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The Morgaine Stories

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The Morgaine Stories , also known as The Morgaine Cycle , are a series of fantasy novels by American writer C. J. Cherryh , published by DAW Books . They concern a time-traveling heroine, Morgaine, and her loyal companion Nhi Vanye i Chya.

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33-518: The first book in the series, Gate of Ivrel (1976), was Cherryh's first published novel, and was followed soon thereafter by Well of Shiuan (1978) and Fires of Azeroth (1979). The construct at the center of these novels is a set of "Gates" that connect various worlds. In addition to traveling from place to place, the Gates can also be used for time travel . Cherryh has cited the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Andre Norton as influences in

66-588: A shared universe .) There were dozens of books in all. The five novels of The Cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash, and Rowan, To the King a Daughter , Knight or Knave , A Crown Disowned , Dragon Blade , and The Knight of the Red Beard , were written with Sasha Miller . The fifth and last novel was dedicated "To my late collaborator, Andre Norton, whose vision inspired the NordornLand cycle." ("NordornLand cycle"

99-422: A Gate to switch bodies. Vanye escapes, stealing a horse which is carrying Changeling, but is recaptured by Erij. Erij, emboldened by his possession of Changeling, attacks Ivrel. After driving off Liell's men with the sword, the pair breach Thiye's fortress. Vanye surprises Erij and retakes Morgaine's sword. Inside, they come upon the aged Thiye, but Roh kills him. Roh tells them that Morgaine is loose and that Liell

132-482: A few soldiers escaped. Pursued, she fled into a lesser Gate. She seeks aid from Clan Leth, but its lord, Kasedre, is half mad. His chief counselor, Liell, warns them to leave, killing a guard to leave them no choice. Morgaine and Vanye become uneasy guests of Roh, Vanye's cousin and lord of the Chya. After questioning, they are let go, only to be attacked by Thiye's men. Morgaine draws her sword, Changeling, which can tap

165-541: A group of characters who travel from the real world to Greyhawk. It was the first novel to be set, at least partially, in the Greyhawk setting and, according to Alternative Worlds , the first to be based on D&D . Quag Keep was excerpted in Issue 12 of The Dragon (February 1978) just prior to the book's release. She and Jean Rabe were collaborating on the sequel to Quag Keep when Norton died. Return to Quag Keep

198-574: Is a 1976 novel by American writer C. J. Cherryh , her first published work. It is the first of four books composing the Morgaine Stories , chronicling the deeds of Morgaine, a woman consumed by a mission of the utmost importance, and her chance-met companion, Nhi Vanye i Chya. Cherryh lists it on her website as a fantasy novel , and noted author Andre Norton agreed with her. Others, however, classify it as science fiction or science fantasy . The pre-technological land of Andur-Kursh

231-811: Is another name for this cycle.) Often called the Grande Dame of Science Fiction and Fantasy by biographers such as J. M. Cornwell, and organizations such as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , Publishers Weekly , and Time , Andre Norton wrote novels for more than 70 years. She had a profound influence on the entire genre, having more than 300 published titles read by at least four generations of science fiction and fantasy readers and writers. Notable authors who cite her influence include Greg Bear , Lois McMaster Bujold , C. J. Cherryh , Cecilia Dart-Thornton , Tanya Huff , Mercedes Lackey , Charles de Lint , Joan D. Vinge , David Weber , K. D. Wentworth , and Catherine Asaro . On February 20, 2005,

264-500: Is dead. He then flees. Vanye finds Morgaine and gives her the sword. She tells Vanye that Liell has taken possession of Roh's body in his place. Roh/Liell has set the controls to shut down all the Gates very soon. He hopes to escape to another planet, leaving his enemies trapped here. Morgaine sets off in pursuit. Erij allows Vanye to follow. Together, Morgaine and Vanye pass through the Gate before it closes forever. Andre Norton praised

297-452: Is fought over by rival clans, among them the Nhi and the Chya. Vanye is the despised bastard son of a Nhi lord and a Chya captive. One day, he kills one legitimate half-brother and maims the other after being baited. Exiled for his crimes, Vanye inadvertently frees Morgaine, a beautiful woman whom he recognizes as a legend from the past. Morgaine had been trapped in stasis for a century in one of

