Falling Sideways

by Tom Holt

Overview

A hilarious comic fantasy novel from the most inventive writer in the field.

From the moment the first Homo Sapiens descended from the trees, possibly onto their heads, humanity has striven towards civilisation. Fire. The Wheel. Running Away from furry things with more teeth than one might reasonably expect - all are testament to man's ultimate ascendancy.

It is a noble story, a triumph of intelligence over adversity and so, of course, complete and utter fiction. For one man has discovered the hideous truth: that humanity's ascent has been ruthlessly guided by a small gang of devious frogs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781841491103
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	05/06/2004
Edition description:	Revised ed.
Pages:	414
Sales rank:	636,341
Product dimensions:	5.06(w) x 7.81(h) x 0.85(d)

Editorial Reviews

Dazzling.

Time Out

Lonely computer programmer David Perkins has spent his life obsessed with Philippa Levens, a witch who was burned for heresy hundreds of years ago and immortalized in a painting. When he impulsively purchases a lock of her hair at an auction-then, coincidentally, finds himself near Honest John's House of Clones, whose proprietor agrees to bring her back to life-he triggers a chain of events that reveals mankind's puppeteers to be a meddling race of highly evolved, immortal frogs. It turns out that David's life, and the lives of those around him, have been meticulously planned over the centuries to bring about the rebirth of Philippa and her long-lost love; she and her immortal father spend most of the book tossing off hip cultural references and Microsoft put-downs, all the while leading David through an increasingly byzantine plot. Holt (Nothing but Blue Skies, etc.) has a touch that is equally breezy and serious: the story's twists and revelations feel like Douglas Adams emulating David Mamet. Although the prose is wordy at times and the story is 100 pages longer than it needs to be, Hitchhiker's Guide aficionados will relish every line. (Oct. 15) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly