Ealdwood Stories

Dreaming Tree omnibus
"The Dreamstone" (1979) Ealdwood (1981) The Dreamstone (1983) The Tree of Swords and Jewels (1983)
Author	C. J. Cherryh
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Victor Gollancz, DAW Books
Published	1981–1983

The Ealdwood Stories, also known as the Arafel Stories, are a collection of fantasy works by American writer C. J. Cherryh. The books are works of high fantasy based in part on Celtic mythology. Arafel, a main character, is a Daoine Sidhe, the highest of the Sidhe faery-folk. She dwells in the magical small forest of Ealdwood, from which the tales take their name.

Works

• "The Dreamstone" (1979) – short story first published in Amazons! (DAW), edited by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
• Ealdwood (1981, Victor Gollancz) – novella
• The Dreamstone (1983, DAW) – novel, included revisions of "The Dreamstone" (1979) and Ealdwood (1981), plus additional material
• The Tree of Swords and Jewels (1983, DAW) – novel, sequel to The Dreamstone (1983)

Omnibuses

The Dreamstone (1983) and The Tree of Swords and Jewels (1983) have been republished in several omnibuses, some with substantial revisions. Cherryh also wrote a new ending which she felt was more appropriate and satisfying than her previous efforts.

• Arafel's Saga (1983, DAW)
• Ealdwood (1991, Victor Gollancz) – includes revisions and a new ending
• The Dreaming Tree (1997, DAW) – includes the revisions and new ending in the Ealdwood (1991) omnibus

"The Dreamstone" short story was later reprinted in The Collected Short Fiction of C. J. Cherryh (2004).

Award nominations

• Ealdwood – 1982 World Fantasy Award for Best Novella
• Ealdwood – 1982 Locus Award for Best Novella
• The Dreamstone – 1984 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
• The Tree of Swords and Jewels – 1984 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel
• Arafel's Saga – 1984 Science Fiction Book Club selection