Journey to Fusang

by William Sanders

In a world where European civilization has been left stunted by Mongol invasions, the New World, discovered and exploited by the Moors and Chinese, becomes the setting for the madcap adventures of an Irish con artist.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

this is William^^^Sanders

William Sanders served with the US Army Security Agency during the Vietnam War. He is the author of more than 20 published books and many stories and articles; his short fiction has been nominated for major awards, including the Hugo and Nebula, and has twice won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History.

see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...

Reviews

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvelous alternate-history and picaresque adventure set in the late 17th century but in a very different world. The review you want to read is my old friend Rich Horton's: https://www.sfsite.com/04a/jf78.htm (no serious spoilers).

"The plot is clever enough, involving and nicely worked out, but it's not the point of the book. The book is simply a pleasure to read: very funny throughout. Sanders has a great raconteur's style, such that each individual scene is a story within a story, and fun to read, as well as humorous and clever."
Indeed. I read this novel just as I was finishing the "Blood and Treasure," the new Daniel Boone biography. Author Sanders was a Cherokee, so there's no question of where his sympathies lie in his alternate New World. But the point of reading the book is, really, just to have fun. If my experience is a guide, you will, too. Strong 4 stars: highly recommended.

[Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I'm pretty much a sucker for alternate-world fiction, when I saw this book available at a flea market for a bargain price, I snapped it up. As my rating suggests, I wasn't disappointed --though I was rounding up; if I could give half stars in Goodreads rating system, I'd probably have awarded it three and a half. This was my first acquaintance with Sanders' work, though I've read one of his short stories since.

Since the Goodreads entry for this book has no description (I'll have to write one, later), the premise needs explanation. Our setting is the mid or late 1600s, mostly in the New World. But in this novel's world, the Mongols had invaded and devastated Europe in the early 1300s; and though they were eventually driven out, that calamity and the ensuing Black Death drastically retarded European socio-economic and political development. Here, 17th-century Europe is a relatively weak economic and cultural backwater; the major power centers are the Islamic world and China, which are beginning to explore and settle North America, the former via the Atlantic and the latter via the Pacific. Finn, Sanders' protagonist, is an Irish rogue who's wound up with a price on his head as a result of a dalliance with the Irish High King's underage daughter (he says he didn't know she was underage). When he takes refuge on what turns out to be a Moslem slave ship bound for the Aztec Empire, his adventures are just beginning, and there won't be a dull moment until we hit the back cover.

To put it mildly, Finn is not a moral exemplar. His legitimate line of work is as an entertainer --juggler, knife-thrower, trickster, etc.-- but he's also a con artist, gambler, horse and chicken thief, an incorrigible womanizer, even when he thinks he's in love (and not averse to hiring women for sex, though he isn't a rapist), and gifted with a well-developed eye for self-preservation and the main chance. (If you characterized his tale as being in the picaresque tradition, you'd definitely be right on the money.) We probably shouldn't like him; but I'll admit that I couldn't help it. He does have his good side: he isn't cruel nor without moral sympathy for his fellow humans, he's loyal to friends, and if he can help someone in trouble without too great a risk to himself, he's ready to do it. (And a ready wit and capacity for blarney doesn't hurt his appeal. :-) ) The other major characters here are well-drawn, vivid and realistic as well.

Sanders has a precious sense of humor, expressed not only in Finn's narrative voice but in a variety of details where this world riffs off of the real one; his tongue is often quite firmly set in his cheek. :-) But he can be serious, too; this world is very plausibly developed in a way that shows some real research, and it's a fascinating one to explore. (I'd actually welcome some other novels set here!) He's a great story-teller, and the adventure component is high. Despite his humor, there are passages here that are anything but funny; like our world, this is one that has its share of dark evil and vicious cruelty, which characters may have to recognize and stand against --even if they'd rather be as far away as they can get. Some of his humor is off-color, but there's no explicit sex here, and not much if any bad language (Finn's speaking style is more earthy than profane). And while I'm not dealing in spoilers here, he has an ending that deviates from some of the usual fictional conventions. In short, this isn't a great literary classic --but for fans of its genre(s), it deserves to be a lot better known than it currently is!

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finn the Juggler is an Irishman skilled at legerdemain, conjuring, and other less legal sleight of hand endeavours. In a world where the Mongols and Moors didn’t stop at western Europe, the late 17th century is ruled by Arabs and Chinese. Finn is captured by slavers and escapes with a slow-witted Anglo named Alfred and an Arab translator called Yusuf. After a side trip to Tangier, where they sell Alfred into slavery and rescue a fiery red-headed colleen called Maeve, they head to far Fusang (California). On the way there they meet up with some local Amerind tribes, and lose Maeve but find Alfred again, before heading west and crossing paths with the fearsome Vladimir Khan and his reincarnated Golden Horde. The frantic search for Maeve and the discovery of the real reason Khan and his forces are in the New World make for a fascinating, fast-paced adventure from William Sanders. Have fun spotting the many pop culture references in this cross between Deathworld 2 and Two Mules For Sister Sara!

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Werner A's review of this book is awesome. I don't have much to add, except brevity ;-)

I've read this book at least 3 times since 1990 (pub 1988). And I've read a bunch of other stuff by Sanders on the strength of this book, though I have to say it would be OK if I hadn't, this is his best.

So many rereads, why 4 stars? Because it is sitting by the side of a bed that I only visit for a day or so every week or two, and I don't feel a compelling hunger to finish it. I'm happy to go on nibbling at the adventure for as long as it takes.

Otherwise it's flawless. An alternate history no cowboys and indians written by a native american who knows the difference between his tribes. A tale of roguery and derring do, of a hero not so reluctant as inadvertent as he pursues his own self interests. A bit of the sexy in a non tawdry way that I think is maybe not structurally offensive to women.

Really a lovely and perfect book, of consumate achievement. But lacking transcendence, which I now seek.

[Dariel Quiogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book stuck in my head primarily because of its sendup of Omar Khayyam:

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: not all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor does it help to sit and cry 'Oh sh**'

That should tell you the tone of the book! Journey to Fusang is rollicking, picaresque adventure featuring roguish characters headed by Irish con man Finn, who flees to North America after getting the High King of Ireland's daughter pregnant. But this America is an alternate history America. In Finn's world, the Mongols apparently didn't turn back when Ogedei died and finished conquering Western Europe instead; result, the Americas are colonized by Islamic civilization on the east coast, and by the Chinese on the west coast.

Journey to Fusang is filled with spoofs and genre in-jokes galore. Since I no longer have the paperback, this is one of the books I wish would be reissued in Kindle.

[Vroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps memory is clouding my rating on this giving it perhaps one too many stars, but a wise-cracking rogue in Chinese-dominated America where Islam is a world power was a fun read and a great alternative history. Finn ("of no fixed abode") travels, gets into trouble, and with no little effort, manages to get right back out of it, although will quickly fall into more as that's his nature.

I was trying to describe this book to someone and couldn't remember the name, which necessitated a visit to a very dusty bookshelf and a much-loved volume from a few decades ago. I should probably give it a re-read and hope that its story remains fresh and exciting as it does in my recollection.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and amusing romp through an alternate 17th century North America where a successful 13th century Mongol invasion of Europe has left a Muslim and Chinese dominated world and Arab and Chinese traders have spheres of influence in Indian country. After a journey across the present-day USA the roguish Irish hero, Finn, finds himself and his friends up against a mad Mongol khan intent on world domination and that adventure adds another dimension to a novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously. 4.5 stars.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first alternative history novel I read, and the best of a grand total of three to date. Lively and fun, two things it doesn't have in common with "Civilizations" by Laurent Binet, which reads like an earnest grad student's attempt to capitalize on years of Early Modern Europe seminars. "Thunder God" by Paul Watkins ranks somewhere between those two. I plan on reading Harry Turtledove's "The Guns of the South," which my brother will not stop recommending, before passing judgment on the genre.

[Mark Ciccone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should be 3 1/2 stars. Great action, description and world-building, and lots of witty humor; for me, it was the last couple of chapters that kept it from being four or five stars, given some abrupt and unwelcome character shifts.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so satisfied by every part of this book. The setting, the characters, the plot, the way it was told ... and so, so funny. I've been reading William Sanders' work for the past couple of months, and, so far, this is his masterpiece.

[Fresno Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

great alt-history

[L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Finn of No Fixed Abode, an Irish rogue who makes a journey of discovery across a strangely altered United States. Mr. Sanders is a master of alternate history, and has skillfully created a world where Europe never rose to prominence. Finn and his two companions, Yusef and Allred, travel across an America dominated by Arabs to the East and Chinese to the West. Along the way, Finn encounters ninjas, Apaches, Cossacks, and many strange and wonderful things. He learns about life, love, and friendship. Even more importantly, he has fun. And so did I. If you're looking to lose yourself in a comic adventure in a world that might have been, this is your book.