Manuscript Discovered in a Dragon's Cave () is a guide to fantasy literature. It was written in the form of an encyclopedia by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, first published by Supernowa publishing house in 2001. The author discusses in it the history of the literary genre, well-known fantasy heroes, descriptions of magic terminology, fantasy features, fantastic bestiary, major fantasy writers and characters.Eryk Remiezowicz, Bajka o bajkach [Andrzej Sapkowski „Rękopis znaleziony w smoczej jaskini. Kompendium wiedzy o literaturze fantasy” - recenzja]Sapkowski, Andrzej, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
Several sections of the book discuss the essence and the limits of the genre as Sapkowski defines it, albeit rather broadly.
Polish literary critic Eryk Remiezowicz writes that the book "should become required reading for Polish educators and a model for writing textbooks on any topic. Lots of information, reasoning, well, sometimes shaky, but usually surprisingly coherent. The author rarely deviates from his enlightening course (unless he absolutely has to add that one great story), and everything is served in a thickly humorous glaze that makes digestion easier." From the very beginning the author presents the text as his subjective opinion, from the definition of the genre to sharp but witty criticism of what he does not like in it.
The fantasy canon according to Sapkowski The first edition of the book contained a list of "85 titles that every self-respecting fan of the genre should know", expanded in the 2011 edition to 100. The ten emboldened titles are works that Sapkowski views as "absolutną klasykę" ("absolute classics"). NrTitleFormaAuthorYear(s)1The Hobbit, or There and Back AgainnovelJ.R.R. Tolkien19372Conanshort-story seriesRobert E. Howard1932–19363Harold Sheanovella seriesFletcher Pratt, L. Sprague de Camp1940–19544The Chronicles of Narnianovel seriesC.S. Lewis1950–19565SilverlocknovelJohn Myers Myers19496Dying Earthshort-story seriesJack Vance19507The Lord of the RingsnovelJ.R.R. Tolkien1954–19558Fafhrd and the Gray Mouserseries of novels and short storiesFritz Leiber1939–19889The Broken SwordnovelPoul Anderson195410The Once and Future Kingseries of novelsT.H. White1938–197711Three Hearts and Three LionsnovelPoul Anderson196112Glory RoadnovelRobert A. Heinlein196313Witch Worldseries of novelsAndre Norton1963–14Elric of Melnibonéseries of novels and short storiesMichael Moorcock1961–15The Last UnicornnovelPeter S. Beagle196816Earthseaseries of novels and short storiesUrsula K. Le Guin1964–201817GrendelnovelJohn Gardner197118Jack of ShadowsnovelRoger Zelazny197119The Chronicles of Amberseries of novels and short storiesRoger Zelazny1970–199120Watership DownnovelRichard Adams197221Deryniseries of novels and short storiesKatherine Kurtz1970–22BirthgravetrilogyTanith Lee1975–197823Dragon Knightseries of novelsGordon R. Dickson1976–200024The Forgotten Beasts of EldnovelPatricia A. McKillip197425The Riddle-Master trilogytrilogyPatricia A. McKillip1976–197926The Morgaine StoriestetralogyC.J. Cherryh1976–198827Die unendliche GeschichtenovelMichael Ende197928The Chronicles of Thomas Covenantseries of novelsStephen R. Donaldson1977–201329The Land of LaughsnovelJonathan Carroll198030The Vampire TapestrynovelSuzy McKee Charnas198031Lord Valentine's CastlenovelRobert Silverberg198032AriostonovelChelsea Quinn Yarbro198033Little, BignovelJohn Crowley198134The Book of the New Sunseries of novelsGene Wolfe1980–198735The Chronicles of TornortrilogyElizabeth A. Lynn1979–198036Winter's TalenovelMark Helprin198337LyonessetrilogyJack Vance1983–198938Spellsingerseries of novelsAlan Dean Foster1983–200439The Belgariad, The Malloreonseries of novelsDavid Eddings1982–1984, 1987–199140The Mists of AvalonnovelMarion Zimmer Bradley198341The Anubis GatesnovelTim Powers198342Tea with the Black DragonnovelR.A. MacAvoy198343The True Gameseries of novelsSheri S. Tepper1983–198644The Witches of EastwicknovelJohn Updike198445Ryhope Woodseries of novels and short storiesRobert Holdstock1984–200946The Black Companyseries of novels and short storiesGlen Cook1984–47The Princess BridenovelWilliam Goldman197348The Ladies of MandrigynnovelBarbara Hambly198449Kedrigernseries of novels and short storiesJohn Morressy1981–200350The Fionavar TapestrytrilogyGuy Gavriel Kay1984–198651Xanthseries of novelsPiers Anthony1977–52Magic Kingdom of Landoverseries of novelsTerry Brooks1986–53The Tales of Alvin Makerseries of novels and short storiesOrson Scott Card1986–54MerlinnovelRobert Nye197855DragonsbanenovelBarbara Hambly198556The Winter of the Worldseries of novelsMichael Scott Rohan1986–200157The Eyes of the DragonnovelStephen King198458Soldiernovel and sequelGene Wolfe1986–198959Memory, Sorrow, and ThorntrilogyTad Williams1988–199360Bones of the Moon, Sleeping in Flame,
A Child Across the SkytrilogyJonathan Carroll1987–198961Stalking the UnicornnovelMike Resnick198762The Stress of Her RegardnovelTim Powers198963The Healer's WarnovelElizabeth Ann Scarborough198864Knights of Dark RenownnovelDavid Gemmell198965TigananovelGuy Gavriel Kay199066The Wheel of Timeseries of novelsRobert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson1990–201367BeautynovelSheri S. Tepper199168Briar RosenovelJane Yolen199269Last CallnovelTim Powers199270The Innkeeper's SongnovelPeter S. Beagle199371The Iron Dragon’s DaughternovelMichael Swanwick199372Winter RosenovelPatricia A. McKillip199673The Moon and the SunnovelVonda N. McIntyre199774Jack FaustnovelMichael Swanwick199775Lord of the Two LandsnovelJudith Tarr199376The Death of the NecromancernovelMartha Wells199877Harry Potterseries of novelsJ.K. Rowling1997–200778MockingbirdnovelSean Stewart199879The Sarantine Mosaicnovel and sequelGuy Gavriel Kay1998–200080TamsinnovelPeter S. Beagle199981Symphony of Agesseries of novelsElizabeth Haydon1999–200282Stardust, NeverwherenovelsNeil Gaiman1997, 199683A Song of Ice and Fireseries of novelsGeorge R.R. Martin1996–84The Snow QueennovelEileen Kernaghan200085Thraxasseries of novelsMartin Scott1999–2019Items added in the 2011 second edition:86Interview with the VampirenovelAnne Rice197687Discworldseries of novelsTerry Pratchett1983–201588His Dark MaterialstrilogyPhilip Pullman1995–200089American GodsnovelNeil Gaiman200190Perdido Street StationnovelChina Miéville200091Castleseries of novelsSteph Swainston2004–92The First Lawseries of novels and short storiesJoe Abercrombie2006–93Jonathan Strange & Mr NorrellnovelSusanna Clarke200494VellumnovelHal Duncan200595Anansi BoysnovelNeil Gaiman200596Temeraireseries of novelsNaomi Novik2006–97The Kingkiller Chronicleseries of novelsPatrick Rothfuss2007–98The Graveyard BooknovelNeil Gaiman200899Nostradamus / Venice trilogytrilogyDave Duncan2007–2009100LavinianovelUrsula K. Le Guin2008
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