The Well at the World's End
The Well at the World's End is a high fantasy novel by the British textile designer, poet, and author William Morris. It was first published in 1896 and has been reprinted repeatedly since, most notably in two parts as the 20th and 21st volumes of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, in August and September 1970.
Covers of The Well at the World's End (1970), vols. 1–2, Ballantine Books
A double-page spread in The Well at the World's End, illustrated with woodcuts on vellum by Morris's friend Edward Burne-Jones, 1896
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. High fantasy is set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the "real" or "primary" world. This secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements.
The Well at the World's End (1896) by William Morris is an early example of high fantasy fiction.
