BIBLIOHOLICA: Specific List * Ballantine Adult Fantasy series
1st logo 2nd logo Ballantine published this mass market paperback line during the period of 1969 to 1974, with Lin Carter as its editorial consultant. Basically, books included in this line bear the "Unicorn's Head" colophon, but several others have just the word, "A Ballantine Adult Fantasy" on the upper left corner of its front cover. The titles included in this line somewhat vary because several books acquire "Unicorn's Head" logo in later printings. The closing date of this series is unclear, too. There are two types of "Unicorn's Head" logo. The first logo, I think, is for the first year titles. Others have the second version (simplified) logo.

I've listed the "essential" Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series books which Lin Carter indicated in his "Imaginary Worlds," and 1st printing titles with Unicorn's Head logo after the publication of the said title. Also listed here is the titles which could be called "pre-" Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. Lin Carter himself stated that he would have published them had they not, and although none of the titles bears the Unicorn's Head colophon, he listed them as a sort of preface to the Series proper.
Note: The information here is based on my own BAF series collection and I do not claim this list is complete or definite. Please feel free to correct or add information. (There are several earlier titles, namely Tolkien books, I do not have in my library yet..... Cover images not shown will be uploaded when I dug them out from my collection.


The following two titles are not in the series but could be counted as its companion :-)
A Look Behind the Lord of Rings A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos
   - Carter, Lin:
  Tolkien: A Look Behind the Lord of Rings (1969/3)

   - Carter, Lin:
  Lovecraft: A Look Behind the Cthulhu Mythos (1972/2)
   cover art by Gervasio Gallardo
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Companion titles or rather, pre-BAF series
1965
- Tolkien, J.R.R: The Hobbit (aug)
- Tolkien, J.R.R: The Fellowship of the Ring (oct)
- Tolkien, J.R.R: The Two Towers (oct)
- Tolkien, J.R.R: The Return of the King (dec)
1966
- Tolkien, J.R.R: The Tolkien Reader (sep) Mistress of Mistresses
Worm Ouroboros
1967
- Eddison, E. R.: The Worm Ouroboros (apr) - cover by Barbara Remington
- Eddison, E. R.: Mistress of Mistresses (aug) - cover by Barbara Remington
1968
- Eddison, E. R.: A Fish Dinner in Memison (feb) - probably, Barbara Remington
- Peake, Mervyn: Titus Groan (oct) - no cover credits
- Peake, Mervyn: Gormenghast (oct) - no cover credits
- Peake, Mervyn: Titus Alone (oct) - no cover credits
- Tolkien, J.R.R & Donald Swann: The Road Goes Ever On (oct)
- Lindsay, David: A Voyage to Arcturus (nov) - later printing aquired "Unicorn's Head" logo

Fish Dinner Titus Groan Gormenghast Titus Alone Voyage to Arcturus
Ballantine Adult Fantasy
1969
- Beagle, Peter S.: The Last Unicorn (feb)
       "A Ballantine Adult Fantasy" on the front cover (see right-side image) but no Carter's introduction.
- Tolkien, J.R.R: Smith of Wootton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham (mar)
- Eddison, E. R.: The Mezentian Gate (apr)
       "A Ballantine Adult Fantasy" on the front cover. no cover credits (Barbara Remington)
- Beagle, Peter S.: A Fine and Private Place (feb) "A Ballantine Adult Fantasy" on the front cover.
       This title is not in the Carter's list of "Imaginary Worlds", but it also bears the similar cover style.
Last Unicorn Smith of Wootton Major Mezentian Gate Fine and Private Place
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Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series essential list
Unless otherwise noted, all books are 1st printings in Ballantine paperback edition and have introduction by Lin Carter and Unicorn's Head colophon.

