David Fisher, an EPA (Environmental Perfection Agency) bureaucrat, was not the stuff of which heroes are made. At least he hoped not. All he wanted was a good life with a good wife, and a chance to do his bit for society reviewing magical impact statements (like the one that assesses the effect on local non-life resulting from the introduction of leprechauns into Southern California, for example)and ensuring that various manufacturers of magical devices did not intentionally or otherwise foul the environment with the sorcerous by-products of their trade. Indeed it would be hard to imagine a more regular and down to earth soul thatn that of David Fisher of the EPA. No hero he!
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More About the Author
Harry Turtledove is the award-winning author of the alternate-history works The Man with the Iron Heart; The Guns of the South; How Few Remain (winner of the Sidewise Award for Best Novel); the Worldwar saga: In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance, and Striking the Balance; the Colonization books: Second Contact, Down to Earth, and Aftershocks; the Great War epics: American Front, Walk in Hell, and Breakthroughs; the American Empire novels: Blood & Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and Victorious Opposition; and the Settling Accounts series: Return Engagement, Drive to the East, The Grapple, and In at the Death. Turtledove is married to fellow novelist Laura Frankos. They have three daughters: Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mmmmm, Cool! Thoughtful!,
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This review is from: The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump (Mass Market Paperback)
What if the world ran on magic instead of mechanics? What if you had phone imps instead of phone lines, flying carpets instead of cars, sorcware (sorcery) instead of software, virtuous reality instead of virtual reality? And you had toxic spell dump sites that had to be monitored by the Environmental Perfection (yes, perfection) Agency? I picked this book up thinking that it would be comic fantasy in the vein of Piers Anthony or Terry Prachett. And, there was humor in it, but it was more than that. Apart from the oblivious puns and fun with translating our world into a world of magic (the nightmare of traffic flying in rush hour, evil alarm clock imps...), Turtledove explores the consequences of that kind of world. David Fisher is an EPA agent, assigned to investigate possible leaking from the Devonshire dump site, in part because of an increase of birth defects in the surrounding area. The most devastating birth defect is aphysica, being born without a soul. In this world the Other Side is very real and all the religions have their actual spiritual counterpart. The gods and whatnot need adoration to survive, so sometimes religions that lose adherents became endangered, and artificial temples and worshippers are made to save the entity. Fisher gets deeper and deeper into what turns into a plot to revive one of the most evil spirits in both Worlds. I was surprised by this book and enjoyed it. It's not "literary" fiction, but an entertaining and thoughtful read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great entertainment!!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump (Mass Market Paperback)
I picked this book up not long after it came out due to the title (I have to deal with EPA issues for real). I'm currently reading it for the third time now and am enjoying it as much as the first time. Yes, the story is easy to follow, and yes, it does help to have a working knowledge of current and ancient religions and magic terminology (so you don't miss out on any hilarious puns) but so what? If you want a book to read for pure enjoyment and a lot of laughs (mostly at the expense of those cursed by endless red tape) then this is a great choice!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Creative Look at an Alternate Reality,
By
This review is from: The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump (Mass Market Paperback)
Harry Turtledove does a good job of looking at things in a new way. He has certainly done that in this book which features the bureaucracy of the EPA fighting those who would poison the world for profit and, possibly, start World War III.
There are differences, however, between this and your run of the mill thriller. In this case EPA stands for Environmental Perfection Agengy and they are not the result of some green fantasy. They look out for the environment by tracking hazardous pollution coming from magic. In fact, the entire society replaces mechanistic techology for magical technology. From this interesting premise an interesting and fun story come forth. Just because a society works on magic does not mean that bureacracies and red tape are any more palatable. Thy are just more fun. This is a fun book, well worth the time to read it.
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