posted 11-03-2007 08:20 PM            

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This may seem an odd topic but, as I've said elsewhere, my love of castles was started by looking at pictures of fictional/fantasy castles in children's literature. I'm sure I'm not the only one, so I'm interested in seeing if anybody has seen any fictional castles, either in literature or art that have impressed them or caught their imagination.
Castles are a constant feature in the literature of the Fantastic and of mythology and the most famous ones are names we all know: from the first castles we remembered hearing about in Sleeping Beauty and Puss in Boots to Barad Dur,Camelot,the Grail Castle,Rivendell and even the eponymous "Castle" of Kafka.I spent many happy hours visualizing these places in my mind.
So does anybody have any favourites?
My favourite fictional one is Gormenghast.
And here are some from the world of illustration to start with:
http://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=1720
http://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=1047
http://img-fan.theonering.net/rolozo/images/howe/horsemannight.jpg
and
http://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=1719

[This message has been edited by Queuxgropius (edited 11-03-2007).]

posted 11-18-2007 01:52 PM            

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Here are some more fantasy castles from John Howe.I wonder which real world castles he uses as inspiration for his work?
http://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=382
http://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=886
http://img-fan.theonering.net/rolozo/images/howe/dtower.jpg
http://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=73

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"The spider weaves the curtains in the palace of the Caesars,
The owl calls the watches in Afrasiabs towers"

posted 11-20-2007 04:38 PM            

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They are nice. Here are some by that other fine illustrator Alan Lee,who has actually produced a book called "Castles" with illustrations of the afore-mentioned castles.

http://img-fan.theonering.net/rolozo/images/lee/nazgul_mordor.jpg http://img-fan.theonering.net/rolozo/images/lee/lee43.jpg http://img-fan.theonering.net/rolozo/images/lee/lee36.jpg http://img-fan.theonering.net/rolozo/images/lee/lee24.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-images/055305 0664/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_3/105-5627282-4629209?ie=UTF8&index=3

[This message has been edited by Queuxgropius (edited 11-20-2007).]