Realty Check [Paperback]

Piers Anthony (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 1999

Piers Anthony, one of the best selling writers of science fiction and fantasy, displays all of his literary virtues in "Reality Check," a magnum opus of why Anthony is more than an entertaining writer. He is an important writer.

This novel builds bridges between generations as it builds them between worlds. There is a quality here of classic Heinlein. The main characters face the unknown with courage instead of fear. Encountering the fantastic makes them think better instead of not thinking at all. "Reality Check" is a celebration of life, and a love story between grandparents and a granddaughter, between cousins, and between friends. Most of all, "Reality Check" is the first novel to fully explore the impact of the internet on the American family, albeit in science-fiction terms.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the second Anthony novel due out in May (see Muse of Art, reviewed above), an elderly couple, Penn and Chandelle, rent an expensively furnished house in Philadelphia for a vacation getaway. It turns out that the building is not only luxurious but allows its inhabitants to travel through time and space by simply walking out the back door. The couple invite their wild granddaughter Llynn, 15, to help them explore the houses wonders. They are soon joined by Llynns obnoxious, bright cousin, Lloyd, 13, and his dog. Then the adventures really begin: saving damsels in Moscow and communicating with aliens are two of the highlights. Considering its jolly, familial tone, the novel contains a surprising, and occasionally disconcerting, amount of sexual tension. Overall, however, this is an intergenerational as well as intergalactic charmer, hallmarked by fast pacing, strong characterizations and skillful prose. (May) now publishing original and reprint trade paperbacks on paper (with the books also available online at www.pulpless.com.) Other original May Pulpless.Com titles include The Land Beyond Summer by Brad Linaweaver, Other States of Being by John DeChancie, Book of the Monk by D.K. Kirts, The Microbotic Menace by Victor Koman (the first in his new Captain Anger series) and The Robert Heinlein Interview and Other Heinleiniana by J. Neil Schulman.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Piers Anthony is the acclaimed author of more than 100 novels and short story collections. His works include the Xanth series, the Mode series, Chthon and Total Recall. Realty Check is an original novel sure to delight Anthony fans everywhere. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Pulpless.Com Inc (January 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584450002
• ISBN-13: 978-1584450009
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,631,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans.In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun to read work of science fiction, August 28, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Realty Check (Paperback)

Chandelle and Penn have moved to Philadelphia for the summer so they can give their daughter some relief from her rebellious fifteen-year old offspring. They rent a house unlike any other anywhere on the planet because the home contains unique features. The back door leads to different times in earth's past while the front door enables travel to almost any city on the planet. When their granddaughter shows up, she is so enchanted and curious by the house that Lynn reveals the secrets of the house they know and love.

Since Chandelle is uneasy about being alone in the house or outside it, they arrange for Lynn's first cousin Lloyd and his Doberman Obsidian to stay with them. In the attic they find alien artifacts that allow them to understand any language and transmit a sound so if anyone goes missing it will be easy to find them. They keep finding out something new and vital about the house every day. The only questions left to answer are what is the purpose of the house and what does it want with them.

Adults and teens will definitely enjoy reading REALITY CHECK, a work that is pure entertainment. Readers will delight in solving the riddles of the house and empathize with the characters, as they stumble the hard way into learning the different facets of the house. Piers Anthony has written a work that is fresh, original and fascinating, but readers need to check their reality prior to entering the front page.

Harriet Klausner

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars had it's ups and downs, March 9, 2004

By 

Brad Utterstrom (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Realty Check (Paperback)

I used to read the Xanth series several years ago, back in high school. I was actually a little bit disappointed with Realty Check in that I was expecting more comedy...I remember lots of puns and funny business from the Xanth series, this book really didn't have much of that.

I was also not so easily convinced that the characters would figure out the puzzles so easily! The character development seemed mildly weak, they just weren't beleivable at times. Lloyd, the 13 year old is introduced as an obnoxious little punk, but within a matter of minutes it seems he grew into a wise adult. Llynn was a bit too stereotypical, even admitting that she looks for 'bad boys'. The type of girl that likes a bad boy usually doesn't know or admit that they do.

Also the book had an almost creepy sexual tension at times, as there was plenty of sexual tension not only between cousins, but also between adults and minors. A few times it just left me wondering "huh?!" There was even a bit of sexual tension between 15 year old Llynn and Grandpa!

While I felt some areas of the book left much to be desired, it was really the imaginative and mysterious qualities I was looking forward to, and it came through big time there. I've recently been on a kick looking for stories that deal with time travel, dreams, and other fantasy related subjects. The simple idea that a house has doors that can open to any city in the world is a fascinating concept, and it's those ideas that I enjoyed most about this book. I don't want to give too much away that you can't read on the back of the book, but Piers Anthony is a very creative dude with a wild imagination, so if you're a bit of a dreamer you may well enjoy the book even if you agree with my above criticisms.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book, but . ., September 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Realty Check (Paperback)

Piers Anthony is one of my favorite writers, and I don't think I have read anything by him that I disliked. This book is great, a chance to solve intriguing puzzles along with the characters in the book, which I enjoy. As he does frequently in other stories, Mr. Anthony shifts points of view between chapters, to round out the story. I volunteer with teenagers, and I kept thinking that this would be a great book for them, except for one part which gets a little explicit about some sex and torture. It's not "dirty", it's not tawdry, it's realistic and gritty, and I would think twice about letting young teenagers read it, which is really a shame. Otherwise, this would be a great book to read at the same time as teens and could start some great discussions.