Chalker, Jack. Midnight at the Well of Souls. NY: Del Rey, 1989 (originally published in 1977). viii+360pp. $5.99 (paper). 76-56148. ISBN 0-345-32445-5. C.I.P.
Part of Chalker's wonderful, thought-provoking Saga of the Well World, Midnight at the Well of Souls is the first in a series of now eight books that posits at its core the fascinating premise that "'two plus two equals four' isn't a constant but a relative proposition." In this universe, the fundamental mathematical equations governing reality are malleable, and reality only has the characteristics it does because an ancient (now extinct?) alien race (or is it a computer?) known as the Markovians maintain and impose the current mathematical proportions. As one character puts it, "If I knew your formula [the one that creates and stabilizes you], I could, given one condition, not only change you into say, a chair, but alter all events so that you have always been a chair." Saying much else would spoil things, but I would add that more than simply an intriguing postulate recommends this book (as well as all the others in the series). Chalker's writing stands on its own merits, and his almost LeCarre-like knack for writing sophisticated, unfolding plots makes Midnight difficult to stop reading. A master of character development, he causes "people" like Nathan Brazil and Serge Ortega to remain "real" long after meeting them, and I have never finished any Chalker book untouched. As a scientist with the heart of a theologian (or is it the other way around?), he always leaves you pondering, not just thinking.—David L. Brock, Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, MD
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