Wizards

WIZARDS (various) - Three Stars

The problem with sci-fi/fantasy novels is that, with a few exceptions, most sci-fi/fantasy authors are inferior writers compared with other fiction genres. This might sound like a harsh indictment, but look at it honestly: can you really make an argument that Philip K. Dick, Neil Gaiman, and Anne Rice are superior to John Irving, Salman Rushdie, and Ernest Hemingway? Of course not. Dick was a uniquely above-average sci-fi author, Gaiman is very good (though I'm not wholly sold on his "greatness"), and Rice is a stereotypical fantasy author: not especially deft or skilled at handling the English language, but supported nonetheless by a rabid fan base which idolizes her characters.

That is the key to successful sci-fi/fantasy writing, in my view: fantastic characters. Since the writing is, 90% of the time, inferior to most of mainstream fiction, a fantasy story lives or dies with the bond forged between the protagonist(s) and the reader. Wow, this sounds mean. Really, I do like the genre, I just think that most of the output of the genre is not worth the effort of reading. That it is why short-story compilations are perfect for the sci-fi/fantasy world.

Wizard... is a compilation of eighteen short-stories by eighteen different authors. The eighteen stories combined for 56 stars, which averages out to a little over three for the book entire. I will provide ratings for every story, and brief reviews for the very good (4/5 stars) or very bad (1 star)...

FIVE STARS
"The Ruby Incomparable" (Kage Baker)

FOUR STARS
"Holly and Iron" (Garth Nix)
"Barrens Dance" (Peter S. Beagle)
"Zinder" (Tanith Lee)
"Billy and the Wizard" (Terry Bisson)
"Stonefather" (Orson Scott Card)

THREE STARS
"The Witch's Headstone" (Neil Gaiman)
"Color Vision" (Mary Rosenblum)
"The Stranger's Hands" (Tad Williams)
"Naming Day" (Patricia A. McKillip)
"Winter's Wife" (Elizabeth Hand)
"A Diorama of the Infernal Regions, or The Devil's Ninth Question" (Andy Duncan)
"The Manticore Spell" (Jeffrey Ford)
"The Magikkers" (Terry Dowling)

TWO STARS
"A Fowl Tale" (Eoin Colfer)
"Slipping Sideways Through Eternity" (Jane Yolen)
"The Magic Animal" (Gene Wolfe)

ONE STAR
"Stone Man" (Nancy Kress)

• "Stone Man" is a story about a modern-day teen miscreant who discovers that magic does exist, that mages are in a war against the industrialists, and that he has the power to control stones. A tired premise is the least of this story's troubles: Kress seems to think that tossing out a bunch of skater lingo and sanitized tough-talk ("forget you!" and "crap" appear incessantly) every paragraph will make the story seem "legit," but she mishandles it badly and the story instead seems forced and incredibly phony. This story is a face-plant on the sidewalk of fantasy literature.
• "Holly and Iron" at first seems like a mundane "nature magic versus metal magic" story (another well-worn fantasy concept) but instead turns into a fairly fresh and original retelling of "The Sword in the Stone." Nix does a good job in keeping the story just fresh enough every time it seems to be drifting into "been there, done that" territory.
• "Barrens Dance" is a delightful read, a story about an evil wizard (who casts his malicious spells via dancing) and his doomed lust for a nomadic animal trainer in a rural wasteland. It is a variation on the "love conquers all" theme, although the telling of the story is fresh and Beagle makes sure to point out that while love might be able to conquer, sometimes a heavy sacrifice is required.
• "Zinder" is one of the more original stories in the book, an almost Christ-like parable about a very powerful and benevolent wizard who is partially trapped within a surprising and unexpected carapace.
• "Billy and the Wizard" tells the story of a little boy who can talk with dolls and has to protect a wizard hiding in a magazine in his garage. It's a very short, sassy little story with more style than substance, but a fun read nonetheless.
• "Stonefather," easily the longest story in the book at nearly 75 pages, brings to us Runnel, a young boy trying to find his lot in life who gets caught up in an ancient war between the stonemages and wetwizards. But Runnel has a few abilities of his own that will be a surprise to everyone involved.
• Finally, the best story in the book, the wonderful "The Ruby Incomparable" by Kage Baker, details the life of Svnae, the offspring of an omnipotent, evil God of a father (The Master of the Mountain) and an all-powerful, benevolent Goddess of a mother (The Saint of the World). It would be pointless to try and conjure up adversaries for an invincible daughter of the gods, so Baker cleverly makes it a coming of age story. "The Ruby Incomparable" chronicles Svnae's thirst for knowledge, and her growth from a precocious toddler to a desired and powerful young woman. It's written with terrific wit and insight (including a few nods and winks towards fantasy cliches), and the only "obstacles" Svnae face are the same challenges life throws at everyone, mortal or not, as they grow up. And, as Baker presents it, these can be puzzling to even the most powerful of entities.

The Yendri in their forest villages groaned when they learned of the first boy. Even in his cradle, his fiendish tendencies were evident. He was beautiful as a little angel except in his screaming tempers, when he would morph himself into giant larvae, wolf cubs, or pools of bubbling slime.

The Yendri in their villages and the Children of the Sun in their stone cities all rejoiced when they heard of the second boy. He too was beautiful, but clearly good. A star was seen to shine from his brow on occasion. He was reported to have cured a nurse's toothache with a mere touch, and he never so much as cried while teething.

And the shamans of the Yendri, and the priests in the temples of the Children of the Sun, all nodded their heads and said, "Well, at least we have balance now. The two boys will obviously grow up, oppose each other, and fight to the death, because that's what generally happens."

Having decided all this, and settled down confidently to wait, imagine how shocked they were to hear that the Saint of the World had borne a third child! And a girl, at that. It threw all their calculations off and annoyed them a great deal.

Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers

INFINITY WELCOMES CAREFUL DRIVERS (Grant Naylor) - Three Stars

Having just completed a week-plus vacation, I have several reviews to write, so look for a new one each day or two for the next few days.

Those of you familiar with the British TV series "Red Dwarf" will probably recognize the title of this novel; those who aren't should probably skip this review entirely. Infinity... is the novelization of the first two seasons of "Red Dwarf." The novelization is by the series creators, Rob Grant and Doug Naylor. They use this opportunity to go into a bit more detail behind the characters and plot-lines, such as the exact circumstances that lead to Lister joining the crew of the mining ship "Red Dwarf."

They do take a few liberties, however, and the book is not an exact match for the TV show. This is a plus, because at times the TV show (at least in the first two seasons) seemed stripped down to be solely a comedic vehicle, while the book is a bit more multi-dimensional. The book maintains the series' deliciously warped sense of humor and dry wit (Rimmer heard what sounded like a nuclear wind rushing down the corridor to meet him. It was, in fact, a nuclear wind rushing down the corridor to meet him.) while adding bucket-loads more character depth and not just a little bit of darkness.

That (to me, as a "Red Dwarf" fan) is the highlight of reading the book. Lister comes across as a bit more (albeit not much more) than a shiftless, alcoholic loser. Rimmer is just as loathsome and unlikeable as ever, but perhaps a bit more sympathetic as more details are shed on his truly pathetic existence. There are more musings on the psychological aspects of the characters, stuff that can be difficult to portray on a half-hour TV comedy. I get the feeling that this is what Rob Grant and Doug Naylor truly intended for the series. It's still largely a comedy, still slightly sci-fi, but it does have a bit of a sharp edge to it and (as the ambiguous and surprisingly ominous ending to the book displays) more than hints at the darkness that can lurk inside the human psyche.