Stephen R. Donaldson - Lord Foul's Bane

First published in 1977, LORD FOUL'S BANE is the initial volume in a classic epic fantasy trilogy that became part of a larger series, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. Thomas Covenant is an embittered man whose Hansen's disease (leprosy) led both to the breakup of his marriage and to his treatment as a pariah by his small town. When he's hit by a police car, Covenant is magically transported to the Land, a beautiful, verdant country where his leprosy is cured. The Land is threatened with destruction by a demonic being, Lord Foul the Despiser. Covenant's gangrene-damaged hand identifies him with a legendary half-handed hero of the Land, and his white gold wedding ring is a potent magical weapon against Lord Foul. Covenant is fated either to be either the promised savior of the Land--or its destroyer. However, despite the powerful evidence of his senses, Covenant is not convinced that the Land actually exists. Stephen R. Donaldson was one of the first contemporary fantasy writers to utilize a