Until now, many of the greatest creatures and characters from fantasy and horror have been seen only in the minds of their creators – and their readers. At last these bizarre and beautiful beings have been brought magnificently to life by acclaimed artist Wayne Douglas Barlowe. Here is the Unicorn you always dreamed of, still shimmering from the imagination of The Last Unicorn author Peter S. Beagle. Here in all its disgusting glory lurks H.P. Lovecraft’s Gug, along with Robert Jordan’s Trolloc. Here you will meet Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Morgaine from The Mists of Avalon, Conan-creator Robert E. Howard’s Bran Mak Morn, Clive Barker’s Gek-A-Gek, Droll Rockworm from Stephen R. Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, and many more. Fifty fantastic creatures and characters in all. Awesome, incredible, startling, disturbing – all rendered with perfect accuracy and exquisite detail. The heroes, monsters, and bizarre creatures depicted in these full-color pages range from the mythical to the mysterious, from the hideous to the sublime, from the wonderful to the terrible. In his accompanying text, Barlowe presents the essential facts about each creature, whether it be language, weaponry, dietary customs, or favorite prey. In the manner of a true naturalist (he was apprenticed at New York’s Museum of Natural History) he includes his sketches and preliminary drawings, as well as his notes and locomotion studies. As daring in its conception as it is beautiful in its execution, Barlowe’s Guide to Fantasy is the essential companion for anyone who has ever thrilled to the terrifying and wonderful creatures found in fantastic literature – and wished to see them brought to life by a modern master.

Wayne Barlowe

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