Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories
Encyclopedia
Garth Nix
Garth Nix is an Australian author of young adult fantasy novels, most notably the Old Kingdom series, The Seventh Tower series, and The Keys to the Kingdom series. He has frequently been asked if his name is a pseudonym, to which he has responded, "I guess people ask me because it sounds like the...
, which return to the setting of his popular Old Kingdom series. A hardback edition was released in the UK on November 6, 2006. There are two special editions of this book in the UK, one with "a unique cover" from WH Smith
W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
's, the other with a manuscript for a possible prologue and several other notes on the story of Lirael
Lirael
Lirael is a fantasy novel by Garth Nix, first published in 2001. Named for its central female character, Lirael is the second in his Old Kingdom trilogy, preceded by Sabriel and continued in Abhorsen.-Plot introduction:The book is split into three parts, the first of which is set 14 years after...
, available from Waterstone's
Waterstone's
Waterstone's is a British book specialist established in 1982 by Tim Waterstone that employs around 4,500 staff throughout the United Kingdom and Europe....
.http://www.garthnix.co.uk/index.tao?PageId=news All UK editions will include an FAQ section with the author, in which he provides "vital answers". All thirteen main stories had been published prior to the release of Across the Wall, usually in magazines or anthologies.
The stories
- Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case — Originally published for World Book Day (as The Creature in the Case), this novella chronicles Nicholas Sayre's attempt to return to the Old Kingdom, involving a battle with a necromaticNecromancyNecromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
horror in the process. - Under the Lake — Based on the legend of AvalonAvalonAvalon is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 pseudohistorical account Historia Regum Britanniae as the place where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was forged and later where Arthur was...
. This story twists the myth of the Lady of the LakeLady of the LakeThe Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
, making her into a sinister monsterMonsterA monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
who gives ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
ExcaliburExcaliburExcalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
for motives that are not entirely pure. - Charlie Rabbit — A war story about two brothers trapped in their basement after their house is destroyed during an air raid.
- From the Lighthouse — A story about a developer who, having been a victim of con artists, arrives at the tropical island he was "sold".
- The Hill — A story about a boy who tries to keep his great-grandfather's land from being sold by the boy's father.
- Lightning Bringer — A story about a man who seduces young women, eventually electrocuting them via lightning.
- Down to the Scum Quarter — A parody of the Choose Your Own AdventureChoose Your Own AdventureChoose Your Own Adventure is a series of children's gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actions and the plot's outcome. The series was based on a...
books. - Heart's Desire — A tale explaining the disappearance of Merlin and Nimue's role in it.
- Hansel's Eyes — A modern version of Hansel and GretelHansel and Gretel"Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic hag living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children...
. - Hope Chest — A western shoot-em-up with a fantasy bend.
- My Really Epic New Fantasy Series — A farcical transcript of a speech given at a writing convention announcing a new fantasy series.
- Three Roses — A fable.
- Endings — An extremely short story about the meaning of sorrowSorrowSorrow may refer to:* Sorrow * Sorrow , an EP by The 3rd and the Mortal* "Sorrow" * "Sorrow" * "Sorrow" * "Sorrow" , also covered by The Merseys and David Bowie...
and joyHappinessHappiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious, and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources....
.