One Brief Shining moment

[bibliogramma]

The Doom of Camelot, (ed.) James Lowder.

This is a collection of original stories (and a few poems), all of which focus, in their own way, on the tragedy of Camelot, its fatal flaw – whatever the author envisions that to be. What brought about the end of the age of Arthur, the promise that has inspired so many visions since the first elements of this Matter of Britain were set to song or memory or paper?

For some authors in this collection, it is an inevitable doom, brought on by the slow failing of an ageing king, whether in body or in fighting spirit and kingship, which brings about weakening of alliances, an increased Saxon threat from outside and challenges to leadership from within (“A Hermit’s Tale” by Catherine Wells, “The Last Road” by Elizabeth Wyrick Thompson, “Saxon Midnight” by Darrell Schweitzer).

For others, it is some variation or consequence on the tragic lovers’ triangle – Arthur, Guenivere and Arthur’s greatest knight (usually but not always Lancelot) – that carries within it the seeds of doom. (“In the Forest Perilous” by Cherith Baldry, “Hidden Blades” by Elaine Cunningham)

Another theme addressed by some of these stories is that of the failure of the Quest in its deepest sense – the great ideals which are simply too much for humans, with their frailties and flaws, to sustain for long, and which even detract from the simple task to do what is right. (“The last Idle of the King” by Phyllis Ann Karr, “Grail Wisdom” by India Edghill, “The Shadow of a Sword” by Ed Greenwood, “The Knight Who Wasn’t There” by Douglas W Clark).

Some stories focus on the idea of struggle between good and evil, light and darkness – often positioning Arthur’s sister (whether she be named Morgaine, Morgause, or something else) as the great rival who will eventually find a way to introduce corruption into the heart of her brother’s bright and shining hour (“The Corruption of Perfection” by Mike Ashley, “How Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth” by Meredith L Patterson).

For some authors the doom of Camelot lies in multiple weaknesses and flaws, woven together with the light and hope. (Three Queens Weeping” by C.A. Gardner, “Surrendering the Blade” by Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, “Avillion” by Verlyn Flieger).

And at the end of it all, Susan Fry reminds us in “The Battle, Lost” of how little the great deeds of noble men and women have meant throughout the centuries to the simple peasant who lives at the mercy of weather, war and the demands of those great nobles as they pursue their glorious dreams.