JUMPER CABLE is Piers Anthony’s 33rd novel in the humorous fantasy world of Xanth, or as Anthony writes in his author’s note, “six novels into the second magic trilogy of three cubed.” When he first created Xanth however many years ago, he not only found a lighthearted alternative to his dead-serious science fiction, but launched a second career in fantasy. Although not as celebrated as Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld,” Xanth and its many stories have endured and developed over the years, along with its legion of devoted fans.
Like many of its predecessors, JUMPER CABLE is a fun, funny romp of a story, filled with insider jokes, loving satire and some honest-to-fantasy-series adventure. As is traditional with Xanth, it also gives Anthony another opportunity to indulge in his passion for puns.
Jumper, the hero of the story, is a spider who is perfectly happy gathering food, spinning webs and doing all the other ordinary arachnid things. But suddenly, a huge hook (which, it turns out, is a narrative hook) descends from the sky and tosses him into an entirely differently realm. Desperate to find his way back home, Jumper is eventually joined by half a dozen female characters who have also lost their way. They include Wenda, a woodwife; Maeve, a flesh-eating maenad; and other assorted fantasy women with various powers and abilities.
Jumper and his new friends discover that their predicament was caused by a demon who severed the cable that connects the Internet and the Outernet. And that connection must be re-established before Jumper and company can return to the “normal” realm of Xanth. With the help of the Good Magician, they learn that they must follow the instructions hidden in a prophecy (of course) that Jumper found when he first landed in the strange realm. Together, they set out on their mission to decipher the prophecy, prevent a cataclysmic battle between demonic forces, and reconnect the broken cable between realms.
Anthony’s tongue is comfortably kept in his cheek from first page to last. Through it all, he pokes affectionate fun at almost every fantasy theme and character imaginable, with an occasional nod to his SF world. So, not surprisingly, Jumper’s story is episodic and filled with numerous tangents and subplots, yet it eventually finds it way toward fulfilling the mission, as would be the case in any fantasy worth its magic.
The puns hit you from every angle and at relentless speed. Like Wenda, who, being made from wood, speaks in a wood-based language: “I wood knot dew it, yew know.” Or the many cameos by such creatures as a number-crunching Census Burro; Auntie Depressant, whose touch makes you feel better; and others too numerous to name or remember. At times, the puns are so painful that they even make the characters themselves groan.
Another recurrent source of laughter comes from Jumper’s friends, who eventually discover their feminine abilities to distract the various male characters they encounter by flashing their panties or bras, or even by full-fledged seduction, or stork signaling, as they call it. Jumper, who on occasion must assume the form of a human, also becomes the potential victim of a beautiful female demon. The sex, while evident throughout, is always subtle and funny, but still gives the novel a PG rating.
For all its fun ‘n’ puns, there are times when it seems like Anthony diverts the narrative for nothing more than the sake of joke. There are fleeting moments when you wish the characters would just get on with the story. It might be rooted his obligation to include most of the puns submitted by his fans (acknowledged in the author’s note), or that he simply can’t resist an effective pun when he finds it, but it comes close to tiring.
But you can’t help but forgive a book with so much literate fun for going a bit overboard. So lighten up! Take a break from that ponderous story of intergalactic war, or the umpteenth volume of that fantasy series that long ago took itself way too seriously, and treat yourself to JUMPER CABLE.
We’ll all feel better after a little time in Xanth. —Alan Cranis
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• AMAZON SLAUGHTER by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes
• TOTAL RECALL by Piers Anthony
