Maze of Worlds [Mass Market Paperback]

Brian Lumley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1999

Alien beings bent on our destruction have seeded the world with horrible machines capable of transforming our planet into a hellhole where only they can live.

Our only hope is to solve the puzzle of a four-dimensional maze, an alien thing that is part building, part machine, and part psychological torture chamber. A few brave men and women--and one fearless dog--dare to enter the maze. What they find there will change their lives forever, as the alien machinery creates terrifying worlds based on their worst nightmares.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Its abundance of futuristic technojargon and gizmology notwithstanding, this sequel to Lumley's 1990 SF adventure, The House of Doors, is a throwback to drive-in B-movies of the 1950s, replete with evil space invaders bent on world domination and selfless human heroes. Here the villains are the Ggydnn, a renegade clan of the alien Thone, who, under the direction of disgraced mastermind Sith, have unleashed a sort of killer kudzu that is rapidly terraforming Earth to conditions noxious to humans but comfy for extraterrestrial habitation. The invasion is just a sneaky scheme to lure Spencer Gill, the agent of Sith's undoing in the previous novel, back for another showdown in the House of Doors, a Thone supercomputer whose interior contains a multitude of virtual worlds built from the nightmares of those who become trapped inside it. There is little doubt from the moment Gill, Angela Denholm and five other unlikely commandos enter the alien construct that they will find a way to master its monsters and turn its false realities to their advantageAalthough not before enduring ordeals with sentient machines, mutant births, grotesque physical transformations and other horrors fashioned from their subconscious fears. Lumley's stereotypically sneering aliens and virtuous humans often seem little more than computer constructs themselves, but the novel's plot speeds briskly over these shortcomings. Cutting-edge SF this isn't, but readers looking for the same audacious imagination that enlivens Lumley's Necroscope series will find this a pleasantly distracting substitute.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Once before, the alien civilization of the Thone administered a deadly test to determine humanity's worth. Now an outcast of the Thone returns to conduct his own vendetta against machine-empath Spencer Gill and the others who acted as Earth's champions. Lumley's sequel to House of Doors (Tor, 1990) covers familiar territory as his characters confront a series of nightmarish realities contained within an extra-dimensional alien machine. The author's penchant for gore will appeal to fans of visceral horror. Purchase where Lumley has a following.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (May 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812577809
• ISBN-13: 978-0812577808
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,297,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian Lumley is the author of the bestselling Necroscope series of vampire novels. An acknowledged master of Lovecraft-style horror, Brian Lumley has won the British Fantasy Award and been named a Grand Master of Horror. His works have been published in more than a dozen countries and have inspired comic books, role-playing games, and sculpture, and been adapted for television. When not writing, Lumley can often be found spear-fishing in the Greek islands, gambling in Las Vegas, or attending a convention somewhere in the US. Lumley and his wife live in England.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An unnecessary sequel to a so-so original, August 19, 2001

By 

Daniel V. Reilly (Upstate New York, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Maze of Worlds (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm a big fan of Mr. Lumley's Necroscope series, so I eagerly purchased The House Of Doors, and it's follow-up Maze Of Worlds. I found The House of Doors to be a moderately entertaining book; the literary equivalant of a summer popcorn movie: a group of disparate people, trapped in an alien testing ground, must prove The Earth and her denizens worthy of continued survival by facing (and beating) their worst fears. Not Lumley's best work, but entertaining nonetheless. Maze of Worlds, however, offers nothing more than a virtually blow-for-blow remake of the original. Aside from the fact that the bad guy (Bad Jellyfish?) escaped in first book, what need was there for this sequel? The ending is incredibly rushed, too....it's as if Lumley was given a page limit, and had to wrap things up fast. On the plus side, some of the stuff in this book is truly original, such as the world that is a giant Brain Tumor. Fans of Brian Lumley will undoubtedly find something to like in this book, as I did. The uninitiated, however, will probably want to steer clear. The book also contains a preview of Necroscope: Invaders, which is vastly superior.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maze Of Worlds Continues The House Of Doors Excitement., August 25, 1998

By 

CaptHowdy (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maze of Worlds (Hardcover)

Sith, the renegade Thone is back and he wants to kick our butt! (Especially those whom he tested during his last visit).

Just like the House Of Doors, this novel takes us through to the different nightmare worlds of our adventurers. A few of the characters return from the first novel, and there are new characters as well. Some of the nightmare worlds are familiar, and some are new.

Pretty good read. I am an avid Lumley fan so sometimes I tend to be biased. All I will say is that while it isn't as fresh an idea as House Of Doors (it is a sequel after all) it still grips you. Some of the worlds scare the heck outta you, and a couple of the new characters are interesting to follow. I was only upset about the death toll of the main characters in the book. I won't go any further (don't wanna ruin the fun!)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blah as a book, Superb as a sequel, October 30, 1999

By 

Adam Chayes (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maze of Worlds (Mass Market Paperback)

I have always loved Lumley's work, but a common foible in all of those which are later books in a series is that they they falter and are a laborious read if you missed the first installment. I read this book halfway before putting it down in despair because I hadn't read "House of Doors." After reading it, though, I came back to Maze of Worlds and thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot is awesome and Lumley's incredible imagery isn't lacking in the slightest. I give it 4 stars because the Necroscope saga is so much more, and there's only one more step up for that series to be placed.A must read, but only after reading "House of Doors."