Werewolves in Fantasy

[Teresa Edgerton]

Interesting that this thread should be revived now. Within the last couple of weeks I read The Wolf Hunt by Gillian Bradshaw. Unfortunately, not as good as her Arthurian books. You would think that a favorite author and a favorite theme would have grabbed me, but somehow ... no.

It's based on the Lai de Bisclavret by Marie de France. Perhaps Leto can tell us more about that?

 

[Leto]

It's a classical tale although I'm familiar with the Ovid and Boccace version and not the Marie de France one.
To sum it up, in Brittany (or Roma or Italy), live a couple where the husband is out 3 nights a week. His wife, worried ask him if he goes to see other girls and he answers he's a werewolf. Afraid , the wife ask him about his clothes, he says that he goes naked and leave his clothes securely near the chapel. But if he don't find them back, he'll be in wolf form forever. Even more afraid, the woman offer her fortune and her body to another man for him to get rid of her husband's clothes. That's done, the husband is trapped in wolf body, and his wife lives with her lover. Until one day, the king hunting in the neighborhood met the wolf, is surprised by its human behaviour, adopt it as one of his dogs and later discover his history. The clothes are given back to the wolf who turn human, get to his wife beat her and bite her nose, then is restored in his property by the king. His former wife and her lover are banned, have several daughters as children, all of them noseless as their mother.

 

[Carolyn Hill]

For the purposes of answering my question and satisfying my curiosity on this point, I'm happy to allow all instances of man (or woman) into wolf.

Completely ignoring the fact that you asked about fantasy novels, and responding to your curiosity about men or women turning into wolves, I'll mention the science fiction series by Wen Spencer in which a (supposed) human raised by wolves discovers his hybrid alien-human-wolf heritage and exercises his wolfish and shapeshifting abilities. The collective title of the series is the Ukiah Oregon Novels.

 

[beenorthern]

The best werewolf books I've read are by Alice Borchardt: *The Silver Wolf* and its sequel *The Wolf King*, also *Night of the Wolf*. Werewolf characters also appear in her brilliant Arthurian series: *The Dragon Queen*, *The Raven Warrior*.

Was the very first werewolf storyy I read "Gabriel-Ernest" by Saki [1910]? Or was it Anthony Boucher's amusing *The Compleat Werewolf and Other Tales* [1969]. Or perhaps it was *Operation Chaos* by Poul Anderson [1979], with a 1999 sequel *Operation Luna* ... This was originally four stories published in SF magazines and then reprinted as a short novel ... still a fun read. Lots of secondhand copies of both at Abebooks.

More good werewolf reading:

Charles de Lint *Wolf Moon*
Susan Dexter *The Wind Witch*
Nina Kiriki Hoffman *The Silent Strength of Stones*
Katherine Eliska Kimbriel *Night Calls*
Patricia McKillip *The Book of Atrix Wolfe*
Peter Morwood *Firebird*
Robert Stallman *The Orphan*, *The Captive* &*The Beast* [omnibus *The Book of the Beast*]

Teresa Edgerton has very modestly refrained from mentioning that her first "Green Lion" series features a true knight, Ceilyn, who struggles with his werewolf nature ... *Child of Saturn* [1989], *The Moon in Hiding* & *The Work of the Sun* [1990] ... I have read these two or three times and shall doubtless enjoy them again ...

Laurel K. Hamilton's series combining werewolves and vampires [*Guilty Pleasures*] has been followed by many light "paranormal" novels with the same pairing or featuring werewolves alone ... Charlaine Harris "Living Dead in Dallas*; Wm. Mark Simmons *One Foot in the Grave*; Kelley Armstrong's *Bitten* and *Stolen* have already been mentioned ... last week I read *Moon Called* by Patricia Briggs, which I enjoyed more for its coyote shifter protagonist than its large and varied werewolf cast.

And if we can allow coyotes, then *Somewhere to be Flying* by Charles de Lint and *The Wood Wife* by Terri Windling are delightful ... modern mythic fantasy at its best. Just a notch below is *Legends Walking* by Jane Lindskold.

