Mountain Magic [Mass Market Paperback]

David Drake (Author), Eric Flint (Author), Henry Kuttner (Author), Ryk E. Spoor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2004

The forces of evil, both natural and supernatural, are poised to prey on the folk of the hamlets and hollows: witches, demons, and criminals of more than one century. But first they'll have to overcome some very unusual residents of the hills and valleys. One is David Drake's unforgettable creation, Old Nathan the Wizard. He doesn't claim much for his magical powers, but they're real enough for what they are-and besides, he hasn't forgotten how to use his long flintlock rifle. Enter the gritty, realistic world of Old Nathan, a backwoodsman who talks to animals and says he'll face the Devil himself-and who in the end will have to face the Devil in very fact. A century later, very different interlopers, from criminals to snooping college professors, are poking around the hills, up to no good. But a very unusual family, the Hogbens, are likely to cause more trouble than unwelcome visitors can handle, as Henry Kuttner relates. They're a family of mutants, with very unusual powers, and city folk who cause trouble are likely to suddenly find unbelievable-and unpleasant-things happening to them. But not all of the trouble is caused by humans, as the Slade family find out when Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor relate how a Kentucky family finds itself caught in the middle of a struggle between battling groups of the creatures who live deep underground and are the basis from the old legends of gnomes. The Slades have to make sure that the right gnomes win-or an earthquake will wipe out everyone in at least four states. Magic, mutants, and mountain folk add up to an unusual volume, with adventure ranging from the grim and eerie to the wildly comic.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Baen (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743488563
• ISBN-13: 978-0743488563
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,214,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( D ) > Drake, David

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I only wrote 1/3 of this one..., August 31, 2004

By 

Ryk E. Spoor "Author, Gamer, Geek God" (Troy, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mountain Magic (Mass Market Paperback)

... and I think the other 2/3 are really good company to be in.

The third that I wrote (with Eric Flint) is "Diamonds Are Forever". I wish the blurb didn't spoiler it quite so much -- some of the things in the blurb are supposed to be revelations in the story. Anyway, "Diamonds" was very fun to write and I think anyone who liked my prior book "Digital Knight" will enjoy "Diamonds".

By itself, I'd probably not quite feel comfortable handing "Diamonds" a 5 star rating; it's a good, fun read, but I know I have a long way to go before I'm at the top level.

However, the other two-thirds of "Mountain Magic" are solidly five-star material. David Drake's "Old Nathan" stories may well be the best thing Drake has ever written, complex, somber, quirky, and surprisingly touching in places. The Old Nathan stories were printed before, but were sadly limited in their distribution for various reasons; it's good they're finally getting a new release.

Kuttner's "Hogben" stories have been undeservedly out-of-print for a long time; they are humorously macabre stories of one of the most bizarre families ever invented, by one of the lesser-known great authors of SF.

Get "Mountain Magic"; you won't be disappointed!

Ryk E. Spoor

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really Good, October 17, 2004

By 

Justin Bischel (Tempe, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mountain Magic (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a compendium of stories by different authors using the same basic area as a setting - the Appalachian Mountains. The first offering, Diamonds are Forever, by Flint and Spoor, I would liken to a good light beer - great taste, less filling. David Drake's Old Nathan short stories are like a dark, heavy lager- a meal in themselves, complex, perhaps not to everyone's taste but uniquely satisfying. Kutner's Hogben stories are good old-fashioned SF - a Michelob, say. All in all, this book has enough differing tastes to satisfy any reader, and more than meets Robert Heinlein's goal of successfully competing for beer money.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mountains of Goodness, October 24, 2004

By 

Evan Mayerle "Cateagle" (Ft. Worth, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mountain Magic (Mass Market Paperback)

I can't praise this collection enough. You have collected here two classic sets of short stories, by Herny Kuttner and David Drake, and a novelette by Eric Flint and Ryk Spoor that stands with them in terms of quality. All the stories revolve around things that happen "back in the hills where outsiders don't go" and are quite good reading. Kudos to Eric Flint for putting together a most enjoyable collection.