Housekeeping

Good day, Dear Readers,

On the advice af several people whose opinions I respect, I decided in July 2024 to move this blog to Substack. So, if you have enjoyed my posts, please follow Vox Libertad at https://james516.substack.com/ .

Be well, Dear Readers.

© 2009, 2024 James P. Rice

The First

Good day, Dear Readers,

Today I’m going to discuss one of our most fundamental God-given Rights as Human Beings: the Right to speak our minds and express ourselves.

When the Convention of States held in Philadelphia in 1787 was creating the Constitution of the United States, there were certain concepts that the delegates believed to be so ‘self-evident’ that they didn’t feel the need to explain or expand upon them in that august document. In spite of eloquent articles and pamphlets written, published, and distributed by the likes of Samuel Adams, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison, Thomas Paine, and others, they discovered during the Ratification process that many citizens of the new Republic either did not know or did not understand all of the grievances the Colonies had against Britain. Questions even came up about what the “certain inalienable (sic) Rights” beyond “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happyness (sic)” might be that Thomas Jefferson mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. In order to address some of these questions, Congress formed a committee soon after the Ratification of the Constitution for the purpose of further defining the basic Human Rights King George had been violating and that the government of the Republic was meant to protect. The committee determined the most important of those Rights that needed to be enumerated and broke them up into ten separate Amendments to the Constitution. Those Ten Amendments were all Ratified simultaneously and soon became known collectively as “The Bill of Rights.”

The committee that created the Bill of Rights ordered them from most important to least, with the very first Amendment guaranteeing Freedom of Religion, Speech, the Press, to Peaceably Assemble, and to petition the Government to redress grievances. Most people these days simply refer to the First Amendment as, “Freedom of Speech,” but it would be more accurate to refer to it as the “Freedom of Expression Amendment.” This most important Amendment guarantees that people have the Right to Express their Spirituality, Vocalize their Opinions, Disseminate Information…both supportive and critical of the government…in Print, Peaceably Gather with family and neighbors in public spaces to discuss and debate topics of concern, and to bring Grievances to the Government, all without fear of recrimination or reprisal. In fact, the Framers of the Bill of Rights placed that one first because, with very limited exceptions, without the ability to openly Express one’s beliefs or point of view, the other nine Amendments would just be hollow words.

Unfortunately, in the first quarter of the Twenty-first Century, many people have forgotten just how important free and unbridled speech is to our Republic. There have been many attempts to govern, and even completely censor, public speech by creating laws regulating things deemed to be ‘hate speech’ or ‘misinformation’. The problem is, “who decides?” Who decides what is ‘hate speech’? When recognized experts can’t agree on a topic, who decides which side is speaking scientific truth and which is spreading ‘misinformation’? The short answer is, “whomever is in power.” Believe me, I agree completely that exercising the Right to Free Speech is not absolute. No one may speak in such a way that may lead to the physical harm of another person, such as, but not limited to, the classic example of shouting “Fire!” in a crowded venue. Nor may anyone speak in such a way as to incite violence against an individual or group of individuals, or against property of any kind. All Speech is also subject to the laws prohibiting Libel and Slander. But beyond these safeguards, Speech…heck, most forms of Expression…should be Free and unfettered.

What got me thinking about The First is a recent ruling by the Supreme Court. In the 6 to 3 decision of the case, Murthy v. Missouri, the majority opinion ruled that the Plaintiffs, that included the States of Missouri and Louisiana, did not have any legal Standing to sue the Federal Government for pressuring social media platforms to unconstitutionally violate the First Amendment Rights of U. S. Citizens, basically using its power to silence any opposition to the administration’s policies regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic. Since when do “We the People” not have a clear and inexorable Standing on behalf of the First Amendment of the Constitution…or any of the Amendments for that matter. Without the People having an irrevocable Standing in such cases, the Rule of Law goes right out the window.

In addition to the question of Standing, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who wrote the majority opinion for this decision, basically said that just because the government may have done this two years ago, there’s no reason to think they’ll do it again, so they shouldn’t be held accountable. That’s like telling someone arrested for drunk driving, “Oh! Even though you crippled a child while driving drunk two years ago, you’ve been clean and sober ever since…a model citizen…so you won’t be held accountable.”

Think that’s hyperbole? Dozens of people had their professional, and even private lives, ruined by the government requested censorship. Their posts weren’t just blocked, they were labeled misinformation and outright lies. Professional and personal reputations were destroyed. Because they wouldn’t kowtow to an ideology they believed was wrong, many of them lost their jobs, and even friends and some family. Even though, in most cases, numerous research studies have since proven that these people were right all along, they still suffer…and no one has been held accountable.

The ‘hate speech’ laws are quite another problem. As far as I am concerned, as long as what is communicated does not meet the limited definition of prohibited speech (you know, causing or calling for physical harm), then it should be allowed, no matter how heinous it may be. One reason is that all Speech must be Free, even Speech with which you disagree, or none of it is. The other reason is that, if you make the idiocy illegal, then you’ll just drive the speakers underground. I want them out in the open, peacefully spewing their nonsense so that we know who they are and we can all point and laugh at them. This is why all ‘hate speech’ laws should be ruled as a violation of The First.

Remember, there is nothing, expressed or implied, anywhere in the Constitution or any of its Amendments that says anyone has a Right to not be offended or not have their feelings hurt.

The bottom line is that I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.

Until next time, Dear Readers, be well…

© 2009, 2024 James P. Rice

Democracy or Republic, Which are We?

Good day, Dear Readers,

For some time now, there has been something that the common citizen of America had been saying that has been bothering me. Phrased several different ways and in a variety of contexts, many people are maintaining that the form of government we have here in the United States of America is a Democracy when in fact we are a Constitutional Republic. Now, in the run-up to the 2024 Presidential Election, the corporate media supporting the Progressive Socialist agenda are accusing anyone who dares to correct the miseducated about our Republic of having been brainwashed by President Donald Trump and of being a “threat to the Democracy.” They even trot out so-called ‘experts’ to support this assertion when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Now, you my be asking, “why does this matter?” For one thing, the fact that so many people are wrong is proof that our public education system, particularly in the field of Civics, has been failing the students for at least two generations, and is probably continuing to do so. To explain the next thing, I’ll have to provide some background and an explanation of the differences between the two forms of government.

“Democracy” is often described as being a system where every person has a vote…”one man, one vote” is the common catch phrase. That’s fine as far as it goes, but where education has failed is by not imparting the complete definition of Democracy. In a true Democracy every eligible citizen votes on everything…on every question, proposal, law, and regulation, etc., not just on politicians in elected offices. These votes in a Democracy usually end up being based on popularity, emotion, feelings, and opinion instead of the reasonably researched facts about any proposition.

In a “Republic”, particularly a Constitutional Republic, the eligible voters select people they believe will represent them in the government and protect their Rights, Freedom, and best interests under the Law. The common catch phrase in the case of these Representatives is “people of good moral character”, i.e. people the electorate can trust to fulfill their duties. The systems of a Republic slow down the processes of deliberation and debate so that Reason can be injected into the consideration of any question, proposal, law, or regulation, and the Representatives are limited to what they can do by the foundational Laws, Duties, and Limits on Power established in the Constitution.

The Founders of our nation had broken away from a Parliamentary Monarchy that had been riding roughshod over the Rights of the Colonists, so they wanted to decentralize power as much as possible from a central government and keep most of that power in the various individual States. This resulted in the Articles of Confederation, a weak and even ambiguous document that caused numerous problems. President Washington and several of his advisors realized that the United States would be short lived if this wasn’t changed, so a Convention of the States was convened in Philadelphia in 1787 for the purpose of fixing the Articles of Confederation. The delegates quickly realized that the Articles could not be fixed and needed to be replaced, leading to two different proposals. The proposal known as “The Virginia Plan”, based on the principles of political philosophers John Locke, Montesquieu, and Edward Coke, was chosen.

One of the hallmarks of the new Constitutional Republic they created was that Power was spread across three branches of government…with one branch being further divided into two separate chambers…and a series of checks and balances were codified to prevent any one branch or group from seizing power, while giving the National Government very defined powers and responsibilities. The delegates did not even consider a true Democracy because, as educated persons, they knew that a true Democracy was just one step above Mob Rule. In fact one of my favorite quips about Democracy is, “Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch.” (Unfortunately, I’ve yet to find the origin of that saying, so I can’t provide an attribution.) They did, however, include a Democratic element. Since the House of Representatives in the Congress was to be the Voice of the People and based on population, each State was broken into Congressional Districts and the eligible voters in each District elected a “person of good moral character” to represent them in Congress.

The Delegates at the Convention further specifically defined how other “Offices of Trust” were to be filled. Since the Senate was to be the Voice of the States in the Congress, the two Senators were to have been selected by the Legislature of the State they represent. The first major victory that the Progressive Socialists had in the early 20th Century was when the public bought their lies about how ‘unfair’ it was that people ‘had no say’ in the selection of their Senators, resulting in the Ratification of the 17th Amendment, creating the election of Senators by popular vote. All along, the people did have a say in the selection of their Senators…in the form of the people they voted into their State Legislature.

