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Soul Rider #4
The Birth of Flux and Anchor
Chalker, Jack L.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
1 person is currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Jack L. Chalker
132 books356 followersBesides being a science fiction author, Jack Laurence Chalker was a Baltimore City Schools history teacher in Maryland for a time, a member of the Washington Science Fiction Association, and was involved in the founding of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Some of his books said that he was born in Norfolk, Virginia although he later claimed that was a mistake.
He attended all but one of the World Science Fiction Conventions from 1965 until 2004. He published an amateur SF journal, Mirage, from 1960 to 1971 (a Hugo nominee in 1963 for Best Fanzine).
Chalker was married in 1978 and had two sons.
His stated hobbies included esoteric audio, travel, and working on science-fiction convention committees. He had a great interest in ferryboats, and, at his wife's suggestion, their marriage was performed on the Roaring Bull Ferry.
Chalker's awards included the Daedalus Award (1983), The Gold Medal of the West Coast Review of Books (1984), Skylark Award (1985), Hamilton-Brackett Memorial Award (1979), as well as others of varying prestige. He was a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award twice and for the Hugo Award twice. He was posthumously awarded the Phoenix Award by the Southern Fandom Confederation on April 9, 2005.
On September 18, 2003, during Hurricane Isabel, Chalker passed out and was rushed to the hospital with a diagnosis of a heart attack. He was later released, but was severely weakened. On December 6, 2004, he was again rushed to hospital with breathing problems and disorientation, and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and a collapsed lung. Chalker was hospitalized in critical condition, then upgraded to stable on December 9, though he didn't regain consciousness until December 15. After several more weeks in deteriorating condition and in a persistent vegetative state, with several transfers to different hospitals, he died on February 11, 2005 of kidney failure and sepsis in Bon Secours of Baltimore, Maryland.
Chalker is perhaps best known for his Well World series of novels, the first of which is Midnight at the Well of Souls (Well World, #1).
He attended all but one of the World Science Fiction Conventions from 1965 until 2004. He published an amateur SF journal, Mirage, from 1960 to 1971 (a Hugo nominee in 1963 for Best Fanzine).
Chalker was married in 1978 and had two sons.
His stated hobbies included esoteric audio, travel, and working on science-fiction convention committees. He had a great interest in ferryboats, and, at his wife's suggestion, their marriage was performed on the Roaring Bull Ferry.
Chalker's awards included the Daedalus Award (1983), The Gold Medal of the West Coast Review of Books (1984), Skylark Award (1985), Hamilton-Brackett Memorial Award (1979), as well as others of varying prestige. He was a nominee for the John W. Campbell Award twice and for the Hugo Award twice. He was posthumously awarded the Phoenix Award by the Southern Fandom Confederation on April 9, 2005.
On September 18, 2003, during Hurricane Isabel, Chalker passed out and was rushed to the hospital with a diagnosis of a heart attack. He was later released, but was severely weakened. On December 6, 2004, he was again rushed to hospital with breathing problems and disorientation, and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and a collapsed lung. Chalker was hospitalized in critical condition, then upgraded to stable on December 9, though he didn't regain consciousness until December 15. After several more weeks in deteriorating condition and in a persistent vegetative state, with several transfers to different hospitals, he died on February 11, 2005 of kidney failure and sepsis in Bon Secours of Baltimore, Maryland.
Chalker is perhaps best known for his Well World series of novels, the first of which is Midnight at the Well of Souls (Well World, #1).
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 28, 2018
I think this bored me a bit the first time I read it, but I found out fascinating this time. There is, however, some poor editing that let through a few sentences that you had to read two or three times.
June 27, 2018
Background story for soul rider #1 - #3. Entertaining, but not as much as the first three parts.
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November 8, 2019A prequel novel to Chalker's Soul Rider series, in which the development of the stable world (Anchor) and its magical, chaotic counterpart (Flex) is explained. Not remembered.
August 9, 2024
I read the original trilogy when I was a kid and thought I would finally read the prequel. It's an interesting look at the origins of the world but there is A LOT of exposition.
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October 23, 2025The fourth book in the Soul Rider Series.
August 12, 2012
I always loved this series (as a trilogy) for most of my adult life. Like basically all of Chalker's stuff, it has its definite flaws, but still very fun.
I only now read book 4 and 5. I never realized they existed before recently. As a prequel, this was very interesting if you'd read the original trilogy, but it was rather too slow and overly detailed in many ways. Still quite glad I read it, though.
I only now read book 4 and 5. I never realized they existed before recently. As a prequel, this was very interesting if you'd read the original trilogy, but it was rather too slow and overly detailed in many ways. Still quite glad I read it, though.
January 20, 2008
Actually the best book in the series, although it wasn't originally planned to be written. The author found he had developed enough background material that he could write an entire book about the origins of the World. Since it is tied firmly to explaining origins and since the "magic" powers of the series are very limited, it doesn't stray so far into the wacky bits that broke the main series.
October 20, 2015
Wonderful back view.
January 11, 2012
Grade B-. Book Sr4, standalone prequel.
August 14, 2015
Problematic gender portrayals. Nostalgia read. Nice world building.
June 29, 2016
Ok, just wanting to finish this series now. Started off strong, but feeling like it is dragging on at this point. Maybe should have been a trilogy?
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May 8, 2019I have the german edition: Die Geburt der Daemonen
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews