Jason Cosmo (1989)

The adventure begins!

Buy it here: Jason Cosmo (Signet)

Publishing History:

Jason Cosmo was first published by Signet in August, 1989.  It was my first published book. Not counting some earlier false starts, I wrote the book in the fall and winter of 1987-1988. Signet acquired the book in the summer of 1988. This is the kickoff of the Jason Cosmo Non-Trilogy. The cover art is by award-winning fantasy artist Richard Hescox.

Both this book and the later UK edition from Pan Books are now out of print. The forthcoming Trove Books edition, revised and retitled Hero Wanted, is essentially the original Jason Cosmo plus new scenes.  Loyal Readers of yore will find it is 90% or more the same story. I call it the digitally remastered version — somewhat akin to the the way George Lucas updated the original Star Wars for re-release with allegedly better special effects and some restored and/or new scenes.

But without adding unwanted suckiness the way Lucas did. (Han shot first!)

Front Cover Text:

“Can a simple woodcutter mistaken for the legendary Mighty Champion save the world from the Evil Empire?”

“A rollicking new fantasy novel by Dan McGirt”

Back Cover Text:

The Case of Mistaken Heroics

Jason Cosmo is perfectly happy to be a woodcutter in the village of Hicksnittle until an inept bounty hunter claims Jason Cosmo is the Mighty Champion and puts a price on his head — ten million crowns! Now Jason must escape and prove his mettle in the Incredibly Dark Forest against such formidable enemies as Natalia Slash and Vixen von Hotfur, two seductive mercenaries hired to lure Jason into the Jaws of Death. Even the aid of the wizard Mercury Boltblaster is not enough to combat the Demon Lords and the Dark Magic Society. And to make matters even more dangerous, the Gods decide that Jason must become the Mighty Champion in deed as well as name. He must Overcome All Odds to wrest the magic Superwand from Deadly Enemies. For no one else would be foolish enough to stand against the magical forces to restore the dread power of the long-vanquished Evil Empire!