Being the Executor and Protector of the Supreme Law of the Land, the President was never supposed to be selected by popular vote; it was supposed to be a blending of the two methods for selecting the members of the two Chambers of Congress and embodied in The Electors, what we now refer to as the Electoral College. Each State was meant to and currently has a number of Electors equal to the number of Representatives plus their two Senators. However, the Delegates believed that it was ‘self-evident’ how the Electors representing the Representatives were supposed to be chosen…each Congressional District was to elect their Elector…that they didn’t bother to spell it out in the Constitution. States quickly found a loophole and their Legislatures started appointing all of the Electors and not just those representing the Senators, thinking it would give the State more power in the Presidency.

Unfortunately, the Progressive Socialists have been targeting the Electoral College for the last three decades and want the President to also be elected by popular vote. The problem lies in one of the reasons the Electors were created in the first place. The Founders knew that if the popular vote was used the four population centers of the States…Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Richmond…would control the Presidency, giving the rural citizens of the Nation no say in who holds that office. Fast forward to the 21st century. According to the 2020 U. S. Census, a mere 18 of the 3,243 counties and ‘county-equivalents’ have sufficient population to control who lives in the White House, and all 18 are aligned with the same political party, giving that party control of the Presidency for the foreseeable future and making the other 3,225 counties and ‘county-equivalents’ nothing but serfs to the 18. That’s what true Democracy gets you and why the Founders created a Constitutional Representative Republic.

If you still don’t believe that we’re in a Republic and not a Democracy, let’s go to the words of some of America’s greatest themselves:

According to Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s Delegates, a woman called out to Benjamin Franklin as they were leaving on the final day of the Convention and asked him what sort of government they created. Franklin replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”

“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.” – Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution of the United States of America

“Republicanism is not the phantom of a deluded imagination: on the contrary, that under no form of government, will laws be better supported — liberty and property better secured — or happiness be more effectually dispensed to mankind.” – George Washington in a letter to Edmund Pendleton, 22 Jan 1795 AD

“In times of insurrection, or invasion, it would be natural and proper that the militia of a neighboring State should be marched into another, to resist a common enemy, or to guard the republic against the violence of faction or sedition.” – Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 29

“The genius of republican liberty seems to demand on one side, not only that all power should be derived from the people, but that those intrusted (sic) with it should be kept in independence on the people, by a short duration of their appointments; and that even during this short period the trust should be placed not in a few, but a number of hands.” – James Madison in Federalist 37

“In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people.” – James Madison in Federalist 51

“There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.” – John Adams in a letter to Jonathan Jackson, 2 Oct 1790

“The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind.” – Thomas Jefferson in a letter to William Hunter, 11 Mar 1790

“It was by the sober sense of our citizens that we were safely and steadily conducted from monarchy to republicanism, and it is by the same agency alone we can be kept from falling back.” – Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Arthur Campbell, 1797

“If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.” – Thomas Jefferson in his first Inaugural Address, 1801

“The true foundation of republican government is the equal right of every citizen, in his person and property, and in their management.” – Thomas Jefferson in a letter to H. Tompkinson (a.k.a. Samuel Kercheval), 12 July 1816

“I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.” – Abraham Lincoln in a condolence letter to Mrs. Bixby of Boston upon the loss of her sons in service of the Union Army, 21 Nov 1864

“…and to the Republic for which it stands…” – The Pledge of Allegiance

There are many, many more examples of those who came before us identifying the United States as a Republic and not a Democracy. And this brings me to ‘the other thing’. This attempt to twist and misidentify our nation is actually part of a long term plan by the Progressive Socialists to erode and degrade the Constitution until it is weak enough to be replaced with the oligarchy they desire. Don’t take my word for it. Progressive Socialist icons such as Hebert Croly, Woodrow Wilson, Rexford Tugwell, Harold Ickes, and Franklin D. Roosevelt all wrote extensively about this plan in their personal papers. Just look it up.

I have and will continue to stipulate that our Republic has Democratic elements in how it works…at the State level more so than the Federal level…but that does not make us a Democracy. Look at it this way, in a Democracy, all you would have to do is get a simple majority…50.01% of the voters…to agree to make something legal. Without the protections of a Constitutional Republic, it could be anything, even something as heinous as slavery.

Think about it.

Until next time, Dear Readers, be well…

© 2009, 2024 James P. Rice

Ren Faire: a Review

Good day, Dear Readers!

HBO recently released a three part documentary entitled, Ren Faire. It’s about the behind the scenes maneuvers and negotiations that took place during and after the 2022 Season, and the beginning of the 2023 Season, at the Texas Renaissance Festival, centered around the 87 year old owner of TRF wanting to find a successor, or even purchaser, to take over the Faire so that he can retire. While it was billed as a documentary, and even partially produced by HBO Documentaries, it was in fact a ‘reality’ show similar to The Kardashians or even Real Housewives of Atlanta.

I must admit that I was hesitant about writing this. As many people can attest, The Texas Renaissance Festival is my Happy Place…my home away from home. My wife Marilyn and I have loved Renaissance Faires for years, attending various ones as ‘Patrons’ since before we got married. When we moved to Central Texas, we realized that TRF was a just day trip from our home, so we went at least every other year. I eventually auditioned for and was part of the professional Performance Company at TRF for 12 years, portraying two different historical European Nobles as well as Father Christmas. Even though, as a member of a professional company of performers, it was a paying gig, it ultimately cost us more to participate every year than I actually made. When asked why I did this, I usually simply reply, “I clearly don’t do it for the money, plus it’s cheaper than paying for therapy.” I tell you all this because, once you read my little review, you’ll probably conclude that I will never be able to return to TRF as a performer as long as George Coulam is in charge, and you’ll probably be correct.

A little background on TRF: it was founded by George Coulam in 1974 on the site of an abandoned strip mine in what was then the most economically depressed county in Texas. From a business standpoint, this was a good move because the land was cheap and only a 45 minute drive from the second largest city in the state. Still, no one is really sure how a failed artist managed to raise even that small amount of capital. As George himself mentions in the show, his immediate family hated him and he hated them, so it’s unlikely he got any money from them, even though his ‘official’ biography mentions that one of his brothers helped him purchase the land. There are also rumors that either a distant relative or friend died and left him some money that allowed him to move to Texas from Utah and start TRF.

Because of his dislike of any authority that is not him, ‘King’ George incorporated the City of Todd Mission in 1982 that encompassed all of his property in an attempt to minimize the ‘interference’ by county and state regulators. By 2009, The Texas Renaissance Festival was the largest Renaissance Festival/Faire in North America, the largest fixed-location Renaissance Festival/Faire in the world (there are two larger ones in England that are ‘tent faires’ with no permanent structures that aren’t always at the same location every year), as well as being the largest outdoor bar in North America. Today, George owns over 800 acres of Grimes County, including the 200 acres that hold his manor and mausoleum, most of which are within the city limits of Todd Mission. George is also the only Mayor that Todd Mission has ever had.

Ren Faire quickly establishes the three ‘heirs apparent’, Entertainment Director Jeff Baldwin, Vendor ‘Lord’ Louie Migliaccio, and Vendor Coordinator Darla Smith:

Ø  Jeff Baldwin started at TRF in 1976 as a face painter, became a performer, is even a successful actor away from TRF, has been the Entertainment Director for the last two decades and (in my humble opinion) one of the biggest reasons for the continued increasing success of TRF for at least the last 15 years. After the 2021 Season, George made Jeff the General Manager of the Faire and Jeff appointed his Assistant Director and wife, the eminently qualified Brandi Baldwin, to the position of Entertainment Director. More than just an office administrator, Jeff will assume a character and walk the paths, interacting with the Patrons whenever he has time. Throughout the show, Jeff is the appeaser in a sea of intrigue that would be right at home in any Renaissance-era Court. He’s always honest with George, wanting ‘The King’ to keep the reins so that their shared vision of the Faire can continue.

Ø  Louie Migliaccio started at The Texas Renaissance Festival in the early 2000s, owning the Kettle Corn concessions and becoming ‘Lord of the Corn’. He expanded his roaming ‘kettle crack’ (yes, it’s that good!) hawkers to include roaming pickle and rose sales. He now also has a fixed location pub with a stage for music and comedy acts. Louie always dresses in the appropriate garb for a Faire day and walks the paths, but is out of character more than he’s in. Being part of a successful business family (one of his relatives is a successful real estate mogul), Louie is business savvy and very devious. A recovering alcoholic, he has exchanged that addiction for one for energy drinks which he frequently chugs throughout the show. Louie wants to purchase the Faire from George and change it to a year-round venue that includes EDM festivals.

Ø  Darla Smith ran away from home as a teen to join the renfaire circuit. At some point along the way, she developed a love for exotic animals and managed to purchase an elephant. She owns the elephant and camel ride concession at TRF and George hired her to be the Vendor Coordinator for the Faire in 2019. While Darla is very sociable with the vendors and performers, I personally have never seen her interact with Patrons on path, only at her elephant and camel ride. She is a sycophant who secretly supports Louie in his endeavor, but also wants power for herself. By the end of the show, she is clearly in way over her head.

Anyone who knows any of the principles of this show can tell that it is definitely not a documentary. The only person not acting to some extent or another is George. In the show, and based on what I personally know of him, he is vain, nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is, selfish, decadent, rude, greedy, crass, degenerate, a bully, and as arrogant as an Egyptian Pharaoh or Roman Emperor. He gives people tasks, prevents them from performing them, then verbally abuses them for failing to meet his deadline. He fails to make his instructions and desires clear, then excoriates his people for not knowing exactly what he wants. I’ve heard people describe his house as “creepy”, but in truth it reflects the taste of an ignorant person trying to recreate how he thinks a late Renaissance or early 18th century palace would have been decorated. In short, in my opinion, George Coulam is batshit crazy.