Finally, I recommend a reversed werewolf tale: Peter David's *Howling Mad*.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well, I can't really take credit for being too modest to mention my books, because at the time I started this topic I was still being incognito.

Werewolves have fascinated me at least since I was a teenager and (yes, I admit it) addicted to "Dark Shadows."

One of my favorite werewolf stories is by Clemence Housman. It's either a long short story or a novella; it used to turn up in musty and obscure old collections from time to time, and these days it's available in several places online.

 

[murphy]

One of Tanya Huff's books, I think it was Blood Trail, uses the werewolves as victims.

 

[chrispenycate]

Completely ignoring the fact that you asked about fantasy novels, and responding to your curiosity about men or women turning into wolves, I'll mention the science fiction series by Wen Spencer in which a (supposed) human raised by wolves discovers his hybrid alien-human-wolf heritage and exercises his wolfish and shapeshifting abilities. The collective title of the series is the Ukiah Oregon Novels.

Ah, yes, but he's as likely to end up as a herd of mice or a swarm of mosquitos as a wolf. And since his memory's chemical, each little bit of him will remember a little bit of the total, while a blood transfusion can give him an encyclopedia
I've not got the last book (dog warrior, I believe?) yet; that's what comes from living behind beyond.

 

[BookStop]

Has anyone read River by Skyla Dawn Cameron? I haven't read it yet, but it sounds like an interesting twist on the werewolf theme.

 

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

i think i'd argue that angua's werewolfness isnt an aside..in fact it's a major part of the plots involving her.. especially the complications of her family that wee read about in fifth elephant.

 

[bendoran]

paul kearney features werewolves in his monarchies of god series. the first book is called different kingdom

 

[Taltos]

Another book to this list Roger Zelazny's "A Dark Travelling" - where the main hero is a young werewolf, as is his mother and uncle. Although this is on the cover of the book, it doesn't have any significant impact on the story, not that the book actually contains any significant story - a real dissapointment for me.

 

[Tau Zero]

I recently enjoyed "Kitty and the Midnight Hour" by Carrie Vaughn. It's all about a werewolf. A light, fun read.

 

[murphy]

I recently enjoyed "Kitty and the Midnight Hour" by Carrie Vaughn. It's all about a werewolf. A light, fun read.

I just saw my copy today and was going to mention it. I agree, it's a light fun read. There's supposed to be a sequel soon, Kitty Goes to Washington. I'll be sure to get it.

 

[Tau Zero]

There's supposed to be a sequel soon, Kitty Goes to Washington. I'll be sure to get it.

Oh, without a doubt. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Complete Werewolf and Other Stories by Anthony Boucher

Darker Than You Think by Jack Williamson

 

[BAYLOR]

Moondance by S P Somtow

The Wild by Whitney Strieber

 

[JimC]

Jane Lindskold's four Prudence Bledsoe stories are a good read.

Williamson's Darker Than You Think is in my opinion, horror (and superb).

An aside, the Virginia Greylock character in Poul Anderson's Operation stories is based on Ginny Heinlein.

 

[BAYLOR]

Wolf Moon by Charles De Lint

I see someone mentioned it already.

 

[Randy M.]

For the purposes of answering my question and satisfying my curiosity on this point, I'm happy to allow all instances of man (or woman) into wolf.

Although I never cared for the old movies where the lycanthrope turned into a wolf-man, rather than something more closely resembling an actual wolf. I can ever remember the first movie I ever saw in which the werewolf was, indeed, of the four-footed variety (although in this case probably a german-shepherd playing the role of a wolf) -- and how very impressed I was and quite thrilled with the idea.

Tangentially, Teresa, I wonder if it was this film: Cry of the Werewolf.

I haven't noticed anyone mention "Lila, the Werewolf" by Peter Beagle, which has always struck me as the somewhat serious but still amusing werewolf story Woody Allen would have written if he had bothered with werewolves. I think it's kind of, sort of a forerunner of Urban Fantasy.

Randy M.

 

[BAYLOR]

In Terry Pratchett Nightwatch series , wasn't one the members a werewolf part time ?