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Xanth is a fantasy world created by author Piers Anthony, the setting of his eponymous series of novels; for which he has become popular.
The series is noted for its punny and somewhat humorous style. The author's habit of using (and crediting) reader notions is another factor in the popularity of the series, as it includes readers in the creation process. Anthony has gone so far as to create a popular character based on a young reader.
History
The name Xanth is in itself a pun, which matches the playful tone of the books. Xanth is both derived from the prefix xantho- for yellow, as well as the sound made by combining the last part of the author's first name and the first part of the author's last name.
Anthony commonly states that he originally intended for Xanth to be a trilogy, and after the wild success of the first three books decided to expand the series to nine books. An extremely devoted fan base persuaded the author to continue writing the series, which is now open-ended.
The World of Xanth
Each human character in Xanth is born with a unique magical ability. These abilities never repeat in individuals throughout the entire history of Xanth. Though many abilities are limited in scope, the series focuses on individuals with "Magician" caliber abilities (one of the criteria for serving as King of Xanth).
Xanth has a connection with the normal world, which is referred to as "Mundania". Xanth was colonized in several waves by groups of invaders and nomads. The series ties these colonization events to actual historical events on Earth, most notably the punic wars.
In addition to the human characters, Xanth is populated by centaurs, naga, merfolk, golems, dragons, demons, harpys, nymphs, zombies, gargoyles, ogres and all other manner of fictional beasts. Though they were initially introduced as obstacles to the human characters, they have become main characters in the later books of the series.
Criticisms
Piers Anthony has been criticized for straying from the initial vision of his series. While the first novel can stand alone as a good example of a book in the fantasy genre, the remaining series often relies on cheap puns to move the plot and each entry in the increasingly confusing series makes heavy reference to specific happenings of previous entries. The series has also been criticized for a repetitive and formulaic nature after the inital nine books. Still, devotees of the book continue to buy the series en masse.
Book List
- A Spell for Chameleon (1977)
- The Source of Magic (1979)
- Castle Roogna (1979]])
- Centaur Aisle (1981)
- Ogre, Ogre (1982)
- Night Mare (1983)
- Dragon on a Pedestal (1984)
- Crewel Lye (1985)
- Golem in the Gears (1986)
- Vale of the Vole (1987)
- Heaven Cent (1988)
- Man from Mundania (1989)
- Isle of View (1990)
- Question Quest (1991)
- The Color of Her Panties (1992)
- Demons Don't Dream (1993)
- Harpy Thyme (1994)
- Geis of the Gargoyle (1995)
- Roc and a Hard Place (1996)
- Yon Ill Wind (1997)
- Faun & Games (1997]])
- Zombie Lover (1998)
- Xone of Contention (1999)
- The Dastard (2000)
- Swell Foop (2001)
- Up in a Heaval (2002)
- Cube Route (2003)
- Currant Events (2004)
- Pet Peeve (finalizing, due 2005)
- Stork Naked (writing in progress)
- Air Apparent (proposed)
Also related
- Encyclopedia of Xanth (1987, by Jody Lynn Nye) a Crossroads Adventure role-playing game book
- Piers Anthony's Visual Guide to Xanth (1989, with Jody Lynn Nye)
- Letters To Jenny (1993, nonfiction)
- Companions of Xanth (a computer game described in and following the plot of Demons Don't Dream)
Reference
External links
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