nearby Ryhope Wood. As the distraught father follows researcher Arnauld Lacan into the wood, he is gradually introduced to its properties and inhabitants, which range through the deeply embedded myths of all times. Meanwhile, Lytton wants Bradley to find Alexander because the fearful boy's vivid fantasies are changing the very nature of the wood that Lytton and his crew have been studying for years. Bradley's search proves unsuccessful, however, and it's only after the father gains the aid of Sarin, the Tall Grass Lady from the time of the Tower of Babel, that his quest reaches its climax. Holdstock weaves a dense and, at times, impenetrable tale, but a careful reading brings to light a variety of treasures, including a telling portrayal of Jason and the Argonauts in old age. (July)
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