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The Parallel Man
Being a clone can certainly have its advantages. For one thing, it's unlikely that someone would go to the trouble to clone the average Joe on the street; more likely one would seek to duplicate a brilliant statesman, a scientific genius, a famous poet, or perhaps a legendary king....
But then again, being a clone can certainly have its problems. If someone sought to replicate a powerful person from history it wouldn't be without a reason. There could be scores of Napoleons, dozens of Julius Caesars... But if it was an evil sorcerer who cloned you, and you didn't know his motives, you could be the focal point of disaster.
Prince Casmir thought his life was challenging enough as it was, but when he discovered the truth about himself, battling firedrakes seemed like child's play, and his life opened like a horrible Pandora's box. For once the secret was out, there was no end to the dangers which double-shadowed his every move!
But then again, being a clone can certainly have its problems. If someone sought to replicate a powerful person from history it wouldn't be without a reason. There could be scores of Napoleons, dozens of Julius Caesars... But if it was an evil sorcerer who cloned you, and you didn't know his motives, you could be the focal point of disaster.
Prince Casmir thought his life was challenging enough as it was, but when he discovered the truth about himself, battling firedrakes seemed like child's play, and his life opened like a horrible Pandora's box. For once the secret was out, there was no end to the dangers which double-shadowed his every move!
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
158 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 3, 1984
2 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Richard L. Purtill
27 books9 followersRichard Purtill was the Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, as well as an author of fantasy and science fiction, critical non-fiction on the same genres, and various works on religion and philosophy. He is best known for his novels of the "Kaphtu" universe. He wrote as both Richard Purtill and Richard L. Purtill, a variant form of his name. He was active in professional writing circles, being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Authors Guild, and the National Writers Union. His book J.R.R.Tolkien: Myth, Morality and Religion won the 1987 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 14, 2019
An entertaining science fiction book disguised as fantasy.
Prince Casmir is doing the things you do in fantasy books. He's fighting a dragon in an attempt to save the life of a princesses. In the middle of his fight, the sky opens up and he's pulled out of his reality into a new world. When he comes to senses, he's in a futuristic world of androids, starships, and aliens. A civil rights attorney is trying to explain to Casmir that he's an illegal clone who was being experimented on in a simulated reality. The only commonality between Casmir's previous life and his current one is a man name Mortifer: evil wizard in his old world, criminal cloner in the new world.
Almost immediately people are trying to kill or kidnap Casmir and he has to rely on skills he learned in his fantasy life to survive. Agents of Mortifer and of Earth are searching for him and he has no way to know who he can trust. He soon learns that Carpathia, as his kingdom was called, is also the name of an actual planet and that its history bears a striking resemblance to the history of his previous life. With the help of new friends, he finds passage on a starship and hopes to return home, at least in a sense, and learn what's going on before it's too late.
I found this a surprisingly enjoyable little book. Sadly, this was apparently the only science fiction book of the author, a Philosophy Professor. He primarily wrote non-fiction books on logic, philosophy, theology, and a few on the fantasy works of Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. He also wrote a trilogy of fantasy novels and a murder mystery that takes place at a science fiction convention. But this is a fun book and I recommend it if you're looking for a short, entertaining read.
Prince Casmir is doing the things you do in fantasy books. He's fighting a dragon in an attempt to save the life of a princesses. In the middle of his fight, the sky opens up and he's pulled out of his reality into a new world. When he comes to senses, he's in a futuristic world of androids, starships, and aliens. A civil rights attorney is trying to explain to Casmir that he's an illegal clone who was being experimented on in a simulated reality. The only commonality between Casmir's previous life and his current one is a man name Mortifer: evil wizard in his old world, criminal cloner in the new world.
Almost immediately people are trying to kill or kidnap Casmir and he has to rely on skills he learned in his fantasy life to survive. Agents of Mortifer and of Earth are searching for him and he has no way to know who he can trust. He soon learns that Carpathia, as his kingdom was called, is also the name of an actual planet and that its history bears a striking resemblance to the history of his previous life. With the help of new friends, he finds passage on a starship and hopes to return home, at least in a sense, and learn what's going on before it's too late.
I found this a surprisingly enjoyable little book. Sadly, this was apparently the only science fiction book of the author, a Philosophy Professor. He primarily wrote non-fiction books on logic, philosophy, theology, and a few on the fantasy works of Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. He also wrote a trilogy of fantasy novels and a murder mystery that takes place at a science fiction convention. But this is a fun book and I recommend it if you're looking for a short, entertaining read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review