Before the Cthulhu mythos reshaped cosmic horror, Lord Dunsany was already mapping the unknown.
First published in 1905, The Gods of Pegana is an influential but often overlooked work of early fantasy literature, laying the groundwork for writers like H.P. Lovecraft, J.R.R. Tolkien and Ursula K. Le Guin. Now, Denver’s Wig Shop is bringing Dunsany’s cosmology back into the spotlight with a new illustrated edition, and we’re excited to share an exclusive first look at preview pages from the book.
This upcoming Kickstarter project pairs Dunsany’s dreamlike text with full-color paintings by artist Dustin Holland. This edition presents the complete original text, surrounded by richly painted borders and punctuated by full-page illustrations that mirror a medieval illuminated manuscript.
Holland draws inspiration from sources as varied as Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Fleischer Studios animation and underground cartoonists like Gary Panter and Julie Doucet. The result is a hallucinatory visual language that feels perfectly suited to Dunsany’s pantheon of gods, monsters and prophets.
“It’s rare to find a book with so many ideas per page,” Holland said. “I hope these paintings invite readers to revel in Dunsany’s imagination and really celebrate the dreamy world he’s built.”
The 7×10, 139-page deluxe paperback is set to launch on Kickstarter next month, with additional rewards including original artwork and campaign-exclusive extras. Check out the exclusive preview pages below:
Lord Dunsany, whose birth name was Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, was an Anglo-Irish writer, playwright and aristocrat whose work helped define modern fantasy decades before the genre had a name. Writing in the early 20th century, Dunsany is known for pioneering a mythic, dreamlike style that rejected realism in favor of invented pantheons, imagined histories and cosmic perspectives far beyond human concerns.
“It has been a real pleasure to illustrate this new edition of The Gods of Pegana,” Holland said. “It’s rare to find a book with so many ideas-per-page. I hope these paintings invite readers to revel in Dunsany’s imagination and really celebrate the dreamy world he’s built.”
Follow the project on Kickstarter to learn more.