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246th out of 771 books
—
676 voters
The Compleat Enchanter (The Incompleat Enchanter #1-2)
The Mathematics of Magic was probably the greatest discovery of the ages - at least Professor Harold Shea thought so. With the proper equations, he could instantly transport himself back in time to all the wondrous lands of ancient legend. But slips in time were a hazard, and Shea's magic did not always work - at least, not quite as he expected...
This omnibus volume conta...more
This omnibus volume conta...more
Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages
Published
February 12th 1984
by Del Rey
(first published 1941)
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This is the book that put L. Sprague de Camp so high on my list of favorite authors. I found the three novellas in The Compleat Enchanter: The Magical Misadventures of Harold Shea so utterly fun and charming that as soon as I finished the book, I was overcome by a great sadness resulting from knowing that I would never again get that magical experience of reading it for the first time. However, I soon realized that the novellas in this book are so wonderful that they will be just as good upon a...more
I generally think of De Camp as the hack who bowdlerized Robert E. Howard, making everyone think that the Conan the Barbarian stories were far dumber than they ever were. And I generally think of Fletcher Pratt as the writer of Invaders From Rigel, a book I bought for its hilarious cover and found to be unreadable. However, I found this book for a buck and though it might be fun. Thankfully, it is.
(Note: At the moment, this review is only of the first of the five novellas contained herein, The R...more
(Note: At the moment, this review is only of the first of the five novellas contained herein, The R...more
http://nhw.livejournal.com/684127.html[return][return]Reading "The Compleat Enchanter",[return]when I came to the fourth section,[return](set in Finland's Kalevala)[return]somehow I began to wonder:[return]Can one write LiveJournal entries[return]in iambic tetrameter?[return](Yes, I know that last word's bogus[return]and perhaps that gives the answer.)[return][return]This, a five-book compilation[return]of the works of Pratt and de Camp,[return]brings together the adventures[return]of a man call...more
The first book in this collection was quite fun. There was a section about a wizards meeting which really reminded me of both Pratchett and Rowling - I wonder if they read this when they were younger and then improved the germ of an idea in their far more successful creations.
The later books in the series were pretty dreary. hack writing. I have a feeling that as the series collaboration progessed it became more of Sprague de Camps - and less of Pratts - and I think it was Pratts involvement wh...more
The later books in the series were pretty dreary. hack writing. I have a feeling that as the series collaboration progessed it became more of Sprague de Camps - and less of Pratts - and I think it was Pratts involvement wh...more
Three entertaining novellas in one... for the most part. These do contain a young adult naivete that exemplifies classic sword and sorcery fantasy of the pulpy cheesy kind, so they are certainly not epic or full of deep meaning. Things start out a bit awkwardly yet with a touch of whimsy that brings out a certain 1940's mindset, but unfortunately each story got progressively worse in style, content, and interest -- in that order. Not sure if I would be interested in pursuing any other tales in t...more
One of the most entertainingly tantalising fantasy works I have come across in a long while.. filled with equal parts, wit, humour, inventiveness, adaptation of known fantasy/fictional themes and characters, attention to detail, adventure, action and silliness - this is one of the finest and most innovative examples of fantasy fiction.
Prof. Harold Shea has become hands down one of my all time favourite characters as a result of these stories and I only wish fervently that there had been more! T...more
Prof. Harold Shea has become hands down one of my all time favourite characters as a result of these stories and I only wish fervently that there had been more! T...more
Fun to read one of the foundational books of fantasy literature, which spawned a whole series of imitators and served as a starting point for a wide number of books. Some of it reflects a 1940's mentality, but it really was a leap forward for the genre with heroes that would think their way through problems much of the time over simply bludgeoning their out of trouble. The conceptual ideas are a lot of fun and the worlds are deeply entertaining for anyone familiar with mythological literature an...more
A delightful collection of three long stories of mythic time travel with a single main character. Published first in fantasy pulp magazines in the early 1940, they show much wit and thoughtfulness. The last story was a bit thin. One of the great forefathers of Tolkien's works.
Was lots of fun. Similar to a Pratchett yarn.
Dated.
An adventurous young man and an old professor discover a way to transport themselves into alternate realities by fiddling with the rules of logic in their "syllogismobile". Pratt was mostly know for his detailed fictional worlds and De Camp was known for humorous adventure fantasy, and the combination makes for excellent reading.
What I learned from this book? Yngvi is a louse!
Was looking for this in my brain--couldn't remember title!
Thanks again, Dan.
Thannasset
Was looking for this in my brain--couldn't remember title!
Thanks again, Dan.
Thannasset
When I donated my books in 2004, this is one I kept. Enchanting. Compleatly.
Jun 16, 2013
Nathan
marked it as to-read
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Lyon Sprague de Camp, (Pseudonym: Lyman R. Lyon) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and biographer. In a writing career spanning fifty years he wrote over one hundred books, including novels and notable works of nonfiction, such as biographies of other important fantasy authors.He was widely regarded as an imaginative and innovative writer and was an important figure in the heyday...more
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