Ghost of the Well of Souls (Well World) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jack L. Chalker (Author)

Book Description

Series: Well World | Publication Date: April 4, 2000

Jack Chalker's Well World epic occupies an honored place among the classics of science fiction. Now this boldly imagined, intricately plotted new novel takes us deeper into the Well World than ever before . . .

On the mysterious Well World, the evil tyrant Josich and his dark agents search desperately for the eight scattered pieces of the fabled Straight Gate. Whoever possesses the Gate will wield enormous power, travelling between universes at the speed of light and wreaking havoc across galaxies.

Opposing Josich is a small band of travelers new to the Well World. There is Core, once a machine, now flesh and blood; Ming and Ari, two minds sharing a single body; Jaysu, an angel; and Genghis O'Leary, a lizard being. Unbeknownst to them, they have an unlikely ally: a vengeful entity who is able to clone any person or object with a single touch--and mete out death just as swift . . .

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Jack Chalker's Well World epic occupies an honored place among the classics of science fiction. Now this boldly imagined, intricately plotted new novel takes us deeper into the Well World than ever before . . .

On the mysterious Well World, the evil tyrant Josich and his dark agents search desperately for the eight scattered pieces of the fabled Straight Gate. Whoever possesses the Gate will wield enormous power, travelling between universes at the speed of light and wreaking havoc across galaxies.

Opposing Josich is a small band of travelers new to the Well World. There is Core, once a machine, now flesh and blood; Ming and Ari, two minds sharing a single body; Jaysu, an angel; and Genghis O'Leary, a lizard being. Unbeknownst to them, they have an unlikely ally: a vengeful entity who is able to clone any person or object with a single touch--and mete out death just as swift . . .

About the Author

Jack L. Chalker was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 17, 1944. While still in high school, he began writing for the amateur science-fiction press, and in 1960 he launched the Hugo-nominated amateur magazine Mirage. A year later he founded Mirage Press, which grew into a major specialty publisher of nonfiction and reference books on science fiction and fantasy.

His first novel, A Jungle of Stars, was published in 1976, and he became a full-time novelist two years later with the major popular success of Midnight at the Well of Souls. Chalker is an active conservationist and enjoys traveling, consumer electronics, and computers. He is also a noted speaker on science fiction and fantasy at numerous colleges and universities. He is a passionate lover of steamboats, in particular ferryboats, and has ridden more than three hundred ferries in the United States and elsewhere.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345394852
• ISBN-13: 978-0345394859
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #350,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Something Else?, June 6, 2001

By 

Daniel Soler "GENREBUSTERS.COM" (Seattle, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ghost of the Well of Souls (Well World) (Mass Market Paperback)

As soon as I read Chalker's introduction to this duology - the newest addition to the increasingly large Well World series - I decided to give it a try. So it wasn't a part of the normal canon, as he put it, but instead a book about Something Else. Well and good, I'm always ready to try something new from an established story teller.

Two books and about 700 pages later, I still don't know what he was talking about. I'm also extremely perplexed: just what happened to Chalker's writing? His prose, plotting, character development - even his humor - don't match up with the previous work that bears his name. This duology provided such a lackluster story that I am at a complete loss to explain its existence in print. I'm tempted to visit Chalker's web site and write him an email asking, "Why?" The only possible answer I can derive comes from Chalker's shameless introductory statement that he didn't plan to return to the Well World until someone fronted a sizeable sum. Apparently, this offer didn't provide enough impetus for Chalker to return to form.

Page 1 of the first novel, "The Sea is Full of Stars," starts with the strong, confident narrative voice I remember from Chalker's earlier novels. Unfortunately, this turns out to be the sole shining moment for the entire series. I almost wish that Delrey hadn't plugged these into the original Well World saga as books 6 and 7. They don't belong in the same category as the originals.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the rest of the Well World Saga, November 18, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ghost of the Well of Souls (Well World) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read the reviews before I bought and figured that the negatives were "I miss Nathan Brazil". I was wrong.

The only character I grew to like had her mind wiped pretty much right away, so I didn't really care about her later.

The plot was so convoluted and confusing, and by the end the threat so unclear, that by the end of the second book I hardly cared who won.

You know, if you read this Jack, I cared about Renard, Nicki, Wu Julie, Asam, Marquoz, Serge Ortega, Gypsy and Prof. Zinder, every one of them more than I cared about any of these characters. What made the previous books great was caring about the characters.

Also, the underwater people were just wet land people. They thought and acted like they were just land people trying to dom the things that land people do with the "problem" of all that water being in the way. A water people would LIKE being in the water, and their entire culture would reflect that.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of the Well World Series, April 28, 2005

By 

a sci-fi reader "a sci-fi reader" (Green Bay, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ghost of the Well of Souls (Well World) (Mass Market Paperback)

Along with the Sea is Full of Stars, I found these two books the best of all the books. Perhaps it was because there was no Nathan Brazil or Mavra Chang who can not lose due to the Well World itself aiding them. Having Kincaid as a "bogey-man" in the background actually fit his personality and characterization. Each major character had their purpose and part and if one looks at the theme of these books with some detachment from the earlier books, the story is actually very different.