The House of Lost Identity is a collection of short stories

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 by Donald Corley

Donald Corley

Donald Corley was an American author of short stories, illustrator and architect. He is chiefly remembered for his three self-illustrated books, which included a number of classic fantasy short stories.-Life and career:...

, illustrated by the author. Corley did not limit himself to one genre, but the primary distinction of the collection is its inclusion of a number of classic dark fantasies

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 . It was first published in hardcover in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 by Robert M. McBride

Robert M. McBride

Robert Medill McBride was the publisher of James Branch Cabell and the later books of Frank Buck .-Early years:...

 in 1927, and had a number of reprintings. Printings after the first include an introduction by James Branch Cabell

James Branch Cabell

James Branch Cabell, ; April 14, 1879 – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and belles lettres. Cabell was well regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken and Sinclair Lewis. His works were considered escapist and fit well in the culture of the 1920s, when his...

. It was later reissued by Books for Libraries in 1971. The collection's importance in the history of fantasy literature was also recognized by the anthologization of two of its tales by Lin Carter

Lin Carter

Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...

 in the 1970s; "The Song of the Tombelaine," in Discoveries in Fantasy

Discoveries in Fantasy

Discoveries in Fantasy is an anthology of fantasy short stories, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in paperback by Ballantine Books in March 1972 as the forty-third volume of its celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series...

(1972), for the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series

Ballantine Adult Fantasy series

The Ballantine Adult Fantasy series was an imprint of Ballantine Books. Launched in 1969 , the series reissued a number of works of fantasy literature, which were out of print or dispersed in back issues of pulp magazines , in cheap paperback form—including works...

, and "Figs" (under the alternate title of "The Book of Lullûme") in Realms of Wizardry

Realms of Wizardry

Realms of Wizardry: An Anthology of Adult Fantasy is a 1976 anthology of fantasy stories, edited by Lin Carter. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday....

(1976).

The collection was named after its initial story, "The House of Lost Identity."

Contents

• "The House of Lost Identity"
• "The Price of Reflection"
• "The Daimyō's Bowl"
• "Figs"
• "The Manacles of Youth"
• "The Ghost-Wedding"
• "The Glass Eye of Throgmorton"
• "The Legend of the Little Horses"
• "The Tale That the Ming Bell Told"
• "The Book of the Debts"
• "The Song of the Tombelaine"