Fools Errant

Rating:
Summary: Fantasy in the Jack Vance style
Review: A delightful picaresque adventure in the style of Jack Vance's THE DYING EARTH series, especially Cugel's Saga. A reluctant Pilgrim's Progress through a variety of cultures and societies found in Earth's far future.

The distinction between science fiction and fantasy in this milieu is blurred, and in fact, irrelevent. The setting is believable and appropriate either way you choose to look at it. The story is exciting and humourous, and the dialogue witty and sparkling (and more than a little reminiscent of PG Wodehouse.).

I feel that this book is both suitable and appealing for all ages.

Rating:
Summary: In the style of Jack Vance
Review: A new author attempts to write in the style of Jack Vance. Jack Vance does it better.

Rating:
Summary: In the style of Jack Vance
Review: A new author attempts to write in the style of Jack Vance. Jack Vance does it better.

Rating:
Summary: Refreshingly funny !!!
Review: Being a Jack Vance fan it was inevitable to run into Matthew Hughes at a certain point... And where I feared that the comparison with Jack Vance might put the expectations very high, Matt succeeded in creating a wonderful fantasy/SF world with all it's funny inhabitants and colorful places.

It's the first time that a new writer manages to catch the Vance feeling in his writing ! Especially the magnificent blend of fantasy with science fiction is unique in Matt's decor's !

Well done Matthew !!! We want more !!!

PS. The second book "Fool me twice" is even better !!!

Rating:
Summary: Too much verbal cleverness for me!
Review: I didn't like Fool's Errant. Although the plot exhibited some really creative twists on the old "traveling story" and the characters were well-drawn and multi-dimensional, the prose was annoying and invasive.

Hughes appears to be very much in love with his linguistic cleverness and overuses it as a stylistic device. calling residents of a monastery "monasts" and a bathing room an "ablutory" were cute and would have been much more effective if they were the only examples. But with at least one such ploy every few pages, it got old. I don't want my Latin dictionary by my side when I read modern fiction, I just want to escape into the story. I doubt I'll buy another book by Matthew Hughes.

Rating:
Summary: A wit reminiscent of Vance
Review: If you like Jack Vance, you'll be pleased with Hughe's writing style. His command of the language, especially where dialogue is concerned, is refreshingly sharp with subtle nuances of irony and sarcasm. A must for someone who feels like smiling after finishing the final lines.

Rating:
Summary: Great new Fantasy?SF Series!
Review: In a style markedly reminiscent of Jack Vance, Matthew Hughes brings us to the world of the Archonate in a far-distant future. The zany adventures of Filidor Vesh, Archon-in-training, make for wonderful reading as this "I'm here for the beer" kind of guy transforms into a much more complex, more worthy individual. The fractalized, chaotic future society presented in _Fools Errant_ is captured both with humor and elegance by Hughes. Hats off to a wonderful effort!

Rating:
Summary: Great new Fantasy?SF Series!
Review: In a style markedly reminiscent of Jack Vance, Matthew Hughes brings us to the world of the Archonate in a far-distant future. The zany adventures of Filidor Vesh, Archon-in-training, make for wonderful reading as this "I'm here for the beer" kind of guy transforms into a much more complex, more worthy individual. The fractalized, chaotic future society presented in _Fools Errant_ is captured both with humor and elegance by Hughes. Hats off to a wonderful effort!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful sf novel
Review: In Olkney, Filidor Vesh enjoys his hedonistic life, as one would expect from a young heir to the Archon, of Old Earth's human inhabitants. However, his fun time at the Logodaedalian Club ends when a dwarf Gaskarth informs Filidor that his Uncle Dezendah the Archon summons him. The lad tries to sneak away, but the persistent guide forces Filidor to accompany him on what is surely a FOOLS ERRANT.

Gaskarth escorts Filidor out of the city to the lands of Binch, Ektop, Zeel, and Jamb. At each site, Filidor learns that he just missed his uncle and where he is expected to go next. Also at each locale, Filidor learns first hand about different behaviors by always landing in trouble. As he treks from one location to another, Filidor begins to enjoy his travels, but wonders when he will finally catch up to his elusive relative and just who is his guide anyway?

FOOLS ERRANT is a wonderful science fiction novel that combines a coming of age relationship tale with a satirical look at the extremes of society. For example, the uncompromising members of the environmentalists and the industrial developers are swiftly ridiculed for failing to seek a modest proposal for the betterment of society as a whole. Other humorous bashing highlight that Matthew Hughes has written a wonderful tale that will find genre fans wanting more adventures of the interesting lead characters in the near future.

...

Rating:
Summary: Fool's Errant--a good book
Review: Young Filidor Vesh whiles away his days, seeking shallow pursuits until his uncle, the Archon, sends for him. Unable to escape Gaskarth, the small man(or dwarf)his uncle has sent, young Filidor Vesh finds himself traveling unwillingly from country to country one step behind the mysterious Archon. At each country young Filidor blunders to find himself unwillingly, and generally unawaringly helping the local citizenry. But even Gaskarth becomes worried when a magician decides that he wants something in Filidor's possession. Even worse, young Filidor soon realizes that the fate of the world may rest upon the shoulders of a dwarf--and himself--a fool errant.

This is a delightful first book. While it is not as original as Vance's "Jack of Shadows", it has that fantasy-science fictiony flavor. It is set in a world on the cusp of both magic and science. While it is not as funny generally as Robert Aspirin's work, it has its moments. This book falls short of truly excellent in that it has slow spots (such as when Filidor reads about Osfeo, a former Archon)and the plotting is not totally seemless. However, it is a great first book. I would definately be inclined to buy Matthew Hughes' second book.