Amazon.com
In To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip José Farmer introduces readers to the awesome Riverworld, a planet that had been carved into one large river on whose shores all of humanity throughout the ages has seemingly been resurrected.In The Fabulous Riverboat, Farmer tells the tale of one person whose is uniquely suited to find the river's headwaters, riverboat captain and famous Earthly author Sam Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain).Clemens has been visited by "X," a mysterious being who claims to be a rebel among the group that created Riverworld.X tells Clemens where he can find a large deposit of iron and other materials that Clemens can use to build the greatest riverboat ever seen.Since there is virtually no metal on the planet, it will also give Clemens an unbeatable edge when it comes to battling the various warlike societies that dominate the Riverworld.

But Clemens is not alone in his quest for the iron, which arrives on the planet in the form of a giant meteorite. In fact, Clemens is besieged on all sides by forces determined to seize the precious ore, leading him to make a deadly pact with one of history's most notorious villains, John Lackland. Lackland's crimes during his reign as king of England were so hideous that no other English monarch will ever carry his name, and he's up to equally nefarious tricks on Riverworld. However, Clemens has a guardian angel in the form of Joe Miller, a giant subhuman with a big nose, a serious lisp, and a cutting wit. Miller has also been to the very headwaters of the river, where he saw a mysterious tower in the middle of the North Sea and where the creators of Riverworld are thought to reside. He will be an invaluable ally in completing the riverboat and sailing to the headwaters, but even an 800-pound giant may not be enough to help Clemens fulfill X's mission. --Craig E. Engler Book Description
Resurrected on the lush, mysterious banks of Riverworld, along with the rest of humanity, Samuel Langhorne Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) has a dream: to build a riverboat that will rival the most magnificent paddle-wheelers ever navigated on the mighty Mississippi. Then, to steer it up the endless waterway that dominates his new home planet--and at last discover its hidden source.

But before he can carry out his plan, he first must undertake a dangerous voyage to unearth a fallen meteor. This mission would require striking an uneasy alliance with the bloodthirsty Viking Erik Bloodaxe, treacherous King John of England, legendary French swordsman Cyrano de Bergerac, Greek adventurer Odysseus, and the infamous Nazi Hermann Göring. All for the purpose of storming the ominous stone tower at the mouth of the river, where the all-powerful overseers of Riverworld--and their secrets--lie in wait . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

suck fest
after the first book I was suspecting a lot more. It got to the point where I was just skipping pages to finish. The 3rd book was a little better but not much.

Mark Twain in Space
This second installation in the Riverworld series stars the real-life historical figure of Samuel Langhorn Clemens, aka Mark Twain. He, too, has been resurrected on this strange planet. With the aid of a "Mysterious Stranger", who claims to be a renegade member of the species who built the planet and resurrected the humans, he struggles to build an enormous paddle-wheeler and search out the tower said to be found at the river's source. Unfortunately he is tied to the most notorious traitor in English history, John Lackland. As I said about the first book in the series, this book is entertaining but ultimately dissatisfying because of little character development and no solution to the mystery of the planet.

Series gaining strength as it continues
This is Farmer's second offering in his outstanding Riverworld series, five books that must be read together in sequence for the whole story. He continues to develop this fabulous world of a millions mile long river, snaking around and around a planet, hemmed in on each side by unscaleable mountains which force all to live in the river valley. Into this artificially formed world, all humanity who ever lived and died has been resurrected, with no clue as to the how or why, or by whom. The books in the series tell the stories of those who are driven to find answers to those mysteries.
In 'The Fabulous Riverboat', Farmer leaves for a while the quest of his protagonist from the first book, Sir Richard Burton, and focuses on another fascinating 19th century personality - Samuel Clemens, AKA Mark Twain. Clemens is driven by a dream of finding iron on this mineral-poor planet from which he can build a riverboat such as he piloted on Earth, to take him to the headwaters of the river where emerging clues seem to indicate answers can be found to this confounding after-life. The Clemens we meet here is bitter, angry, and filled with guilt, and his ultimate motivation is to find those responsible for the mass resurrection of humanity, and to strike whatever blow he can against them in retaliation for bringing him back from the peace of the grave. With the help of a powerful "Mysterious Stranger", who may be a renegade member of the race responsible for this resurrection and Riverworld, Clemens is able to find the minerals he needs, and to form a colony dedicated to the project of building his fabulous riverboat.
Complications abound, however. The first and greatest is a partnership of necessity that Clemens must form with the deceitful and despicable King John Lackland, the most notorious of all the old kings of England. Then there is the need to concentrate on developing the military might to hold and defend this unique area of the river that contains the minerals necessary to fulfilling his dream. And finally, there is Sam's personal, guilt-ridden agony over making the hard, amoral choices that have to be made if he is going to succeed in his quest.
The strength of these books lie in the opportunities that the premise provides for having historical persons from widely different periods interact with each other. In 'The Fabulous Riverboat', we meet Lothar von Richthofen, brother and flying comrade of the Red Baron, Erik Bloodaxe, 10th century Viking leader, Odysseus, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hitler's toady Herman Goring, mountain man "Liver Eating" Johnson and more. Together with some well-drawn original characters, these make for a fascinating story.
This book does not suffer as much from stilted writing as did the first book of the series, but I still would describe the writing style as merely competent. The characters and story are the strength of the book, and more than sufficient to provide both the thrills and intellectual stimulation to make reading it worthwhile.
After taking you on a thrill-ride of battles, assassinations, double crosses, and assorted intrigue, 'The Fabulous Riverboat' will leave you with a cliff-hanging ending that should send you scrambling to read the next book in the series (The Dark Design).

fairly enjoyable pulp
not much more to say. It's pulp, but good enjoyable stuff.

Books 1 and 2 are vastly superior because, not despite this. Their origins in the serial magazine world show and are delightful.

Books 3,4,5 suffer because PJF tends to believe he is a far far better writer than he is, and overwrite if not severely edited

To journey up the great River
In this, the second of The Riverworld series, Samuel Clemens, joined by Viking, Erik Bloodaxe undertake to find a source of iron great enough to build a Riverboat by which to navigate to the headwaters of the Riverworld and there to asertain the purpose for which they were all resurected.

The Stranger who has helped various individuals along with information in the first book continues to help, and lends his assistance in delivering an enormous supply of iron in reach of Clemens's team.Undertaking thier great project, the newfounded city faces trials from within and without.Neighboring city-states want to take over the source of iron for themselves, and Samuel Clemens must think quick to avoid trechery, even comiting trechery of his own to achive his goals.

Not as great as the first book, and it draggs a bit, but still enjoyable. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The Dark Design is the third book in the epic Riverworld saga, in which almost all of humanity has been resurrected on a strange planet along the shores of a river 22 million miles long.But why have humans been given another chance at life, and who is behind it all?That's what Sir Richard Francis Burton and Sam Clemens set out to discover in two earlier novels, one by riding the "suicide express" (if you die on Riverworld, you're resurrected again at a random point along the river) and the other steaming on the greatest riverboat ever seen. Now Milton Firebrass, Clemens's former enemy and now his No. 1 lieutenant, is planning to use the dwindling iron supply on the Riverworld to create a great airship, which can fly to the North Polar Sea far more quickly than any boat can travel.There he hopes to learn the secret of the mysterious tower thought to house the beings who created this planet.

Jill Gulbirra does not care as much about the mission as she wants the chance to captain the great airship, which in all likelihood will be the last airship ever constructed by humankind. But in landing the coveted role, she faces stiff competition--especially from the greatest swordsman of all time, Cyrano de Bergerac, who turns out to be a natural pilot.But even if Jill can win the command of the airship and even if the ship can reach the river's headwaters, there is no guarantee it can get through the mountain wall that surrounds the tower. And it's likely that one or more agents of the Ethicals--the creators of Riverworld--are on board the airship, plotting its downfall. Worse still, somewhere along the way the airship is sure to encounter the Rex Grandissimus, the steamboat stolen by Sam's archnemesis, King John Lackland. --Craig E. Engler Book Description
Years have passed on Riverworld. Entire nations have risen, and savage wars have been fought--all since the dead of Earth found themselves resurrected in their magnificent new homeworld. Yet the truth about the Ethicals, the powerful engineers of this mysterious "afterlife," remains unknown. But a curious cross-section of humanity is determined to change that situation . . . at any cost.

Intrepid explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton leads the most remarkable voyage of discovery he has ever undertaken. Hot on his heels are Samuel Clemens, King John of England, and Cyrano de Bergerac. Spurred by the promise of ultimate answers, they chart a course across the vast polar sea--and toward the awesome tower that looms above it. But getting there will be more than half the battle. For death on Riverworld has become chillingly final . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

The Dark Design
If you like sf, this is the last tale of the classic series. Give it a read.

Motives Revealed
In the third installment of the Riverworld series, it is finally learned why people were resurrected on this strange planet by unknown beings; for some colossal galactic sociology experiment. The major characters from the first two series are all converging on the northernmost part of the river, and a few new characters are introduced, such as Jill Gulbirra, the dirigible pilot. Farmer put much more work into the character development (this book is easily thicker than the first two put together), but unfortunately puts just as many words into describing the engineering and building of the dirigible, etc. The reveal of THE DARK DESIGN of the aliens is a letdown and mostly anti-climactic.

Good Series Hits a Low Point
This is the middle volume of Farmer's ambitious five-book saga of Riverworld, a fantastic planet reworked by a mysterious super race to be one long river valley along a ten million-mile long river, which snakes around the planet. Into this artificially formed world, all humanity who ever lived is resurrected, given perpetual youth, and provided with all their needs through a mind boggling technology. What they are not given is a clue as to who did this, how, or most importantly, why. This book is the weakest of the series so far.
The action of the story follows several groups who are now racing toward the headwaters of the river hoping to discover the mysteries of their after-life and strange, new world, which are rumored to be found there. In addition to Sir Richard Burton and Sam Clemens, who we have met in previous books, we are introduced to Akhenaten, heretic pharaoh of Egypt, who hopes to discover his one true Sun god at river's end, and writer Jack London traveling together with film cowboy Tom Mix, all headed toward the same shadowy goal. The bulk of the book, however, focuses on the building of a huge dirigible that can gain in a few days of flight what would take many years of travel on the river. An exciting account of this airship's mission to river's end provides the cliff hanging ending of this volume.
Part of the charm of the first two books was their protagonists; Sir Richard Burton in the first, Sam Clemens in the second. In 'The Dark Design', the majority of the action is viewed through characters of the author's creation rather than through historical protagonists, and this does not come off as well. Both Burton and Clemens make brief appearances here, but we don't see either of them enough.
The book suffers from two other major flaws. First, it is overlong - nearly as long as the first two books put together. Farmer's writing style is at best competent, and begins to become taxing after 200 pages or so. There are whole chapters here that have no real relationship to the plot and are little more than the author indulging himself. Secondly, there are major plot and character shifts away from what was established in the first two books. These shifts and reversals are awkward, and don't seem to have been thought out well. At times, the author's sloppiness makes it hard to suspend disbelief.
The power of the story, and the possibilities of the concept should keep you reading through this poorly edited mess of a book, but if the first two volumes have not thoroughly captured you, you may bog down and never reach river's end.

Theo Logos

A Fairly Decent But Annoying Read
The part 3 of the Riverwold series. It's nowhere near as good as either of the first 2 books of the series were (To Your Scattered Bodies Go & The Fabulous Riverboat).

One of the main faults of the book is that an excessively large number of chapters deal with science fiction writer Peter Jairus Frigate who by chance remarkably resembles the author Philip Jose Farmer.

The main purpose of this character seems to be to serve as something of a mouthpice for Farmer to vent his views on humanity, the nature of people, religion and Riverworld....And all the subtly of a seal clubbing.

This is worsened by the fact that every time the book really starts to get the reader involved it breaks to a chapter or 4 filled with the musings and incessant ramblings of PJF (you decide which) or filling in the backstory of Frigate WHICH GOES NO WHERE!

I dread to think of what this book would have been like BEFORE it was edited.

overwritten, careless
severe and brutal editing would have greatly improved flow and quality. Frankly the Frigate character should have been left out of books 3 and 4- reducing page count, pretentiousness, and improving flow ... Read more

Book Description
Two complete novels and five novelettes that broke new ground in science fiction and established Philip Jose Farmer as a master of the genre:

The Lovers: One of the most controversial and groundbreaking novels in science fiction. Sent by the religious tyranny of a future Earth to the planet Ozagen, Hal Yarrow met Jeanette, an apparently human fugitive, hiding in ancient ruins built by a long-vanished race. Unconsecrated contact with any female was forbidden to Yarrow—and love for an alien female was an unspeakable abomination. But Yarrow’s lifelong conditioning was no match for his strange attraction to Jeanette.

Flesh: The starship captain had been on a voyage lasting 800 years, and returned to find an Earth ruled by revived ancient pagan rituals. He was crowned the “Sunhero,” which was a very dubious honor . . . and unless he could escape, he would be the guest of honor at a fertility rite which would conclude with his very unpleasant death.

Strange Relations: Five novelettes of unbounded imagination telling of strange—and often deadly—encounters between human and alien.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Three groundbreaking works under one cover
Philip Jose Farmer is another name from the past strongly associated with powerful writing, and STRANGE RELATIONSis an excellent compendium of three of his groundbreaking works under one cover: THE LOVERS, FLESH, and STRANGE RELATIONS. A starship captain sent by Earth's religious rulers discovers a human fugitive hiding in an ancient ruins and finds love too strong to ignore, however illogical or forbidden. His adventures with his new love will change worlds.

Early Farmer at is Very Best
This is a collection of three books, the novels THE LOVERS and FLESH and a loose collection of stories called STRANGE RELATIONS, one of which has a Father Carmody story. This handsome edition from Baen should be in everybody's library, everybody, that is, who claims to be a student of science fiction. Farmer was at his best when throwing humans up against alien races in sexual (or reproductive) situations. THE LOVERS, I think, stands as one of his very best novels overall. I had a lot of fun rereading these stories in this new edition. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Too bad its not possible to give a negative 5 star rating
I first picked up the first novel when I was 12, maybe 13.Shortly after finishing it I picked up the rest of the series and devoured them.Only years later when I reread them did I realize what garbage these were.I realize that Farmer had next to nothing to do with this series, but I had been him, I'd have had less to do with it than that.

I adore books and cannot stand to give them up for any reason, but this series has truly tested that love.

Excellent book, very good series
The first book of the Dungeon series is terrific.Very exciting and interesting, it sets the way for the rest of the series.Characters are fairly well developed, and many plot hooks, unexplained events, characters,and ideas are introduced.This leaves much for the rest of the books inthe series.The rest of the books are important for a sense of closure andunderstanding.The Tower is a great first book. The series is a wonderfulidea, a playground for the authors.They build upon each other, creating aworld and keeping a complex plot on a track the develop as they write. Some aspects of the characters do change from book to book, but that is tobe expected with multiple authors.The last book is a great letdown, awfulto tell the truth, but the other five make up for it.I read them over andover, some of the ideas are so fascinating and adventures great.Idefinitely recommend.

Excellent Series!A must read for true sci-fi fans!
I have read the entire series. (More than once!)The characters are all very memorable.The adventures are awesome.It almost makes you want to get lost in the Dungeon.It's only weakness is the final 6th book. Butafter the first awesome 5, you won't care!

Over all a decient book
I felt it lacked a little of character backgrounds but it kept me guessing about what was going to happen next.

Worst series I have ever read
First off, Philip Jose Farmer did not write the series, he wrote the foward and loaned his name to the series. Second, the author of the vol. 1 and 6, Richard A. Lupoff, can write but can't tell a story. My mother heardof him and said he was not know for sci-fi and fantasy; it shows. This guyshould stick to what his knows. These books (especiallly the 1st and 6th)have events occuring with no explaination other than its "way thedungeon is". Strange events or behaviors of the characters are neverexplain (especially in the poorly told 6th book "The FinalBattle".If you read this review, save your money and time and buyanother book or series. As for my copy of the "Dungeon" series, Iam going to put them where they belong the trash. ... Read more

Amazon.com
To Your Scattered Bodies Go is the Hugo Award-winning beginning to the story of Riverworld, Philip José Farmer's unequaled tale about life after death. When famous adventurer Sir Richard Francis Burton dies, the last thing he expects to do is awaken naked on a foreign planet along the shores of a seemingly endless river. But that's where Burton and billions of other humans (plus a few nonhumans) find themselves as the epic Riverworld saga begins. It seems that all of Earthly humanity has been resurrected on the planet, each with an indestructible container that provides three meals a day, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, a lighter, and the odd tube of lipstick.But why?And by whom?

That's what Burton and a handful of fellow adventurers are determined to discover as they construct a boat and set out in search of the river's source, thought to be millions of miles away. Although there are many hardships during the journey--including an encounter with the infamous Hermann Goring--Burton's resolve to complete his quest is strengthened by a visit from the Mysterious Stranger, a being who claims to be a renegade within the very group that created the Riverworld. The stranger tells Burton that he must make it to the river's headwaters, along with a dozen others the Stranger has selected, to help stop an evil experiment at the end of which humanity will simply be allowed to die. --Craig E. Engler Book Description
All those who ever lived on Earth have found themselves resurrected--healthy, young, and naked as newborns--on the grassy banks of a mighty river, in a world unknown. Miraculously provided with food, but with no clues to the meaning of their strange new afterlife, billions of people from every period of Earth's history--and prehistory--must start again.

Sir Francis Bacon would be the first to glimpse the incredible way-station, a link between worlds. This forbidden sight would spur the renowned 19th-century explorer to uncover the truth. Along with a remarkable group of compatriots, including Alice Liddell Hargreaves (the Victorian girl who was the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland), an English-speaking Neanderthal, a WWII Holocaust survivor, and a wise extraterrestrial, Burton sets sail on the magnificent river. His mission: to confront humankind's mysterious benefactors, and learn the true purpose--innocent or evil--of the Riverworld . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (70)

Child like wonder mixed with adult wanderlust
If you've ever watched the television series that claims to be about this book series, kindly remove it from your thoughts before you begin. It was a disappointment to me; a serious disappointment!

I read this book as a child and I loved it. I read it as a teenager and I loved it. I read it as an adult and I loved it. Just the other day, I was saying to my parents that I have never finished reading the River World Series and I must do so.

'To Your Scattered Bodies Go' is quite good enough to stand alone, despite it being at the beginning of a rather long and fabulous series. One doesn't feel a pressure to continue, when reaching the end of the book. What one feels is a sense of relief, when one realizes it is the beginning of a tale and not the tale complete, because that is when one knows that the pain of departure, the jones for more, more, more, will be alleviated for the nonce.

"Thank God!" one will say. "If it weren't for that, I don't know what I'd read to help me over that awful hump."

A man of a certain breed of "hero" plays the white rabbit, the mushroom is not so much bitten as it is worshipped and looked to for the necessities of life, but still some fall slave to it's power, and Alice chases the white rabbit still, down a far more sinister rabbit hole!

Now, don't get me wrong, as this is not a reprise of 'Alice In Wonderland'. It is definite Science Fiction, but all the Wonderland allegories are in place, as well. There are space ships and other Sci-Fi aspects of this story, but this is not for the person who wishes much by way of technical detail.

This is, to me, Philip Jose Farmer's best work. He is often a crude author, but this is not crude. It is as real, gritty, cynical at times and in places, as it is fantastical and full of flights of fancy in others, but all told it is a great fairy tale, full of adventure, heroes, heroines, villains, and mystery.

Not Free SF Reader
Not your dad's science fiction.


Farmer shows his love of throwing strange casts of characters together in this novel, where those who die wake up on the Riverworld - which as you might guess, has a really long river.This is not just dead people, or dead famous people, it includes an alien, as well.Nazis, famous adventures and more, in a strange quest to work out what is going on.

Starts Off Strong, but Heads Downhill
I wanted to take a minute to write a quick review of the whole Riverworld Saga, which begins with To Your Scattered Bodies Go.I picked up the book because the concept sounded interesting, and it is.Every single person ever born on Earth is resurrected, naked, on the banks of an enormous winding river.Humanities' basic needs for food and shelter are met.The concept is rife with potential, and the author brings back many of history's most famous and infamous characters in his novels.As the novels go on, however, the writing becomes increasingly sloppy.Characters soliloquize about Sufi philosophy, new age metaphysics, and even Scientology.Sorry, but if I was interested in that, I'd pick up Dianetics.Readers drawn in by the first book's adventure and interesting premise may be disappointed.I was.The story drags on, and the author introduces characters, writes extensively about them, and then just drops them, never to be seen again.Even worse is that Farmer, the author, seems to draw his story out by improbable or unlikely circumstances.Characters go insane spontaneously, and cause trouble for the rest of the group; that's one whole book.The Riverworld Saga is a great concept, but the execution was only fair.I can't recommend it unless you're interested in new age philosophy and don't mind a drawn out story with inexplicably disappearing main characters.

I'm a Farmer fan now!
I have never read a lot of science fiction, nor have I read anything by Farmer, but I'm certainly a fan now! What a fantastic, fun, adventure! I could not put this book down. Farmer is a skillful writer who crafts a wonderfully written, often philosophical, journey into another world. He makes the reader genuinely consider what life after death might be like. A classic read.

A Classic Fantasy Series--Not to be missed!
I was lost in the adventures of Sir. Richard Burton on the ten-million-mile river of "Riverworld," where everyone who has ever lived wakes up from death. This is not a heaven, though! There is wild sex, and also the possibility of dying again.Mark Twain has Alice-in-Wonderland as his lover! The characters from real history build a riverboat and head up the river. Toward the end, they go flying around on comfortable overstuffed chairs. Great fun! ... Read more

Book Description
Award-winning author Philip José Farmer's 1960s Science Fiction porn epic. Comprising The Image Of The Beast - An Exorcism, Ritual One, and Blown - An Exorcism, Ritual Two. This mind-blowing classic conjures a universe of unrelenting sexual degradation and horror.Private dick Herald Childe is sent a snuff movie of his partner being hideously murdered. His pursuit of the killers leads him into a waking nightmare of sexual brutality and supernatural bestiality, as he becomes entangled with sex-starved she-ghosts, libidinous snake-women, a filthy human sow, and a she-creature who gives birth to an ectoplasmic simulacrum of Satanic child-killer Gilles de Rais. ... Read more

Product Description
Biography of the famed Clark Savage, Jr. The author swears every word is true! Includes a biographical essay on each of his friends and collaborators; A long article concerning the family tree of Doc Savage (you will be amazed at who is included in that tree!); and, a boon to collectors everywhere, a list of all the Savage novels in their order of publication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Super Reader
There is a wealth of knowledge here for the Doc Savage fan. This is on top of another fabulous excursion by Farmer into creative mythography. the Wold Newton family tree is expanded herein, as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Part of a good series
I'm surprised to find that this book is out of print.If you can track down the books of this series, I definitely recommend buying them.Each book is written by a different author, but there is good consistency among them.I'm normally a science fiction fan, and this series provides a great combination of science fiction, aliens, time travel, historical themes, and even throws in a bit of Dante's Inferno.Definitely worth the time to read.

Excellent Series!A must read for true sci-fi fans!
An excellent addition to the Dungeon series.This group of characters is unforgettable!The battles within the characters and the battles that they face as a team are awesome.Don't miss this series! ... Read more

Book Description
In one volume, here are the last three novels in the classic SF adventure series, The World of Tiers: Behind the Walls of Terra, The Lavalite World, and More Than Fire. These are the great originals of universe-hopping adventure that later writers, including Roger Zelazny in his Amber Series, used as models. Zelazny himself says, "I admire his sense of humor and facility for selecting the perfect final sentence for everything he writes. He can be stark, dark, smoky, bright, and any color of the emotional spectrum....put quite simply, he arouses awe," The tierworld books are full of non-stop action and typify Farmer's boundless imagination. Who else would have thought of stacking up pocket universes like a ziggurat or the layers of a cake? Join Earthlings Robert Wolff and Paul Janus Finnigan (alias Kickaha) on an unforgettable adventure to big for any single world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Farmer's reputation far exceeds his ability
This review covers both World of Tiers, Volume 1 and Volume 2, but with the second volume, the later books don't even seem to mesh well with the rest of the books. It felt as though Farmer, lacking a better idea for new novels, just kept going with this series (at least in that regard, he may have been ahead of his time). In any case, it's a downhill road after three bad novels get you going on this rocky journey. So, if you're like me, and you HAVE to finish a series once you start it, just steer clear of this one, because it's not worth your time.

I read a number of posts in Amazon's SF discussion boards that praised both Farmer and this series of books. However, I have to agree with the minority that thought these books were horrendous. There is no foreshadowing, so they read like Farmer doesn't even know where they're going. Even though the stories are going somewhere, they generally feel like they lack a plot. The characterization is so weak, it's ridiculous. The action is breakneck, but it often seems pointless. And, as others have mentioned, characters who know nothing one minute suddenly know all a few (sometimes just one) paragraphs later.
Frankly, there was a lot of pulp fiction, with its paper cutter characters and heavy action, that was MUCH better than this series. If you're looking for that kind of stuff, you'd be much better off hunting down some Doc Savage books or EE 'Doc' Smith's Lensman series, or even some of Lester del Rey's stuff. That's classic with a certain level of quality.

I also have to mention that I slogged through Farmer's Riverworld series several years back. The writing quality was better, but again, I read 5 books, and I felt terribly disappointed and dissatisfied at the end. I felt then that the hype exceeded the goods, and The World of Tiers is pure garbage compared to the Riverworld books. Again, I'd heard fantastic things about the series, and I was determined to read them through to the end, in the hope of finding... something. I have enjoyed a few of his short stories that I've read in collections, but someone's going to have to have to glowingly review every single aspect of the book AND give it to me for free, before I read another book by this author. Don't believe the hype. Eleven books in two series was about ten and a half books too many, for me.

A Super Fantasy Series
Farmer's five-book "World of Tiers" series is a classic. What an imagination Farmer has!I loved the village that slowly floats fifty-feet above the ground. It's held up by air bags. The "World of Tiers" series and the "River World" series are wonderful. Don't miss them.

Great Pulp Storytelling
Farmer is a big pulp adventure fan and tried his hand at it a number of times.I think that World of Tiers is his best attempt.The story is a great old fashioned adventure tale with a larger than life hero in a fantastic setting.Plot wise it deals with a man who discovers an apparently one way portal to an odd pocket universe.This universe consists of a planet made of several tiers like a wedding cake.Each tier contains its own distinct world.One is an idyllic world inhabited by creatures of greek myth, another is populated by medieval knights.The whole world is ruled by an overlord who resides at the top of the planet and the story revolves around our hero, eventually joined by a sidekick named Kickaha who also hails from Earth, attempting to get to the top of the world so he can get home.Like I said this is a great story, with another inventive concept from Farmer.The premise lets him explore several different pulp settings and there is a nice twist at the end which wraps things up nicely.There is a series of books which follows this one but they get progressively worse.Unless you're a completists, or dying to see some of the conceptual antecedents of Roger Zelazny's Amber series I'd recommend only bothering to pick up the first one.

Worlds Apart
The World of Tiers: Vol. One contains books 1, 2 and 3 of the series.What Philip Farmer writes best is strange worlds and strange creatures and action, action, action.All of it is found here in spades.The concept of multiple worlds controlled by highly advanced and immortal but petty and jealous "lords" gives him licence to write Doc Savage type pulp adventures on a grand scale.Not much time is spent on the past but in what happens to the characters in the here and now.

Book one intruduces us to Robert Wolff who stumbles upon a doorway to a new world.The word itself is the star of this book and the entire series is named for it as it is the World of Tiers.Not a round planet but a series of plateaus one on top of the other.Each plateau is basically a continent and instead of being separated by oceans are separated by 30,000 and 60,000 foot mountains which have to be climbed to reach the next continent.The Lord of this world lives atop it in a giant palace.Wolff gets to know this world with the help of the enigmatic Kickaha as he strives to save his new love.And Wolff is greeted by a surprize at the end of the journey.

Book two continues the adventures of Wolff as we see him fight for his life though world after world of his deranged father, again trying to save his love.This time he must team up with a cadre of back stabbing relatives, other Lords who would just a soon kill each other but must try to work together to kill their father.Farmer again gives pulp style action as all the characters are placed in near constant jeopardy through the book.

Book three occurs during the events of book two but back on the World of Tiers.This time Kickaha takes the stage as our main character, a place he keeps for the next 3 books as well.Strange things are afoot and the ever tricky Kickaha must fight and think his way though them.Hunted by the Half-horse who want his scalp and the evil Bellers who want him dead so they may take over all of humanity and all of the worlds of the Lords, he has his work cut out for him.With a little help from an unlikely ally he may win.

If you want rich character development you may want to pass.But if you like adventure and pulp action this is for you.And if you love alien words and creatures look no further.It really doesn't get much more out there than Philip Farmer, that's why people love to read him.

Vintage Silver Age Adventure
For some reason, Amazon is combining the reviews of both volumes of the World of Tiers instead of storing them separately under the actually-reviewed volume...So don't be confused by reviews of the second volume appearing under the first, and vice versa.

The first volume contains the first three books of the series, the Maker of Universes, the Gates of Creation, and A Private Cosmos.People looking for realistic romances or accurate portrayals of human emotion might want to look elsewhere; those in the mood for classic world-spanning science fiction with an emphasis on action have found their grail.

The first two books center on Wolff, a man who starts on Earth and is taken through a Gate to another world where strange Lords rule pocket universes of their own creation and wage a cruel and inventive war against each other.In addition to fabulous landscapes and strange beasts, we have many vintage science fiction ideas and death traps galore.The third book introduces the Black Bellers, creations originally intended to store human consciousnesses for transferring to new bodies, which have themselves evolved consciousness and now present a major threat to all life.Farmer's forte is putting characters in horrible situations and letting them work their way out with wits alone.

The imagery in this book is amazing as we travel through multiple universes, each conceived by a Lord as either a palace of pleasure or one giant planet of destruction.Highly recommended for anyone looking for a great, imaginative thrill ride.

The second volume concludes one of the most entertaining and original adventure/science fiction series in history.The emphasis is on action, conflict, and solving puzzles with the mind alone, said puzzles usually involving Gates that take the main characters to different worlds, often landing them squarely in the middle of a mastermind's death trap.How Farmer weaves his characters into and out of these death traps provided immense enjoyment for this reader.

The second volume, containing books 4-6 of the World of Tiers, focuses on Kickaha's battle against the Lord of Earth, Red Orc.Behind the Walls of Terra is one long action/chase scene as Kickaha lands on Earth after an absence of 25 years to chase down a threat to all life everywhere (the Black Bellers) and find his friends who may have been captured by Red Orc.In the second book in this volume, the Lavalite World, Kickaha and others have been transported to a shape-changing world where the planet itself molds and morphs and breaks apart (and rejoins) like the globules in a lavalamp.You will also encounter man-eating trees with insectoid eyes set among their branches and other products of Farmer's fertile imagination.The last book, More than Fire, is the showdown between Kickaha and Red Orc.In my opinion, the books just get better and better.

Don't expect the prose of Shakespeare or the complex and masterful plots of Ludlum; this is pure action/adventure with a healthy dose of trippy sci-fi ideas. ... Read more

Book Description

The return of a classic "shared world" fantasy series created by Philip Jose Farmer, award-winning author of the Riverworld saga!

Plunging into a vast prison that spans a planet, Clive Foliott faces a fantastic world of dwarves, cyborgs, and aliens unlike anything he has ever imagined. It is a multi-leveled collection of beings from the hidden folds of time and space. Trapped somewhere inside is Neville Foliott, Clive's twin brother, and no creature in the Dungeon will stop Clive from finding him... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

fun read however
When I read this story several months ago, I enjoyed it as fun escapism that paid homage to earlier heroic fantasy stories.However, I've just discovered that it borrows heavily from the plot of King Solomon's Mines (Penguin Classics).Thus I'd recommend spending time with this classic over the imitation.

You might also be interested in the The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1.It was this graphic novel that introduced me to Allen Quartermain, the protagonist of King Solomon's Mines.

Philip Farmer's The Dungeon
Good product, fast service.This actually two books in one, Richard Lupoff writing one and the other by Bruce Coville.Coville's is ok, but Lupoff is one of my favorite writers.He stops at nothing in generating his weird plotlines.

