Bergman.SoftArts@MIT-MULTICS@sri-unix.UUCP (09/20/83)
Most people seem to have lost track of the original question.
The Incomplete enchanter series by L. Sprague de Camp and
Fletcher Pratt is the only one I can think of at the moment
that addresses the issue of alternate worlds in the terms
originally put forth (real events in alternate worlds inspire
novels here). The stories are available in two volumes: The
Incomplete Enchanter and The Compleat Enchanter. I am not sure
if they are currently in print, but they have been published in
pb within the last ten years.
I am sure I have read other short stories with a similar
orientation towards communication between alternate universes,
but can't recall any names.
On the general topic of alternate universe stories, there
are the Andre Norton books, Quest Crosstime and <title
forgotten>, which use an absolute numbering scheme based on the
only world to have discovered crosstime travel (not ours,
although we do figure in (as the only world in a series that
have destroyed themselves with Nuclear war!). One of the
Crosstime books has an interesting world in which the
Mayan/Axtec/Inca empire discovers Europe, as an equal.
Also Here Be Dragons <monsters?> in which the alternate world is Avalon,
and a book that I have forgotten the name of, which is set in her
future history, mainline sf universe, but pops over into pure
fantasy as the characters cross the boundary. Also the Witch
World series. I guess I had better just leave off and say that
Andre Norton has written quite a few alternate universe books,
which I liked.
Operation Chaos, by Poul Anderson is, I believe, sometimes referred to
as a classic.
The Face in the Frost is wonderful, although fantasy, not
sf. I have forgotten the author's name.
Alan Nourse, The Universe Between.
That's all I can think of right now that haven't already been
mentioned.
--mike Bergman
bergman.softarts@mit-multicsLS.SRB@EE@sri-unix.UUCP (09/23/83)
From: Stephen R. Balzac <LS.SRB@EE> How about the Chronicles of Amber by Zelazny? That's an interesting treatmest of the alternamte worlds idea. For those who haven't read it, this presents the idea that all worlds are but shadows of the real world of Amber. The narrator is Corwin, one of the princes of Amber. He and all those of the royal blood have the power, granted them through something called the Pattern, of "walking" from one world to another by simply imagining where they want to go, and then making their surroundings correspond with their desires. But if I say anymore, it might spoil the story for someone, so I'll end here.