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Gullible's Travels #1
Fools Errant
In the Penultimate Age of the Archonate, callow young fop Filidor Vesh is perfectly content to spend his days in the pursuit of shallow amusements, until he is summoned by a wizened old dwarf in need of a voluntary good deed -- deliver a parcel to his uncle, the all-powerful and original 98th Archon, sole ruler of the world. So begins Filidor's reluctant odyssey through peculiar provinces peopled with odious denizens, including such road killers as mutant rodents, alien ants, and a vengeful thamaturge. Now in terra incognito, his narrow conception of life shaken to the extreme, Filidor will strive to say and do the right things...and grow up in the process.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
23 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Hughes
203 books280 followersBorn in Liverpool, his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Married since late 1960s, he has three grown sons. He is currently relocated to Britain. He is a former director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada. His novels and stories regularly make the Locus Magazine annual recommended reading list.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada. His novels and stories regularly make the Locus Magazine annual recommended reading list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 16, 2014
This is a first-rate Dying Earth novel which is never explicitly named as such. The author honors Jack Vance's world and legacy while never sinking to the level of pastiche. The story's structure is pure Vance, an epic journey across a many-colored world. His characters are vibrant, diverting, and charming in their rascality. The societies the protagonist encounters exhibit a Vancian variety, each acting according to its strictures yet evolving and thriving. I enjoyed it so thoroughly that those who saw me read it remarked on my wide, delighted grin.
January 4, 2020
Filidor, nephew and sole remaining heir of the Archon, has been kind of a dandy. He is at a club partying with his superficial friends when he gets a summons to see the Archon. It's a dwarf that has carried the message who recognizes that Filidor will try to squirm his way out of the meeting and won't let him out of his sight. They go to Binch to find they've just missed him, the same thing at Ektop, Zeel and Jasp.
At each of these stops Filidor runs into trouble with the monomaniacal natives where he has a hazardous and bizarre adventure. Even traveling between the towns turns out to be full of risks. Throw in an evil wizard that wants the box that Filidor is supposed to deliver to the Archon.
There is humor that offsets the repetitiveness, and each location has its own monomania. After the second time that Gaskarth leaves Filidor alone to go to the local Archonate office, I would have expected him to try to accompany the dwarf. Other than that Filidor does learn along the way, which is the point of the story. How he started off avoiding meaningful endeavors and now sees that sort of life is a waste, even though the adventures have been terrifying and dangerous.
I was pleased that before the climax we get a brief explanation of why the territories collapse into monomania. Still way out there, but it was something. Fast read, humor, a couple of really LOL situations, and although the townspeople were stereotyped for their region the character of Filidor was well rounded.
At each of these stops Filidor runs into trouble with the monomaniacal natives where he has a hazardous and bizarre adventure. Even traveling between the towns turns out to be full of risks. Throw in an evil wizard that wants the box that Filidor is supposed to deliver to the Archon.
There is humor that offsets the repetitiveness, and each location has its own monomania. After the second time that Gaskarth leaves Filidor alone to go to the local Archonate office, I would have expected him to try to accompany the dwarf. Other than that Filidor does learn along the way, which is the point of the story. How he started off avoiding meaningful endeavors and now sees that sort of life is a waste, even though the adventures have been terrifying and dangerous.
I was pleased that before the climax we get a brief explanation of why the territories collapse into monomania. Still way out there, but it was something. Fast read, humor, a couple of really LOL situations, and although the townspeople were stereotyped for their region the character of Filidor was well rounded.
September 16, 2021
Matthew Hughes has composed a book Fool's Errant that has not only taken a million tiny men to tear my brain to pieces seen under a gold lens, he has also stacked each cell with gunpowder and blown my mind to bits. This is written with Jack Vance's discorporated hand and quill to make a sub plane sequel tosome advanced Dying Earth (some of the greatest Vance stories) -type follow up. The hero-fop, Filidor, is led from closed society to another by 'The Archonate's (his uncle the ruler, shaker, chamberlain to the world) dwarf avatar to make an ass-hero of himself within every situation and society. The people in each society are much like those of Gulliver's Travels or Vance's Space Opera (both somewhat black and white representations of our own societies). His wording and flow is so heady I reeled a few times in my lounge chair and almost fell over. Other times I suppressed my loud laughs so hard my teeth hurt. If you enjoy early Vance (or the Dying Earth story Cugel's Saga) this is a must plus. In the first part of the book there are some ascetics Filidor meets 'refusing to inflict the least scratch upon nature's innocence'. They dine on fruits not finished off by birds, fish washed ashore, dead animal carcasses, and seeds that fall on the stones. Naturalists, of the course frown on the clothes and customs of the outlanders, and events take effect to great comedic relief. The next country over is all about new, new, new frowning on others who are not up to the second on the newest item from the factories.
There is one fantastic quote I will put in here '...unrecalled technologies might be mined as if they were newfound discoveries....the outmoded only remains so until it becomes unremembered, after which it may justly return as the avante garde.'
Also contained withing this book is an injection of philosophical farcical scoundrel-ism of the sage Osfeo who has insights on innocent swindling and fate. This side tracking is from the book Filidor absently picks up at his uncle's house and when bored or sleepless reads bits from. The story climaxes with a Lovecraft or C.A. Smith (after all this Vance/J Swift) sort of horror scene that in Hughes's story gets twisted back into the perfected flow of the book. You just can't go wrong with this read, it's funnnnnnn. More n's might be needed for the next one I read, I'm reading everything he writes. You can read the first chapter online, if you don't like it, may the lard take mercy on your uncertain soul. Get it anyway fool! Ok that's one tiny portion of a corner from this tome of joy. I can't express the love I have for this book with justice so physically it will be grafted into my forehead when I die.
Please read chapter one as I did and had to borrow this book immediately (actually I just started it and said, 'well that's how it goes'): http://www.twbookmark.com/books/43/04...
and enjoy.
There is one fantastic quote I will put in here '...unrecalled technologies might be mined as if they were newfound discoveries....the outmoded only remains so until it becomes unremembered, after which it may justly return as the avante garde.'
Also contained withing this book is an injection of philosophical farcical scoundrel-ism of the sage Osfeo who has insights on innocent swindling and fate. This side tracking is from the book Filidor absently picks up at his uncle's house and when bored or sleepless reads bits from. The story climaxes with a Lovecraft or C.A. Smith (after all this Vance/J Swift) sort of horror scene that in Hughes's story gets twisted back into the perfected flow of the book. You just can't go wrong with this read, it's funnnnnnn. More n's might be needed for the next one I read, I'm reading everything he writes. You can read the first chapter online, if you don't like it, may the lard take mercy on your uncertain soul. Get it anyway fool! Ok that's one tiny portion of a corner from this tome of joy. I can't express the love I have for this book with justice so physically it will be grafted into my forehead when I die.
Please read chapter one as I did and had to borrow this book immediately (actually I just started it and said, 'well that's how it goes'): http://www.twbookmark.com/books/43/04...
and enjoy.
December 18, 2010
Excellent. Everyone says Hughes is very Vancian, and it's true, but he's different, too. The biggest difference is that the characters are a little more fleshed out.
Really enjoyed the story. It does follow the common "quest" format in fantasy but still offers lots of humor and randomness with all the wit and sarcasm you'd expect in a world built on The Dying Earth.
Highly recommended for Jack Vance fans. I'm now a Matthew Hughes fan and plan on reading all of his works.
Really enjoyed the story. It does follow the common "quest" format in fantasy but still offers lots of humor and randomness with all the wit and sarcasm you'd expect in a world built on The Dying Earth.
Highly recommended for Jack Vance fans. I'm now a Matthew Hughes fan and plan on reading all of his works.
September 10, 2011
This is basically popcorn for the mind, but I happen to like popcorn once in a while.
October 28, 2014
Great story! Very fun to read, and also great for building your vocabulary. I normally consider myself to have a great vocabulary, but I had to look up words like "quotidian" and "tonsorial".
February 20, 2016
A fun and humorous picaresque tale set on Old Earth concerning a spoiled young man and his older and no-nonsense travelling companion. Each chapter is headed by a story fragment which relates a tale set in Old Earth's history and is great fun in itself. Each chapter is also a complete story in itself, while also driving the whole tale forward.
As the two main characters travel Old Earth, we are introduced to many strange and wonderous towns, cities and especially societies, and the pair never fail to get into some kind of trouble. The fun is watching them try and get out of it!
If the fun and wonder has gone from fantasy, this is where it went, I think. Also check out the sequel, Fool Me Twice, and anything else with Matthew's name on the cover. You cannot go wrong.
As the two main characters travel Old Earth, we are introduced to many strange and wonderous towns, cities and especially societies, and the pair never fail to get into some kind of trouble. The fun is watching them try and get out of it!
If the fun and wonder has gone from fantasy, this is where it went, I think. Also check out the sequel, Fool Me Twice, and anything else with Matthew's name on the cover. You cannot go wrong.
December 15, 2014
Before reading this book you should read Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" or "Cugel's Saga". If you take my advice and you don't like these, skip the rest of the review, this book is not for you and you have at least read a classic. On the other hand, if you like your books to ooze purple when you squeeze them, read this book! Matthew Hughes started out as a writer for politicians and CEOs and nobody except Vance empurples the page better.
March 26, 2011
The best SF&F book I have ever read this far. Chock full of exciting adventure, moral lessons, and humorous dialog, Matthew Hughes presents a wonderful book. Although, this book is one that needs to be sold with a dictionary because of its use of highly intellectual words.
July 5, 2024
Callow youth, displeased to be here: check
Motivational weirdo, not saying all he knows: check
Meandering plot dropping above into all manners of situations: oh you'd better believe it
From the onset it's obvious that this was going to be good, and further that Hughes will draw from useful pieces of Vance without pastiche. In fact the Archonate itself is genius, taking the Dying Earth back one step to the Penultimate Age of failing technologies. It's not what my headcanon says about Dying Earth and the appearance of magic, but obviously results in a supremely entertaining concept.
And now seeing the Archonate itself there are other connections to Vance, in how the authorities act behind the scenes, similar to the Alastor Cluster's Connatic or the Anome of Durdane.
It's not really a plot experience, but you're not here for that. You're here to see how Filidor escapes various mobs on this bildungsroman and be entertained by the pure flex move of the story-within-a-story of Liw Osfeo's anecdotal koans, which double down on the wit.
Motivational weirdo, not saying all he knows: check
Meandering plot dropping above into all manners of situations: oh you'd better believe it
From the onset it's obvious that this was going to be good, and further that Hughes will draw from useful pieces of Vance without pastiche. In fact the Archonate itself is genius, taking the Dying Earth back one step to the Penultimate Age of failing technologies. It's not what my headcanon says about Dying Earth and the appearance of magic, but obviously results in a supremely entertaining concept.
And now seeing the Archonate itself there are other connections to Vance, in how the authorities act behind the scenes, similar to the Alastor Cluster's Connatic or the Anome of Durdane.
It's not really a plot experience, but you're not here for that. You're here to see how Filidor escapes various mobs on this bildungsroman and be entertained by the pure flex move of the story-within-a-story of Liw Osfeo's anecdotal koans, which double down on the wit.
March 17, 2025
Matthew (also Matt) Hughes wrote a series of stories starting about 20 years ago in The magazine of F & SF about Earth's "penultimate" age when magic partly returns and technology starts to disappear, just one age before Vance's ultimate age or dying earth stories. Also stupidty has grown astronomically; it's man's senile age.
This volume is a long series of adventures of one character,the lazy unambitious nephew of the planetary ruler, the Archon. The Archon has given him one last test to prove his incompetance.
The story is well plotted, there is a decent level even great level of humor, and moderate originality; but Hughes writing style reminds me of the blurb about his writing career involving political speeches in Canada. 3 1/2 stars rounded up for a first review of this author. I have looked at his other books and he has a decent imagination. I'll have to see the later writing.
This volume is a long series of adventures of one character,the lazy unambitious nephew of the planetary ruler, the Archon. The Archon has given him one last test to prove his incompetance.
The story is well plotted, there is a decent level even great level of humor, and moderate originality; but Hughes writing style reminds me of the blurb about his writing career involving political speeches in Canada. 3 1/2 stars rounded up for a first review of this author. I have looked at his other books and he has a decent imagination. I'll have to see the later writing.
May 19, 2023
A charming little novel that gets right to the point. Full of perilous twists and turns, one watches as a young man named Filidor travels across a mysterious world with a well-traveled companion, turning himself from a young man of bored leisure into a capable man of action.
This coming-of-age style story takes place in a world that blurs the line between sci-fi and fantasy, incorporating both entertaining technology and powerful acts of magic using a novel in-universe explanation for it all. While wordy at times, the book is a great, short read that makes for a nice bit of quiet evening leisure.
This coming-of-age style story takes place in a world that blurs the line between sci-fi and fantasy, incorporating both entertaining technology and powerful acts of magic using a novel in-universe explanation for it all. While wordy at times, the book is a great, short read that makes for a nice bit of quiet evening leisure.
January 13, 2022
Classic Hughes
This is proof Matthew Hughes found his stride early in his novel writing career. A pure delight from start to finish, teeming with imagination, whimsy, delightfully improbable scenarios, twists, and excellent prose. Superior to the first Filidor book. I'm currently rereading it. Very highly recommended.
This is proof Matthew Hughes found his stride early in his novel writing career. A pure delight from start to finish, teeming with imagination, whimsy, delightfully improbable scenarios, twists, and excellent prose. Superior to the first Filidor book. I'm currently rereading it. Very highly recommended.
December 28, 2017
3 1/2 stars
November 24, 2020
Entertaining but shallow. I enjoyed it but wouldn't seek out anything else like it.
September 12, 2023
I had fun reading this. It's especially worth checking out if you're a fan of Vance's Dying Earth stories.
July 7, 2025
Solid scu-fi even if it is a bit dated. It's campy and kind of weird with an entirely silly twist ending. Some of the social commentary is overly simple.
May 6, 2020
If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then author Jack Vance should feel incredibly flattered by Matthew Hughes' "Fools errant: a fantasy picaresque". First novelist Hughes imitates both Vance's writing style and his usual "hero's journey" plot quite well, utilizing the wry wit for which Vance is so well known. Readers are first introduced to Filidor Vesh, the underachieving nephew of the Archon [absolute ruler] of old Earth. Filidor is summoned by his uncle to join him in a distant principality. Accompanied by a mysterious dwarf, the social butterfly embarks totally unprepared upon his travels. As they travel from land to land in pursuit of the Archon, Filidor is exposed to perils and concepts totally foreign to his life in Olkney. In meeting the challenges of the trip: ravenous beasts, raging mobs, and an evil wizard, Filidor hones both mind and body, recognizing "himself an entirely improved version of the original Filidor". "Fools errant" is indeed in the picaresque tradition of "The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes" and "Tristram Shandy", but the author's greatest debt is to Jack Vance, a Fantasy Grandmaster whose literate works prove a worthy inspiration.
July 7, 2016
I liked this well enough but not as much as Hughes' Raffalon series in F&SF. It was a fairly typical "immature youth grows up throughout an adventure" with a touch (i felt) of a Gulliver's Travels type of vibe. From the way it is written I think an alternate title could be "An Idiot Abroad" though that is already taken and actually quite inaccurate. While the main character, Filidor Vesh, is a bit insufferable at times the people living in these lands are more so. The societies are egocentric, one dimensional, and felt quite cardboard. There tended to be one defining characteristic in each of them and it was taken to such an extreme that each and every citizen embodied it and acted strongly upon it, usually in opposition to Filidor who is ignorant of their traditions. As each individual society (including his own) essentially tries to murder him for his lack of social graces or ignorance of customs I found the whole world to be unrealistically barbaric. For what the book was trying to accomplish it worked well enough, even if the "life lessons" felt a bit contrived, but for world building it left something to be desired.
A bigger complaint, though also less important, were the names for the characters. I found them quite odd and other than suggesting an "otherness," which shouldn't have been since I believe this is a "future earth" setting, they didn't seem to have any sort of thought out basis. Maybe Matt would be able to suggest some though.
The best part of the book was the wax-wane cycle of magic as a power. I felt that fit perfectly. Essentially the idea is that magic and logic exist on an axis. As magic waxes its laws exert more influence on the world and magic users regain lost strength. When it wanes the rules of logic take over resulting in a world not so unlike ours today where magic may not be used at all, or only rumors are left. Due to the time in between the population tends to forget that magic either did exist, or did not exist, and it takes over as the "norm" with only the truly knowledgeable aware of the pendulum. This was a great way to explain how magic may not exist now, but in a future earth (and past for that matter) it may again. I think that concept alone could be fuel for many stories.
A bigger complaint, though also less important, were the names for the characters. I found them quite odd and other than suggesting an "otherness," which shouldn't have been since I believe this is a "future earth" setting, they didn't seem to have any sort of thought out basis. Maybe Matt would be able to suggest some though.
The best part of the book was the wax-wane cycle of magic as a power. I felt that fit perfectly. Essentially the idea is that magic and logic exist on an axis. As magic waxes its laws exert more influence on the world and magic users regain lost strength. When it wanes the rules of logic take over resulting in a world not so unlike ours today where magic may not be used at all, or only rumors are left. Due to the time in between the population tends to forget that magic either did exist, or did not exist, and it takes over as the "norm" with only the truly knowledgeable aware of the pendulum. This was a great way to explain how magic may not exist now, but in a future earth (and past for that matter) it may again. I think that concept alone could be fuel for many stories.
September 6, 2016
I started this book while recovering from an operation gone wrong. It was so nice to have a well constructed fantasy world to go to. The adventures were so engaging that I found myself wishing my visitors would leave so I could pick the book back up and see what was happening. The humor through out was a BIG bonus! Since reading Fools Errant, I have bought, read and re-read every Mathew Hughes book or collection I could get my hot little hands on. Each one has been a delightful and thoughtful journey.
April 14, 2016
Matthew Hughes is genuinely funny at times, but I found this story painfully repetitive as its hero visits (and helps cure) a variety of dysfunctional societies in a distant future earth. As magic was introduced into the story there were few boundaries on what could happen (the proverbial "tennis without a net") - so I felt little emotional involvement.
June 25, 2013
Sean Russell wrote, of this book, "Think Gulliver's Travels written by P. G. Wodehouse," and that is the perfect description. The allegorical aspects annoyed me at first, but I was won over in the end by the sheer weirdness and the Bertie Wooster-like nature of the protagonist.
August 24, 2013
I haven't read Jack Vance so I can't compare Hughes works to his. I can say this was a really fun read. The language and color did an excellent job of painting a world gone just a little wrong. I am looking forward to reading more.
January 27, 2008
Think Jack Vance meets P.G. Wodehouse. It's a lot of fun.
Read
August 6, 2011hahaha
October 12, 2012
Read for Locus, #484 May 2001,
May 21, 2013
I love Matthew's prose! Whimsical and fun. Keep up the good work.
Read
August 31, 2013amusing an even a bit edifying, not as predictable as it might at first lead you to believe and yet comfortably familiar.
January 25, 2015
Perfectly delightful Vancian-style work.
January 4, 2020
An entertaining story in the style of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth series. Although the author can’t quite pull off Vance’s deft touch the book is worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews