Fool on the Hill (novel)
Encyclopedia
Fool on the Hill is a 1988 comic fantasy novel by Matt Ruff
, set at Cornell University
in Ithaca
, New York
.
The novel is the story of two authors. Cornell University resident and author Stephen Titus George finds that his real life is becoming the main plot of a retired god, known as Mr. Sunshine. Mr. Sunshine, as god, prefers to create his works in real life instead of on paper. Stephen Titus George decides to fight with Mr. Sunshine about the authorship and outcome of the work.
On the stage of Cornell campus a rich set of secondary characters appears, like Cornell student Aurora Borealis Smith with whom Stephen Titus George falls in love, Ragnarok
, the Bohemians, a dog named Luther
, a cat named Blackjack
, Puck
, Calliope
, a fire-breathing paper dragon as well as evil forces like Rasferret the Grub, a mannequin called Rubbermaid
and an army of rats. The drama then unfolds, telling the story of the battle between Good and Evil and the efforts of the two authors to write the story towards either a happy ending or a tragic greek drama.
Matt Ruff
Matthew Theron Ruff is an American author of thriller, science-fiction and comic novels.-Background and education:...
, set at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The novel is the story of two authors. Cornell University resident and author Stephen Titus George finds that his real life is becoming the main plot of a retired god, known as Mr. Sunshine. Mr. Sunshine, as god, prefers to create his works in real life instead of on paper. Stephen Titus George decides to fight with Mr. Sunshine about the authorship and outcome of the work.
On the stage of Cornell campus a rich set of secondary characters appears, like Cornell student Aurora Borealis Smith with whom Stephen Titus George falls in love, Ragnarok
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
, the Bohemians, a dog named Luther
Luther
As a German surname, Luther is derived from a Germanic personal name compounded from the words liut, "people", and heri, "army". As a rare English surname, it means "lute player" . Luther is also derived from the ancient Greek eleutherius, a liberator...
, a cat named Blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
, Puck
Puck
-Fictional characters:* Puck , a folklore character* Puck , a Shakespeare character** Puck, a Faeries character** Puck, a Gargoyles character** Puck, a Puck of Pook's Hill character...
, Calliope
Calliope
In Greek mythology, Calliope was the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and is now best known as Homer's muse, the inspiration for the Odyssey and the Iliad....
, a fire-breathing paper dragon as well as evil forces like Rasferret the Grub, a mannequin called Rubbermaid
Rubbermaid
Rubbermaid is an American manufacturer and distributor of many household items. It is a subsidiary of Newell Rubbermaid. It is most well known for producing food storage containers and trash cans...
and an army of rats. The drama then unfolds, telling the story of the battle between Good and Evil and the efforts of the two authors to write the story towards either a happy ending or a tragic greek drama.