29 April, 2002
Wizard's Eleven (1984, 187 pp (MMPB))
Jinian Footseer (1986, 224 pp (MMPB))
Sheri S. Tepper
These two books are a perfect example of an author "having a better idea." Both books are set in Tepper's "True Game" world, a place where the ruling class consists of people with a variety of psionic/magic powers. These "Gamesmen" lord it over the un-Talented "pawns" and engage in martial conflict, referred to only as "the Game." Wizard's Eleven is the third book in the original "True Game" trilogy, featuring the adventures of a young Shapeshifter named Peter. The series is good fun, the world is strange and interesting and full of secrets, the villains are dire, and while the hero, Peter, is a bit on the callow side, the supporting cast is great (I *heart* Peter's sidekick/guardian/servant Chance, and his mother Mavin Manyshaped).
Jinian Footseer tells the backstory of a young lady who Peter meets and falls in love with in Wizard's Eleven. The world is developed even further, and the additions make it even more interesting than it was before. Jinian is a Wizard, and Jinian Footseer delves into the nature of Wizards in the True Game world. The portrayal of wizardry is very well-done, I think. The True Game world is one where things we think of as "magic" are commonplace-- mind-reading, shape-shifting, firestarting, rasing the dead. Wizardry is something "magical" in a world of magic. It's really just simple knowledge of how the world works on a fundamental level, which on this world is partly scientific and partly... not. Jinian Footseer tells the story of how Jinian grew from a lonely, unwanted child into a powerful, intelligent wizard. I really love this book, and it's completely readable on its own (in fact, I read it and its sequels long before I read the original series about Peter). Too bad it's been out of print for so long. :(
Anyway, back to the "better idea." The last chapter recaps most of the events of Wizard's Eleven, as told from Jinian's point of view. It's mostly consistent, and while some people complain that Tepper gave Peter short shrift by rewriting the events of Wizard's Eleven so that it looks like Jinian did everything, rather than Peter, it's not quite that bad. The main accomplishment happens pretty much the same in both accounts-- Jinian merely provides a mechanism for something Peter wonders about. Jinian's opinion of how Peter comes to fall in love with her is, IMO, just flat-out wrong. From Peter's story, it's clear that he is already in love when he saves her from a potenitally nasty demise (which she thinks gives him tender feelings towards her).
There's one medium-size inconsistancy which can't be explained by the "different perspectives" excuse. The folks responsible for Jinian's near-death experience are different in the two books, and I really can't figure out how the situations can be reconciled. But, looking at the big picture, it's not that big a difference, and the changes Tepper made resulted in a very intriguing story in the sequels, so I'm not going to complain.