A wayward but rational-minded scientist faces mental and physical challenges when he finds himself on a planet dominated by magic, a world where many of Earth's ancient civilizations are preserved for some mysterious purpose. The first of a series set in the Endurian Universe, The Astronomer Who Didn't Like Magic is the story of Leonard Ronar, an astronomer whose notions of reality are threatened on the distant planet Colibdis, where magic reigns, and gods and sorcerers contest the fate of the universe. This is fantasy with a gloss of astronomy and quantum physics. Elements of horror may disqualify it for younger readers. This novel introduces one of the worlds prominent in the tale of the Endurian Universe. Later volumes in the series present the others. Eventually it all ties together to form a large and complex whole.
About the Author: Joe Bergeron grew up in the twin hamlets of Endicott and Endwell in upstate New York. As a boy he taught himself the constellations using a cardboard star wheel, watching in awe as stars he had never before identified rose according to prediction. Later he began a more thorough examination of the heavens using various small telescopes. A devoted hiker, Joe prowled his surroundings at all hours of the day and night, often discovering semi-abandoned sites of human activity which his imagination invested with the mystery of ancient ruins. Fascinated by superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy, Joe began to invent the mythos of the Endurian Universe while in grade school, resulting in a basic framework for the epic tale by the time he reached high school. It remained in the form of short writings, drawings, and comic strips until 1982, when Joe commenced writing one of the earliest stories in the mythos, "The Astronomer Who Didn't Like Magic." Joe taught himself to paint so he could create visuals for planetarium shows. Soon he was selling artwork at science fiction art shows, winning a window full of awards in the process. Later he broadened his artistic skills by getting a degree in studio art from Binghamton University. He has illustrated various science fiction books and magazines, including titles by Isaac Asimov, Piers Anthony, and James Tiptree, Jr. He also served as director of the local small planetarium. For three years Joe worked as staff artist at Morehead Planetarium in North Carolina. Since beginning that first novel, Joe has completed nine novels set in the Endurian Universe. Joe has produced hundreds of paintings in several media and a similar number of highly polished digital images. He is a Fellow of the International Association of Astronomical Artists and is considered one of the best space artists in the world. He also enjoys painting landscapes, figures, and portraits, some of which hang in various galleries Joe's artwork, as well as many other curious facts about him, can be discovered at his web site, www.joebergeron.com.