Fane

by David M. Alexander, David Grace (Pseudonym)

BEYOND THE STARS, A FOOLS PARADISE LIES WAITING TO BE SAVED!

The planet Fane, inhabited by earthlings and native four-armed Fanists, is threatened when the wizard Greyhorn contrives a fiendish plot to conquer the world and enslave its inhabitants.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

311 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Now publishes as David Grace

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'm probably looking at this with nostalgia, since I read this while still a boy and now I'm in my fifties, but back when I read this all those years I thought it was absolutely hilarious and that it was a rollicking good read. I think for young sci-fi lovers, it probably still is a great read. It's not got the deep themes of Dune or the Foundation series, but it doesn't need to in order to be enjoyable, funny, and to immerse you in a fabulous world. My 12 year old self is still giggling over many of the lines and antics, and my 53 year old self still remembers it all these years later.

Read it, and then let your children read it!

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is at its heart a big gooshy love letter to Jack Vance. At start, at least. You have the callow youth in need of seasoning, the wordplay and pettifoggery, and hints of weird social structures among the humans and non-humans of Fane. And, oh yes, a system of magic that one might recognize from the Dying Earth series.

Some of that gooshiness falls away as the book goes on and the author finds his own voice, and this did improve it for at least this reader. The scaffolding used to prop up this planet was interesting--a space ship discharges colonists on a world that is just a bit off, some of the 'colonists' were 'demon worshippers'--but the mass of it was either not hugely exploited for its weirdness or was provided as an aside rather than you-will-need-to-know-this.

[Lynn Helton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adventures of a bumbling magician wannabe

Originally released in 1981 as "Fane", this sci-fi/fantasy story follows Grantin, the bumbling nephew of a powerful magician. He manages to dangerously fumble an important task, and then seeks to fix it, unknowingly on his way to becoming The Accidental Magician.

I liked that the story had a variety of characters, each unique and bringing something different to the adventure. Unfortunately, though, the many short chapters bounced from character to character and made it hard to really connect with them. They had their various plans and intrigues, which did come together well, eventually, but it seemed a bit of a slog to get there. The intriguing ideas for the planet's background felt more of an afterthought than an important part of the story's world. All the pieces were there, along with some wonderful, detailed descriptions, but they didn't quite mesh to form the engrossing story I had anticipated. Plus, the flow was choppy due to typos, odd phrasing, dialog that often didn't indicate well who was talking, and sudden poorly transitioned point-of-view shifts.

Overall, although the story didn't quite hit the mark for me, it was still an interesting read, an adventurous romp of improbable antics.

[James]

FANE (Timescape Book)

[Lori Pavich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the concept of the book. It kept me reading.

[Wayne Kearney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is obviously a beginner writer and first novel. I was willing to give it a chance, but the terrible dialog kept making me cringe. I did finish it, but it was done more out of mercy than anything. This is definitely not a book I would recommend or pass on to friends. My copy has been recycled.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a sucker for fantasy stories with a bumbling wizard apprentice as the main hero. This tale made the fine line between keep and discard. Definitely a good story.