dag@sultan.UUCP (Dan Glasser -- PRO 350 Graphics - ML) (10/15/83)
Someone asked if anyone out here had read DRAGON ON A PEDISTAL yet. I have, and will make the following remarks about it: Anthony seems to be trying to shake off the sexist image that he has aquired. Very few men are important in the story, and none are shown with real powers of their own. In his attempt to be non-sexist, Anthony seems to be falling deeper into the morass. I Enjoy the XANTH novels -- I don't take them at all seriously. The fact that they tend to be somewhat from a male point of view does not bother me. I think that the attempts that Mr. Anthony is making to lose the sexist image are brought about by over reaction by some readers who insist on taking things seriously. The puns are not as fresh or fast in this newest book. There is an author's note at the end of the book that sort-of explains why. I won't spoil the thing for you by telling you what his his explanation is. The book is enjoyable to those who know and love Xanth, but it is not the book to cut your teeth on. The story is too contrived and the characters are too thin to really get the novice interested. In the afterward, the reader is told that the next Xanth book will come out "in a year or so, not much worse than this one. In fact, if you read this one carefully, you'll have a better notion than I do what that one is about, but I'll give you title and description anyway: CREWEL LYE, a Caustic Yarn about an Unkind Untruth." Given the above statement of intent, those of us who read the Xanth books despite the plots and characterizations, should start a raging debate over who the untruth is told by and who it is about, what is done about it and who does it, etc. This way, we can relive the "Who is the 'OTHER' in Revenge of the Jedi?" debate. C'mon folks, we only have a year! Daniel Glasser ...!decvax!sultan!dag