The Traveler in Black by John Brunner

The Traveler in Black by John Brunner
Ace Books, ISBN 0 441 82211 8
Price paid: 1,00$

The Traveler in Black shows the tale of a man with many names and a staff, traveling through different lands and worlds, setting order where chaos rules. While it seems simple enough, the story is not all what it seems.

It mainly deals with medieval lands and people but feels very modern in its notions. What I get from the book is that it is more a fictionalized philosophy than an actual story. The plots are unimportant; the notion behind each of the chapters is what counts.

John Brunner writes about religion versus logic, order versus chaos and so on, through stories written in a Brothers Grimm style. It's effective.

Is it worth a dollar?

I am not too sure. Some might find it a bit moralistic and other too "New Age". The problem with the idea behind the book is that it can annoy those who already understand and reciprocate these notions. The proverbial, "preaching to the choir". Had I known beforehand, I might have passed it.