Witch World Q1 - Andre Norton
Andre Norton was an extremely prolific writer of SF, Fantasy, adventure, and historical fiction, though especially the former. She published over 300 works over a 70-year career, and Richard and I often marvel in the Discord server that we keep encountering books we've never heard of. Despite this, I had never read any of her books. Witch World was my first. It was the only one of her novels nominated for a Hugo in 1964 (competing with Herbert's Dune World, Heinlein's Glory Road, Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, and losing to Clifford Simak's Waystation), though she did win other awards including the Lifetime Achievement World Fantasy Award in 1998, SFFWA's Grandmaster award in 1984, and the SFFWA also now give a Norton Award to outstanding young adult titles each year.
Original 1963 Cover by Jack Gaughan depicting the beaked helms and Simon's dart gun
In 1976 Gary Gygax invited her to play D&D, after which experience she wrote Quag Keep, the first ever Greyhawk novel and first ever D&D novel.
Wikipedia lists the following authors as citing her influence: 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. And from my own book collecting, I can add Robert Adams who dedicated a few of his Horseclans books to her.
So, my question is - what relationship do you have with Andre Norton? Have you read her work? Any particular memories of favourites? Now that you've read one, will you read more?
Comments
I have no relationship at all with Andre Norton. I had read a couple of her books as a young teen or pre-teen, but they made no impression on me, I have no idea what they were now, and I never looked for more. I do remember back then, looking at the cover of Witch World - which you posted above - and thinking "that looks silly..." and turning away from the book. I had not remembered that until I saw it just now. Now? I wouldn't look for more. She still didn't make any impression on me.
Andre Norton was one of the very first SFF authors I ever came across, back in Godalming library when I were but a lad
Alongside other authors of course, but it was her that I really attached to (and indeed, it was her that made me first want to write something myself). My favourite back then was Star Rangers which had a truly terrible cover
but which as a book I thought was tremendous. A close second was the Janus duology, and although I didn't discover them until rather later, the Witch World books have always been firm favourites. Recently I've enjoyed listening to some on Audible as well as reading them.
Back then I'd have said she was my top favourite author, but then a couple of years later I discovered Asimov, Le Guin and a whole bunch of others - also some of her books no longer appeal as much as they once did. So whereas back then I'd have given 5* to everything she wrote (except that in those happy days we didn't think of doing star reviews for everything in sight), whereas now I'm a bit more nuanced! A fair number only get 4* and the odd one or two down to 3.
So yes, absolutely I'd say I had, and still have, a relationship with her and her books, and will no doubt carry on reading her into the future.
I'd heard about her, as a general background presence, but I'd never read any of her books. At least, I think not: I read a lot of stuff in my youth without a lot of context or understanding of the significance of books.
Given her writing in this book, I'll not go out of my way to read more Witch World. But her SF has been mentioned elsewhere, so I'll give on of those a go.
I'm curious to check out Quag Keep, if I ever find it.