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mgakis's review against another edition
3.0
I don't normally read sci fi, but this had a back cover I couldn't resist. I read the entire series and loved them all.
foxtrotmadly's review against another edition
2.0
Okay, this is a tough one.
"On a Pale Horse" by Piers Anthony is a mixed bag for me. It's the story of a man named Zane who accidentally kills Death and assumes his role as the shepherd of the recently departed, assisting souls that are in balance (equal parts good and evil) with finding their eternity. It's "The Santa Clause" but with way more killing. And, much like Zane, I find myself struggling to figure out where exactly this book lands for me on the scales of good and evil.
First, the good. The world that Anthony has created is fascinating. It's a future that is equal parts science and magic, so you're just as likely to see a flying carpet as you are a four door sedan. It's clever and engaging how he mixes the elements of science fiction and fantasy, and the world building is the highlight of the novel. I'm genuinely interested in learning more of how things work in this fictional setting, both mechanically and politically.
Death is one of the Incarnations of Immortality; mortals that hold supernatural roles for a given amount of time, and he has to cooperate with the other Incarnations (Nature, War, Time and Fate) to keep earth in balance as God and Satan battle it out for souls. It's a fascinating arena for the story to unfold in, and the characters are very intriguing and beg you to learn more about them.
It also has something to say about morality, specifically how dogmatic morality defined by religion can be a determent. What one person calls sin, another could call mercy. It highlights the greyness of the human experience. It gave me a lot to think about how systems of right and wrong are built and enforced, and how important it is to challenge those systems when the situation demands it. This book mines these questions beautifully, and gives you time to consider the options with Zane in real time as he figures it out for himself.
Now the bad. And, I'll be honest, it's very bad.
I don't know how else to say it, but the book is misogynistic on a level that I was not equipped for. It was written in the 80's so I'm sure there are arguments for it being a work of it's time, but even in the 80's it was easy to spot the creeps and Piers Anthony is definitely a creep. He spends a lot of time describing the body of every female character he introduces in ways that made me say "gross” out loud.
For example, when describing a woman's breasts, he writes "even prize-winning milking goats lacked udders as massive as they appeared to be." I've heard some creepy locker room talk in my day, but I've never heard anyone compare a woman's boobs with huge goat tits. There are other examples of misogyny on display which honestly are even dated by 1980's standards. Saying women can't be rational because they are emotional, impulsive, or just plain stupid are tropes that were being broken down at this time, but I guess sometimes and incel is an incel, no matter what time period he's in.
It's a shame really. I found myself wanting to like this book, but every few pages a female character would exist to give Death a boner or unironically justify their husband cheating as their fault for not being sexual enough for him and I'd roll my eyes and have to take a break to keep them from rolling completely to the back of my head. The book has a lot to love, but it has a lot to hate as well, and for that I honestly can't recommend it. I'm glad I read it, even if it serves as an example of how far we've come socially, despite the fact that we still have a long way to go.
"On a Pale Horse" by Piers Anthony is a mixed bag for me. It's the story of a man named Zane who accidentally kills Death and assumes his role as the shepherd of the recently departed, assisting souls that are in balance (equal parts good and evil) with finding their eternity. It's "The Santa Clause" but with way more killing. And, much like Zane, I find myself struggling to figure out where exactly this book lands for me on the scales of good and evil.
First, the good. The world that Anthony has created is fascinating. It's a future that is equal parts science and magic, so you're just as likely to see a flying carpet as you are a four door sedan. It's clever and engaging how he mixes the elements of science fiction and fantasy, and the world building is the highlight of the novel. I'm genuinely interested in learning more of how things work in this fictional setting, both mechanically and politically.
Death is one of the Incarnations of Immortality; mortals that hold supernatural roles for a given amount of time, and he has to cooperate with the other Incarnations (Nature, War, Time and Fate) to keep earth in balance as God and Satan battle it out for souls. It's a fascinating arena for the story to unfold in, and the characters are very intriguing and beg you to learn more about them.
