ISBN: 0-451-13814-7 Order from: Amazon.com
An amusing wish-fulfillment fantasy which shows the weaknesses of a made-up novel, this book has a couple of interesting characters but little originality.
Reviewed by David on August 28, 1998
Genre: Fantasy (Wish Fulfillment, Demons)
Synopsis: A college professor of medieval literature, drunk and desperate to liven up a dull party, performs a demon-summoning ritual, which, unexpectedly, succeeds. The demon, a four thousand year old half-human female, proves more alluring and mischievous the professor anticipates, and proceeds to turn his life upside down.
Full Review: When Willis Baxter, a frustrated professor at a New England university with a penchant for drink and remarkable talent for failure in romantic relationships, got too drunk at his own party, unexpected results ensued. Instead of just impressing his guests with his knowledge of obscure magic rituals, he summoned an absolutely stunning female half-demon, Anathae. The demon, who looks like a naked sixteen year-old redhead with small horns, hooves and a tasteful tail, has been unhappy in Hell, and is extremely grateful to her "liberator". Luckily, most guests attribute the summoning to a party trick, with amusement value pretty much divided by gender.
Anathae's magical pursuit of him is unhampered by such things as modesty or consideration of his desires, and pretty soon Baxter finds himself with enraged girlfriend, infuriated boss, jealous rival professor, and prurient neighbors. Annoyed beyond endurance, Willis send the beauteous Anathae back to Hell. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the rest of the book), circumstances force him to recall the girl-demon.
As their adventures progress, Anathae matures, Baxter loses some inhibitions, and their growing love for each other helps him become more assertive, confident, wise and amusing—not without complications on the way. The relationship becomes intimate quite soon, and handled very matter-of-fact; unlike the coy way of, say, the television series I Dream of Jeanie, whose central conceit this book shares.
This is a compilation of several short stories which appeared in Fantastic between 1975 and 1978. As such, it shows typical problems—there is too much repetition in each segment, originally intended to introduce new readers or remind the old ones of the plot. In addition, there are self-indulgent authorial asides, poking fun at various science fiction and romance conventions, but jarring to the pace and tone of the book, and not sufficiently amusing to compensate.
The book is fun in places, and the demon-professor relationship is pleasingly wish-fulfilling, at least to heterosexual male reader. However, is doesn't rise above a nice "airplane book".
Includes: A Personal Demon; In a Pig's Eye; With Good Intentions; A Trick of the Tail; Where Angels Fear to Tread
Overall: 5; Plot: 5; Characters: 5; Style: 4; World-building: 4; Originality: 5;
Copyright date 1985, New American Library (Signet), September 1985, Mass market, 253 pages
ISBN: 0-451-13814-7 Order from: Amazon.com