The Pelbar Chronicles

[Grimm Reaper]

Very little time but I want to get this series mentioned. Has anyone on the board ever read any of the seven books in The Pelbar Cycle by Paul O Williams, with 'The Breaking of Northwall' as the first. Not quite alternate history, as it's set over 1000 years in the future, but they are good reading. If any questions about them exist, I will be glad to continue. If any other reader wants to spare me the effort, I say "Bring it on!"

[Diamond]

Heh. I just bought the first three books on a whim last week. Haven't read them yet. I'm a sucker for post-apocalypse books and tweaked maps of North America, and 'Northwall' had both, so of course I bought it.

So they're pretty decent? Good; hate to think I wasted my dollar-eighty-five. :) (Secondhand book shops rule.)

Seven books, you say? Have to look for the others...

[Grimm Reaper]

Diamond, I found them used also! :) Never had heard of them, then I saw the first in the series The Breaking of Northwall and figured to blow 50 cents. Soon copies of the others had appeared and I grabbed them all. Cheap in price and enjoyable reading, definitely worth it. If you have trouble I'ld be willing to keep an eye out for some.

[punkjohnny]

A friend first recommended the Pelbar cycle to me over ten years ago; I read The Breaking of Northwall in one sitting, curled up in a chair in his study while visiting him and his family over the holidays. I eventuallly found all seven (also in used book stores). This afternoon, I finished re-reading the entire cycle for the third time. Wonderfully interwoven stories - I love them. Each is capable of standing alone and providing an excellent read - as such, you can enjoy any of them by itself: you don't have to take them in order to enjoy them. However, if you have the opportunity to do so, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Just for grins, I typed "Pelbar" into a google search, hoping to find that Dr. Williams might have added to the series after The Sword of Forbearance. While the book had a definite, coherent ending, it left enough loose ends to indicate that there could be several more coming in the future. An epilogue introduced new characters, indicating that perhaps another was planned. Well, instead of finding the information I was hoping for, I wound up here and decided to join.

Fantasy and Science-Fiction have always been my main literary interests, especially stories dealing with alternate histories and alternate futures. I grew up reading Heinlein and Asimov. Each maintained a marvelously consistent vision of what a "future history" might turn out to be. I found the same consistency of vision in Dr. Williams' Pelbar cycle. I do hope he eventually decides to extend it.

John

[Lectruck]

I have the whole set of them, a great aunt gave them to me 20 years ago. I recommend them and am glad I read them.

[Sovereign12]

I found them in a used book store back in the eighties. I really like Darrel K Sweet's artwork and would by a book for his cover art. The books themselves are a good read and bit more on the fantasy side for post-apoc, similar to Heiro's Journey (another good read).