The Worm Ouroboros
core novel 1922 The Worm Ouroboros
Record
| First published | 1922 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.70 (5,252 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780345254757 |
Synopsis
The Worm Ouroboros, published by E.R. Eddison in 1922, opens with a character named Lessingham mysteriously transported from Earth to a fantastical version of the planet Mercury, where he becomes an unseen observer of the lords of Demonland. When an arrogant dwarf ambassador arrives from neighboring Witchland demanding that the Demons submit to the rule of King Gorice XI, the dispute is set to be settled through single combat, a wrestling match between Gorice and the Demon lord Goldry Bluszco. The match ends in the Witchland king's death, an outcome that Witchland refuses to accept as final, and the resulting grievance ignites a prolonged, escalating war between the two proud, magic-touched nations that consumes much of the novel's sprawling heroic narrative.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Worm Ouroboros
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: E.R. Eddison
Notes
- First published 1922, Jonathan Cape (London), illustrated by Keith Henderson. A standalone novel set on a fantastical version of the planet Mercury; only tangentially related to Eddison's later, separate Zimiamvia trilogy (Mistress of Mistresses, 1935; A Fish Dinner in Memison, 1941; The Mezentian Gate, 1958) via a brief shared cosmological reference, not a shared setting or characters -- Zimiamvia itself is not researched or registered and is a real future candidate on its own merits. Predates the Hugo Award (1953) by decades -- zero contemporary genre awards exist; widely retrospectively praised (E.F. Bleiler, Ursula K. Le Guin) but that is critical reception, not a formal award.
Sources
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Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.