If Ren Faire doesn’t convince you of this, then here is an event from my own experience. One Saturday, during either the 2013 or 2014 Season, ‘The King’ decided to have his own version of The Dating Game at the picnic pavilion then known as the New Market Arbor. As his staff started canvassing the Faire for young women to participate, word quickly spread through the Participants…the vendors and performers. We all quickly began to hide every woman under 30, and as young as 15, in storage areas, in the Participants campgrounds, and any other remote locations we thought of to protect them from that old letch. Quite frankly many of us, especially people who saw the event, were surprised that no charges of sexual harassment resulted from that debacle.

All in all, Ren Faire is a reality miniseries with a very high cringe factor.

Until next time, my Friends, be well…

© 2009, 2024 James P. Rice

My 30 Must-read Fantasy Novels and Book Series

Good day, Dear Reader!

In my last blog, I gave you a list of my Top 40 Sci-Fi reads. I had fun creating that post so, being the voracious reader that I am, I’ve decided to keep going and make it a series. As I mentioned, Science Fiction and Fantasy are my two favorite genres with the former just edging out the latter. Therefore, this time I’ll discuss my ‘must-reads’ in the Fantasy genre.

The standard definition for the Fantasy literary or cinematic genre is that it is an imaginative or fanciful work usually containing folkloric, magical, mythical, or supernatural elements and/or themes in a non-technological setting. Under the ‘Fantasy’ umbrella, there are several sub-genres:

Ø  Epic Fantasy – Sometimes called High or Heroic Fantasy. As the name suggests, these are Fantasy tales set in a massive, grand scale. These stories usually involve some sort ‘hero’s journey’ quest for a world-changing artifact or goal. They also almost always include some sort of high stakes struggle between the forces of Good and Evil. The two best examples of this sub-genre will be in the list;

Ø  Sword and Sorcery Fantasy – Sometimes presented as “Sword-n-Sorcery”, this is fairly self-explanatory. Whether they are barbarians, gladiators, knights, etc., or just some sort of mercenary with edged weapons, the sword-wielders are usually contesting in some way or another against some form of magic user;

Ø  Mythological Fantasy – Even though Mythology is its own literary genre, this sub-genre of Fantasy usually takes existing ancient cultural mythology and expands upon it, occasionally blending elements different mythos;

Ø  Dystopian Fantasy – As with Dystopian Science Fiction, this sub-genre tends to have a very dark, almost hopeless view of how Humanity would come out of a world-changing cataclysm. In the Fantasy flavor of Dystopian tales, the world is almost always thrown back to the Iron Age or earlier, and the rediscovery of ‘lost’ technologies is not part of the story at all. There may be references to ‘The Time Before’, but the plot and story usually deal solely with the tale’s contemporary issues. These tales often include elements of Sword and Sorcery Fantasy;

Ø  Magical Realism Fantasy – Sometimes called “Low Fantasy”, this is a sub-genre that usually includes either unexpected magical elements or a universe where magic is either part of or exists alongside everyday life, sometimes both. This sub-genre has its own sub-genres:

Ø  Urban Fantasy – this is usually a story cycle or arc, often a collection of short stories and novellas, in which fantastical characters, artifacts, and/or situations are placed in a real world urban setting;

Ø  Paranormal Romance – Usually a tale of romance between a ‘normal person’ and some sort of supernatural entity, this sub-genre tends to blend the lines between Urban Fantasy, Coming-of-Age Tales, and Romance. Two of the most notable examples are the motion picture Ghost (1990) and the Twilight Saga books written by Stephenie Meyer;

Ø  Dark/Grimdark Fantasy – This sub-genre combines the elements of Fantasy, Horror, and often Dystopian Fantasy in dark stories designed specifically to unnerve and frighten the reader. These stories tend to be disturbing, hopeless, and rarely (if ever) have a happy ending. The best examples of this are the works of H. P. Lovecraft.

Many people consider Mythology, Fables, and Fairy Tales to be sub-genres of Fantasy, but I don’t. In the opinions of many educated people, Mythology is its own genre with Fables and Fairy Tales being sub-genres thereof.

