Gate of Ivrel: Claiming Rites

by Jane S. Fancher, Kay Reynolds (Adapted by)

Full color glossy graphic novel: adaptation of C.J. Cherryh's novel Gate of Ivrel, vol 1

Genres: Graphic Novels

65 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1987

About the author

On October 24, 1988 in Oklahoma City, OK, at a suggestion from SF author C.J. Cherryh, I began writing. I kept writing because two hours after starting, I had to find out what happened. A little over a year later, I was the startled owner of a three book contract based on the rough draft of my first novel.

I've been writing ever since.

What appeals to me about writing in general is the constant challenge. I'm a generalist and writing is the one thing that will happily use every bit of information and experience you have to put into it. It's constant problem solving, method acting and soul-searching all rolled up into one 24/7 job.

What I love about writing SF/F is...everything. I love the optimism of believing there is a future for humanity. I love the challenge of imagining what that future might be. But most of all, I love the thrill of exploring that future with the interesting and courageous people I find living in it.

But SF/F has another, less obvious, appeal: the ability to write with a social conscience without preaching. It lets writers create worlds in which they can shed light on aspects of current society in a less charged environment. Its a way to help raise awareness without pointing fingers at anyone.

Yes, I have same gender relationships. Yes, I have gender-identification-challenged characters. Yes, sex and obsessive attraction are definitely issues in my books, as are power and its use and abuse. But the genre's one-step-removed perspective also lets me explore the human ramifications of a too-effective educational system (be careful what you wish for), or the curious problems of being siblings and growing up with the kind of misconceptions only close association can create, or what it means to a culture to lose an entire generation's knowledge.

Can you do this in contemporary fiction? Absolutely. But SF/F lets you add extreme ramifications...like what if those sibling misconceptions were suddenly stripped away with the ability to know exactly what those sibs were thinking? What if the educational system were so effective, the subsequent misinformation threatened the very fabric of the universe itself?

In my contemporary vampire fantasy...I hesitate to call it urban fantasy, because in all honesty, it hasn't the right tropes...I'm enjoying exploring the perspective of virtual immortality and what might make life worth living after three thousand years.

And with SF/F you can do all this while have a rip-roaring adventure! What more can a writer ask for?

My formal educational background is in Math, Physics, Astrophysics and Anthropology. I've raised and trained horses, flown planes, and at 51, took up figure skating. I love building things, from costumes to computers, model ships to koi ponds. I play a little guitar, some piano and like to sing.

I actually got started in the publishing world doing art. I worked on WaRP Graphics' Elfquest, helping with inking on the last few volumes of the original black and white, also helping with the colors in the original color volumes. After that, I moved on to my own project, an adaptation of C.J. Cherryh's first novel, Gate of Ivrel.

These days, after many years away from art, I find myself returning to it to do covers for my newest venture, Closed Circle Publications. A couple of years ago, C.J., Lynn Abbey and I decided to join the ebook movement and bring out both our orphaned backlist and some new works that weren't quite what NY was looking for but which our loyal readers were demanding.

I absolutely love hearing from my readers. My blog should echo here, but feel free to join us at:
http://www.janefancher.com/TheCaptain...

Reviews

[Lisa Feld · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read this comic adaptation before I read the book it was based on, and it's one of those rare cases where the comic was clear and compelling on its own, acted as a beautifully faithful translation of the original novel, and (as I discovered, rereading it again after the novel) added details that enriched my understanding of the novel. The art is gorgeous, and the storytelling is restrained, with a lot conveyed through body language and facial expression rather than thought balloons or lengthy captions. Truly a delight.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the same as the first graphic novel, but in color, with a forward by Carolyn, and easier to read graphics. Vanye's story is told in a different order, but it ends the same. On to the next!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Thiye ruled Hjemur
Came strangers riding there,
And three were dark and
one was gold,
And one like frost was fair,
Fair was she and fatal as fair,
And cursed who gave her ear,
Now men are few
and wolves are more,
And the Winter drawing near.

So it begins — Gate of Ivrel - Claiming Rites

An illustrated adaptation by Jane Fancher of C.J. Cherryh's Gate of Ivrel book. A second book would follow Gate of Ivrel: Fever Dreams, but sadly would end there.
The illustration style is simple yet adequate for this genre.

[Everbright · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this in a used book shop, and had never heard of a graphic novel of this, so was pretty excited. But I found the art very bad and amatuerish, and the pacing was terrible. All the figures are very awkward. I did not like this book at all.