Journey to Fusang: The Original, Uncut Text [Paperback]

...I wasn't expecting the craftsmanship of Sander's excellentTHE BALLAD OF BILLY BADASS AND THE ROSE OF TURKESTAN-- just some finewriting, good history and vividly drawn characters. Not too much to expect of a modern master. Holy smoke. This one ranks alongside any one of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books, with the same unsparing observations of human nature and the intensely evoked sense of time and place, only in this case these are times and places that never existed-- in this alternate history, due to the Mongols having stayed on long enough to prolong the Dark Ages in Europe, the Arabs and Chinese colonized the New World. Slave ships creak across the Atlantic with their holds full of chained Anglo-Saxons-- .... The Aztec empire is still in place but beginning to crumble, due to circumstances a lot more complex than a handful of Spaniards with nothing to lose. And far in the west is a city by a blue bay, a civilized paradise of steep streets and endless possibilities: Fusang. This is the eventual goal of Finn of No Fixed Abode, whose indiscretion with the High King's daughter sets him on a journey out of Ireland and into a succession of frying pans followed by fires of varying deadly intensity. Hilarious, inventive, white-knuckle adventure and any number of surprises, not least of which is how Sanders can take a character who begins as a joke (and if you've ever seen John Wayne in THE CONQUEROR you'll understand) and make him come to real life, to the point where you regret his painful exit. The image of Coyote and Bat Man on hang gliders was pretty impressive too, and I can't think of any other writer who could make it plausible. Read the book and find out what I mean... Five stars at least. Yeeha!

This novel was first published by Warner Questar in 1988, and I read it and liked it a lot then. I think I like it even more on rereading. This new edition, by the way, is a restored text: a few scenes have been added that were cut from the first edition. The story is told by an Irishman, Finn of No Fixed Abode, an appealing rascal who ends up on an Arabian slaver headed for North America, after his affair with the High King of Ireland's daughter bore too much fruit, as it were. In this timeline, the Mongols invaded Western Europe and stuck around for a while, and as a result Europe is a backwater and the world is dominated by Islam and China. The Eastern half of North American is nominally Islamic, and the Western portion (Fusang) is Chinese. Mexico is ruled by a still powerful Aztec empire. Finn joins up with a Jew, Yusuf, and an Englishman, Alfred, as well as (eventually) a gorgeous redhead named Maeve, and they wander uncertainly across America, encountering many dangers on the way, most especially a mad Cossack who wants to take over North America. The book is extremely funny and clever, with a well-resolved plot, and engaging characters. And despite the comic tone, it effectively portrays the horrors of war and slavery. Highly recommended.

I've read other stories by William Sanders and enjoyed them, so I thought I'd give this book a try. I'm glad that I did.

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.