THE JAGUAR HUNTER ..

[Sauk City, Wisconsin]: Arkham House Publishers, Inc., [1987]. First edition, first printing. A fine copy in fine dust jacket. (#169314) (29970). Octavo, cloth. 3194 copies printed. Collects eleven stories with foreword by Michael Bishop and illustrations by J. K. Potter. Second book and first story collection by the 1985 John W. Campbell Award winner. This book was reprinted not long after publication and many of the poor quality first printing copies were destroyed. "Winner of the 1988 World Fantasy Award for best collection, THE JAGUAR HUNTER includes the Nebula Award-winning novella 'R&R,' a dark fantasy about American soldiers losing their grip on sanity while on leave from a future war in Central America. Shepard's work combines elements of classic science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His thematic concerns are similar to those of Joseph Conrad and Graham Greene to whom he is often compared. The range of stories in THE JAGUAR HUNTER is remarkable. Set in India, 'The Night of the White Bhairab' is a clever variation on the traditional ghost story and clichéd tale of demonic possession exemplified by books such as THE AMITYVILLE HORROR. 'How the Wind Spoke at Madaket' deals with a capricious, cruel wind elemental that terrorizes a coastal community because of its loneliness. Other superb stories include 'The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule,' the tale of an artist's attempt to kill a sleeping dragon the size of a mountain range by turning the creature into a work of art, and 'A Spanish Lesson,' an horrific tale of telepathic refugees from an alternate reality in which the Nazis have won World War II and Hitler's reign has been maintained by servants who believe in his rebirth." - Boyd White. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-1000. Barron (ed), Fantasy and Horror (1999) 6-329.