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Songkiller #1
Phantom Banjo
"Praise for Phantom Banjo from Booklist:
“This book has just about every virtue one can reasonably expect in a contemporary fantasy tale, including a vivid portrait of the contemporary folk scene and a chilling emotional impact that makes many horror novels look pedestrian. Highly recommended.” “Contemporary” in the above review means the world as it was in 1992 when the book was written. The rapid changes in recording and communications technology make it seem like a period piece now, which is entirely appropriate for the subject matter. This is a fantasy series about a bunch of folk musicians, good pickers and flawed but likable human beings, trying to reclaim songs destroyed by the evil forces (or devils, including but by no means limited to the Expediency Devil, the Stupidity and Ignorance Devil, and the Debauchery Devil) that want humanity to lose its humanity. Hauntings abound, as they do in the folk songs. It’s a good yarn to read at Halloween, whether or not this is the music that moves you. And sometimes it’s really funny. There’s a lot of cussing though. Well, the characters are frustrated and scared a lot, and they beg your pardon for their language but you might do the same if faced with similar catastrophies, disasters, travails, frustrations, and circumstances.
"
“This book has just about every virtue one can reasonably expect in a contemporary fantasy tale, including a vivid portrait of the contemporary folk scene and a chilling emotional impact that makes many horror novels look pedestrian. Highly recommended.” “Contemporary” in the above review means the world as it was in 1992 when the book was written. The rapid changes in recording and communications technology make it seem like a period piece now, which is entirely appropriate for the subject matter. This is a fantasy series about a bunch of folk musicians, good pickers and flawed but likable human beings, trying to reclaim songs destroyed by the evil forces (or devils, including but by no means limited to the Expediency Devil, the Stupidity and Ignorance Devil, and the Debauchery Devil) that want humanity to lose its humanity. Hauntings abound, as they do in the folk songs. It’s a good yarn to read at Halloween, whether or not this is the music that moves you. And sometimes it’s really funny. There’s a lot of cussing though. Well, the characters are frustrated and scared a lot, and they beg your pardon for their language but you might do the same if faced with similar catastrophies, disasters, travails, frustrations, and circumstances.
"
263 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1991
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About the author
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
125 books213 followersElizabeth Ann Scarborough was born March 23, 1947, and lives in the Puget Sound area of Washington. Elizabeth won a Nebula Award in 1989 for her novel The Healer's War, and has written more than a dozen other novels. She has collaborated with Anne McCaffrey, best-known for creating the Dragonriders of Pern, to produce the Petaybee Series and the Acorna Series.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 17, 2020
A slow start explodes into some great comedy and Twain style devil comedy that examines the power of the folk song as a stitch that binds history and the role of music.
A must for fans of Pete Seeger and anyone who owns more than two Folkways records. Peppered with allusions and familiar banjo arguments, Scarborough writes a humorous tale of our fading connection of folk and the need to fight or kelp it alive amongst the tidal wave of noise crashing all around us.
A must for fans of Pete Seeger and anyone who owns more than two Folkways records. Peppered with allusions and familiar banjo arguments, Scarborough writes a humorous tale of our fading connection of folk and the need to fight or kelp it alive amongst the tidal wave of noise crashing all around us.
April 5, 2011
I love Scarborough. Okay, she's as funny as Terry Pratchett, but her books are light and refreshing to read.
This book deals with the question of the power of music. The Devils want to get read of Folk Music because it makes us happy. The Folk Musicans are out to stop them.
Who will win?
I don't know. This Vol 1 of 3.
Oh, and don't worry, it isn't all politics. There are conversatives and liberals. There are Cowboys and Indians.
But seriously.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite ablums (you know, those things before CDs) was a collection of Cowboy songs. I LOVE that record. Always will. It was awesome. This book reminds me of that ablum. It is a love song about music that quickly gets overlooked as well as a love song to music in general. At times, spooky (anything that touches on believable censorship is spooky to me), it is also amusing.
This book deals with the question of the power of music. The Devils want to get read of Folk Music because it makes us happy. The Folk Musicans are out to stop them.
Who will win?
I don't know. This Vol 1 of 3.
Oh, and don't worry, it isn't all politics. There are conversatives and liberals. There are Cowboys and Indians.
But seriously.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite ablums (you know, those things before CDs) was a collection of Cowboy songs. I LOVE that record. Always will. It was awesome. This book reminds me of that ablum. It is a love song about music that quickly gets overlooked as well as a love song to music in general. At times, spooky (anything that touches on believable censorship is spooky to me), it is also amusing.
July 31, 2012
An excellent idea well executed. The devils are trying to remove folk music from the world because it's the songs of the people that have always engendered hope - and that of course will not do. Instead of using wham-bam magic they influence the US goverment to do most of the job for them, squeezing out the music with ridiculous legislation, demoralising musicians with insane tax demands and closing the borders to travelling musicians by beaurocratic demands coupled with belligerent border guards. Amazingly Miss Scarborough got the idea for this from true incidents that have actually happened to folksingers in the USA, so it's almst funny - but in a serious way. Well worth reading this and the rest of the trilogy - The Songkiller Saga.
March 1, 2016
This series had great possibilities. The devils want to off the folksingers and can do anything they want (similar to Job in the Bible) except one thing: they can't send the folkies to jail. Folksingers like that, according to the head devil.
The first book starts off well. The characters are all developed thoroughly, the author is very knowledgeable about music, and the story is both humorous and scary in parts. I enjoyed reading it. The second novel became tedious rather quickly. I appreciate what the author was trying to do but it might have worked better as a series of unified short stories rather than full length novels.
The first book starts off well. The characters are all developed thoroughly, the author is very knowledgeable about music, and the story is both humorous and scary in parts. I enjoyed reading it. The second novel became tedious rather quickly. I appreciate what the author was trying to do but it might have worked better as a series of unified short stories rather than full length novels.
September 23, 2012
Told as a new-style folk tale, which was a fun way to address a quirky plot about folk music saving us from demons trying to destroy music. Second half of the book drags a bit, and feels like it peters off to start the second.
May 4, 2017
I love this book
And if you've ever thought about the magical qualities of music, you'll love it too. I first read it when it was new, forgot about it for a while, and then when I came back to it discovered that it's one of those rare books that improves with rereading.
And if you've ever thought about the magical qualities of music, you'll love it too. I first read it when it was new, forgot about it for a while, and then when I came back to it discovered that it's one of those rare books that improves with rereading.
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July 23, 2018Nice trilogy. Would be nice if the author continued the story and characters.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews