Dilvish, the Damned

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Dilvish, the Damned
Cover of first edition (paperback)
Author	Roger Zelazny
Illustrator	Michael Herring
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Fantasy novel, short stories
Publisher	Del Rey
Publication date	1982
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	215 pp
ISBN	ISBN 0-345-30625-2
Followed by	The Changing Land

Dilvish, the Damned is a collection of fantasy stories written by Roger Zelazny, and first published in 1982. Its contents were originally published as a series of separate short stories in various fantasy magazines. The storyline begun in this collection was resolved in the novel, The Changing Land, which was published before the other Dilvish stories appeared in book form.

Prior to publication, Zelazny's working title for the book was Nine Black Doves.

[edit] Plot summary

Dilvish is the descendant of both elves and humans. Hundreds of years ago, he was turned into stone and his soul banished to Hell by the sorcerer Jelerak. When he returns with the metal demon horse Black, he desires revenge on Jelerak, but is interrupted by an assault on his homeland, which he helps to repulse. Dilvish then goes to call up the Shoredan - a cursed people bound to his family. He searches for Jelerak in the Tower of Ice and finds the sorcerer's apprentice and his sister trapped there. The two of them believe him to be a servant of Jelerak sent to kill them.

[edit] Contents

The original short story sequence comprising Dilvish, the Damned was originally published as follows:

• "Passage to Dilfar" (1965)
• "Thelinde's Song" (1965)
• "The Bells of Shoredan" (1966)
• "A Knight for Merytha" (1967) - previously published in Eternity SF.
• "The Places of Aache" (1979)
• "A City Divided" (1970)
• "The White Beast" (1979)
• "Tower of Ice" (1981)
• "Devil and the Dancer" (1979)
• "Garden of Blood" (1979)
• "The Changing Land" (1981)
• "Dilvish, the Damned" (1982)

[edit] Awards

Dilvish, the Damned was a 1982 Locus nominee.