Andre Norton’s Witch World books launched one of the largest and most popular franchises in literary science fiction and fantasy. The franchise was unplanned. The original book, Witch World, was written to be a standalone work. But as the years rolled by Andre found more and more stories to tell about this fascinating world where magic and technology clash.
Introduction to Andre Norton’s Witch World
One of the most amazing Science Fantasy worlds ever developed is Andre Norton’s Witch World. First published in 1963, the novel Witch World introduced Norton’s fans new and old to a strange planet reachable (apparently) only through strange metaphysical gates. Is the Witch World in our own universe or another? The question is never fully answered. But though its weird creatures, from the Tor-Men of Tor Marsh to the Moss-wives of Escore to the Were-Riders of Arvon, seem totally out-of-place in a world such as our own mundane home, many of its people and creatures could be your neighbors, or animals you find passing through the woods behind your grandparents’ house in the country.
The societies of the Witch World are legion, many coming ultimately from other worlds whose histories and cultures are all but forgotten by the people who fled them. Only the Old Race of Escore, Estcarp, and Arvon seem to be native to the Witch World — or perhaps they were the first to enter through mysterious gates, discovering the secrets of Power and utilitizing their inherent Talent to create a mythic and heroic civilization.
Witch World is so ancient, so mature that it is filled with legends, histories, ruins, memories of forgotten times, peoples, and places. And yet it resembles our modern world in a terrifying way, for a handful of truly gifted people have so completely mastered the ways of Power and so developed their Talent that they achieve almost god-like status in their world. The Adepts of the Witch World control vast energies and legions of incredibly fantastic creatures, many of the Adepts’ own breeding.
Simon Tregarth and others from our world learn the Old Race has all but destroyed itself in war after war between the Adepts and the lesser peoples, and new races have entered through various gates, establishing themselves in enclaves near to the myriad ancient ruins which few understand and even fewer dare approach except in the most desperate need. The Adepts themselves are mostly gone, except for a few here and there who have created niches for themselves, or who became so powerful their fellows were to them as students are to teachers.
The chief mark of an Adept is the ability to create or manipulate gates. These gates led many of the Adepts to other worlds, never to return. Some came back to the Witch World, enamoured of dark powers and filled with evil purposes. They unleashed upon the world a war so totally inhumane that in some regions entire clans chose self-destruction over the alternative: slavery and eventual physical mutilization and experimentation at the hands of the power-mad.
But history works in cycles, it is said. The Witch World survived its earliest wars, and even as new races settled in the once bountiful lands some remnants of the Old Race struggled to survive. From them came new weilders of Power, mostly dedicated to good purposes, or at least a grim justice which recognized the responsibility that comes with Power and Talent. The races and creatures bred by the Adepts in the early ages continued their ancient struggles but greatly weakened. Some broke away and became independent. But ultimately a few ambitious men and women began once again to assimilate knowledge, to construct powerful alliances with each, retracing the inevitable steps toward insanity and world-ranging conflicts.
Yet while the peoples of the Witch World coped with their legacy of Power, a new and equally dangerous race appeared, the Kolder. These were men of technology, scientists and warriors who practiced domination over others that was so complete their victims became undead-like monstrosities. With these legions of mindless slaves the Kolder advanced upon the Esctarp, whose witches posed the greatest obvious threat to the Kolder’s domination of the world. Simon Tregarth’s understanding of technology made him the ideal warrior to lead the defense of the Witch World against this new peril, and he found a homeland in which to establish his house and bequeath to the Witch World a family skilled in Power and able to comprehend technology.
There are more than 20 Witch World books. This web site will introduce you to the world and some of its history and peoples. But you will need to read the books themselves to fully enjoy one of the rarest masterpieces of modern fiction.