Piers Anthony (Dillingham Jacob) - (1934 - )

Piers Anthony suggests that his works are merely entertaining and relaxing.

Even though his plots may sound familiar, Anthony is capable of making the ordinary extraordinary with his unique plot twists and unusual phrasings.

Within a childhood scarred by illness, death, and isolation, prolific science fiction and fantasy author Piers Anthony escaped by immersing himself in books.

"From the time I was 13, I had been hooked on science fiction," Anthony recalled in an interview., "It's what I did for entertainment. It was a whole different world, multiple worlds, each one of them better than the one I knew. And so when I thought about writing [science fiction], I thought I could be original because I had read everything in the field."

He began to write at age twenty, finally deciding in college to make writing his career. As an adult, Anthony's therapy became his livelihood. His many popular series, including the "Magic of Xanth" with over twenty volumes published and more in progress, and his various novels and collections add up to over one hundred books since 1967.

"I am an SF writer today," he told Cliff Biggers in a Science Fiction interview, "because without SF and writing I would be nothing at all today."

His Books: - "MAGIC OF XANTH" SERIES --FANTASY NOVELS:

The "Xanth" stories are generally less complex and easier to read than Anthony's earlier works, and appeal to younger readers as well as adults.

Anthony's use of puns and other language tricks is a hallmark of the "Xanth" novels. In Anthony's 26th funny Xanth adventure, a character says that puns will be outlawed. "If they are, Xanth will dissolve into chaos... It is mostly made of puns," another character sagely replies.

Below see Vol. 1 - 12

In The Source of Magic, Bink is assigned to discover the source of all magic in Xanth. In Castle Roogna, Bink's son Dor travels eight hundred years back in time to rescue his nurse's boyfriend. Throughout each book, Bink and Dor encounter illusions and feats of magic.
"The Magic of Xanth" continued with Centaur Aisle, Ogre, Ogre, and Night Mare, the next "trilogy" of "Xanth" books. The first of these finds Dor filling in for Xanth's King Trent while he and Queen Iris take a trip to Mundania, good experience for Dor since he will one day become king. When the King and Queen fail to return, Dor sets out on another adventure. Anthony once again explores the process of maturing, as Dor leads a search party through Xanth and into Mundania, and falls in love with Princess Irene.

In Ogre, Ogre, the half-human, half-ogre Smash must protect the half-human, half-nymph Tandy. A stupid, insensitive creature at the beginning of the tale, Smash gradually acquires more human traits until he finally realizes that he is in love with Tandy.

Later entries in the series added to Anthony's portrait of the fantastic land of Xanth, with storylines including the rescue of the kingdom by a creature responsible for delivering bad dreams (Night Mare), the adventures of three-year-old Princess Ivy, lost and wandering in the forest with newfound friends Hugo and the Gap Dragon (Dragon on a Pedestal), the diminutive Golem's quest to rescue a lost baby dragon and prove himself worthy of attention (Golem in the Gears), Prince Dolph's protest against the Adult Conspiracy that keeps children ignorant of adult matters (Heaven Cent), and Princess Ivy's trip to Mundania in search of Good Magician Humphrey (Man from Mundania).

Richard Mathews applauded the "Xanth" series in Fantasy Review, asserting that it "ranks with the best of American and classic fantasy literature."

This series has the usual Piers Anthony Wit, but is a much more "serious" and thought-provoking read than the "Xanth" series.
Each book comes from the unique perspective of a "mortal man" that is suddenly thrust into taking the role of an "immortal" (such as Death or Fate or War), and must then serve certain "duties" in order to maintain the proper "order" of the world. Piers Anthony makes each "immortal" role and the actions and reactions of the mortals suddenly finding themselves in these roles believable. It's enough to make a person think about the balance of forces in life.

Split Infinity is the first book in Piers Anthony's "Apprentice Adept" series. Here two worlds exist side by side: Proton and Phaze. Proton is a science fiction world, where everything works in a logical and scientific manner. Phaze is a fantasy world similar to Anthony's Xanth in that there's no such thing as science--it's all done with magic!
The wild plot involves a young adventurer named Stiles who lives in Proton and learns that his "double" in Phaze has been murdered. To solve his own demise, Stiles must travel between the two realities, each abounding with the expected confusions and unexpected plot twists for which Anthony is famous. An artful blending of SF and fantasy clichés and situations, Split Infinity shows Piers Anthony at the top of his ingenious game.

Here is what one teen wrote about Split Infinity "This book is a fast read that will make you want to re-read it over and over. I was fist introduced to this book by a friend. Firstly let me point out i am not the reading type, however this book had me hooked i couldn't stop reading it (I've missed quite a few stops on the bus because of this book). "

The first book in the "Mode" series, in which a man and woman from two alternate worlds face love and danger across time and space.(and Collene has a telepathic horse - how special is that?)
This is what one reader had to say, "Collene is very real and is a sounding board for millions of teenage and twenty someting females. More than once I myself felt like Collene was spkeaking things that I have often thought. Mr.Anthony is able to make this book so real by really listing to his readers and using his own story telling genius. From begining to end this book is great. An even though she is confused hurt and brash at times Collene is a rolemodel for today's youth becuase she is just like today's youth. She isn't water down to smooth things over and make things P.C. She is the voice of millions of girls who have wrote to the author and he responed by writing one of the most realist honest and heart felt charters ever put into a book. I've read this book many time and I love it more each time. I glad that the subject that are so "ugly" and swept under the rug were brought up in this book. I can't wait for book number four so I can find out how things turn out with Collene. "

Fifth and concluding volume of the series, Mouvar's Magic, about Kelvin of Rud, the Roundear of Prophesy, and the magical tussle between the good (and mostly offstage) wizard Mouvar and the evil Professor Devale. The latter and his sidekick, the malignant witch Zady, will make one final attempt to destroy Kelvin and his allies, and prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy that will unite all the lands under one benevolent ruler.

His Books: - Novels for Young Adults