This is not son of Fancies and Goodnight
although the bracing mix of empathy ansd sarcasm is very like
imsgine drinking champagne and getting bubbles up your nose
nose candy, yes but not the kind that will kill you...should you shuffle off this coil while readin this marvelous collection, the coroner's verdict will be
"died laughing.
Parke Godwin indeed
"Son of Beaumont and Fletcheris more like.
Look, Friend, don't die laughing.stay around for the next collection from Mr. Godwin

There must be another collection as in theremust be a pony.

The Fire When It Comes is available in a collection of short stories at Dreams Unlimited and the collection is simply the best I've ever read! Priceless if you're willing to try an ebook to own this classic.

A collection of short stories, added to the Novella which bears the same name as the book. The author has one of the best grasps of dialouge I have ever seen. If you are a fan of Science Fiction for Science Fictions sake, don't bother having them track this down. But if you believe that Science Fiction/Fantasy is a framework where real human storys can be painted, this book is for you. The selection "Influencing the Hell Out of Time and Theresa Golowitz" is quite simply one of the best stories I've ever read

I first read this book and it's prequeal (Waiting for the Galactic Bus) about ten years ago. Since then, I've read it three more times, getting something new each time. The last time I read it, I actually took notes on some of the historical characters - especially the two very important incognito figures. This story has many levels it can be enjoyed on, the most obvious being a comical farce; moving deeper there's a lot of serious philosophy here and a scathing examination of the American ideals of Freedom vs. America's religious revisionists determined to make us a 'Christian Nation'. All in all, an excellent read!

A whirlwind tour of heaven and hell, or Topside and Below Stairs, as it's referred to in the book. When God/TheDevil/An Alien is put on trial, the author managed to humorously skewer the religous right, the hippies, yuppies, the middle class, and every major religious character out there. Fun stuff.

REVIEW OF "THE SNAKE OIL WARS"

Author: PARKE GODWIN, 1989

Submitted by Sandy Buckingham, Daytona Beach, Florida (1998)

Though THE SNAKE OIL WARS was written almost 10 years ago, it is most apropos to this age of burgeoning religiosity in American politics, bombings and killings by Christian fanatics and more and more breaches in laws and principles that would protect our rights to privacy and freedom of choice. SNAKE OIL WARS astounds by being a satire on America's Puritanical decade of the 90's, written prior to the fact. Is this prophecy or what?

No, this is hardly prophecy, for the author takes us on a whirlwind tour of the history of religious fanaticism, and especially the historical foundations of what we now call the "Christian Right" movement. He then shows the logical conclusion of the movement: a fascist theocracy in which science, technology and medicine is subject to "snake oil salesmen" and in which the poor and those less fortunate than ourselves are scorned just because they do not seem to show the "visible signs of God's favor".

This is "must" reading for anyone who wants to know the basic principles behind why Americans increasingly are losing their privacy rights, why freedom of choice is being made to sound like a dirty word, and what the real agenda of the "Christian Right" is.

It is also "must" reading for anyone in the "Christian Right" movement who would like to know the foundation and logical outcome of the movement. Do we really want to live in a country in which our houses and lives are exposed to an "inerrant writ", where the right to privacy is extinguished, and "legal judgment (is made) on the most personal matters"?

In conclusion, I can only quote the erudite author's dedication of the book:

"To those lucid and courageous minds who gave you the Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, Falwell, Robertson and the God-inspired Rule of the Righteous. To those intrepid souls who fight with unflagging zeal to remove from libraries dangerous books they have not read and from theaters those spiritually toxic films they have not seen, believing that thought is a controlled substance and secular thinking hazardous to mental health."

As a fan of Masters of Solitude, I looked foreward to reading A Cold Blue Light. Little did I realize that the two books would have nothing in common but the authors. But, I decided to give the book a chance.
I am glad I did. This is a superb book, the way science fiction should be written.
The book takes a basic premise, the haunted house, and examines it with a blend of philosophy and psychology, incorporating themes from some of the more significant writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. However, the writers trick us by hiding all of this in a story about people. A lot of the time in Sci Fi the characters are only there to move the story along; the characterizations feel flat. Never the case with Kaye and Godwin; the characers truly live in their writing.
Also, the book lacks the bloat that currently runs rampant in the genre; the story is tighly wrapped and easy to complete in a day or two. These authors work hard; their readers don't have to. Rather, you are left to think about their work.
I highly recommend this book.

If you only judge a story by its plot, you will probably pan this book for being remarkably similar to Shirley Jackson's 1959 classic "The Haunting of Hill House". Having re-read both fairly recently, this novel by Marvin Kaye and Parke Godwin, the ace writing team that brought you "Masters of Solitude", wins hands down as a horror story. Basic scenario: neurotic young heiress with a troubled past has inherited a spooky, isolated mansion. Previous psychic investigation has revealed no conventional ghosts - just a "constant": a patch of cold, blue light on the floor of the upstairs landing.To investigate further what she might be moving into, she assembles a small team of professional and amateur psychic investigators to stay in the house for the weekend. All are quirky individuals, drawn in great detail. All have their own ways of doing things. Most are skeptical of the methodology of at least one of the others. The human-human interactions are as fascinating as the human-supernatural. Very soon after arrival, strange things start happening. There is much more to the house than the blue light. As events and stresses develop, not just the uneasy alliances between the investigators but their very personalities start to undergo changes.Each undergoes unique experiences which are tailor-made to their own psychological weak spots. As readers, we get a rivetting overview of the true nature of the situation, and can only read on, spellbound and horrified, as the investigators miss opportunities to compare notes and pool experience, and the casualties mount.... Although the horrors are more explicit than in "The Haunting..", they are not schlocky ghost train horrors but remain predominantly psychological/atmospheric. One of the best ghost stories ever written.

With a list of authors like Jane Yolen, Tanith Lee, and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, what you expect is what this book delivers. While the settings of the stories (Camelot) are the same, each story has it own unique flavor and scent. The opening poem by Jane Yolen is perfect for setting the reader up to be enveloped by some finely crafted tales about the characters we know and love (and hate!) From the reflections of Merlin, decieved and decieving, to a wierd and wacky 20th century psychologist and his girlfriend miraculously zapped into the body of Merlin, each story takes you to a place mystical, magical, frightening, or tragic. This anthology is worth every minute spent rapt in it pages.

This book is about a bus driven by a man named Mack. He was driving children around and people on the street where yelling at Mack. They were telling him to watch out and Mack did. What was down there? It was a dog that kept barking at everyone. Mack tried to catch it but just kept barking. People on the street were getting mad at the dog and were looking for the owner. A man was in the bakery shop asking if they seen something for him. Read the book to find out if he found it.
I liked the book because of the surprise ending and the pictures. Katie V.

Waiting for the Galactic Bus and its sequel, The Snake Oil Wars (to which I give a rating of 10), are fabulous commentary on zealotry and fanaticism. Mr. Godwin is a wonderful writer and very humourous. His dedication for The Snake Oil Wars says it best: "To those lucid and courageous minds who gave us the Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, Falwell, Robertson and the God-inspired Rule of the Rightous. To those intrepid souls who fight with unflagging zeal to remove from libraries dangerous books they have not read and from theaters those spiritually toxic films they have not seen, believing that thought is a controlled substance and secular thinking hazardous to mental health." Such wise and wonderful words! Two of my all time favorite books.

I loved it. It was such a new look at classic evolution that I couldnt help but love it. The descriptions of Heavon and Hell, or Topside and Below Stairs, were so funny and imaginative that I fell instantly in love with the places. While I was reading it I tryed, on numerous ocassions, to describe the book to my friends and teachers who rewarded my efforts to enlighten with very strange looks. In fact the only person who didnt give me a very strange look was my best friend who instantly wanted to read it. We both enjoyed it alot and think others will too.

More historical fiction than fantasy, you will not find any magic swords or sorcery in this gritty and realistic story of Guenevere and Britian after the death of Arthur. When the story begins, Guenevere is already middle aged, and Britian is on the brink of chaos. As the story progresses we learn of the maturing of Guenevere as a person and as a queen.

The novel starts off fast and furious with battles and betrayals. Then it settles down into a serious character study as it builds towards a strong and satisfying climax. Sometimes slow, but always interesting, this was worthwhile reading.

Traditional versions of the Arthur myth focus mainly on the men. Other versions like Mists of Avalon, which I enjoy immensely, focus women characters and not much, really, on the weepy, very Christian Guinevere.

Beloved Exile is a smashing alternate view of the possibilities, given the times. Guinevere in this version is not construed as a saint, a hystrionic weeper, nor is she totally lovable, but is very human. She is a strong, unforgettable character.

Highly recommended!

This is my favorite depiction of Guinevere. Godwin portrays her as a powerful woman whose strengths (as is often the case) are also her weaknesses--and her undoing. Godwin's Guinevere is frequently hard to sympathize with, but she isn't hard to understand. I'm impressed with how dramatically (but believably) her character changes and grows between Firelord and this book. Note: Read this book carefully, and you'll notice that a character from Firelord, so minor that she had neither name or dialogue, is crucial to the events and attitudes in Beloved Exile.

I have been looking for a copy of this book since I read it several times (and subsequently gave it away) years ago. Especially fascinating is the authors' use of a "border-crosser" or guerrilla-type figure who, as one of the main characters, crosses boundaries between hyper-city and rural community in a post-Apocalyptic age, thus allowing us to reflect upon our own circumstances, plight, and so on as people caught between and inside fractured communities of all shapes and sizes and flavours. The book is imbued with Nietzschean values and has a tinge of Orwell's Burmese Days to it, in the sense that it conveys a tangible feeling of exile throughout (which 1984 does, as well). The authors have a gift of expressing philosophy in a novel that is both provocative and a joy to read. Write more, guys!

This is a book I will never forget. It's one of those ones you recommend to everyone you think is worthy of it, but don't want to actually lend out for fear you won't get it back. It's a great story if you're open-minded, a Freudian, a not-exactly-Christian, or any combination thereof. How nice to find an enjoyable piece of fiction that actually makes you think about your life and personal philosophy. And from a pure story-telling standpoint, there is a GREAT twist at the end.

I have read this book over 5 times. It is totally engrossing. The characters and plotline are complex and believable. Underlying message (philosophy) makes the book worth reading many times. Each time I have read it I get something more out of it.

I have owned this book for nie on six, seven years, but was never able to get past the first chapter until this week. The book left me feeling incomplete in a good way, by not tying lifes up in tidy little endings, but allowing the end to continue beyond the last page. I love the twist on the Fairie legend Godwin gives to us - not a magical race of legendary immortal sidhe, but an endangered people trying to live their nomadic lives on the plains of Britain being inexorably pushed out by the late-coming Britains and Romans.

What I especially liked was the simple God-loving faith the people had from time immortal, time before St. Patrick came to share Christianity. I think it demonstrates the similarities between all God loving people everywhere, regardless of their nomitive religions. Religion is not a nomitive profession of faith, but the living, breathing, eating, sleeping, mating, dying activities of life. Faith is. That is all. Godwin expresses this beautifully beyond church dogma and religious intolerance as Patrick changes to see Godliness in all people, not only those who believe the same as him.

this was one of the few books that took me by surprise.... looking forward to a good oldstyle medival noval.. what I got was something completly different... more like a mysthic explanation of the spreading of christianity across the isles...and that is where my only point of chriticismn takes root... does the author really think that all 'heathens' accepted faith so willingly...? or is that not a kind of makebelive from the church?!!! Nevertheless the style of this novel is amazingly refreshing and fun to read....

I love this book, plain and simple. It contrasts clearly the hazards of *thinking* one's spirituality versus feeling it in one's soul. Don't be put off by the fact that its about St. Patrick - this book more clearly shows the heart and lives of early earth-loving pagan peoples than any book I have ever read. A must for any goddess-worshipper.

THIS BOOK HAS BECOME A CHERISHED RAG THAT I FEEL COMPELLED TO READ SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR BECAUSE I HUNGER FOR THE BEAUTY OF IT.I'M SURE I HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF BOOKS IN MY LIFE, BUT NONE STRIKE LIKE THIS ONE. I LAUGH OUT LOUD AND CRY TEARS EVERY TIME I READ IT. I THUMB BACK TO CERTAIN PARTS JUST TO REREAD THE INCREDIBLE PROSE, A TURN OF PHRASE, OR PART OF THE DIALOGUE. I LACK THE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE AWESOME POWER OF THIS BOOK. WHEN YOU READ THIS BOOK YOU WILL SAY "NOW THAT'S HOW IT REALLY MUST HAVE HAPPENED!" THE CHARACTERS ARE SO REAL TO ME I HAVE DREAMED ABOUT THEM.THEY ARE THE STANDARD BY WHICH I JUDGE ALL OTHER KING ARTHUR NOVELS-AND FIND ALLOTHERS WANTING.PARKE GODWIN HAS CREATED A GUINEVERE I GET MAD AT BUT JUST CANT DISPISE.ARTHUR I WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED NAKED AND WEAPONLESS UP MT. BADON.TRISTAN IS SO REAL AND TRAGIC I CAN HEAR HIS HARP SCREAM. THE ONLY BAD THING I CAN SAY IS THIS BOOK LEAVES ME YEARNING LIKE A DRUG ADDICT WITH NO MORE DRUGS. I'VE READ EVERY PARKE GODWIN BOOK I CAN FIND.FOR MERCY'S SAKE WRITE MORE!!I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A BOOK BACK IN PRINT. IT IS A SUPRESSION OF ART TO LET BOOKS LIKE THIS GO OUT OF PRINT.I HAVE READ SO MANY KING ARTHUR BOOKS MY FAMILY THINKS I NEED THERAPY, INCLUDING WHYTE,WHITE,BRADLEY,STEWART,CORNWELL,LAWHEAD,WOOLEY,MILES ETC.NONE ARE AS GOOD.I'LL KEEP READING WITH A HOPEFUL HEART.ANY RECCOMENDATIONS?IF I KNEW WHERE PARKE GODWIN LIVED I'D CAMP ON HIS DOORSTEP TIL HE WROTE MORE.YOU DESERVE A PULITZER,PARKE!

This book is a must read for any fans of Arthurian myth, Parke Godwin, or just Wales itself (I happen to like all three). All the characters, from Artos himself to Lord Trystan of Castle Dore, are given new depth, character, and emotions. A remarkably realistic look at the 'history' that might have caused the myth. As Godwin says, it might not be what happened, but it's what could have, and what should have.

Firelord ranks at the top of "must reads" for the lover of Arthurian stories. Published about the same time as "Mists of Avalon", this book provides as perspective from the participants such as Morgana, close to the way it would have been perceived in the "old ways". The book provides you with some insight as to why the old ones were viewed as faery and why they supported Arthur. The links to recently departed Romans permenate the book, the portrayal of Guenevere and the Knights is refreshing and holds the reader's interest. The cover art on the 1982, Bantam paperback is one of the most interesting depictions of Arthur, Morgana and Gunenevre, that you will ever see

This is a very interesting continuation of the story started by these authors in 'masters of solitude'. At the end of this book you have the main characters going looking for the 'missing' character of the first book.

Unfortunatley, I've never been able to find out if book 3 was ever written - so while you have 2 very good books here - there's no real conclusion - very frustrating. Authors should NOT be allowed to start a series and not finish it! - especially when it is published as a 'trilogy'.

Well developed characters, believable dialog, medium plot, and looks at both sides of the story ( no hard-line good vs evil line drawn here.) Recommended if you can find it.

An excellent book, continuing the story of Arin and Shalane after the battle of Dannyline. Goes into the complexities of Coven and City minds, and completely immerses the reader. *Very* hard to put down.

To the authors, my compliments on the great stories, and please write more! Along with The Masters of Solitude, this is the best sci fi / fantasy I've read in a long time.