Magician is by anyone’s measure a large book. It turned out that several million readers-many of whom read translations in languages I can’t even begin to comprehend-found it one that satisfied their tastes for such a yarn as well.īut insofar as it was a first effort, some pressures of the marketplace did manifest themselves during the creation of the final book. After a decade in print, my best judgment is that the appeal of the book is based upon its being what was known once as a “ripping yarn.” I had little ambition beyond spinning a good story, one that satisfied my sense of wonder, adventure, and whimsy. My willingness to plunge blindly forward into a tale spanning two dissimilar worlds, covering twelve years in the lives of several major and dozens of minor characters, breaking numerous rules of plotting along the way, seemed to find kindred souls among readers the world over.

I hesitate to admit this publicly, but the truth is that part of the success of the book was my ignorance of what makes a commercially successful novel. Magician, the first novel in what became known as The Riftwar Saga, was a book that quickly took on a life of its own. It is now some fifteen years later, and I have been a full-time writer for the last fourteen years, successful in this craft beyond my wildest dreams. In late 1977 I decided to try my hand at writing, part-time, while I was an employee of the University of California, San Diego. This is especially true if the book was his first effort, judged successful by most standards, and continuously in print for a decade. It is with some hesitation and a great deal of trepidation that an author approaches the task of revising an earlier edition of fiction. For information address: Bantam Books, New York, New York.īantam Books, the rooster colophon, Spectra, and the portrayal of a boxed “s” are all registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 92-13250 Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.Īny resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Revised Doubleday edition / November 1992 “Has just about everything a fantasy fan could ask for.”ĭoubleday hardcover edition published November 1982

“Feist writes skillfully and his imagination is prolific.” “As exciting and absorbing as Magician in every way…one of the outstanding fantasy offerings of the season.” “The best new fantasy in years…has a chance of putting its author firmly on the throne next to Tolkien-and keeping him there.”

Magician raymond e feist