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Two Hearts (story)
Encyclopedia
"Two Hearts" is a novelette
written by Peter S. Beagle
in 2004 as a coda
to The Last Unicorn
(1968), despite his decades-long reluctance to continue the original story. It was first published as the cover story of Fantasy and Science Fiction
magazine in October/November 2005, but can also be found in Beagle's short story anthology, The Line Between, and is also included in the deluxe edition of The Last Unicorn that was published in 2007. More recently it has been included in The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction: Sixtieth Anniversary Anthology (2009).
. The beast has preyed on the village's sheep and goats for years, but recently it has started killing children as well. Sooz embarks on a quest to recruit the King to save her village, and on the way runs into Schmendrick and Molly Grue from The Last Unicorn
. Upon reaching the king's castle they find an aged Lír, who on first glance does not seem to be up to the task of slaying a griffin. Lír eventually accepts the mission and sets off with Sooz, Molly Grue, and Schmendrick to battle the griffin in the Midwood.
Novelette
A novelette is a piece of short prose fiction. The distinction between a novelette and other literary forms is usually based upon word count, with a novelette being longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella...
written by Peter S. Beagle
Peter S. Beagle
Peter Soyer Beagle is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. His most notable works include the novels The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place and Tamsin, and the award-winning story "Two Hearts".-Career:Beagle won early recognition from The Scholastic Art &...
in 2004 as a coda
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn is a fantasy novel written by Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968. It has sold more than five million copies worldwide since its original publication, and has been translated into at least twenty languages....
(1968), despite his decades-long reluctance to continue the original story. It was first published as the cover story of Fantasy and Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
magazine in October/November 2005, but can also be found in Beagle's short story anthology, The Line Between, and is also included in the deluxe edition of The Last Unicorn that was published in 2007. More recently it has been included in The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction: Sixtieth Anniversary Anthology (2009).
Plot
A young girl named Sooz lives in a village plagued by a griffinGriffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
. The beast has preyed on the village's sheep and goats for years, but recently it has started killing children as well. Sooz embarks on a quest to recruit the King to save her village, and on the way runs into Schmendrick and Molly Grue from The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn is a fantasy novel written by Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968. It has sold more than five million copies worldwide since its original publication, and has been translated into at least twenty languages....
. Upon reaching the king's castle they find an aged Lír, who on first glance does not seem to be up to the task of slaying a griffin. Lír eventually accepts the mission and sets off with Sooz, Molly Grue, and Schmendrick to battle the griffin in the Midwood.
Writing
The genesis of the project came about when Beagle's business manager suggested that he write a story set in the world of The Last Unicorn without necessarily including any of the same characters. From there, Beagle says that "things happened."Awards
- Hugo Award for Best NoveletteHugo Award for Best NoveletteThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
, 2006 - Nebula AwardNebula AwardThe Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
(Novelette), 2006 - World Fantasy AwardWorld Fantasy AwardThe World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
short fiction finalist nomination, 2006