Now that I’ve laid the groundwork for this list, here are the Fantasy stories that I feel exemplify the best in Fantasy literature (again, in alphabetical order by author):

Ø  A very prolific author of both Fantasy and Science Fiction literature is Piers Anthony. In fact, one of his Fantasy series is officially the longest running fictional novel series in the history of the printed word. Anthony’s works run the gamut from serious tales and series to light-hearted, humorous, almost snarky and satirical works. Here are three of my favorites of his:

Ø  The Xanth Series – At 47 novels and counting, this is Anthony’s record holder. The stories take place in the land of Xanth, a magical world where all Humans have ‘talents’ to one extent or another, and is inhabited by many other sentient races in addition to the Humans. Other than its endurance, the hallmark of these stories is humor. Anthony liberally uses puns, wordplay, and bad jokes throughout the books, starting with many of the titles. Definitely a must have;

Ø  The Apprentice Adept Heptalogy – This is a fascinating series that alternates between Fantasy and Science Fiction. However, I include it here because the primary plot device is a portal between the worlds of Phaze and Proton which is natural ‘magic’ and not technological. These tales are wonderfully complex and humorous, and though Anthony uses puns and wordplay here as well, there are nowhere near as many as there are in Xanth;

Ø  The Incarnations of Immortality Octology – This is a fun, satirical series that proposes that certain of the anthropomorphic representations of immortal concepts…specifically Death, Time, Fate, War, Nature, Evil, Good, and Night…are actually jobs with a regular turnover carried out by different Humans throughout the ages. Each of the 8 books deals with a different one of the Incarnations. Anthony has woven a wonderful tapestry of engrossing tales that even touch on how each of these Incarnations have been addressed by various cultural mythologies throughout time.

Ø  The Thieves World Anthologies edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey – In 1978, during a casual gathering at “Boskone”, the Boston Science Fiction Convention, Asprin, Abbey, and Gordon R. Dickson were discussing the challenges of worldbuilding in Epic and Heroic Fantasy when Asprin proposed that, instead of every author beating his or her head against the writing table, trying to create a unique world of their own, how wonderful and how much easier it would be if all of their favorite Sword and Sorcery characters existed in the same universe, settings, and time frames. With that one wistful wish, a series of anthologies were born that would affect the careers of over two dozen authors, mostly for good. Set in an unnamed fictitious world in the seedy city of Sanctuary, the various short stories are rife with Sword and Sorcery tropes, including a disreputable tavern in the disreputable part of a disreputable town called ”The Vulgar Unicorn” (you do NOT want to know what the unicorn on the sign is doing that makes him so vulgar!) where many of the tales start. The stories in the 14 anthologies plus 7 ‘official’ Thieves World novels and 8 other novels that take place in the Thieves World universe and expand on many of the short stories are wonderful, engaging, and full of action and adventure. These tales deal with many different themes, including (but not limited to) morality, situational ethics, imperialism, duty, devotion, love, honor, loyalty, and even homosexual marriage. These anthologies are also a great way to sample the work of numerous authors without spending a fortune.

Ø  The MythAdventures Series by Robert Lynn Asprin, later with and then by Jodie Lynn Nye – If you like bad jokes and puns as much as I do, then these are the stories for you. This Fantasy series is also a Satirical series with tongue firmly set in cheek. It takes place in a universe where ‘Demon’ is actually short for ‘Dimensional Traveler’, the inhabitants of the dimension of Klah are known as ‘Klahds’, and the inhabitants of the dimension of Perv are known as ‘Pervects’ (NOT Perverts!). The two main characters are a bumbling Klahd apprentice magician named Skeeve and a Pervect Wizard named Aahz. Asprin and Nye openly and unapologetically borrow elements, themes, and even jokes and routines from everyone, most notably Damon Runyon’s Prohibition-era novels and the Bing Crosby/Bob Hope Road movies. If you want to laugh your tail off, this is where to start.

Ø  The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks – While this was written to be a Children’s Fantasy, this book also appeals to adults. It wonderfully yet gently deals with themes such as disappointment, ethnic bigotry, spiritual and emotional growth, and friendship.

Ø  Peter Pan and Wendy by J. M. Barrie – The classic Fantasy about an orphan who has chosen to never grow up, his sidekicks The Lost Boys, the fairy Tinkerbell, London children Wendy Darling and her brothers, John and Michael, a tribe of Native Americans, the epitome of greed and evil, the pirate Captain Hook, and a ticking crocodile. This tale examines longing, self-discovery, first love, loyalty, jealousy, and the transition from childhood to adulthood. This is a must-have for any personal library.

Ø  The Peter and the Starcatchers Quintet by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson – These books are part prequel and part reimagining of the Nineteenth Century Fairy Tale Peter Pan and Wendy by J. M. Barrie. I normally don’t like reimaginings, but Barry and Pearson did a brilliant job of taking elements that Barrie hinted at in the original story and fleshing them out while staying true to the spirit of the source material. If you love Peter Pan, then you’ll probably at least really like Peter and the Starcatchers.

Ø  The Land of Oz Stories by L. Frank Baum – While technically Children’s Fantasy, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the 13 books that followed are all delightful Fantasy for all ages. Apocryphal stories have claimed that Baum created the first Oz stories for one of his children when they were ill, but Baum had been writing fiction and plays for some time before The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first published, so who knows. The stories address themes such as longing, poverty, perseverance, con artists, bigotry, totalitarianism, loyalty, and devotion.

