E.R. Eddison
Eric Rucker Eddison (1882–1945) was an English author who is considered a pioneer of the 20th-century fantasy genre. Unlike many of his contemporaries, writing was not his primary occupation; he was a highly respected civil servant in the Board of Trade and was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG).
Eddison was a devoted admirer and scholar of Norse sagas, Homer, and Elizabethan prose, influences which heavily shaped his elaborate and distinctive literary style. Though he wrote other works, including the Zimiamvian Trilogy (which follows The Worm Ouroboros), his first novel remains his most famous and influential contribution to literature. Eddison's emphasis on intricate world-building and heightened, stylized language profoundly influenced the development of epic fantasy.
