Dream Smith

~ A Short Story in the Witch World Saga by Andre Norton

spell of the witch world 1972 uq1001

 

Synopsis ~

Collard was a well-favored smith's son. Yet when he tried to work some metal of the Old Ones out of the Wastes, his body was transformed into a hideous form. But with his maimed body, he received a gift: he dreamed and was able to craft what he saw in his dreams into beautiful statues with the Old Ones' ore. Can he make his dreams and those of a sickly Lady of the Dales become a reality?

 

Write-up from a fan ~

A blacksmith with two fine sons takes in trade some strange material from a trader out of the hills surrounding their village of Ithondale. When his son Collard tries to work the metal, there is an explosion, which maims and cripples him for life. After he had healed as much as possible, he discovers a way to work the metal into small figurines. Vecys, the Lord of Ithondale remarries and to appease his new wife, he sends his crippled daughter, Jacinda, to the Keep above Ithondale; the new wife fears that always seeing such a cripple will affect the new child she is carrying.

To make Jacinda's exile a little more tolerable, Collard begins to make "happy" figurines for her. One day, he dreams of a Keep to make out of the strange metal and does so. Just as he finishes it, the Lord Vescys dies, leaving his only heir the crippled Jacinda. Vescys new wife, disappointed of her hopes of bearing the Lord an heir, makes plans to marry Jacinda off to her brother, so the lands and title stay in her own hands. Collard fears it will mean Jacinda's death, so he carries his Keep to a shrine of the Old Ones and following the Wise Woman's directions works a spell to transform both him and Jacinda into the Lord and Lady oh his tiny Keep. ~ SL


 

Reviews ~

Various reviews ~ For more info and other listings see Articles Over the Years

2021 by Judith Tarr


 

Bibliography of English Editions ~

  • Spell of the Witch World (1972) Published by DAW, PB, 0-451-UQ100-1, $0.95, 159pg ~ cover by Jack Gaughan (Re-released in 2012)

 

Non-English Editions ~

  • (1978) Published in Paris, by Presses Pocket, 22660030088; 414 pg ~ cover by J. P. Ferté ~ German title Le manoir des roses [The Manor of Roses] ~ reprinted in 1988 isbn: 2266022326 ~ collection of short stories
  • (1984) Published in Munich, Germany; by Heyne, PB, 978-3-453-31040-7, DM9.80, 387pg ~ cover by Vicente Segrelles ~ German title Die Götter von Pegana [The gods of Pegana] ~ collection of short stories (pg. 298)

 

Russian Omnibus Editions ~

  • (1991) Published in Nizhny Novgorod, by Phlox, 5-871-98001-5, HC, 496pg ~ cover by Boris Vallejo ~ illustrations by V. Ana ~ Russian title Фата - Моргана 2 [Fata-Morgan 2] (a collection of 30 short stories from multiple authors)

Contains:

    • "Dream Smith" as "The Dream of a Blacksmith" ~ translation by L. Deutsch, pp. 225-237

 

  • (1992)-1 Published in Moscow by Fairy, 5-867-40009-3, HC, 426pg ~ "Witch World" translation by R.J. Sokolov ~ cover by N. Ivanova, N. Lyubeshkina ~ Russian title Ведьмы из Эсткарпа [Witches from Estcarp]

Contains:

    • From the publisher, pp. 5-6
    • "Witch World" as "Witches from Estcarp" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 7-222
    • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon bowl" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 223-293
    • "Dream Smith" as "The Smith of Visions" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 294-313
    • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber from Quays" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 314-368
    • "The Toads of Grimmerdale" as "Frogs of the Balefoot" ~ translation by K. Korolyov, pp. 369-424
    • Sources, p. 425

 

  • (1992)-2 Published in Moscow by Fairy, 5-867-40017-4, HC, 382pg~ "Witch World" translation by R.J. Sokolov ~ cover by N. Zubkov ~ Russian title Ведьмы из Эсткарпа [Witches from Estcarp]

Contains:

    • From the publisher, pp. 5-6
    • "Witch World" as "Witches from Estcarp" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 7-200
    • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon bowl" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 201-264
    • "Dream Smith" as "The Smith of Visions" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 265-282
    • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber from Quays" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 283-330
    • "The Toads of Grimmerdale" as "Frogs of the Balefoot" ~ translation by K. Korolyov, pp. 331-380

 

  • (1992)-3 Published in Novosibirsk, by EYA, 5-872-16014-3, HC, 448pg ~ cover by M. Mikhalev ~ Russian title Колдовской мир [Witching World]

Contains:

    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Witch of the Witching World" ~ pp. 3-126
    • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ pp. 127-222
    • "The Crystal Gryphon" as "Crystal with the Griffin" ~ pp. 223-354
    • "Spell of the Witch World" as "Enchantment of the Witching World" ~ pp. 355-448
      • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Part I" ~ pp. 355-401
      • "Dream Smith" as "Part II" ~ pp. 402-413
      • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Part III" ~ pp. 413-448

 

  • (1992)-4 Published in Moscow, by Interbook, 5-766-40814-5, HC, 348pg ~ cover by V. Kurilov ~ Russian title Год Единорога [Year of the Unicorn]

Contains:

    • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ pp. 3-102
    • "Sorceress of the Witch World" as "The Sorceress of the Witching World" ~ pp. 103-244
    • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon with Silver Scales" ~ pp. 245-294
    • "Dream Smith" as "The Dream of a Blacksmith" ~ pp. 295-307
    • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber Keita" ~ pp. 309-347

 

  • (1993) Published in Moscow, by Artlik, 5-855-98012-X, HC 416pg ~ cover by N. Rosenthal ~ Russian title Год Единорога [Year of the Unicorn] ~ The collection "Enchantments of the witching world" was published without breaking down into individual stories.

Contains:

    • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ pp. 3-118
    • "The Crystal Gryphon" as "Crystal with a Griffin" ~ pp. 119-270
    • "Spell of the Witch World" as "Enchantment of the Witching World" (collection), pp. 271-378
      • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon bowl" ~ pp. 271-324
      • "Dream Smith" as "The blacksmith of visions" ~ pp. 324-337
      • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber from Quait" ~ pp. 337-378
    • "The Toads of Grimmerdale" as "Grimmerdale Toads" ~ pp. 379-416

 

  • (2002) Published in Moscow, by AST, 5-170-11020-0 and 5-792-10462-X, HC, 572pg ~ "Spell of the Witch World" translation by Sokolova ~ cover by G. Ruddell (left and top) & T. Jacobus (bottom right) ~ Russian title Сказительница. Сказания колдовского мира [Storyteller. Tales of the Witching World]

Contains:

    • "Songsmith" as "Narrator" ~ translation by D. Arseniev, p. 5-332
    • "Spell of the Witch World" as "Tales of the Witching World" (collection)
      • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon Cup" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, p. 333-416
      • "Dream Smith" as "The Smith of Visions" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, p. 417-438
      • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber from Quayt" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, p. 439-504
    • History of the Witching World (Appendix), p. 505-573

 

  • (2021) Published in Moscow by Azbuca-Atticus, 978-5-389-18581-4, HC, 608pg ~ cover by O. Zacis ~ Russian title Колдовской мир. Год Единорога [The Witch's World. Year of the Unicorn] ~ Limited to 4000 copies

Contains:

    • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ translation by E. Klipova, pp. 5-210
    • "Spell of the Witch World" as "Tales of the Witch's World" ~ translation by Y. Sokolov, pp. 211-372
      • "Dragon Scale Silver" as  "Dragon Bowl" ~ translation by Y. Sokolov, pp. 213-291
      • "Dream Smith" as "The Blacksmith of Visions" ~ translation by Y. Sokolov, pp. 292-311
      • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber from Quayta" ~ translation by Y. Sokolov, pp. 312-372
    • "Hown Crown" as "Horned Crown" ~ translation by N. Omelyanovich, pp. 373-604