Ø  Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury – As I mentioned in the previous post, Ray Bradbury was a very versatile writer. While he tended to consider even his Sci-Fi stories to be Fantasy, this tale is a brilliant example of Magical Realism Fantasy that very adroitly illustrates the admonition, “be careful what you wish for…you might get it.” This is a cautionary tale that deals with the themes of pride, avarice, wrath, envy, and vanity.

Ø  The Russian Trilogy by C. J. Cherryh – Equally adept with both, Science Fiction and Fantasy, C. J. created this Mythological Fantasy trilogy based on myths from the Dnieper (Dnipro) River Valley in medieval Russia (now on the border between Belarus and Ukraine). The books are brilliantly written, engaging, and explore timeless themes.

Ø  The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson – Divided into three Chronicles, these ten books wonderfully blend elements of Epic Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy. One of the things that makes these stories unique is that their anti-hero protagonist, Thomas Covenant, wasn’t just emotionally and morally flawed, but he was physically ill. Because Donaldson’s father was a medical missionary, he spent part of his childhood living in leper colonies in India, so he gave Covenant Hansen’s Disease, a.k.a. Leprosy. In addition to being an epic (anti) Hero’s Journey, the stories are also surreptitiously educational in that the reader learns what a modern leper has to do every day just to survive. Even though the stories sometimes take a dark turn, Donaldson does a masterful job exploring angst, depression, chronic illness, devotion, betrayal, feudalism, love, hope, and despair.

Ø  The Spellsinger Octology by Alan Dean Foster – This series is a wonderful example of Magical Realism Fantasy. In the first book, Foster introduces us to Jonathan Thomas Meriweather, a law student, part-time wannabe rock guitarist, and janitor who is pulled into a parallel dimension of anthropomorphic animals and magic. Once there, he discovers that, with the help of a guitar-like instrument, he can perform magic using his repertoire of classic rock songs…such as using the Beach Boys version of Sloop John B to create a boat…often with unpredictable and humorous results. Fun, witty, and adventurous, these books are definitely worth the read.

Ø  American Gods by Neil Gaiman – The epitome of Urban Fantasy, American Gods also includes elements of Mythological Fantasy and Americana Fiction. Gaiman blends several different pantheons of ancient and modern Mythology in the setting of modern America. Fun, satirical, somewhat sacrilegious, and intriguing, it’s a great read.

Ø  The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind – Sixteen full-length novels broken up into 5 story arcs, this series is a wonderful example of Epic Fantasy. Through a series of events, a young woods guide named Richard Cypher discovers that he is actually a “Seeker”…an arbiter of Truth and Right…empowered by the Sword of Truth. Richard and his companions end up fighting everything from an empire ruled by a Dark Wizard, a Theocracy, a Collective Oligarchy, and more. Goodkind unapologetically imbues Richard with his own philosophy…a love of individualism, personal freedom, Human Rights, and personal honor. A TV series, Legend of the Seeker (2008) was created from the first two books. In spite of the executive producers swearing to Goodkind that they were huge fans of the books and would remain completely true to the original text if the author gave them the rights to create the show, it began to immediately change elements key to all 5 story arcs, making it a lousy adaptation of The Sword of Truth stories. Stick with the books. Oh, and the first book introduces to the Rules of Wizardry, the first of which is summarized as, “people are stupid.” The full explanation of the Rule makes it considerably less insulting.

Ø  The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman – A wonderful Urban Fantasy with Epic Fantasy elements about a Brooklyn High School student who is ‘invited’ to apply for the only College of Magic in North America and who discovers that his favorite Narnia-esque fantasy series is real. The stories follow his adventures with his best friend from High School and several of his magic classmates both in college and in the magical land of Fillory. Fun, engaging, and adventurous, these tales are wonderful!

Ø  The Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, with the last three novels being co-authored with Brandon Sanderson – A brilliant Epic Sword and Sorcery Fantasy series set in a world of magic and mysticism. An attempt was made at adapting the stories as a streaming series, but as with The Sword of Truth, the writers made too many key changes for it to be considered an adaptation. Even though the series drags a bit in the third quarter of the books, it is a wonderful read.

Ø  The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead – These 6 books are an updated and more historical take on the Arthurian legends. Lawhead actually moved to Oxford, England to thoroughly research Ancient Celtic myths, legends, and culture to make the tales more historically accurate. He even added elements of Roman history and the legend of Atlantis. The Pendragon Cycle is a beautiful variation of the premier legend of Britain.

