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Mary Gentle





LITERARY CAREER


Mary Gentle's first published novel was ''Hawk in Silver'' (1977), a young adults fantasy. She came to prominence with the ''Orthe'' duology consisting of ''Golden Witchbreed'' (1983) and ''Ancient Light'' (1987).

The novels ''Rats and Gargoyles'' (1990), ''The Architecture of Desire'' (1991) and ''Left to His Own Devices'' (1994), together with several stories in her 1989 collection ''Scholars and Soldiers'' form a loosely linked series (collected in ''White Crow'' in 2003 ), about an Alternate History version of 17th Century and later England where a form of Renaissance Hermetic Magic has taken over the role of Science . This sequence is very much informed by historically existing ideas about magic, Alchemy and such and the stories are rife with allusions to real history and literature.

''Grunts'' ( 1992 ) is a '' Grand Guignol '' Parody of mass-market High Fantasy novels - with Orc s as heros, murderous Halfling s and racist Elves .

Gentle formed part of the Midnight Rose collective in the early 1990s .

In general, Mary Gentle's writing is somewhat cynical about human nature and does not flinch away from the darker side of human behaviour.


BIBLIOGRAPHY



'' Orthe '' series (omnibus edition, 2002 )

  • ''Golden Witchbreed'' ( 1983 )

  • ''Ancient Light'' ( 1987 )



''White Crow'' series (omnibus edition, 2003 )

  • ''Rats and Gargoyles'' ( 1990 )

  • ''The Architecture of Desire'' ( 1991 )

  • ''Left to His Own Devices'' ( 1994 )



''First History'' series



Other novels

  • ''Hawk in Silver'' ( 1977 )

  • ''Grunts'' ( 1992 )

  • ''1610: A Sundial In A Grave'' ( 2003 )



Short story collections

  • ''Scholars and Soldiers'' ( 1989 )

  • ''Cartomancy'' ( 2004 )

  • The stories in ''Scholars and Soldiers'' were reprinted either in the ''Orthe'' or ''White Crow'' omnibus editions or in ''Cartomancy''.



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