A Key for the Nonesuch: (#1) (War of the Fading Worlds Bk 1)

The first Geary Gravel book I read was The Pathfinders: The Pathfinders, featuring a delightful teenage heroine, Ai. The present book, A Key for the Nonesuch, and its sequel, The Return of the Breakneck Boys The Return of the Breakneck Boys (The Fading Worlds, Book 2) seem as if they are earlier works, with a protagonist with whom the author seems to identify himself. Howard Bell is a writer and fix-it man who finds himself transported into the middle of a no-holds-barred tournament between a host of armed militias, in a collection of worlds organized by vague menacing figures, called The Keyholders. There is a very limited amount of blood-and-guts, but the majority of the action devolves on creative problem-solving by our boy Howard. Howard has made friends with some delicious characters, and it is these who keep you interested in the action, as well as Howard's laid-back and low-key participation, and his growing attraction to one of the lady warriors (ouch; that sounds like our lacrosse team). A recommended pair of reads, filled with whimsical characters and gentle humor. There are some loose ends, but who cares? You get the impression of a set of books written by an individual, rather than a corporation. Archimedes

His writing style is good, and the story layout reminds me the way Jack Chalker and Gordon Dickson write their stories. It a sci-fi book, with the unsure hero, the female warrier, and lots of aliens. I wish he would finish this series, as the author keeps you in the dark about the keyholders at the end of the book.

I will warn you that not only are they out of print. But he has yet to finnish the series. I rate this as two of the better books I have read and in a time when finding a good story in the sci-fi section is like finding Jimmy Hoffa that is saying a lot. Geary Gravels sence of humor rates with Harry Harrisons and he like to put his charaters in worlds were they can compare how narrow minded people can be.

It is based on an ordinary guy who finds the way to leave the earth with a key that he finds in the mens room. It is really some complex machine that opens portals between worlds, but he doesn't know that. He meets interesting characters and they decide to unite to defeat the keyholders, the people who originally only had the keys. Very imaginative worlds and realistic characters.