Ø  The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis – Another great blend of Epic and Sword and Sorcery Fantasy. As with Peter Pan and The Wizard of Oz, The Chronicles of Narnia were originally written as Children’s Fantasy but are perfect for everyone, no matter their age. Lewis was a Christian Apologist, so the stories are subtly laced with Christian Allegory, exploring themes such as faith, honor, duty, loyalty, betrayal, atonement, and martyrdom. Definitely a must have in any personal library.

Ø  Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory – One of the earliest known compilations of the tales and legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. A must have in any personal library.

Ø  Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock – Part of Moorcock’s ‘Eternal Champion’ cycle, the 6 original Elric stories are pure Sword and Sorcery Fantasy. The titular anti-hero is an albino wizard who is the last Emperor of the declining Melniboné and who wields a cursed, sentient sword named Stormbringer that supplies its wielder with energy and strength by absorbing the Souls of its victims. While the stories can be dark and melancholy, they are wonderfully written and engrossing. The Progressive Rock song Black Blade by Blue Öyster Cult is actually about Elric and Stormbringer, and even features Moorcock performing the spoken word dialogue.

Ø  Animal Farm by George Orwell – Written as a cautionary tale about Marxism, this is a Dystopian Fantasy about anthropomorphic animals who rebel against the farmer and take over the farm, creating a Communist collective. Being the smartest of the animals, the hogs become the ruling class, gradually taking over the collective until they are the Tyrannical despots dominating all the other animals. This book needs to be read by everyone so that it can become fiction again.

Ø  The Discworld Series by Sir Terry Pratchett – If you like the idea of laughing your tail off to satire, puns, and parodies while reading intricate, well-crafted Fantasy, this 41 novella series is perfect for you. The series alternates between eight different story arcs that focus on different characters and often weave into other books in the series. I just can’t say enough good things about these books. All hail the Great A’Tuin!

Ø  Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman – This is a hilarious Urban Fantasy about the End Times by two wonderful authors that think at right angles to the rest of the world. An angel and a demon team up to sabotage the End of the World and hilarity ensues.

Ø  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling – J. K. beautifully and masterfully blends Epic Fantasy and Urban Fantasy into a tale of Good versus Evil that explores how two people with almost identical origins and upbringings can end up on diametrically different paths simply based on the choices they make. While the movies are really good, the books are phenomenal.

Ø  Sir J. R. R. Tolkien is almost unanimously considered to be the Father of Epic Fantasy. He was a Professor of English Language and Literature, a Philologist, and a Linguist who created the entire and complete spoken and written languages for the Elvish and Dwarven races of his Middle Earth, the setting of his most famous works. These stories literally inspired every other story on this list:

Ø  The Hobbit, or There and Back Again – Written as a Children’s Fantasy, The Hobbit has become deeply ingrained in Western Culture. It is a grand tale about self-discovery, overcoming self-doubt, rising to the occasion, duty, loyalty, intellect, and understanding that anyone, no matter how humble their beginnings, can become the Hero;

Ø  The Lord of the Rings – Originally broken up and published in three parts because it was considered to be too long for a single book, this is a sequel to The Hobbit. As he wrote it, Tolkien noticed it was decidedly more adult than its predecessor, but continued on the path the story dictated. This tome has three different simultaneous quests that wind around and through each other in all three parts until the exciting climax. This is a tale of generational heirlooms, legacy, duty, personal fortitude, perseverance, intellect, loss, and redemption;

Ø  The Silmarillion - Edited by Christopher Tolkien and Guy Gavriel Kay, this anthology was published posthumously. While writing The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien wrote several outlines and short stories for himself in order to work out the mythology and history of Middle Earth. He had discussed with his son, Christopher, the possibility of ‘cleaning up’ his background reference works and publishing them as the Quenta Silmarillion, but he passed away before seriously beginning the work. Tolkien had appointed his son as Literary Executor, so after his father’s death, Christopher worked with family friend and author in his own right, Guy Gavriel Kay, to organize some of the material into this single coherent, beautifully detailed volume.

Ø  A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain – This is Twain’s satirical look at feudalism and monarchy while celebrating individualism, personal ingenuity, and democratic principles. This parable is told from the point of view of a Nineteenth Century engineer who, after a blow to the head, finds himself in the Court of King Arthur. Bitingly funny and witty, this classic should be in every house.

Ø  The Once and Future King by T. H. White – This is an omnibus of 4 novels that were a Twentieth Century update of the Fifteenth Century Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory. While there is much debate about whether the tales of King Arthur are Fantasy, History, or Mythology, I am firmly in the camp of the first. Also, Disney’s animated movie The Sword in the Stone is based on the first part of this tome.

So, there you have it, Dear Reader, my personal all-time Top 30 Fantasy books and series. In my humble yet educated experience, every one of these novels, anthologies, and series should be in every private collection, especially for every true fan of the Fantasy genre.

Until next time, be well…

© 2009, 2024 James P. Rice