John DeChancie
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John DeChancie is an American author. A Pittsburgh native, he is most famous for his comic fantasy Castle series, and his science fiction Skyway series.
The Castle series revolves around Castle Perilous (the name is drawn from the Siege Perilous of Arthurian fable), whose lord is Incarnadine, a sorcerer. 144,000 doors (or "aspects") of the Castle each lead to another dimension. Some of these dimensions are magical, and some are not; one of the latter, of course, is Earth. Those who find themselves at the Castle often stay to become residents, and (to their surprise) develop a magical power of their own. This gift is apparently random, and can range from a minor telekenesis limited to lifting pencils to super-enhanced senses to teleportation to full conjuration of matter. The main character, a philosophy major from Earth named Gene Ferraro, gains the power of superb swordplay. His best friends include Snowclaw, a giant humanoid covered in white fur, who originally comes from a polar-like clime, and Linda Barclay, a woman from Earth.
The Skyway series includes:
- Starrigger
- Red Limit Freeway
- Paradox Alley
The Castle series includes:
- Castle Perilous
- Castle For Rent
- Castle Kidnapped
- Castle War!
- Castle Murders
- Castle Dreams
- Castle Spellbound
- Bride of the Castle