Illustrated and presented by one of the leading artists in modern fantasy, The Book Of Ballads gives us some of the great songs and folktales of the English, Irish, and Scottish traditions, re-imagined in sequential art form, in collaboration with some of today's strongest fantasy writers. Here is New York. Times bestseller Neil Gaiman retelling "The False Knight on the Road", bestselling mystery author Sharyn McCrumb reimagining "Thomas the Rhymer", acclaimed children's writer Jane Yolen with "King Henry" and "The Great Selchie of Sule Skerrie", popular novelist Charles de Lint's contemporary reworking of "Twa Corbies", comics superstar Jeff Smith with "The Galtee Farmer", Emma Bull's version of "The Black Fox," and much, much more. Introduced by award-winning editor and writer Terri Windling, and finished with full lyrics and discographies of the classic versions of these songs and tales, The Book Of Ballads is an event in the worlds of fantasy and graphic storytelling alike.
As an illustrator and as a collaborator, Charles Vess has worked with Neil Gaiman, with whom he shared a World Fantasy Award for the "Midsummer Night's Dream" issue of Sandman; with Charles de Lint on children's books and illustrated novels; and with Jeff Smith on the Bone prequel Rose. Vess has won the World Fantasy Award twice. His Ballads series won him the comic-book industry's prestigious Eisner award. He is currently illustrating a special limited edition of George R. R. Martin's bestselling A Storm of Swords.