Fabulous
First 2 books of this series, now collected in one volume are pulpy, wonderful scifi fantasy at its best. Middle 2 are decent. The very last however is so bad that it effectively destroys the purpose in purchasing

Buy this volume, and STOP. It will be hard, because they are wonderful. Trust me - come up with your own ending

What a Treat
In this reissue of 1988 Jose Farmers' The Dungeon .. not only does Richard Lupoff write but also Bruce Coville whose talents are worthanextra review. His contribution "The Dark Abyss" leads us to believe that Neville can be found and everyone can find a way out, his journal is leaving unsuspecting messages and cluesbut hope is short lived.Major Clive Folliot and his companions accompanied by new allies including his great-granddaughter Annabelle Leigh and friends will descend through a trap door in a cave with the help of Shriek.. a large spider woman that canchange her inner self (which makes her a deadly addition to this group) spins a silk line to descend upon a world of vast oceans were there are people who live beneath the surface of that great body of water and there are islanders' populating a tiny portion of land. Here they meet Mr.Green who will reveal to Clive a key to the mysteries of the Dungeon andancient races who play a game beyond rational comprehension. During all of this Sidi Bombay has been incorporated with a worm that feeds on what a person is, in return they make that person part of them. He is rescued and discovers the experience has made him young and vital again. Yet despite the fact that they have survived this long the worms are the only creature powerful enough to travel within the tunnels of the dungeon and they will learn to use that ability.

Gripping,a MUST read
This reissue of Jose Farmers' 1988 romp through a labrynth sowonderfully imaginedandillustrated (originally) by robert gould , "The Black Tower" written by Richard Lupoff,brings to us a gripping taleofbrothersearching for his twinlost after a trip to the continent. He embarks on a journeyfollowing a strange pattern of stars'with his faithful companions,Sergeant Smythe..a master of disguises', Sidi Bombay..spiritual advisor and user of the mysteries, User-Anne..who really rocks/rollsandFinnbogg..a massive dwarf with doggy like eagerness. Together they will descend level after level experiencing all the strange beings trapped in this multi-layered world.
This exciting new series reissue will delight all fans of fantasy who liken toDantes'Inferno sense and multi-facet themes. Come along and try this, you won't regret it !!!!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Series!A must read for true sci-fi fans!
A must have for your collection!Lake of Fire is one of the best in the series.Robin Bailey truly understands the characters and is very adept at showing their strengths, weaknesses and even their sense of humor!Anexcellent read! ... Read more

Book Description

In The Valley of Thunder, Clive Folliot and his fellow captives face a new death daily. Against dinosaurs and cave creatures, giant worms and shark people, the group battles for their lives. Torn between continuing his search for his twin, the elusive Neville, or helping his comrades return home, Clive splits the party, doubling their chances of success -- and their danger. Is it worth the gamble? In The Lake of Fire, Clive is at last reunited with Neville, and the brothers and their troops escape to the next level of the Dungeon -- a place straight out of Dante's Inferno!

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good but shows the inevitable decline
Books 1 and 2 began excitingly, daringly. Surprisingly good pulp for a shared world consult. (Mr Farmer's commentary can be ignored as quite pompous in said volumes).

Book 3 is ok, but kind of lacking is the continuity and liveliness. Robin Bailey pulls a strong recovery and book 4 is quite good.

However be warned, though book 5 is adequate, book 6(included as part of The Dungeon 3 new collection) is HORRIBLY disappointing. The author clearly wrote it without reading books 2-5, and even on those terms it is not well written. So the continuity will be ruined, all the great characters will be lost. So STOP NOW! ... Read more

Product Description
Venus on the Half-Shell and Others collects for the first time the best of the best from Philip José Farmer's scintillating "fictional-author period."

In the mid-1970s a fever-pitched furor was created when an actual novel purported to be by Kilgore Trout -- the sadsack science fiction writer who appears as a character in the works of Kurt Vonnegut -- materialized on the bookracks, complete with a mysterious back cover photo of the author looking like a bearded vagabond sage. Debate raged as to who had truly written Venus on the Half-Shell. Was it Vonnegut himself, or perhaps Theodore Sturgeon, rumored to have been the inspiration for Trout? Or did Kilgore Trout really exist? Just as one respected newspaper published an article "proving" that Vonnegut had written the book, the Hugo Award-winning science fiction author Philip Jose Farmer announced he was the true author.

The controversial Kilgore Trout episode was neither the first nor the last time Farmer would impishly slip out of his own skin and assume the persona of another author. In Venus on the Half-Shell and Others, Philip Jose Farmer transforms himself into fictional personalities as compelling as they are diverse: Cordwainer Bird, Paul Chapin, Rod Keen, Harry "Bunny" Manders, Leo Queequeg Tincrowdor, John H. Watson, M.D. and even the real-life author William S. Burroughs (writing his own version of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Jungle Lord!). Also included is the original version of Farmer's classic Sherlock Holmes/Lord Greystoke pastiche The Adventure of the Peerless Peer, back in print for the first time in over thirty years.

A unique collection, Venus on the Half-Shell and Others showcases the grand imagination of one of science fiction's most resourceful and creative minds. ... Read more