Grail Quests

[nikolai]

I've read Malory and other ancient arthurian stuff. I've also read the Da Vinci Code recently, which wasn't very good. Are there any good, modern grail quest stories that are worth reading?

 

[Rackhir]

Michael Moorcock's "The War Hound and the World's Pain", I think part of the "Von Beck" novel collection now. Has some interesting takes on a grail quest. It is a typically Moorcock novel in many respect, so that may be a plus or minus in your book.

 

[replicant2]

I've read Malory and other ancient arthurian stuff. I've also read the Da Vinci Code recently, which wasn't very good. Are there any good, modern grail quest stories that are worth reading?

Heck, yeah.

Two I can think of right off the bat are both by Bernard Cornwell: his Warlord trilogy (The Winter King, Enemy of God, Excalibur)and his Grail Quest trilogy (The Archer's Tale, Vagabond, Heretic).

Cornwell writes historic novels, and reading these series its easy to tell why. They're firmly set in authentic periods, the action is grim and violent, the characters flawed and realistically portrayed. But there's also heroism, and in both books a magic that may or may not exist -- the magic of belief. Is Merlin a spellcaster, or merely very wise and so revered and feared he can turn the tide of battle with his presence? Is it coincidence that any army bearing the lance of St. George before it combat cannot lose, or is it something more?

I recommend both series highly.

 

[Meowzebub]

For a fresh twist, Tim Power's Last Call. A favorate author and one of his best. The tale is set in 70's if that is modern enough for you.

enjoy

 

[Wombat]

Both Powers and Cornwell are very good on this mark. Even if you are not a fan of their other works, I can highly recommend these specific ones.

If you want a good overview of just where Grail stories can go when utterly left off the leash, I suggest trying to find the two volume collection Grails: Visitations of the Night and Grails: Quests of the Dawn, put out by Roc Fantasy, edited by Richard Gilliam, Martin H. Greenberg, and Edward E. Kramer (1994). These are fantastic collections of short stories by both Name and No Name authors, including George Alec Effinger, Tanith Lee, Neil Gaiman, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Orson Scott Card, Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton. The stories range from Absolutely Fantastic to What The *#@( Was That All About? Can't ask for wider variation and range than that

(I have a personal fondness for the stories "Jesus Used a Paper Cup" by Adam-Troy Castro and "Chivalry" by Neil Gaiman)

 

[Cthulhudrew]

A couple people beat me to it, but Cornwell's Grail Quest trilogy (The Archer's Tale, Vagabond, and Heretic- all available in paperback currently) are excellent reads. Just finished Heretic, actually. I haven't read his Arthur series yet, though I plan to. For historic fiction, Cornwell just can't be beat.

(As an aside, for a very interesting piece of fiction, pick up Cornwell's Stonehenge- the story it tells isn't all that innovative and creative compared to some of his other work, but put in the context of what he is doing- essentially telling a possible origin of the creation of Stonehenge- it is a marvel.)

Also, as others have noted, the Grail pops up frequently in various of Moorcock's works. Seems to me there's another "modern" Grail quest that I enjoyed quite a bit that I can't recall offhand... hmm.

 

[The_Universe]

Stephen Lawhead's The Pendragon Cycle is a good retelling of the Arthurian legend, with not a lot of mysticism, but a little nonetheless. Not set in the present day, but it still has some modern sensibilities. One of my favorite series, ever!

 

[Stormborn]

For a fresh twist, Tim Power's Last Call. A favorate author and one of his best. The tale is set in 70's if that is modern enough for you.

enjoy

Along those lines try Power's Drawing of the Dark (one of his best ever) and Blaylocks Paper Grail (set in the same world as many of Power's books)

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade