The Folk of the Air: Difference between revisions

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* {{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|1312025561}} |last1=Harrison |first1=M John |title=”The Folk of the Air” by Peter S. Beagle (Book Review) |journal=Foundation |date=Winter 1986 |pages=79 }}

* {{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|1312025561}} |last1=Harrison |first1=M John |title=”The Folk of the Air” by Peter S. Beagle (Book Review) |journal=Foundation |date=Winter 1986 |pages=79 }}

*Review by Orson Scott Card (1988) in ”[[The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction]]”, January 1988<ref>{{cite web | title=Fantasy & Science Fiction v074n01 (1988 01) (LennyS aMouse) | url=https://archive.org/details/Fantasy_Science_Fiction_v074n01_1988-01_LennyS-aMouse/page/n31/mode/2up }}</ref>

*Review by Orson Scott Card (1988) in ”[[The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction]]”, January 1988<ref>{{cite web | title=Fantasy & Science Fiction v074n01 (1988 01) (LennyS aMouse) | url=https://archive.org/details/Fantasy_Science_Fiction_v074n01_1988-01_LennyS-aMouse/page/n31/mode/2up }}</ref>

*Review by Mary Gentle (1988) in ”Paperback Inferno”, #70 (p 6)<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=1988-02-01 |title=Review of ”The Folk of the Air” by Peter S. Beagle |magazine=Paperback Inferno |last=Gentle |first=Mary |url=https://www.fanac.org/fanzines/Paperback_Inferno/paperback_inferno_70_sawyer_1988-02_bsfa.pdf |access-date=2025-11-22 |page=6 |issue=70 |editor-last=Sawyer |editor-first=Andy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250103235006/https://fanac.org/fanzines/Paperback_Inferno/paperback_inferno_70_sawyer_1988-02_bsfa.pdf |archive-date=2025-01-03 |publisher=British Science Fiction Association |location=Cheshire, United Kingdom |language=English |via=fanac.org |issn=0260-0595}}</ref>

*Review by Mary Gentle (1988) in ”Paperback Inferno”, #70 (p 6)<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=1988 |title=Review of ”The Folk of the Air” by Peter S. Beagle |magazine=Paperback Inferno |last=Gentle |first=Mary |url=https://www.fanac.org/fanzines/Paperback_Inferno/paperback_inferno_70_sawyer_1988-02_bsfa.pdf |access-date=2025-11-22 |page=6 |issue=70 |editor-last=Sawyer |editor-first=Andy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250103235006/https://fanac.org/fanzines/Paperback_Inferno/paperback_inferno_70_sawyer_1988-02_bsfa.pdf |archive-date=2025-01-03 |publisher=British Science Fiction Association |location=Cheshire, United Kingdom |language=English |via=fanac.org |issn=0260-0595}}</ref>

*Review by Charles de Lint (1988) in ”Short Form”, February 1988

*Review by Charles de Lint (1988) in ”Short Form”, February 1988

*Review by Andy Sawyer (1988) in ”Paperback Inferno”, #74 (p 13)<ref>https://fanac.org/fanzines/Paperback_Inferno/paperback_inferno_74_sawyer_1988-10_bsfa.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=October 2025}}</ref>

*Review by Andy Sawyer (1988) in ”Paperback Inferno”, #74 (p 13)<ref>https://fanac.org/fanzines/Paperback_Inferno/paperback_inferno_74_sawyer_1988-10_bsfa.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=October 2025}}</ref>


Latest revision as of 06:40, 22 November 2025

1986 novel by Peter S. Beagle

The Folk of the Air is a novel by Peter S. Beagle in which medievalists from 1980s California have magical interactions with people and spirits from the past. A sequel titled “Avicenna” has yet to be published.

Nine years after graduating, musician Joe Farrell returns to his college town of Avicenna, California, somewhere near San Francisco. He’s come to stay with his oldest friend Ben Kassoy who is living with his older girlfriend Athanasia Sioris. Ben is now professor of Medieval Studies. Farrell also reconnects with his former lover Julie Takinawa who is working as a medical illustrator in town.

Julie and Ben are both members of the League of Archaic Pleasure which role plays medieval society on the weekend, similarly to the actual Society for Creative Anachronism, which was founded in Berkely in the 60’s. It soon becomes clear that Ben is sometimes possessed by a ninth-century Viking and Athanasia has magical powers. 15-year-old Aiffe who attends the League turns out to be a witch who has summoned an immortal, Nicholas Bonner.

Kirkus Reviews said it was a “Literate, warmly engaging work from a master stylist,” with “vivid, life-sized characters and a sturdy plot.”[1] In the LA Times, Suzy McKee Charnas said, “Using the multicultural reality of his setting to the full, Beagle gives us characters of diverse backgrounds and magic of Africa and Asia as well as that of Europe–very refreshing.”[2] Dave Langford reviewed The Folk of the Air for White Dwarf #96, and stated that “Perhaps I’m disappointed that a writer as gifted as Beagle should only touch the surface of his medievalists, indulging a few ironies […] but avoiding the depths of motivation which he’s well fitted to plumb.”[3] After the book was out of publication, novelist Adrian Tchaikovsky called it his absolute favorite book and “one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever come across.”[4]

  1. ^ “Book Reviews, Sites, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction”. Kirkus Reviews. January 1, 1986. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  2. ^ Charnas, Suzy McKee (February 1, 1987). “The Folk of the Air By Peter S. Beagle”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  3. ^ Langford, Dave (December 1987). “Critical Mass”. White Dwarf. No. 96. Games Workshop. p. 13.
  4. ^ New Scientist (February 17, 2025). ‘Children of Time’ author Adrian Tchaikovsky shares his favourite sci-fi picks. Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ “Workupload – Are you a human?”.
  6. ^ “Title: The Folk of the Air”.
  7. ^ “Dragon Magazine”.
  8. ^ “Asimov’s v11n06 (1987 06)”.
  9. ^ “Aboriginal Science Fiction #06v01n06 (1987 09 10)”.
  10. ^ “Workupload – Are you a human?”.
  11. ^ Porter, Maureen (December 1, 1987). Barret, David V (ed.). “Review of “The Folk of the Air” by Peter S. Beagle” (PDF). Vector. No. 141. United Kingdom: British Science Fiction Association. p. 18. ISSN 0505-0448. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  12. ^ “Thrust 28 (Fall 1987)”. 1987.
  13. ^ “Fantasy & Science Fiction v074n01 (1988 01) (LennyS aMouse)”.
  14. ^ Gentle, Mary (February 1988). Sawyer, Andy (ed.). “Review of The Folk of the Air by Peter S. Beagle” (PDF). Paperback Inferno. No. 70. Cheshire, United Kingdom: British Science Fiction Association. p. 6. ISSN 0260-0595. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 3, 2025. Retrieved November 22, 2025 – via fanac.org.
  15. ^ https://fanac.org/fanzines/Paperback_Inferno/paperback_inferno_74_sawyer_1988-10_bsfa.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  16. ^ “Interzone #023 (1988 Spring)”.

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