The IBIC Guide to Books By Dave Duncan

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Remarks from the IBIC Editor's Journal

May 22, 1995

The interesting thing about Dave Duncan's THE HUNTER'S HAUNT (Del Rey) is that it shows that even minor Duncan is very entertaining. It would appear from a recent issue of LOCUS that the highly prolific Duncan may be moving to another publisher. If that is so, it's bad news for Del Rey; IMHO Duncan is the best fantasy author to come along in the last decade.

THE CURSED is "major Duncan", a standalone novel set in a different fantasy world from any of his other creations. As usual, the concept is clever and the characters are humane, human, humorous, and honorable in a three-dimensional, mature way that reflects Duncan's rich life experience. Criticism of THE CURSED on rec.arts.sf.written seemed to focus on the point that the plot (which includes a significant element of predestination) was too predictable, but I didn't find it a problem. I came way from this Duncan, as from every other novel of his, with a buoyant bubble of keen enjoyment rising in the center of my chest, a healthy, invigorated feeling--somewhat like being a loaf of fresh-baked bread. Highly recommended.

Fall 1994

I thoroughly enjoyed THE LIVING GOD, the fourth and concluding volume in Dave Duncan's "A Handful Of Men" series, which is itself a sequel to Duncan's "A Man of His Word" series starring the stableboy-turned-sorcerer Rap, King of Krasnegar.

Dave Duncan's character as an author reminds me of the character of Bink in Piers Anthony's A SPELL FOR CHAMELEON--an ordinary person whose abilities, average in most respects, are transformed and transfigured by a single, mysterious, extraordinary talent. (Incidentally, for those who have not read CHAMELEON, I mean this as a compliment; it is an excellent book.)

Duncan's fantasy world, which is populated by imps, elves, dwarves, goblins, jotunn, and dragons, is not an especially original conception. Nor is the plot of "A Handful of Men", which involves a magical threat to the foundations of the Impire of Pandemia. Without Duncan's transfiguring talent, this would be routine genre stuff.

The talent that makes Dave Duncan special and makes his Rap novels jewels of the fantasy genre is a simple one: he is a wonderful storyteller. Because of this talent, his fantasy world, based on a handful of clever premises, is skillfully elaborated. His plot is crisply executed and builds to a conclusion which I found both satisfying and surprising. His characters are utterly engaging and his style lucid and literate. In short, his work is a prose poem to the art of writing entertaining fiction.

So to continue the Xanth analogy, what are the future prospects for Duncan's work? Is there any sign that he is beginning to repeat himself and churn out formula product? Thankfully not; this, the eighth novel in the Rap series, is as fresh as the first. There is no obvious sequel to this book, so it's difficult to guess where he will go from here; but my hopes are high.


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Editor's Recommendations, Summer 1996

In this inaugural edition of IBIC's Featured Books, I'd like to draw your attention to several titles which have helped to shape my life and thinking.

  • When I was around fifteen, I came across Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's science fiction novel, INFERNO. This '70s remake of Dante's classic describes science fiction writer Allen Carpentier's descent into Hell. It's still a very fresh, accessible take on the classic. What a great movie it would make!
  • The Niven/Pournelle INFERNO immediately inspired me to read the original Divine Comedy. I've read a number of translations over the years, but my favorite is the one by Dorothy Sayers (INFERNO; PURGATORY; PARADISE). The notes are excellent, and Sayers had such a knowledgeable and witty mind that reading her prose is a pleasure in itself. (For those interested in a more contemporary translation, I should mention that Robert Pinsky received excellent notices for his 1995 THE INFERNO OF DANTE : A NEW VERSE TRANSLATION; it's a very handsome book.)
  • I also want to tell you about the late Henry Fairlie's THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS TODAY, which probably did more than any other single book to galvanize me into a lifetime interest in Christianity that led me, eventually, to faith. Ironic, because Fairlie was a self-proclaimed agnostic socialist! But reading between the lines of this insightful and deeply feeling book, one realizes that the love of God cannot have been far from Fairlie's heart.
  • Finally, I should draw to your attention a more recent acquisition, the very handsome NIV STUDY BIBLE (10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) from Zondervan, indexed and bonded in leather in IBIC's theme color, burgundy (black and brown are also available). The notes to this Bible are amazing. They appear to provide you with a very substantial portion of what you need to know to have an intelligent layman's appreciation of the linguistic and historical issues involved in understanding Scripture.

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