Myths for the Modern Age: Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe [Paperback]

Having read both this book from cover to cover and the reviews that are posted on this sight, I can only conclude that one of the reviewers has an axe to grind with one or more of the writers responsible. Don't let that sway you; this is an excellent book that, yes, occasionally offers up contradictory information - if you take the time to read the introductory portion CAREFULLY, you will note that not only does Mr. Eckert acknowledge as much, but goes on to state that this is part of the fun in the game these writers are playing. Some people should lighten up and learn how to have fun already!

The contributors for this book provide a wonderful look into the world of Philip Jose Farmer. I had only read one Farmer book (The Tongues of the Moon) before delving into Myths. The excitement and intelligent discussion of Farmer's works in this volume prompted me to order several other titles. I am now on my third.

In the world of genre fiction, there are groups that dedicate themselves a little too much to particular franchises. Sherlockians and Trekkies, for example, often explore the nuances of their chosen obsessions with extreme approaches to explain away inconsistencies, or to justify how the fictional events could have happened (or will have happened) in the real world. Professional scifi author Philip Jose Farmer took the concept of the Game much farther with his biograghical works TARZAN ALIVE! and DOC SAVAGE: HIS APOCALYPTIC LIFE. In these inspired tomes Farmer not only took great steps to reconcile the lives of these pulp legends against history and their own vast bodies of works, but also utilized the marvelous literary conceit of the crossover. According to the genealogies Farmer created, Doc Savage and Tarzan are related to each other, as well as Sherlock Holmes, Raffles, Captain Nemo, and dozens of others. What's more, thanks to a real meteorite that struck Wold Newton, England in 1795, Farmer was able to show how all these men and their extended families were affected by a space-borne beneficial mutation, which goes a long way towards explaining their larger-than-life exploits. More books followed, as well as outright fiction stories based in this interwoven 'Wold Newton Universe' (as Win Eckert termed it). With the consideration of crossovers from other authors, the Wold Newton Universe can be expanded to include a great many works from a wide variety of sources.

This is where Win Eckert comes in. He was the first person online to promote Farmer's unified fiction theories and expand them well beyond their pulp orgins with his website AN EXPANSION OF PHILIP JOSE' FARMER'S WOLD NEWTON UNIVERSE in 1997. His groundbreaking work on crossovers and fictional genealogies has inspired many other fans to participate in the Game, each new author bringing his own field of expertise to the forefront, building on Farmer, Eckert and each other. The book you are about
to buy is the culmination of eight years of research into the art of 'literary archeology'. Win Eckert is still at the helm, though he has already been elevated from a fan to a professionally published author. His essays, along with those of many others, have been edited by Mr. Eckert and collected into Myths for the Modern Age: Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe.

Is it the definitive look at the Wold newton Universe? Certainly not, and that's the point. The 'WNU' is still expanding, and always open to interpretation. Farmer is still the founder of this feast of the unknown exactly which entres make up the main course is for each reader to decide, for this feast is a buffet, with choices ranging from Lovecraftian horror and Howard's barbarian literature to Roddenberry's Star Trek and Universal Studios' movie monsters, there is something for everyone on the menu. And now, thanks to Eckert's book, we have a baker's dozen more chefs stirring their pots. What a feast it is!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 13 reviews  4.5 out of 5 stars