Kenneth Morris

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Kenneth Morris (31 July 1879 – 21 April 1937) was a Welsh fantasy writer and theosophist. He lived at Point Loma from 1908 to 1930 as a staff member. He and Talbot Mundy were friends, and often reviewed each other's writings in The Theosophical Path.[1] Many of his stories were published in theosophical magazines under pseudonyms: all of which appeared in theosophical journals and almost all under a weird array of pseudonyms Cenydd Morus, Quintus Reynolds, C. ApArthur, Sergius Mompesson, Wentworth Thompkins, Fortescue Lanyard, and Aubrey Tyndall-Bloggsleigh.

Early years

[2]

Later years

The last seven years of his life were spent back in his native Wales, during which time he founded seven Welsh theosophical lodges.

Ursula K. Le Guin considers him to be one of the three master prose stylists of fantasy in the 20th century, together with E. R. Eddison and J. R. R. Tolkien. [3]

Theosophical works

  • Crest-Wave of Evolution (1918-1919). A Course of Lectures in History, Given to the Graduates' Class in the Raja-Yoga College, Point Loma, in the College-Year 1918-1919, originally serialized in The Theosophical Path in 27 Chapters from March, 1919 through July, 1921.
  • Golden Threads in the Tapestry of History. Lecture series published by Point Loma Publications in 1975.

Fiction works

  • The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed (1914) Published by a theosophical press under the name Cenydd Morus and illustrated by Reginald Machell. Available online at Theosophical University Press[2].
  • The Secret Mountain and Other Tales (1926)
  • Book of the Three Dragons (1930). A continuation of The Fates of the Princes of Dyfed, it was republished in 2004 by Cold Spring Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, with the original ending restored.
  • The Chalchiuhite Dragon: A Tale of Toltec Times (1992). Published posthumously. Available online at Theosophical University Press.[3]
  • The Dragon Path: Collected Tales of Kenneth Morris (1995) Edited by Douglas A. Anderson. This volume includes Morris' early collection, The Secret Mountain and Other Tales, plus many stories never before reprinted and some published only pseudonymously during the author's lifetime.

Notes

  1. Brian Taves, Talbot Mundy: Philosopher of Adventure (Jefferson,North Carolina: McFarland, 2006), 137.
  2. Douglas A. Anderson, book review in Theosophy Northwest[1]
  3. Ursula K. Le Guin, The Language of the Night: Essays on Science Fiction and Fantasy (New York: Ultramarine Publishing, 1980), 88.

Additional resources

  • Anderson, Douglas A. "The Coming of the God". Sunrise (February/March 1992). Available online at Theosophical University Press.[4].
  • Boyer, Robert H. and Kenneth J. Zahorski. Lloyd Alexander, Evangeline Walton Ensley, Kenneth Morris: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography. 1988).
  • Hartwell, David G. Masterpieces of Fantasy and Enchantment. 1988.