1969
Blue Star King of Elfland's Daughter Wood Beyond the World Silver Stallion Lilith Dragons, Elves and Heroes Young Magicians Figures of Earth
Sorcerer's Ship
  1. Pratt, Fletcher: The Blue Star (may) no cover credits
  2. Dunsany, Lord: The King of Elfland's Daughter (jun) no cover credits
  3. Morris, William: The Wood Beyond the World (jul) no cover credits
  4. Cabell, James Branch: The Silver Stallion (aug) no cover credits
  5. MacDonald, George: Lilith (sep) no cover credits
  6. Carter, Lin (Ed.): Dragons, Elves and Heroes (oct) cover by Sheryl Slavitt
  7. Carter, Lin (Ed.): The Young Magicians (oct) cover by Sheryl Slavitt
  8. Cabell, James Branch: Figures of Earth (nov) cover by Robert Pepper
  9. Bok, Hannes: The Sorcerer's Ship (dec) New "Unicorn's Head logo" design. cover by Ray Cruz
1970
  1. Pratt, Fletcher & L.Sprague De Camp: Land of Unreason (jan) cover by Donna Violetti
  2. Cabell, James Branch: The High Place (feb) cover by Frank C. Pape
  3. Mirrlees, Hope: Lud-in-the-Mist (mar) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  4. Dunsany, Lord: At the Edge of the World (mar) cover by Ray Cruz
  5. MacDonald, George: Phantastes (apr) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  6. Lovecraft, H.P.: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (may) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  7. Smith, Clark Ashton: Zothique (jun) cover by George Barr
  8. Meredith, George: The Shavings of Shagpat (jul) cover by Ray Cruz
  9. Walton, Evangeline: The Island of the Mighty (jul) cover by Bob Pepper
  10. Kurtz, Katherine: Deryni Rising (aug) cover by Bob Pepper
  11. Morris, William: The Well at the World's End volume I (aug) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  12. Morris, William: The Well at the World's End volume II (sep) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  13. Carter, Lin (Ed.): Golden Cities, Far (oct) cover by Ralph Iwamoto & Kathleen Zimmerman
  14. Bok, Hannes: Beyond the Golden Stair (nov) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
Land of Unreason High Place Lud-in-the-Mist At the Edge of the World Phantastes Dream-Quest Zothique Shavings of Shagpat Island of the Mighty Deryni Rising Well at the World's End I Well at the World's End II Golden Cities, Far Beyond the Golden Stair

1971
  1. Anderson, Poul: The Broken Sword (jan) cover by George Barr
  2. Hodgson, William Hope: The Boats of the "Glen Carrig" (feb) cover by Robert LoGrippo
  3. Lovecraft, H.P.: The Doom That Came To Sarnath (feb) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  4. Cabell, James Branch: Something About Eve (mar) cover by Bob Pepper
  5. Chant, Joy: Red Moon and Black Mountain (mar) cover by Bob Pepper 2nd printing's cover is by Ian Millar
  6. Smith, Clark Ashton: Hyperborea (apr) cover by Bill Martin
  7. Dunsany, Lord: Don Rodriguez: Chronicles of Shadow Valley (may) cover by Bob Pepper
  8. Beckford, William: Vathek (jun) cover by Ray Cruz
  9. Chesterton, G.K.: The Man Who Was Thursday (jul) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  10. Walton, Evangeline: The Children of Llyr (aug) cover by David Johnston
  11. Cabell, James Branch: The Cream of the Jest (aug) cover by Brian Froud
  12. Carter, Lin (Ed.): New Worlds for Old (sep) cover by David Johnston
  13. Carter, Lin (ed.): The Spawn of Cthulhu & Others (oct) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  14. Cooper, Edmund / Green, Roger Lancelyn: Double Phoenix (nov)
    Include "The Firebird" by Cooper & "From the World's End" by Green cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  15. Morris, William: The Water of the Wondrous Isles (nov) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  16. Crawford, F.Marion: Khaled (dec) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
Broken Sword Boats of the Glen Carrig Doom That Came To Sarnath Something About Eve Red Moon and Black Mountain Hyperborea Don Rodriguez Vathek Man Who Was Thursday Children of Llyr Cream of the Jest New Worlds for Old Spawn of Cthulhu Double Phoenix Water of the Wondrous Isles Khaled
1972
  1. Haggard, H.Rider & Andrew Lang: The World's Desire (jan) cover by Vincent di Fate
  2. Smith, Clark Ashton: Xiccarph (feb) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  3. Hyne, C.J.Cutliffe: The Lost Continent (feb) cover by Dean Ellis
  4. Carter, Lin (Ed.): Discoveries in Fantasy (mar) cover by Peter Le Vasseur
  5. Cabell, James Branch: Domnei (mar) cover by Brian Froude
  6. Bramah, Ernest: Kai Lung's Golden Hours (apr) cover by Ian Millar
  7. Kurtz, Katherine: Deryni Checkmate (may) cover by Bob Pepper
  8. Dunsany, Lord: Beyond the Fields We Know (may) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  9. Machen, Arthur: The Three Impostors (jun) cover by Bob LoGrippo
  10. Hodgson, William Hope: The Night Land vol.1 (jul) cover by Robert LoGrippo
  11. Hodgson, William Hope: The Night Land vol.2 (jul) cover by Robert LoGrippo
  12. Walton, Evangeline: The Song of Rhiannon (aug) cover by David Johnston
  13. Carter, Lin (Ed.): Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy I (sep) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  14. MacDonald, George: Evenor (nov) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
World's Desire Xiccarph Lost Continent Discoveries in Fantasy Domnei Kai Lung's Golden Hours Deryni Checkmate Beyond the Fields We Know Three Impostors Night Land vol.1 Night Land vol.2 Song of Rhiannon Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy I Evenor

