What a gut kick to learn that she’s passed away. Her books were so influential in the entire fantasy landscape, and I wish more people knew about her books, especially the Paradys novels and the Tales from the Flat Earth. She could write creepy mood and evocative setting like no one else and incorporate horrific takes on modern fairy tales. I loved Heartbeast, which was about a werewolf, but it was absolutely not urban fantasy. It was Victorian horror. But then there were some fun children stories. One I especially liked was set in India. Then there was Cyrion, a heroic warrior who was unlike Conan in that he was very cerebral in how he dished out his violence. He mainly won his battles through guile. I could go on and on about her books and stories.
There are ongoing discussions on some websites about female fantasy authors that should be more widely read. There aren’t many that should be higher on the list than Tanith Lee. I hope people will go out and rediscover her works.
Rest in peace to a wonderful author and my heartfelt condolences to those she left behind.
Here’s an article about the type of writer she was.