The Word and The Void: Prequel #1

Imaginary Friends

by Terry Brooks

Published in 1991

THIS REVIEW IS NOT SPOILER FREE

Imaginary Friends serves as a prequel to The Word and the Void in a couple of ways, but yet in none. The story was written in 1991, while Book One - Running With the Demon was written in 1997. Chronologically, in universe, the story takes place in Sinnissippi Park before Nest’s story in Book One.

The story follows a young twelve year old boy, Jack McCall, and his adventures in the Park. Jack is diagnosed with leukemia as a twelve year old which rocks his young world. Jack has a close friend, Waddy, that he confides in and is a support for him. Jack and his family live on the north end of Sinnisssippi Park and he often plays in the park wit his dog Sam. One day while playing in the Park, he stumbles upon Pick, the Elf (later in trilogy, he calls himself a sylvan) and helps him get unstuck from some brambles. Pick and Jack become friends and Pick tells Jack about his magic and how he is the caretaker for Sinnissippi Park.

Pick uses his magic to “shrink” Jack and allow to fly with him on the back of the owl, Daniel. They fly around the Park and Jack is able to see all of the Park from up high. They see a bridge with a Troll, Wartag, underneath it. Wartag uses his magic to cause problems in the Park and Pick spends a lot of time undoing Wartag’s magic to balance things out. They fly deep into the Park and see a big dark tree that Pick explains is a prison for the Dragon Desperado.

Jack is taken back and wakes up in the Park on the ground as his mother is calling him to come home. Jack tells his mom about Pick and she brushes it off as an imaginary friend. Jack tried to find Pick again but was unsuccessful for weeks and then months, so Jack started to forget about Pick.

Months later, Jack began to remember Pick and eventually sneaks off into the Park one night after midnight. He finds Daniel who leads him to Pick who is held captive under the troll bridge in a cage that cancels his magic until released. But Wartag is headed to the tree to let loose the Dragon Desperado. Pick tells Jack he has to stop him and sends him on to the tree despite Jack’s protests. Jack heads to the tree but the Dragon is already loose!

Jack finds a garbage can lid to use as a shield and big, heavy stick to use as a sword. He goes to confront the Dragon, but is too scared and runs away. The Dragon chases him where ever he goes in the Park. Jack realizes the Dragon is like his cancer and he attacks the Dragon. As he does so, his make do sword and shield become real. Jack attacks the Dragon and is able to defeat him but passes out after defeating the Dragon.

Jack wakes in the hospital and after examinations, the doctor declares him cancer free! Jack realizes it was Pick making him confront the Dragon and combined with magic, allowed him to also defeat his cancer.

Jack never saw Pick again but had a special connection with the Park and worked there during the summers as it helped him feel that he was giving something back to Pick.

While an entertaining short story, after reading this and then moving into the main story of the trilogy, it’s clear that this story was a practice or draft story for the ending of Book One, as similar events happen, but with Nest Freemark instead of Jack. In some ways, Running with the Demon invalidates this story, as there isn’t a Dragon in the tree, but a raver. I guess there is a way to make it fit as you can say that the tree is a prison for many dark things, not just one. I wish Terry Brooks would have made reference to this story to sort of tie it in better to the overall continuity. A mention from Pick about Jack, or a reference to the McCall family that lives by the Park too, or even referencing a Park worker named Jack McCall. But being that Jack’s story continues in the second prequel story, Warrior, and it was written after the Word and the Void trilogy was long completed, maybe Terry Brooks ends up tying Jack’s story in with Nest’s story. We shall see.

I give this short story a 3 out of 5 as while it was a nice, quick read, it didn’t add much to overall story of The Word and The Void much less the Shannara Saga.

Up next is The Warrior, which is the second prequel to The Word and The Void.