Man from Mundania
Encyclopedia
Man from Mundania, the twelfth book of the Xanth
series by Piers Anthony
, concludes the trilogy of Vale of the Vole
and Heaven Cent
.
of Man from Mundania is seventeen-year-old Princess Ivy, daughter of King Dor and Queen Irene, older sister to Prince Dolph. Due to her ancestor Bink's deal in the second Xanth novel, The Source of Magic
, Ivy has a magician-caliber magical talent of being able to selectively enhance the world around her to match her expectations. The story begins when Ivy decides to use the Heaven Cent, located by Dolph in the previous book Heaven Cent
, to find the Good Magician Humfrey, who had been missing since Vale of the Vole
.
Meanwhile in Mundania, an average college boy named Grey Murphy runs a computer program that claims that it will help him meet women. Sure enough, after installing the "Worm" program, Grey meets a series of appropriately-named girls who move into the neighboring apartment, starting with Agenda and moving on through Dyslexia and Euphoria. When Ivy arrives, disorientated to find herself in Mundania, Grey starts to fall for her despite her claims that she is a princess from a fantasy world called Xanth.
When Ivy wants to go home, Grey agrees to go with her, even though he doesn't believe that Xanth exists. Even when they've entered Xanth, Grey finds a scientific basis for the fantastical things he sees. His feelings for Ivy grow stronger, although Ivy knows that her regal parents won't allow her to marry a non-magician. The two of them take a trip through the Hypnogourd, where bad dreams are manufactured. When Grey, still skeptical of Xanth's magic, turns a lake of blood into water, Ivy finally realizes his talent: magic nullification - which is a magician-caliber talent. It emerges that Grey is the son of Evil Magician Murphy and Vadne, both banished from Xanth in the book Castle Roogna, although they had never revealed their origins to him.
Xanth
Xanth is a fantasy world created by author Piers Anthony for his Xanth series of novels, also known as The Magic of Xanth.-History:The name Xanth is in itself an unintentional pun, which matches the playful tone of the books...
series by Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
, concludes the trilogy of Vale of the Vole
Vale of the Vole
Vale of the Vole is the tenth book of the Xanth series by Piers Anthony.It begins a trilogy including Heaven Cent and Man from Mundania. The novel was written as a satirical jab at the canalization of the Kissimmee River in Piers' native state of Florida as a result of the effects of the 1947...
and Heaven Cent
Heaven Cent
Heaven Cent is the eleventh book of the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. It is the second book of a trilogy beginning with Vale of the Vole and ending with Man from Mundania.-Plot introduction:...
.
Plot introduction
The protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Man from Mundania is seventeen-year-old Princess Ivy, daughter of King Dor and Queen Irene, older sister to Prince Dolph. Due to her ancestor Bink's deal in the second Xanth novel, The Source of Magic
The Source of Magic
-Plot introduction:This novel begins one year after the events of A Spell for Chameleon, and describes the adventures of Bink after he has settled down with his pregnant wife, Chameleon. King Trent had appointed Bink the Official Researcher of Xanth at the end of the previous book, and given him...
, Ivy has a magician-caliber magical talent of being able to selectively enhance the world around her to match her expectations. The story begins when Ivy decides to use the Heaven Cent, located by Dolph in the previous book Heaven Cent
Heaven Cent
Heaven Cent is the eleventh book of the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. It is the second book of a trilogy beginning with Vale of the Vole and ending with Man from Mundania.-Plot introduction:...
, to find the Good Magician Humfrey, who had been missing since Vale of the Vole
Vale of the Vole
Vale of the Vole is the tenth book of the Xanth series by Piers Anthony.It begins a trilogy including Heaven Cent and Man from Mundania. The novel was written as a satirical jab at the canalization of the Kissimmee River in Piers' native state of Florida as a result of the effects of the 1947...
.
Plot summary
Princess Ivy sets off with her younger brother's co-fiancees Nada Naga and Electra to retrieve the magic mirror that had been stolen by the evil machine Com-Pewter, in preparation for her quest to find Good Magician Humfrey. After besting Com-Pewter in a battle of wits, Ivy uses the charged-up Heaven Cent to transport her to Humfrey's location.Meanwhile in Mundania, an average college boy named Grey Murphy runs a computer program that claims that it will help him meet women. Sure enough, after installing the "Worm" program, Grey meets a series of appropriately-named girls who move into the neighboring apartment, starting with Agenda and moving on through Dyslexia and Euphoria. When Ivy arrives, disorientated to find herself in Mundania, Grey starts to fall for her despite her claims that she is a princess from a fantasy world called Xanth.
When Ivy wants to go home, Grey agrees to go with her, even though he doesn't believe that Xanth exists. Even when they've entered Xanth, Grey finds a scientific basis for the fantastical things he sees. His feelings for Ivy grow stronger, although Ivy knows that her regal parents won't allow her to marry a non-magician. The two of them take a trip through the Hypnogourd, where bad dreams are manufactured. When Grey, still skeptical of Xanth's magic, turns a lake of blood into water, Ivy finally realizes his talent: magic nullification - which is a magician-caliber talent. It emerges that Grey is the son of Evil Magician Murphy and Vadne, both banished from Xanth in the book Castle Roogna, although they had never revealed their origins to him.
External links
- Excerpt from Google Books