N7-8: The Carnelian Cube by L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt

Book Review!

N7-8: The Carnelian Cube by L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt

Since de Camp and Pratt appeared both collectively and individually In “Appendix N,” I want to present a work co-authored by them and explore their stories as individual authors. First up, I give you a team effort; Gary Gygax recommended The Carnelian Cube by L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt, a work that very much contains an Inception-like tale published by in 1948. The paperback book I read contained a secondary copyright date of 1967. The protagonist of this story ends up in a dream within a dream within a dream within… you get the idea.

The Good

*The first time Arthur Cleveland Finch wakes up in a new reality, the authors created a vibrant, engaging false reality for him.

*I enjoyed reading how Finch adapted to each new setting/reality.

*The witty political satire with each new reality came across really well.

The Bad

*I felt each new setting generated less interest to me until the final one, but that likely stems from the first dream setting coming across so strongly.

*Some readers might dislike how easily Finch comprehends each new reality, expecting him to struggle more.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*The Carnelian Cube clearly inspired the D&D magic item called a Cubic Gate, which plane-shifts its wielder to a different world/plane for each side of the cube.

*This book, like several others, clearly provides alternate Earths/realities.

Overall

While the beginning and ending of the story greatly captivated me, the middle section thrilled me less; thus I give this book a 7/10 rating.