Here There Be Dragons

Lore & Background

Zelazny wrote Here There Be Dragons and Way Up High for his children in 1968-1969. He admired the work of underground comics artist Vaughn Bodē and commissioned him to illustrate the two books. The drawings were exhibited at the 1969 World Science Fiction Convention in St. Louis; but before the books could be published, Bodē informed Zelazny that although Zelazny owned the pictures, he did not have the reproduction rights. In his literary biography of Zelazny, Christopher S. Kovacs explains the issue: “Zelazny saw the book as two of his tales illustrated by Bodē, but Bodē viewed it as a showcase of his art illuminated by Zelazny's text.” The publication of the books foundered when Zelazny and Bodē insisted on equal royalties. Bodē died in 1975, and his estate agreed to the publication of the books with Bodē's illustrations in 1992.

Reader's Guide

Here There Be Dragons is notable as one of only two children's stories by Roger Zelazny, a writer primarily known for adult science fiction and fantasy. The book's publication history illustrates a creative dispute between author and illustrator over the nature of their collaboration. The story itself satirizes mapmaking conventions and human fear of the unknown, as a cartographer's phrase 'HERE THERE BE DRAGONS' becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The book received positive reviews for its Thurberesque wit and cross-generational appeal. Its limited print run of 1000 signed copies makes it a collector's item. The work stands as a testament to Zelazny's versatility and the challenges of collaborative art.

Did You Know?

• Here There Be Dragons is one of only two stories Zelazny wrote for children, the other being Way Up High.
• The book was first published in 1992, more than two decades after it was written, due to a rights dispute between Zelazny and illustrator Vaughn Bodē.
• The illustrations were exhibited at the 1969 World Science Fiction Convention in St. Louis before the book was published.
• In the story, the dragon Belkis forces the cartographer Mr. Gibberling to make accurate maps and eliminate all references to dragons.

A Father's Gift: Origins and Place in Zelazny's Catalog

Here There Be Dragons occupies a singular niche in Roger Zelazny's extensive body of work. Composed during 1968 and 1969, the story was written specifically for his own children, making it a deeply personal creative act rather than a commercial commission. It stands as one of only two tales Zelazny ever crafted for a young audience, the other being Way Up High. Beyond that rarity, the book is one of just three in his entire catalog that does not feature a heroic protagonist, a deliberate departure from the larger-than-life adventurers who populate his adult fiction. When the two children's books were finally brought to market, they carried separate dust jackets yet were sold exclusively in a shared slipcase bearing both titles together. The 1992 edition, limited to one thousand signed copies of each volume, featured artwork by the late Vaughn Bodē, cementing the pair as a matched set in collectors' eyes.

The Bodē Partnership and a Decade of Delay

Zelazny's admiration for underground comics artist Vaughn Bodē led him to commission the latter to illustrate both of his children's stories. The resulting drawings were displayed at the 1969 World Science Fiction Convention in St. Louis, but the project immediately ran into legal complications. Before publication could proceed, Bodē informed Zelazny that although the author owned the physical pictures, he did not possess the reproduction rights. Biographer Christopher S. Kovacs captures the fundamental disagreement: Zelazny conceived the books as his own tales brought to life by Bodē's art, while Bodē saw them as a showcase of his own illustrations merely illuminated by Zelazny's text. The impasse deepened when both men insisted on receiving equal royalties. The publication stalled until Bodē's death in 1975, after which his estate finally granted permission, allowing the books to appear with Bodē's artwork in 1992.

A Satire on Fear of the Unknown

At its core, the story is a gentle satire on how ignorance breeds fear. In a small kingdom ringed by high, rugged mountains, the inhabitants have never ventured beyond the peaks because they believe ferocious dragons roam the other side. That belief exists solely because the royal cartographer, Mr. Gibberling, fills the blank edges of his maps with the words 'HERE THERE BE DRAGONS.' When the king's daughter approaches her tenth birthday and the kingdom's fireworks maker dies without a successor, the fourth adviser, a young man named William, is tasked with finding a medium-sized dragon with colored lights. He captures only a small lizard called Bell, who promises to deliver. At the party, Bell transforms into Belkis, a vast, fire-breathing dragon who explains that dragons are few, prefer solitude, and disguise themselves as harmless creatures to avoid human contact. Belkis demands Gibberling ride on his back to chart the true geography and erase all dragon references. Gibberling complies, producing accurate maps, except for one unknown ocean beyond which he writes: 'HERE THERE BE SEA SERPENTS.'

Critical Reception and Cross-Generational Appeal

Upon its 1992 release, Here There Be Dragons drew praise for its wit and accessibility. Carolyn Cushman, writing in Locus magazine, compared the premise to a Thurberesque conceit and noted that Zelazny handled the material with skill. She highlighted the story's charm, its freedom from heavy-handed educational messaging, and its blend of truth, wonder, and silliness that could engage readers of any age. Cushman specifically commended the book for its satiric wit and its broad generational appeal. Darrell Schweitzer, reviewing in Aboriginal Science Fiction magazine, offered a more concise endorsement, calling both Here There Be Dragons and its companion Way Up High 'charming, and worthy of widespread circulation.' Together, these reviews underscore a consensus: the book succeeds not as a didactic children's tale but as a lightly satirical fable whose humor and imagination transcend its intended young audience, earning a place in Zelazny's legacy as a work that speaks equally to children and adults.

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