New Perspectives in 21st-Century Arthuriana: Background information when reading The Bright Sword

Since the earliest texts of the 11th and 12th centuries (which in turn are based on much older narratives), Arthurian legend has been one of the richest sources of material available to authors. Over centuries, the tales, characters, and concepts of Arthuriana have lent themselves to a seemingly inexhaustible wealth of adaptations, interpretations, reimaginings, borrowings, and influences. The second half of the 20th century saw Arthuriana transcend genres, embracing everything from science fiction to feminist fiction, mystery thrillers to musicals, movies to comic books. Its hold on the popular imagination remains as powerful in the 21st century as it ever has been, and as society continues to evolve, so too does Arthuriana.

Some 21st-century works take a gritty, historically accurate approach. Among these are L. K. Alan's Arthur (The Dark Isles Chronicle Book I, 2019), and Giles Kristian's The Arthurian Tales series (2018–2024) comprising Lancelot (2018), Camelot (2020), and...