A Draught of the Blue Together / An Essence of the Dusk

Francis William Bain (1863-1940) was a British writer of fantasy stories that he "claimed" were translated from Sanskrit. However, these books are not directly derived from Hindu texts or traditions. Bain was eventually unveiled as a writer of orientalist fantasies, but by that time he had a loyal readership who could care less. He continued to press on with the series until there were thirteen volumes. This is thus a harmless literary hoax on a par with Bilitis. Which is not to say that these books don't have their charm, particularly if you like early fantasy writers, such as William Morris or Lord Dunsany. Just don't use them as sources for information about Hindu mythology.


Genre: Literary Fiction