1973
  1. Ariosto, Ludovico: Orlando Furioso (jan) cover by David Johnston
  2. Dunsany, Lord: The Charwoman's Shadow (feb) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  3. Carter, Lin (Ed.): Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy Volume II (mar) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  4. Morris, William: The Sundering Flood (may) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  5. Carter, Lin (Ed.): Imaginary Worlds (jun) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  6. Smith, Clark Ashton: Poseidonis (jul) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  7. Laubenthal, Sanders Anne:Excalibur (aug) cover by Gervasio Gallardo
  8. Kurtz, Katherine: High Deryni (sep) cover by Alan Mardon
  9. Anderson, Poul: Hrolf Kraki's Saga (oct) cover by Allan Mardon
  10. Haggard, Henry Rider: The People of the Mist (dec) cover by Dean Ellis

    - Lindsay, David: A Voyage to Arcturus (sep, 3rd printing) This 3rd printing has the "Unicorn's Head" logo. No Carter's introduction. cover by Bob Pepper
    - The Worm Ouroboros by E. R. Eddison, had been reprinted (7th printing?) with "Unicorn's Head" but no Lin Carter's introduction.
Orlando Furioso Charwoman's Shadow Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy Volume II Sundering Flood Imaginary Worlds Poseidonis Excalibur High Deryni Hrolf Kraki's Saga People of the Mist Voyage to Arcturus
1974
  1. Bramah, Ernest: Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat (feb) cover by Ian Millar
  2. Dunsany, Lord: Over the Hills and Far Away (apr) cover by Gervasio Gallardo

    - Munn, H.Warner: Merlin's Ring (jun) no Unicorn's Head logo. Only the word "BALLANTINE FANTASY" is on the front cover.
    Introduction by Lin Carter. cover by Gervasio Gallardo

    - Walton, Evangeline: Prince of Annwn (nov) this book is aquired for the series but published without the logo or Carter's intro.

    Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat Over the Hills and Far Away      Merlin's Ring Prince of Annwn
    - Titus Groan, Gormenghast and Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake are said to be reprinted (5th printing) with Unicorn's Head logo. No Carter's introduction.
    I Got the information that the 5th printing of "Titus Groan" (Jan 1974) has the Unicorn's head on the cover (thank you for your information, dear Ray)
-------------- The end of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy list ----------------
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