Tales from High Hallack
The collected short stories of Andre Norton
Volume 1 of 3
Edited by Jean Rabe
Acknowledgments . . . Sue Stewart
Introduction . . . Jody Lynn Nye
The Last Spell . . .
Sword of Unbelief . . .
Earthborne: A Witch World Story . . .
That Which Overfloweth . . .
By a Hair . . .
The Gifts of Asti . . .
Falcon Blood . . .
The Dowry of the Rag Picker's Daughter . . .
All Cats Are Gray . . .
The Way Wind . . .
Black Irish . . .
The Boy and the Ogre . . .
Through the Needle's Eye . . .
The Toymaker's Snuffbox . . .
Ully the Piper . . .
Dream Smith . . .
One Spell Wizard . . .
London Bridge . . .
Synopsis ~
Write-up from the back of Tradepaper edition ~
A collection of short stories from themed anthologies by one of the most popular science fiction and fantasy authors in the world and the Grand Dame of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Andre Norton.
For the first time, a collection of short stories by Andre Norton and edited by Jean Rabe, have been gathered for her fans’ reading pleasure. Tales reach back to 1930s, and fresh and relevant today as they were when she wrote them … such was Andre’s skill. High fantasy, fables, science fiction, coming of age stories, and more fill three volumes. This impressive, must-have collection includes stories of Witch World. There are cats sprinkled here and there, as Andre treasured them so. And there is magic in the writing, unequaled prose to delight readers of all ages.
High Hallack was a place in Andre’s fiction, and was also the name of her genre writer’s library she opened in Tennessee. It was a wondrous keep that she called home, and now High Hallack opens its gates and allows these amazing stories to tumble out. Lose yourself in her enchanted words, and read them again and again.
Acknowledgments
After Andre Norton moved into my Tennessee home in mid-2004, she often spoke of wanting all of her short stories gathered in a special collection . . . all in one place so she could have easy access to read them. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond our control got in the way of her dream while she was alive.
Andre’s estate has come a long way. Lots of good things are happening with careful and strategic planning. I am pleased to finally make available to you, Andre’s special-edition short story collection. I never lost sight of my dear friend’s project; it was important that I followed through to make it happen.
On behalf of Andre’s estate and myself, I extend heartfelt thanks to Jay Watts, who was so dedicated and loyal to our Lady. Jay put in countless hours gathering and copying her stories, which paved the way for this collection. This could not have happened without him. He also devoted a lot of effort to Andre’s estate-authorized website. Please show him your support by visiting that website at andre-norton-books.com.
I would also like to thank Jody Lynn Nye, who happily accepted my request to write the introduction. Thanks to Jean Rabe, who lovingly agreed to edit these books. Thanks to Ethan Ellenberg, Evan Gregory, and Premier Digital Printing, all instrumental in getting Andre’s works into your hands.
Above all of that—many, many thanks to Andre Norton, for sharing her stories with the world, and sharing a part of her life with me. Rest in peace, my dear friend.
Sue Stewart, the Andre Norton Estate
Excerpt from introduction by Jody Lyn Nye ~
To find a woman writing science fiction with such skill and style was a joy. Her heroines never waited limply for someone to save them. She could have coined the term “self-rescuing princess.” Just reading her work taught me a great deal about my chosen craft.
Norton blazed a trail that I followed humbly. To this day, every time I read something of hers, I learn something new. I am as freshly impressed and surprised as was that girl in her high school library long ago.
If this is your first experience with Andre Norton, you’re in for a treat. Her short fiction appeared in magazines, many of which have long crumbled to yellowed fragments, (damn that acid-treated paper!), or in out-of-print anthologies. Jean Rabe and Sue Stewart have put together these collections so Norton-lovers have those lost pieces all together at their fingertips.
Enjoy them! I certainly will.
Jody Lynn Nye
Reviews ~
Review by Publishers Weekly ~ Feb. 03, 2014
Norton was a prolific speculative fiction author whose career spanned eight decades, one of the few high profile women working in the field of science fiction and from the award's inception to 2003, the sole female recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award. Contrary to the usual pattern for her era, she focused more on novels than on short stories; despite that, she did have a substantial body of short works. With an introduction by Jody Lynn Nye, this volume collects 18 pieces, drawn from across her career, fantasy and science fiction. Her famous Witch World is featured but is not the sole setting. In these stories, witches are paid with calumny for serving the greater good, toy makers contend against evil usurpers, boys outwit greedy trolls and space travelers risk death deep within long lost ships. Norton's prose is straightforward and clear; her stories might appear to be simple at first glance but on closer examination often reveal greater depths, an embrace of themes other speculative fiction authors eschewed. A promising beginning to its series, this work demonstrates why Norton, like C.L. Moore and Leigh Brackett, must be counted as one of the significant authors of speculative fiction.
Various reviews ~ For more info and other listings see Articles Over the Years
by Charles de Lint in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January - February 2015
Dedications and Acknowledgements ~
For Bill Fawcett
Bibliography of English Editions ~
- (2014) Volume 1 ~ Published by Premier Digital Publishing, DM & TP, 978-1-624-67189-0, $22.95, 222pg ~ cover by Kib Prestridge
- (2014) Volume 1 ~ Published by Open Road Media, DM, 978-1-497656-93-2, $22.95, 214pg ~ cover by Kib Prestridge
~ re-released in 2017 with new cover-art by Ian Koviak
For information on editions currently available visit the Book Store
