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From: mte@busch.UUCP (Moshe Eliovson)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: To reign in hell
Message-ID: <475@busch.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Aug-85 17:45:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: busch.475
Posted: Sun Aug  4 17:45:20 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 6-Aug-85 09:38:33 EDT
References: <3412@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Anheuser-Busch Companies - St. Louis Missouri
Lines: 39
Summary: Questions...


	I walked into my friend's room and I fall upon the new Ace
edition of To Reign in Hell.  "It's by Steven Brust!" I shout at
my friend.  Who's been holding out on me?!, I want to know.  So, I open
the book and after marvelling over Zelazny's five (5) line review over
Yendi I'm impaled on a three page forward by this fantasy pseudo-deity.

	I was a bit thrown, since I was hoping for one of Steve's more
earthy adventures, like Jhereg or Yendi, but I delved in eagerly anyway.
Besides, the cover artwork was really nice.
	
	Unfortunately, I found what seems to be more of a study in
(biblical?) fantasy than the enchanting marvelous adventure that I was 
expecting to be served up.  I confess that I'm totally unfamiliar with
the subject matter at hand, which according to Zelazny is related to
two works, namely: Anatole France's Revolt of the Angels and Taylor
Caldwell's Dialogues with the Devil.  This should give you netlanders
a notion of what the book is about if you've recognized these titles.
(I did not.)

	So I read and as I am not so much into intrigue and masterplots
I begin to wonder... Also, as G-d (Yahweh) is purported to be one of
the "Firstborn" this contradicts a primary foundation for Jewish belief,
which is, G-d was before all, everything, etc. and that G-d created the
stuff of everything: time, matter, energy of which everything, including
angels are made of.  Now, I don't mean to drag fantasy into religion or to
start a Judeo-Christian controversy here and I'm sure that wasn't the author's
intent either; but I have temporarily concluded that To Reign in Hell is 
at least a semi-religious/philosophical work.

	If I haven't defined my question about the subject matter clearly
enough I apologize.  It may just be that this underlying feeling I have is
due to the contradictory nature to my faith, although I do find the
descriptions of the angels & devils very interesting.  But before I resume
my reading I'd like a clearer definition, perhaps from the author, concerning
this book.

			Moshe Eliovson
			{allegra, ihnp4}!we53!busch!mte