Skip to main content

story identification - Living rocks, sailing, goblin caves, a hero lost in time or space


I read a book when I was younger, that started off with a man directing a play. When it was over, he went to a party with his cast and came out of his drunken stupor in the lap of some woman, drunk and missing his wife, so he goes back home to be with her. As the story progresses you find out this man was somehow sucked into this world from Earth, likely in a previous book. I remember the book specifically describing him having cotton mouth. Weird thing to recall. But there it is. I also think his wife is pregnant.


I don't recall much. I remember he has a friend that sort of resembles a monkey. He has an older friend who guides him, I think some sort of mage. He lives in a city that's somewhat/somehow important in this world. His quest in this book is somehow supposed to save this city or the world. He has to sail to wherever he's off to.


In one scene he's in a port city and two ruffians in a bar challenge him. He fights them but gets beat up bad. They congratulate him for standing up for himself and his little monkey-like friend, and buy him drinks.


At some point he meets some living rock creatures and befriends them. I don't recall how it happens exactly, but when those creatures are broken the new shard has an ego all its own while the original part stays as the original ego. I think when you meet them there's just one. Then he gets broken and then has a "brother".



At some point there's a goblin cave... thing. Like a mountain range with a ton of goblins in it. I remember picturing in my head as being a ton of cave mouths densely packed. I don't remember if this was their destination, but I think they had to go into it.


There was magic in this world but I don't think it was overly prominent. I remember the cover sort of making me think of clockwork or Leonardo-type machinations. I don't mean to say it had machines on it. It just made me think of that period and that sort of innovation.


Any help would be appreciated!



Answer



Possibly Moon Dream by Brad Strickland. I'll admit that I never read it myself, but I remember the monkey-like character, Nul, from when my brother read it (specifically, I remember the second book, ''Nul's Quest''). The opening scene involves Jeremy Moon, ad-copy-writer, in a bizarre nightmare involving a stage (albeit as a musical performer) and a recurring motif of baby shoes. Unfortunately, that's as much as I could glean from the free preview on Google Books, but it does match some aspects of what you're looking for.


Cover image


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...

tolkiens legendarium - Did Gandalf wear his Ring of Power throughout the trilogy?

After Gandalf discovered that Sauron was back and sent Frodo on his quest to Rivendell, did he continue to wear Narya (one of the Three Rings)? It seems like a huge risk to continue to wear it after the Nazgûl (Ringwraiths) started to try and reclaim the One Ring; if they managed to get the ring to Sauron, couldn't he be corrupted by his power? Whatever powers Narya bestows upon him couldn't possibly be worth the huge risk, could it? Answer When Sauron forged the one ring and put it on his finger, the other ring bearers were immediately aware of him and his intentions and removed their own rings. There is no reason why they couldn't merely do so again. As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and preceived that he would be master of them, and of all they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings. "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," Silmarillion