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The Rebirth of Wonder
Art Dunham had worked in his father's small-town theater all his life, and had never before seen anything like the group that rented it one summer.
The Bringers of Wonder, as they called themselves, wanted to put on a single performance of a play called The Return of Magic -- but is it a play, or something more?
The Bringers of Wonder, as they called themselves, wanted to put on a single performance of a play called The Return of Magic -- but is it a play, or something more?
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 15, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 18, 2025
This book collects the titular short novel, and an original unrelated novella called The Final Folly of Captain Dancy. They're both very good, cleverly written modern fantasies. The Rebirth of Wonder is great for people with an interest in live theatre and portrays some of the trials and peculiarities of staging in small venues in amusing and accurate detail. The Pat Morrissey cover on the first Tor edition illustrates an example. The Final Folly of Captain Dancy is an equally entertaining and amusing tale of piracy, though I wish we had learned the purpose of the parrot.
November 6, 2015
A short novel and a very unusual contemporary fantasy.
A play is closing in a little theater, and Art, who's the owner's son and does the light, cleans up after. When, to his surprise, his father shows up with a client who's putting on a play.
A play Art can't find listed in the library. And they do not act like theater people, though discovering they are magicians and no doubt trying to hide their secrets, helps explain. One tells him that it was sort of a philosophical society more than an acting group. And as he goes through the props, a wooden dagger vanishes, and a nice sharp one appears.
The tale involves a door that appears from nowhere, the stone foundation of the place, using lights for their show, an odd audience, mentions of Stonehenge, the Valley of the Kings, and Mount Fuji, a need for him to work, and much more.
A play is closing in a little theater, and Art, who's the owner's son and does the light, cleans up after. When, to his surprise, his father shows up with a client who's putting on a play.
A play Art can't find listed in the library. And they do not act like theater people, though discovering they are magicians and no doubt trying to hide their secrets, helps explain. One tells him that it was sort of a philosophical society more than an acting group. And as he goes through the props, a wooden dagger vanishes, and a nice sharp one appears.
The tale involves a door that appears from nowhere, the stone foundation of the place, using lights for their show, an odd audience, mentions of Stonehenge, the Valley of the Kings, and Mount Fuji, a need for him to work, and much more.
May 27, 2018
Lawrence Watt-Evans is an author who has yet to disappoint me. He writes solid and clever plots with characters who are believable, even as they react to the most extraordinary events. I bought his book, The Misenchanted Sword as a teenager, and it remains one of my favorite books to reread.
This pair of stories are smart and occasionally witty, and the teaser that closes the book is an interesting premise.
This pair of stories are smart and occasionally witty, and the teaser that closes the book is an interesting premise.
December 3, 2016
The Rebirth of Wonder is a whimsical urban fantasy tale. Set in the "modern" world of the pre-internet 1990s, Art Dunham has a lazy summer ahead of himself in small town Brampton. His family's theater wasn't booked, so not much was expected to occupy his time once the final night of the local production of Midsummer's Night's Dream finished.
The very next day, he finds out a strange troupe called the Bringers of Wonder have rented the theater for a show, but only with his father's insistence that Art is on hand to supervise lighting and make sure they don't burn the theater down. They reluctantly agree, but only if Art stays out of their way. What ensues is a fun tale of Art's curiosity warring with his intellect, and meeting the strange folks that make up the strange company. They're certainly the strangest actors he's met, not wanting an audience, and while they seem to know what they want to produce, they don't have any of the normal theater quirks he's used to. As he earns their reluctant acceptance and even friendship from some, he notices odd events, like props in storage he's never seen before, doors in the basement the could swear weren't there, and more.
Soon Art finds himself wrapped up in the strangest of plays ever to be put on in Brampton, or anywhere else, and trying to decide if they're just eccentric performers, or something far more magical.
Lawrence Watt-Evans weaves a delightful tale that's not about flashing spells and monsters, but clearly evokes the sense of awe and magic in little things that don't fit in the mundane world, and explores the question of how important these things should be in a world which has largely forgotten the mythical and magical. He also demonstrates a clear knowledge of the theater, and the foibles of the folks who put on plays, adding a dose of realism but still a different aspect of life than non-actors normally get to experience.
The very next day, he finds out a strange troupe called the Bringers of Wonder have rented the theater for a show, but only with his father's insistence that Art is on hand to supervise lighting and make sure they don't burn the theater down. They reluctantly agree, but only if Art stays out of their way. What ensues is a fun tale of Art's curiosity warring with his intellect, and meeting the strange folks that make up the strange company. They're certainly the strangest actors he's met, not wanting an audience, and while they seem to know what they want to produce, they don't have any of the normal theater quirks he's used to. As he earns their reluctant acceptance and even friendship from some, he notices odd events, like props in storage he's never seen before, doors in the basement the could swear weren't there, and more.
Soon Art finds himself wrapped up in the strangest of plays ever to be put on in Brampton, or anywhere else, and trying to decide if they're just eccentric performers, or something far more magical.
Lawrence Watt-Evans weaves a delightful tale that's not about flashing spells and monsters, but clearly evokes the sense of awe and magic in little things that don't fit in the mundane world, and explores the question of how important these things should be in a world which has largely forgotten the mythical and magical. He also demonstrates a clear knowledge of the theater, and the foibles of the folks who put on plays, adding a dose of realism but still a different aspect of life than non-actors normally get to experience.
July 12, 2023
The rebirth of wonder itself is a decent
magic in a modern setting story, which in and
of itself would only deserve three stars at the
most, but;
The Final Folly of Captain Dancy, which is also
in this volume is easily worth the four stars.
magic in a modern setting story, which in and
of itself would only deserve three stars at the
most, but;
The Final Folly of Captain Dancy, which is also
in this volume is easily worth the four stars.
May 14, 2009
weird...
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December 25, 2014#kindle #sff
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews