that has been abstracted from the rest of the world,
but the main plot dealing with the rivalry between
two vampire clans does not provide a particularly
gripping story. The fifth in the series, Darkest Heart
(2002), is very reminiscent of In the Blood,perhaps
reflecting the author’s lessening interest in super-
natural fiction. She has subsequently indicated her
intention to abandon the genre entirely. Three of
the five books in the series are skillfully written
and fully engaging, and the first, in particular, is
one of the modern classics of horror fiction and
probably was an influence on Laurell HAMILTON
and others who use the supernatural as just an-
other magic system in their dark fantasies.
A Spell for ChameleonPiers Anthony(1977)
After starting his writing career as a mildly contro-
versial science fiction writer, Piers ANTHONY
turned most of his attention to humorous fantasy
starting in the late 1970s. Funny fantasy had never
been very popular in the United States, although it
enjoys more popularity in England, but during the
1970s and early 1980s, several writers including
Craig Shaw GARDNER, Esther FRIESNER, and John
Dechancie delivered a flurry of varied comical ad-
ventures. The British writer Terry PRATCHETTwas
also building a following. The subgenre imploded
shortly thereafter, leaving only Pratchett and An-
thony in strong positions.
Most of Anthony’s humorous fantasy falls
within the Xanth series, now nearly 30 volumes
long. The sequence started with A Spell for
Chameleon,which unfortunately is probably the sin-
gle best title in the series, although there are occa-
sional sequels of nearly the same quality. The
protagonist is Bink, a likeable young character who
is the only person without any apparent magical
talent in a world where it is an integral part of life.
Bink consults the good magician Humpfrey, whose
magic tells him that Bink is a person of great impor-
tance in the world, perhaps just as important as the
evil wizard Trent, who has villainous designs on the
world. If Bink cannot prove that he has a magical
talent by his 25th birthday, he will by law be ex-
pelled into our universe, known as Mundania.
Xanth itself is a magical world that is only
slightly connected to our own, a place where all
the creatures of legend exist. In fact, the legends in
our own world originated because inhabitants of
that other realm occasionally strayed across the
barrier into our reality. People from our world also
occasionally cross in the opposite direction, al-
though a shield has been erected to prevent fur-
ther migrations and disruptions. Bink eventually
discovers his magical talent and saves the day, re-
turns in a few further volumes, but soon disap-
peared from the series in favor of a more diverse
and ever-changing series of protagonists. Although
the Xanth books have become very formulaic, the
opening volume has a charming sense of inno-
cence and an atmosphere of good humor all too
rare in modern fantasy.The Spellsinger SeriesAlan Dean Foster
(1983–1994)
Although Alan Dean Foster is known primarily for
his science fiction, he is also the author of a signifi-
cant number of fantasy novels, some of them quite
unusual. His longest-running and most popular se-
ries is his most conventional, transporting a like-
able young man from our world into a fantasy
realm starting with Spellsinger(1983). Predictably,
he quickly accumulates a small party of compan-
ions for his adventures, but they are an unusual
lot, including an intelligent otter and a magic tur-
tle. The first volume serves mostly to introduce the
characters, setting, and main conflict and does not
stand well alone, requiring the sequel, The Hour of
the Gate(1984), to resolve the situation, allowing
him space to complete various quests and forge an
alliance against the inevitable magical threat to
the world.
In The Day of the Dissonance(1984), one of the
party of friends falls seriously ill, and only a magical
cure will suffice, which is retrieved after a mildly
exciting series of adventures. There is considerably
more substance in The Moment of the Magician
(1984), in which a new villain arises to challenge
the world, and yet another quest must be under-
taken. The Paths of the Perambulator(1985) acceler-
ates things and provides some quite innovative
variations of standard fantasy devices. This particu-
lar cycle of adventures comes to an end with The
Time of the Transference(1986), appropriately withThe Spellsinger Series 333