The Mists of Avalon

The Mists of Avalon is the title of the first book in Avalon Series created by Marion Zimmer Bradley and later continued by Diana L. Paxson after Bradley's death. The series focuses on the legendary island of Avalon, Arthurian Legends and the various women who have shaped its history and that of Britain.
In 2001, TNT created a live-action television miniseries produced by James Coburn, to whom MZB had sold the movie/television rights.
Its working title was "Mistress of Magic."
==Pre-Publication Progress and Mentions==
In the spring of 1979, Bradley announced to fans that she had signed a contract for "The Mists of Avalon," referring to it as "Mistress of Magic" (which ended up being the title of the first of four parts of the completed book) "Marion’s working title for the book was Mistress of Magic, but the publishers felt that “mistress” might give the wrong impression, and so that title was given to the first part of the book, and Marion’s wonderfully evocative invention of the protecting mists provided the general title of The Mists of Avalon. When Marion turned the book in, Judy-Lynn replied that the only things wrong with it were “the beginning, the middle, and the end.” Marion, who was used to turning in a book and then forgetting it, rewrote. Among other changes, she made the book much longer. -- The Mists of Avalon, author unknown, date unknown : 
In March 1980, there was this update: 
From a Autumn 1980 update: 
In April 1982, there was an update on the book: 
==Canon==
"Mists of Avalon" "[is a] reworking of the Arthurian legends told from the perspective of Arthur’s half-sister, Morgaine (Morgana le Fay) who fights to keep Avalon and Mother-Goddess-centered paganism alive in the face of Christianity’s rise in England. Rather than just writing a black-and-white story, Bradley delves into the complexities: Guinevere loves Arthur and Lancelot, and dedicates herself to a fanatical Christianity because of her guilt over this triangle. Arthur knows about their affair, and hates that his best friend and wife are in constant emotional pain, but has to ignore it for the health of the realm. Mordred admires Arthur, but also feels that he’s unfit to rule." from On This Day: Marion Zimmer Bradley Gave Us New Perspectives 
==Publication==
Bradley announced the publication date of Mists of Avalon in August 1982 and reminded fans of what a good deal it will be to purchase: 
==Bradley's Prickly Response to Some Critics==
In 1985, Bradley wrote 
=="The Mists of Avalon" As an Apex==
Bradley's sister-in-law, Diana Paxson, wrote in 2001, that the success of The Mists of Avalon, while gratifying and exciting, was also an unexpected strain on Bradley: 
==Some of Bradley's Responses to Fan Opinion==
In 1991, Bradley replied to a fans' complaints of some of her character's "lack of feminist sensibility": 
 
In 1991, Bradley said: 
==Fan Comments==
===1995===
===2017===
===2022===
==Fanworks==
The Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust has been aggressively consistent in disapproval regarding derivative fanworks based on anything Bradley wrote, including The Catch Trap, "The Mists of Avalon," and Darkover novels and short stories. 
In 1995, Elisabeth Waters (Bradley's long-time partner and secretary) wrote: 
==Archives & Fannish Links==
* Avalon series works at FFN (books)
* Mists of Avalon works at FFN (miniseries)
* The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley works at AO3 
* Tumblr tags: mists of avalon
==Meta & Further Reading==
* , by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1986)
* The Book That Made Me a Feminist Was Written by an Abuser -- ‘The Mists of Avalon’ changed my life—how do I reconcile that with what I now know about its author? by Jessica Jernigan (2017)
* Sporking by ZeldaQueen, The Idiot Alchemist, and Gehayi on da-sporking2 on Dreamwidth (2018).
* Reading THE MISTS OF AVALON knowing the crimes of Marion Zimmer Bradley and her husband; archive link by Moorgoth (2022)
==References==
*
Category:Paganism & Fandom