Under the Stairs

Bandworld #1

by John Stockmyer

John Lyon, historian, new homeowner, stumbled through a gateway into an alternate reality under the stairs of his old house. And...here he was, running a dangerous bluff; trying to pass himself off as a powerful Mage in this land that the natives called Stil-de-grain.

This was what he wanted? An adventure? Some excitement to fight depression? If so, he'd succeeded beyond all measure... And all John could think about was getting home.

Genres: Fantasy

282 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 2004

About the author

John G. Stockmyer is an individual whose irrepressible creativity has manifested itself in many ways: as a poet, teacher, produced playwright, author, co-owner of an educational materials business, creator of a time-machine simulator, and, more recently, as a podcaster and producer of eBooks. During his career he has received awards for scholarship, numerous teaching awards and, as a writer, was a Thorpe Menn finalist.

John G. Stockmyer is now semi-retired from a 40+ year career as an Ancient/European History Professor at Maple Woods Community College, but still teaches and writes part-time. He currently lives in Clovis, New Mexico with his wife Connie.

Reviews

[Linda Beilstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Under the Stairs/Bandworld series is about the adventures of John Lyon, a young history professor who discovers a hidden gateway to a fantastic place he calls "Bandworld." Bandworld appears to be a planet that is firmly set in the Dark Ages: castles, kings, rigid social caste systems, primitive technology, etc. As John spends more time in Bandworld, he finds that his assessment of this "medieval" place is shockingly incomplete.

And ... here he was, running a dangerous bluff; trying to pass himself off as a powerful mage in this land that the natives called Stil-de-grain.

This was what he wanted? An adventure? Some excitement to fight depression? If so, he'd succeeded beyond all measure ... And all John could think about was getting home.

[Pauline Ross · Rating 1 out of 5]

The trouble with reading really wonderful fantasy is that for a while afterwards everything else seems incredibly meh. It's like eating a box of chocolates and then having to eat the cardboard box. This is probably an OK sort of book, but I just couldn't get through it. Premise: bloke buys an old house where strange things happen, discovers it's a portal to an alternate reality. The bloke and his modern world life are rather dull. The alternate reality is standard fantasy - there are mages and crystals and warring kingdoms and evil priests and a long-lost heir to the throne. Stop me if you've heard any of this before. There's also an Ethereal, a girl who has to be tortured to release some sort of power, which is (slightly) interesting. But none of it grabs me enough to keep reading. One star.

[Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read though difficult at first to get into. This is due to the first several chapters switching not only between characters but also places without warning. I find stories that feel a bit disjointed in the beginning such as this difficult to follow. However, this was short-lived as I became familiar with the characters and the story reaaly began to unfold and take shape. It was a free book from Barnes & Noble (for my Nook)and I enjoyed it so much I purchased the rest of the series. An interesting mix of fantasy and perhaps a bit of sci-fi as well. While it is the first book of the Bandworld series, the story does end rather than leavin you at a huge cliff-hanger. I could have easily left the series eith only reading this first free book. However, I was curious as to where the author was goingto take it across five other books.

[Gerold Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book No 1 in the "Bandworld" series.

John Lyon buys an old home in the countryside and afterwards hears stories of it being haunted. When his cat disappears in the confined space under the stairs, John goes looking for it - only to find much more than he bargained for - and it's not a haunted house!!

Now in a strange land, John is mistaken for the missing Mage, and as such is expected to produce miracles. John, in the mean time, is desperately seeking a way home.

An excellent free book from Smashwords. Also available for free on Kindle / Nook / author's website etc.

[Ian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book, which I abandoned after only a few chapters, which is something I think I've only ever done twice before. I might have persisted further, but I couldn't bear having William Shatner, in Captain Kirk persona, reading the book in my head. The author is too fond of exclamation marks! They are everywhere! Everything! Is! Terribly! Exciting!

[Jennifer Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another freebie on my nook. One of the better free books I have read. Well written and entertaining. Starts out like a ghost story and twists into an alternate reality sci-fi book. Not usually my first genre pick, but I enjoyed this book and the characters adventures.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is how to write a fantasy novel. A fantasy is not a romance with a few goblins for padding. This author knows how to build a world. I stumbled on the first in this series and John has kindly sent me #2. I am fixing to read the rest

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting idea for a story. This book helped me to remember that my reality isn't everyone else's. Not my usual cup of tea, but I was pretty riveted.

[Audra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I just don't like this writer's style.