128. (December 2023) Witch World, by Andre Norton — The Tabletop Roleplayers' Book Club

Witch World Q1 - Andre Norton

Apocryphal — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 00:00:54 +0000

Andre Norton was an extremely prolific writer of SF, Fantasy, adventure, and historical fiction, though especially the former. She published over 300 works over a 70-year career, and Richard and I often marvel in the Discord server that we keep encountering books we've never heard of. Despite this, I had never read any of her books. Witch World was my first. It was the only one of her novels nominated for a Hugo in 1964 (competing with Herbert's Dune World, Heinlein's Glory Road, Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, and losing to Clifford Simak's Waystation), though she did win other awards including the Lifetime Achievement World Fantasy Award in 1998, SFFWA's Grandmaster award in 1984, and the SFFWA also now give a Norton Award to outstanding young adult titles each year.

Original 1963 Cover by Jack Gaughan depicting the beaked helms and Simon's dart gun

In 1976 Gary Gygax invited her to play D&D, after which experience she wrote Quag Keep, the first ever Greyhawk novel and first ever D&D novel.

Wikipedia lists the following authors as citing her influence: Greg Bear, Lois McMaster Bujold, C. J. Cherryh, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Tanya Huff, Mercedes Lackey, Charles de Lint, Joan D. Vinge, David Weber, K. D. Wentworth, and Catherine Asaro. And from my own book collecting, I can add Robert Adams who dedicated a few of his Horseclans books to her.

So, my question is - what relationship do you have with Andre Norton? Have you read her work? Any particular memories of favourites? Now that you've read one, will you read more?

Witch World 4 - From World to World

Apocryphal — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 00:34:29 +0000

The story of Witch World begins in on earth, presumably in the UK though I'm not sure it was specified, and Simon Tregarth is an earthling. By the end of the first chapter, though, he's been transported by the Siege Perilous to a world which is his soul-home - in Simon's case, the Witch World. This transporting of people from the modern world to a fantasy world (sometimes called Portal Fantasy) seems as old as the hills (or at least as old as a Mark Twain) and has been used by Guy Gavriel Kay, Stephen Donaldson, C.S. Lewis, L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Robert Holdstock, E.R. Burroughs, and more.

How do you feel about this trope in fiction? Like it, love it, or hate it? Do you feel different about it in a gaming context?

1974 Ace Books cover by J.H. Breslow depicting Koris (or is that a dead warrior?) has his beaked helm.

Witch World 5 - Gaming

Apocryphal — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 00:45:39 +0000

On the surface, Witch World seems very game-like. The setting is lightly drawn, but somehow avoids being totally generic. There are not a lot of main characters, and they mostly have only one name (except the viewpoint character). The villain is ambiguous, though he has lots of minions. The main villain seems to remain offstage. We know he's from another world, but we don't know which one. He (or could it be a she?) brings tech from that world, and its not earthly tech. The main characters are warriors or witches, or variations on that theme (like Loyse, a lady-cum-warrior, or Simon, a soldier with possibly latent magical powers). Everyone else is a henchman or villain, or has only a bit part. So it's definitely heroic quest-type fiction a magical setting. It also pits magic vs tech, perhaps a quite early use of this now common trope.

So what would you crib, if anything? Would you play the setting? Any reason you couldn't just dump some characters here and run the novel as if it was a published adventure?

This 1978 Tandem Publishing cover by Rodney Matthews has a bit of that 'Roger Dean Yes Album Cover' thing going on

Witch World 2 - Setting & Characters

Apocryphal — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 00:08:17 +0000

This being an early pulp Science Fantasy novel of only 222 pages, Norton doesn't spend a lot of time developing the setting or characters. Compared to a modern fantasy brick or a work like the LOTR, do you view this favourably, unfavourably, or just accept it for what it is?

Were the characters distinct? Did you have any favourites? What about the villains?

And how about the setting? Did anything in particular stand out for you?

1970 Tandem SF cover by Philip Castle

Witch World 3 - Science Fantasy?

Apocryphal — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 00:17:47 +0000

Witch World has transdimensional travel, dart guns, airplanes, and metal sea-going vessels (possibly subs), not to mention some kind of test-tube reanimation device and wireless zombie control. And it also has magic in the form of weather control spells and premonitions. Today we tend to lump novels into SF or fantasy and seldom the twain shall meet, but the lines were much more blurry in the early days. Several publishing houses like Grafton/Granada and Berkley even had 'Science Fantasy' imprints. Do you like this setting conceit? Wish we could go back to it? Or are you a purist, feeling this book is clearly fantasy (or SF)?

1982 Ace Publishing cover by John Pound

About Andre Norton

RichardAbbott — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 19:46:30 +0000

For well over a half century, Andre Norton was one of the most popular science fiction and fantasy authors in the world.

With series such as Time Traders, Solar Queen, Forerunner, Beast Master, Crosstime, and Janus, as well as many standalone novels, her tales of adventure have drawn countless readers to science fiction.

Her fantasy novels, including the bestselling Witch World series, her Magic series, and many other unrelated novels, have been popular with readers for decades.

Lauded as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, she is the recipient of a Life Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Convention. An Ohio native, Norton lived for many years in Winter Park, Florida, and died in March 2005 at her home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Cover blurb for Witch World

RichardAbbott — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 19:45:10 +0000

The first book in the classic Witch World saga by beloved fantasy and science fiction author Andre Norton. Simon Tregarth, a man on the run, escapes from our world into another, where magic still has power. He finds new purpose in the service of Estcarp, whose witches use their ancient knowledge of magic to protect their home. But a new threat is rising: the mysterious Kolder, who possess powers and technology unlike anything known in the Witch World. It will take Simon and the forces of Estcarp all their might, their courage, and their magic to drive back the insurmountable enemy.