 

Ukrainian Omnibus Editions ~ 

  • (1992)-5 Published in Kyiv, Ukraine by Alterpres, 5-874-98065-2, HC, 752pg ~ "Witch World" translation by translation by Yu Sokolova ~ cover by A. Stolin ~ Ukrainian title Галактический почтовый [Galactic Postal]

Contains:

    • "Forward" by A. Belevtseva, p. 5-6
    • "Sargasso of Space" as "Sargassos in space" ~translation by S. Berezhkov & S. Vitin, pp. 7-196
    • "Postmarked the Stars" as "Galactic Postal" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 197-394
    • "Witch World" as "Witches from Estkarp" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 395-604
    • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon bowl" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 605-680
    • "Dream Smith" as "The Smith of Visions" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 681-698
    • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber from Quays" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 699-752

  

  • (2010) Published in Kyiv, Ukraine by Globe, (Fanzine) ~ 716pgs. ~ cover by Rodney Matthews ~ Ukrainian title Колдовской мир-3 [Sorcerer's World -3] ~ Limited to 10 copies and not released until October 2018

Contains:

    • "High Hallack" as "Upper Holleck and Arvon"
      • "Horn Crown" as "A Crown of Woven Horns" ~ translation by N. Omelyanovich, pp. 5-161
      • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ translation by A. Gruzberg & O. Kolesnikov, pp. 163-269
    • "Spell of the Witch World" as "Tales of the Witching World"
      • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon bowl" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 271-326
      • "Dream Smith" as "The Smith of Visions" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 327-342
      • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber from Quayt" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 343-386
    • "Gryphon" as "Griffin"
      • "The Crystal Gryphon" as "Crystal Griffin" ~ translation by B. Sagalovsky, pp. 387-525
      • "Gryphon in Glory" as "Griffin triumphs" ~ translation by D. Saveliev, & J. Saveliev, pp. 527-714

 

  • (2015)-1 Published in Kyiv, Ukraine by Мой Друг Фантастика (My Fiction), HC, 1056pgs ~ translation of all short stories by Yu. Sokolov ~ cover art by R. Morrill ~ Ukrainian title Всё, что в тебе есть [All that is in you] (a collection of 57 short stories from multiple authors)

Contains:

    • "Dream Smith" as "The Smiths of Songs" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 202-216

 

  • (2015)-2 Published in Kharkov, Ukraine by Samizdat, HC, 1236pgs ~ translation of all short stories by Yu. Sokolov ~ Ukrainian title От Артура до Эсплунда [From Arthur to Esplunda] (a collection of 57 short stories from multiple authors)

Contains:

    • "Dream Smith" as "The Blacksmith of Visions" ~ translation by Yu. Sokolov, pp. 653-667

 

  • (2018) Published in Kyiv, Ukraine by My Friend Fiction (Fanzine) ~ 784pgs. ~ Ukrainian title Тройка мечей [Three Swords]

Contains:

    • "Trey of Swords" as "The Three of Swords" ~ pp. 7-120
    • "Ware Hawk" as "Beware of the hawk" ~ pp. 121-272
    • "The Gate of the Cat" as "Feline Gate" ~ pp. 273-410
    • "High Hallack" as "Upper Holleck and Arvon"
      • "Horn Crown" as "Crown of Woven Horns" pp. 411-564
      • "Year of the Unicorn" ~ pp. 565-672
    • "Spell of the Witch World" as "Tales of the Witching World"
      • "Dragon Scale Silver" as "Dragon Bowl" ~ pp. 673-725
      • "Dream Smith" as "The Blacksmith of Visions" ~ pp. 726-738
      • "Amber Out of Quayth" as "Amber from Quite" ~ pp. 739-780

See Also: The Sorcerer's Conspectus entry for this title.


 

 

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