It also has something to say about morality, specifically how dogmatic morality defined by religion can be a determent. What one person calls sin, another could call mercy. It highlights the greyness of the human experience. It gave me a lot to think about how systems of right and wrong are built and enforced, and how important it is to challenge those systems when the situation demands it. This book mines these questions beautifully, and gives you time to consider the options with Zane in real time as he figures it out for himself.
Now the bad. And, I'll be honest, it's very bad.
I don't know how else to say it, but the book is misogynistic on a level that I was not equipped for. It was written in the 80's so I'm sure there are arguments for it being a work of it's time, but even in the 80's it was easy to spot the creeps and Piers Anthony is definitely a creep. He spends a lot of time describing the body of every female character he introduces in ways that made me say "gross” out loud.
For example, when describing a woman's breasts, he writes "even prize-winning milking goats lacked udders as massive as they appeared to be." I've heard some creepy locker room talk in my day, but I've never heard anyone compare a woman's boobs with huge goat tits. There are other examples of misogyny on display which honestly are even dated by 1980's standards. Saying women can't be rational because they are emotional, impulsive, or just plain stupid are tropes that were being broken down at this time, but I guess sometimes and incel is an incel, no matter what time period he's in.
It's a shame really. I found myself wanting to like this book, but every few pages a female character would exist to give Death a boner or unironically justify their husband cheating as their fault for not being sexual enough for him and I'd roll my eyes and have to take a break to keep them from rolling completely to the back of my head. The book has a lot to love, but it has a lot to hate as well, and for that I honestly can't recommend it. I'm glad I read it, even if it serves as an example of how far we've come socially, despite the fact that we still have a long way to go.
geve_'s review against another edition
1.0
I only finished this because a friend lent it to me. It's one of the worst things I've ever read. I assume everyone giving it good reviews is a 12 yo boy or thinks women are literal objects to be exploited and possessed. Also the writing itself is garbage. WTAF is up with the football game.
jennimerritt's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
glimnore's review against another edition
2.0
An excellent philosophical discussion of free will vs. fate disguised in a sometimes fun and quirky sci-fi/fantasy romp. The MC is a Gary Stu, with every challenge coming his way either easily conquered or solved via deus ex machina. The content of this novel has not aged well. The blatant misogyny, ludicrous descriptions and characterizations of women, and the incredibly weak ending resulted in the docking of stars in this overall rating. This was an interesting foray into Piers Anthony's work. But I think I am more than enough satisfied with the overall indulgence.
oregon_small_fry's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting idea but one of the most sexist books I've ever read.
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
This was the first book by the author I've read or listened to. I chose it from Audible due to the narrator, George Guidall, a favorite of mine for the longest time. I do this from time to time, choose a book to listen to due to the narrator. I'm very glad I did in this case. It's a really good story, though I wasn't awfully sure in the beginning. The story quickly picked up and I highly enjoyed listening how the poor sap, Zane, became the incarnation of Death. How he came to be and how he carried out his office. He's smarter than he gives himself credit for and takes on each challenge in an intriguing manner. I could go into detail, but that would deprive someone else of the pleasure of discovery.
I can absolutely recommend this book and author and narrator. I will be looking for the rest of this series and more books by the author.
I can absolutely recommend this book and author and narrator. I will be looking for the rest of this series and more books by the author.
beetree's review against another edition
4.0
So...this is the first I've ever heard of Piers Anthony even though he's written reams, and I'll surely be reading more of him. The idea of mortals taking up jobs as Incarnations of concepts has huge appeal for me for some reason. Although the present world was more in the background, the juxtaposition of science and magic was great. The book was light and entertaining, with a lot of wisdom thrown in too. Loved it!
eash1920's review against another edition
1.0
I had fond memories of reading this in high school, but it didn't withstand the test of time.
dretnanich's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0