The Song Of Phaid The ...

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Mick Farren

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The Song Of Phaid The Gambler (The Song of Phaid the Gambler #1-2)

by Mick Farren

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 22 ratings · 1 review

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Jan 09, 2012 Paul Darcy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

by Mick Farren, published in 1981.

Wow, this was a book which totally slipped under my radar back in the early eighties when I was crazy on Science Fiction - even more than I am today.

An unusual novel by a British author I just discovered this year when I saw an intriguing cover art in a used bookstore. I was compelled to pick it up and so I did.

It is sort of a post apocalypse novel, but no “real” apocalypse has taken place. Rather than any one catastrophic event, the world has simply progressed...more by Mick Farren, published in 1981.

Wow, this was a book which totally slipped under my radar back in the early eighties when I was crazy on Science Fiction - even more than I am today.

An unusual novel by a British author I just discovered this year when I saw an intriguing cover art in a used bookstore. I was compelled to pick it up and so I did.

It is sort of a post apocalypse novel, but no “real” apocalypse has taken place. Rather than any one catastrophic event, the world has simply progressed so far technologically and then decayed into what it has become in this novel. And the world may not even be Earth.

Phaid, the protagonist, is a gambler as the title suggests. He gets by in this tough new world with his wits, slight of hand card shark abilities and luck. But luck begins to run out on Phaid and sets him on a path of dangerous adventures spanning a great deal of the world.

This novel is really about discovering the world that Farren has created. We see giant maglev trains run by a select portion of society because only they have retained the ability to maintain these incredible machines. We discover that only one religion exists as it has finally wiped out any other competition.

Huge weather machines, which once governed the entire planet’s climate, have broken down to devastating global effect. Bands of frozen or burning regions cover the lands and travel between them is only accomplished by specialized machines. Robots have their own ambitions, society and underground politics. A genetically different (made or from another planet?) race has incredible mind control abilities, and one of these creatures has ambitions for man - not good ambitions though. Barbarian tribes roam the wastes and most people eek out a living any way they can.

Cities are vast but rundown and almost lawless. There are the privileged inner court which hangs around the presidents, and lots of poor. The world is so rich we hardly follow Phaid much at all except to see the next wonder. It’s almost a travel guide as we go from society to city to country and all over.

For this reason I found the novel a bit uneven and some parts hard to slog through. I was looking for more of a character story, but one never really manifested itself and what we have is a travel log of interesting places on an “alien” world.

Mick Farren creates a vast, interesting world filled with neat old and new technology and societies and races, but it left me wanting more.

An interesting book to read for sure, and there is even a sequel “Citizen Phaid”, but I’m going to pass on it.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 26, 2013 Andre Simpson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jan 10, 2013 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nov 08, 2012 Foxglove Zayuri marked it as to-read

Nov 05, 2012 David Davies rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Oct 03, 2012 Ian Haigh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sep 28, 2012 Gkh marked it as to-read

Jul 18, 2012 Graeme rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jul 05, 2012 Dirk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jun 23, 2012 Nikki Bishop rated it 4 of 5 stars

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May 16, 2012 Mr. rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Nov 08, 2011 Walter Eckland added it

Shelves: fiction, scifi

Jul 28, 2011 Dex rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-and-fantasy

Mar 12, 2011 Connie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dec 13, 2010 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern, fiction

Oct 23, 2010 Mike Maroney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oct 13, 2010 Xzarf rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

Aug 31, 2010 Mike Friedland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jul 20, 2010 Bigheadweb added it

Mar 06, 2010 Derek Koch rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Jun 18, 2009 Ben rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Jun 16, 2009 Kevin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oct 15, 2008 Remote marked it as to-read

Sep 02, 2008 Marc rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Mick Farren

Farren was the singer with the proto-punk English band The Deviants between 1967 and 1969, releasing three albums. In 1970 he released the solo album Mona – The Carnivorous Circus which also featured Steve Peregrin Took, John Gustafson and Paul Buckmaster, before leaving the music business to concentrate on his writing.

In the mid-1970s, he briefly returned to music releasing the EP Screwed Up, alb...more

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