usually take one of two forms. A few writers such
as Tim POWERSemphasize their inhuman cruelty
and powers, as in his excellent novel Declare
(2001), but most prefer to emphasize their humor-
ous side, and, in fact, many genie stories are essen-
tially variations of the deal-with-the-devil type, in
which the human attempts to make a trick-proof
wish while the genie strives to trip him up. F.
Anstey established that formula with his classic
The Brass Bottle(1900), and many writers have at-
tempted variations, though only a few have found
a really original twist.
The best of these is this classic story by John
Collier. Franklin Fletcher is a frustrated man. He
has long sought the company of beautiful women,
but all to no avail. On the verge of surrendering all
hope, he decides to take up another hobby and vis-
its an antique store in search of inspiration. The
owner, who insists Fletcher is his very first cus-
tomer, has a number of curious items, but the most
curious of them all is a collection of bottles, in
each of which is imprisoned one entity or another,
including a variety of genies and the most beautiful
woman in the world.
Fletcher eventually purchases one of the ge-
nies, takes him home, unstoppers the bottle, and
wishes for an immense palace filled with beautiful
women. The genie immediately supplies everything
requested and seems perfectly content to serve his
new master, but Fletcher quickly grows bored, be-
cause he has obtained his wealth and the attention
of beautiful women too easily. He wishes the latter
away and begins a search for the one perfect girl,
rejecting one after another until the genie reminds
him that the shopkeeper owns a bottle containing
the most beautiful woman in the world.
No sooner said than done, and Fletcher feels
fulfilled at last. It is only now that the genie shows
his wiles, flirting with the woman behind his mas-
ter’s back and enlisting her aid in his project. She
no longer protests when told to return to her bot-
tle; in fact, she seems happy to go away, and the
genie suggests to Fletcher that perhaps she is not
alone in there, that she has some man waiting for
her. Enraged, Fletcher calls her forth, then enters
the bottle himself, with the predictable result that
he is caught and the genie and the girl live happily
ever after. Fletcher’s new home is sold to a pair of
sailors, who are decidedly unhappy when they un-
cork it, expecting to find a beautiful woman. Col-
lier tells his little tale economically and neatly and
clearly illustrates the point that it is best to quit
while you are still ahead.Boyer, Elizabeth(1913–2002)
Elizabeth Boyer was one of the more interesting of
the crop of new fantasy writers who emerged during
the 1980s. Although her plots were very similar to
those of her contemporaries, she employed a quiet
but pervasive sense of humor that enlivened her
stories, all of which are set in the magical world of
Alfar, although they are arranged in three separate
sequences. The first series consists of The Sword and
the Satchel(1980), The Elves and the Otterskin
(1981), The Thrall and the Dragon’s Heart(1982),
and The Wizard and the Warlord(1984). This set of
four follows the adventures of Kilgore, a young man
who wants to be a hero and who masters the use of
a magical sword but who is somewhat put off when
he discovers the strength and numbers of his ene-
mies. He survives a series of adventures, captures,
and pursuits, gaining the enmity of an evil sorcerer,
getting caught up in an imminent war, and encoun-
tering zombies, trolls, giants, and a host of other
legendary creatures before finally saving the day.
A second series of four novels followed, the
Wizards’ War series, beginning with The Troll’s
Grindstone(1986), which is essentially a more pol-
ished version of her first two novels with a new set
of characters. The Curse of Slagfid(1989) is less in-
teresting, with its heroes tricked into helping a wiz-
ard with bad intentions, but the pace picks up in
The Dragon’s Carbuncle(1990) and climaxes in The
Lord of Chaos(1991), Boyer’s best novel, hinting at
an apocalyptic war that might end the world.
Boyer’s most recent sequence is less ambi-
tious. The Clan of the Warlord(1992) is set in the
aftermath of that war and is a rather routine quest
adventure. The Black Lynx(1993) is the author’s
darkest book and somewhat slow paced, but her
protagonist is a much more fully rounded charac-
ter than can be found in any of her previous nov-
els. Keeper of the Cats (1995) has several
interesting subplots, but seems patched together
and tentative.Boyer, Elizabeth 31