Jin Yong Among the Fantasy Greats
We were delighted to discover overnight that A Hero Born, Volume I of Legends of the Condor Heroes has been included on TIME Magazine’s list of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time.
The list was selected by a panel of writers comprising N.K. Jemisin, Neil Gaiman, Sabaa Tahir, Tomi Adeyemi, Diana Gabaldon, George R.R. Martin, Cassandra Clare and Marlon James. It appears in chronological order beginning with The Arabian Nights (9th century) and concluding with Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez (published in January 2020).
Sadly, this huge honour comes too late for Jin Yong himself, who died just under two years ago on 30th October 2018. In Janaury 2021 we will be publishing A Heart Divided: Legends of the Condor Heroes IV, and at last the whole story will be available in English translation after years of hard but enjoyable work from our team of translators, Anna Holmwood, Gigi Chang and Shelly Bryant. Fans of Guo Jing and Lotus who have followed their adventures through volumes I to III are in for a treat with this final installment, which features a visit to the sanctuary of the King of the South, a murder mystery on Peach Blossom Island and the return to the tale of Genghis Khan himself.
Congratulations also to our sister imprint Jo Fletcher Books, who also have a book on the list: Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow.