From Publishers Weekly DeChancie's latest is a fantasy overlaid with a thin veneer of science fiction， its plot based on a bizarre blend of computer communication and sorcery. With the precision and speed of computers， the invocation of magic spells has become easier and more effective. Certain sorcerous hackers have developed MagicNet， a sort of online cyberspace network where magic works， demons roam and the ambitious wizard Lloyd Merlin Jones schemes to consolidate his growing control. Smart-alecky English professor Schuyler King receives a disturbing phone call and a mysterious package from his odd friend Grant Barrington， who soon thereafter meets a bloody and untimely end. The package contains software that conjures Grant's ghost， who directs Schuyler in a confrontation with Merlin Jones. DeChancie ( Castle Kidnapped ) adopts a lighthearted tone laced with sarcastic wit， which makes his rather absurd premise almost palatable; but the plot veers too quickly into random action， spinning its wheels aimlessly before tying up the ends in a perfunctory climactic scene. This is an entertaining bit of fluff， an afternoon's diversion， but no more. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal In this full-cast dramatization of DeChancie's 1993 sf novel， Schuyler ("Skye") King talks with his pal Grant Barrington on the phone and hears his friend being murdered by a demon. The next day he receives a package of computer disks Grant had posted earlier. Their software draws him into the "MagicNet"?a strange Internet-like network in which magic rules. Skye's computer also connects him with the ghost， or simulacrum， of Grant， who then directs Skye on a bizarre quest to save the MagicNet from evil forces. Evidently， this work appeared before the advent of the real "MagicNet" online service; it should appeal to computer buffs not too fussy about distinctions between fantasy and sf. While its acting performances are passable， its sound mixing is awful?the volume level is erratic， its simulated computer voices are strained， and much of the production sounds like it was recorded in an echo chamber in a garage.?Kent Rasmussen， Thousand Oaks， CACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition. See all Editorial Reviews