Just Finished Reading: The Magic Goes Away collection Edited by Larry Niven
This was a new collection of short fantasy stories based around the original The Magic Goes Away novella first published in 1967. The collection is based on the question: What if magic was a finite resource and by practicing magic you eventually run out of whatever power is behind it?
It’s an intriguing question and gives rise to all sorts of scenarios played out between the pages of this book. Magicians fight over the dwindling resource, Civilisations fall into ruin as the magic that sustains them slowly (or sometimes dramatically) vanishes, Attempts are made to find new and exotic sources of power not matter what the cost and what if magic could come back? How could those who use it be ready for it?
I read the original book many, many years ago and enjoyed it as much the second time. I like the works of Larry Niven very much (though I prefer his ‘Known Space’ series) so this collection was a lot of fun. Recommended to all fantasy readers.
3 comments:
I am a Larry fan too. I read Ringworld about 30 years ago. Recently I reread it and started reading others in the series. I am trying to take some of the concepts in Larry's books and post one in each blog.
http://ilovescifi.wordpress.com
Welcome dorai & thanks for your comment. I've read & enjoyed just about everything Larry Niven (and friend Jerry Pournelle) has written. He's a very good storyteller.
You know what I think about Niven (and Pournelle). I will have to get this collection. It's something that I have not read yet.
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