This work was published in 1917. Today, some recognize Cabell as one of the first contemporary writers from the South. Like his friend and fellow Richmond writer Ellen Glasgow, Cabell was not afraid to satirize what he saw as the South’s contradictions. Others, noting Cabell’s unique blending of classic myths and legends with his own imagination, consider him a pioneer of fantasy writing. The Cream of the Jest is an absurdist, aesthetic heroic fantasy, one of the finest and central works of heroic fantasy as a distinct genre. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.