330-522: The Inkpot Award in 1989. The High Hallack Library was a facility that Norton was instrumental in organizing and opening. Designed as a research facility for genre writers, and scholars of "popular" literature (the genres of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, western, romance, gothic, and horror), it was located near Norton's home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The facility, named after one of

363-595: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , which had honored Norton with its Grand Master Award in 1984, announced the creation of the Andre Norton Award , to be given each year for an outstanding work of fantasy or science fiction for the young adult literature market, beginning with 2005 publications. While the Norton Award is not a Nebula Award , it is voted on by SFWA members on

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396-541: The 13th-century story of Huon, Duke of Bordeaux . Her first science fiction novel, Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D. , appeared from Harcourt in 1952. She became a prolific novelist in the 1950s, with many of her books published for the juvenile market, at least in their original hardcover editions. As of 1958, when she became a full-time professional writer, Kirkus had reviewed 16 of her novels, and awarded four of them starred reviews. Her four starred reviews to 1957 had been awarded for three historical adventure novels— Follow

429-772: The Cleveland Public Library until 1950, when she retired due to ill health. She then began working as a reader for publisher-editor Martin Greenberg at Gnome Press , a small press in New York City that focused on science fiction. She remained until 1958, when, with 21 novels published, she became a full-time professional writer. As Norton's health became uncertain, she moved to Winter Park, Florida in November 1966, where she remained until 1997. She moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1997 and

462-750: The Depression and began working for the Cleveland Library System , where she remained for 18 years, latterly in the children's section of the Nottingham Branch Library in Cleveland. In a 1996 interview she recalled defending acquisition of The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien for the library. In 1934, she legally changed her name to Andre Alice Norton, a pen name she had adopted for her first book, published later that year, to increase her marketability, since boys were

495-630: The Drum (1942), Scarface (1948), Yankee Privateer (1955)—and one cold war adventure, At Swords' Points (1954). She received four starred reviews subsequently, latest in 1966, including three for science fiction. Norton was twice nominated for the Hugo Award , in 1964 for the novel Witch World and in 1967 for the novelette "Wizard's World". She was nominated three times for the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement, winning

528-524: The Nebula ballot and shares some procedures with the Nebula Awards. Nominally for a young adult book, actually the eligible class is middle grade and young adult novels. This added a category for genre fiction to be recognized and supported for young readers. Unlike Nebulas, there is a jury whose function is to expand the ballot beyond the six books with most nominations by members. Norton received

561-881: The award in 1998. Norton won a number of other genre awards and regularly had works appear in the Locus annual "best of year" polls. She was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America (SAGA), a loose-knit group of heroic fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, led by Lin Carter , with entry by fantasy credentials alone. Norton was the only woman among the original eight members. Some works by SAGA members were published in Lin Carter 's Flashing Swords! anthologies. In 1976, Gary Gygax invited Norton to play Dungeons & Dragons in his Greyhawk world. Norton subsequently wrote Quag Keep , which involved

594-502: The continents in Norton's Witch World series, was home to more than 10,000 texts, videos, and various other media. Attached to the facility were three guest rooms, allowing authors and scholars the chance to stay on-site to facilitate their research goals. The facility was opened on February 28, 1999, and operated until March 2004. Most of the collection was sold during the closing days of the facility. The declining health of Andre Norton

627-404: The development of her gate system. This blending of technology and elements more common to fantasy often results in the books being labeled as works of " science fantasy ". Cherryh was made a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America , an informal group of American fantasy authors active from the 1960s through the 1980s, for the Morgaine Stories. In April 2013 it was announced that

660-489: The dropped sword and rejoin Morgaine. Roh warns him not to trust Liell, whose body is rumored to have been taken over by another. Morgaine confirms this can be done using a Gate. Thiye has extended his life this way, and Morgaine suspects her betrayer has also. After another clash with Nhi warriors, Morgaine and Vanye are personally escorted by Roh out of his domain. Liell and his men capture all three. Liell takes Vanye to

693-515: The juvenile (now called "young adult") market. Norton's first published science fiction was a short story , "The People of the Crater", which appeared under the name "Andrew North" as pages 4–18 of the inaugural 1947 number of Fantasy Book , a magazine from Fantasy Publishing Company, Inc. Her first fantasy novel, Huon of the Horn , published by Harcourt Brace under her own name in 1951, adapted

