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From: turner%rand-unix@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Patricia McKillip & Orson Scott Card
Message-ID: <2859@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Jul-83 11:46:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.2859
Posted: Thu Jul  7 11:46:00 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Jul-83 00:53:02 EDT
Lines: 38


I just finished re-reading the RIDDLE OF THE STARS trilogy and can heartily
recommend it to anyone.  In my opinion it is a classic work of fantasy, a
rival with LotR and Earthsea.

In flavor, it is more like Earthsea.  It is the story of young man growing
into his power and inheritance in a world threatened by the onslaught of
Evil and the breaking of the balance.  Like most fantasy, it has magic,
monsters and great quests, but it is largely a story of characters.
McKillip's land is populated with many interesting and absorbing
characters.  Above all, this trilogy has a sense of wonder.

McKillip has another book, THE BEASTS OF ELD (?), which is also a fantasy,
and also quite good.  It has a different flavor than RotS, being a more
archaic style.  It is also something of a love story.  But I recommend this
book also.

I'd like to put in a plug too for one of my favorite authors:  Orson Scott
Card.  He has written a book that will no doubt stand as an all time
classic in the field of science fiction:  SONGMASTER.

This book tells the story of a young songbird and his rise into prominence
in the galaxy.  A songbird is a singer of a very special kind.

This book is science fiction but has such a strong element of fantasy about
it that one walks away totally unaware of the science fiction element.  It
is the fantasy that dominates: the protaganist has the magic of his voice
and of his caring, and that is all that is needed, though the price is
some-times great.  This is a must read book for all science fiction fans.
I can praise it no higher.

Another fine book by Orson Scott Card is HART'S HOPE.  This is a fantasy,
but a fantasy that doesn't follow any of the classic patterns.  The
protaganist is a bit like Cain from KUNG FU.  He struggles always to do the
right thing without worry about his importance or about his power.  He is
motivated by a love that colors all his actions, and not by any personal
ambition.  Like SONGMASTER, this is a tale of sacrifice by a man who gains
nothing from his sacrifice.