OK, I read this when I was a teen, and was reading it again. Got 15% in and it is just horrible. Chalker is a wonderfully imaginative writer, and I'm no expert on literary style, but this book is just so horribly written. I simply can't continue it. Every page contains at least one sentence so clumsy that even I recognize it as an abomination. GAAAAAAAAAH! ( )

Solid. ( )

These books are a guilty pleasure of mine, though, reading this volume made me feel guiltier than usual. ( )

These books are a guilty pleasure of mine, though, reading this volume made me feel guiltier than usual. ( )

The premise of the Well World saga is essentially a creation myth: billions of years ago, a highly advanced race called the Markovians created a planet-sized computer that could alter reality, and divided the surface into hundreds of equally-sized regions, each containing a completely different environment and dominant species. These species run the gamut from arachnids to reptilians to mammals to things far more bizarre. From these experiments they seeded the universe with life. The Well World remains operational even far into our future, when these stories take place.

In this book, the first of a two-part story arc, a human scientist has succeeded in duplicating the Markovians' technology, albeit on a smaller scale. When he's forced to build and operate a larger version of his creation for a ruthless crime lord, everyone in the area is transported to the Well World. And when one of their space shuttles crashes on it, nearly everyone wants a piece. So begin the "Wars of the Well."

Word for word, Chalker isn't the best writer. His prose can be clunky and repetitious, and if you are averse to info-dumps, don't even bother. These books are also not for those who demand hard science. Even though technology is responsible for the many wonders within, it may as well be magic. What I like about this series is the creativity and just plain weirdness on display. Decent old-school science-fantasy fun. ( )