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726-622: The main audience for fantasy. During 1940–1941, she worked as a special librarian in the cataloging department of the Library of Congress . She was involved in a project related to alien citizenship which was abruptly terminated upon the American entry into World War II . In 1941 she bought a bookstore called Mystery House in Mount Rainier, Maryland , the eastern neighbor of Washington, D.C. The business failed, and she returned to

759-455: The many "Gates" (passageways through space and time) which dot the land. By age-old custom, she claims a year of service from him for his acceptance of her food and shelter. Morgaine explains that she is on a mission to close the Gates, as the misuse of their powers has destroyed entire civilizations in the past. The rest of her group were betrayed while attempting to attack this planet's master Gate at Ivrel, controlled by Thiye. Only Morgaine and

792-573: The novel highly, writing that: ... never since reading The Lord of the Rings have I been caught up in any tale as I have been in Gate of Ivrel . I do not know the author, but her talent is one I must envy. She has drawn an entirely believable hero on an alien and enchanting world, working in bits of customs, beliefs, and history so cleverly that it now certainly exists-somewhere. Fellow fantasy and science fiction author Jo Walton found all four books in

825-403: The power of the Gates to send its victims to another place and time. The two escape, but run into Vanye's people. She is set free, though without her sword, while Vanye is forced to remain behind by his half-brother Erij, who wants Vanye to help him rule their land. When persuasion and threats alike prove useless, he draws Changeling, not knowing its powers. Vanye uses the ensuing mayhem to retrieve

858-422: The screen rights to The Morgaine Stories have been optioned by producer Aaron Magnani, with adaptations by Peter Arneson. The screenplay for the first novel in the series, Gate of Ivrel has already been written by Arneson. In the 1980s, Jane Fancher began a graphic novel adaptation of Gate of Ivrel in close collaboration with Cherryh. Although it was never completed, Fancher self-published one segment of

891-433: The series to be "too grim. They're good, but they're unrelievedly dark." Andre Norton Andre Alice Norton (born Alice Mary Norton , February 17, 1912 – March 17, 2005) was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy , who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name Andre Norton , but also under Andrew North and Allen Weston . She

924-492: The work with a color cover and black and white interior art entitled C. J. Cherryh's Gate of Ivrel No. 1 (1985). Two parts of the adaptation were subsequently published as full color versions by The Donning Company under its Starblaze Graphics imprint: Gate of Ivrel: Claiming Rites (1986) and Gate of Ivrel: Fever Dreams (1987). In 1987, Tor Books published an interactive novel set in Morgaine's universe, The Witchfires of Leth . Gate of Ivrel Gate of Ivrel

957-403: Was " Witch World ", which began with the novel Witch World in 1963. The first six novels were Ace Books paperback originals published from 1963 to 1968. From the 1970s most of the books in the series were first published in hardcover editions. From the 1980s some were written by Norton and a co-author, and others were anthologies of short fiction for which she was editor. (Witch World became

990-497: Was completed by Rabe and published by Tor Books in January 2006. Her final complete novel, Three Hands for Scorpio , was published on April 1, 2005. Besides Return to Quag Keep , Tor has published two more novels with Norton and Rabe credited as co-authors, Dragon Mage (November 2006) and Taste of Magic (January 2008). Norton wrote more than a dozen speculative fiction series, but her longest, and longest-running project

1023-452: Was the editor of a literary page in the school's paper, The Collinwood Spotlight , for which she wrote short stories. During this time, she wrote her first book, Ralestone Luck , which was eventually published as her second novel in 1938. After graduating from high school in 1930, Norton planned to become a teacher, and began studying at Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve University . However, in 1932 she had to leave because of

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1056-475: Was the first woman to be Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy, to be SFWA Grand Master , and to be inducted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame . Alice Mary Norton was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1912. Her parents were Adalbert Freely Norton, who owned a rug company, and Bertha Stemm Norton. Alice began writing at Collinwood High School in Cleveland, under the tutelage of Sylvia Cochrane. She

1089-478: Was under hospice care from February 21, 2005. She died at home on March 17, 2005, of congestive heart failure. In 1934, her first book, The Prince Commands, being sundry adventures of Michael Karl, sometime crown prince & pretender to the throne of Morvania , with illustrations by Kate Seredy , was published by D. Appleton–Century Company (cataloged by the U.S. Library of Congress as by "André Norton"). She went on to write several historical novels for

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