A Wizard in Bedlam by Christopher Stasheff

A Wizard in Bedlam by Christopher Stasheff

THE REBEL SLAVES NEED A LEADER. EVEN IF HE'S A WIZARD. EVEN IF HE'S DEAD.

Dirk Dulain is a churl-a cloned serf bred to serve the aristocracy of the planet Melange-who escaped and joined a Resistance devoted to readying the churls for their next great attempt at freedom. Dirk is determined to foment revolution, but he needs the help of DeCade, the rebel peasant who led the last great revolt of the churls against their despotic feudal masters.

One problem: DeCade died generations ago when his rebellion failed. His staff and bones were broken and lost; only his songs remain.

Now, with the help of the peasant spy Madelon and a mysterious giant named Gar, Dirk must somehow revive the legend of DeCade, trigger the revolution, and lead the slaves in a battle against their aristocratic overlords, a battle they must win... or die.

Christopher Stasheff was a science fiction and fantasy novelist, as well as a teacher, actor, and technician. His career spanned four decades, with 44 novels (including translations into Czech, German, Italian, Russian, and Japanese), 29 short tales, and seven anthologies under his belt. His books are known for their wit (and poor puns), comparative political analysis, and philosophical undertones. He's always struggled to tell the difference between dream and reality, and he's tried to compensate by teaching college. He gave up teaching when it became too real for him, preferring to write full-time instead.

He has a habit of scripting his life, but he can't figure out why other people can't seem to get their lines straight. With his wife and four children, this produces a lot of misunderstanding. He writes novels because it's the only way he can direct, design, and cast all of the actors. Chris died of Parkinson's Disease in 2018.

His kind and kind attitude, eagerness to guide and advise anybody who asked, and sharp sense of humor will be cherished by his friends, family, admirers, and students. His horrible jokes, on the other hand, will be forgotten as quickly as possible.