History Literature / MythAdventures

* BareYourMidriff: Masha is determined to prove that one doesn't need a slim waist to bare one's midriff. The other characters (privately) disagree.

** Asprin pointed out in an afterword that the inspiration for Aahz and Skeeve was an all-night marathon of the Hope & Crosby ''RoadTo ...'' series.

''MythAdventures'' is the collective name of a series of humorous fantasy novels by Robert L. Asprin, popular for their whimsical nature, myriad characters, and liberal use of puns. The center around the (very very) diverse adventures of Skeeve, a journeyman magician from the dimension of Klah (who learns about demons ''very'' shortly after his mentor dies), and Aahz (short for Aahzimandius), a demon (dimensional traveler, as it is explained) from the dimension of Perv (making him a Perv'''ect''', thank you very much).

* BerserkButton: Don't youse be makin' fun of how Guido talks, know what I mean?

* CallARabbitASmeerp: Skeeve's native world has such combination animals as spider-bears or fox-squirrels, but Skeeve is baffled by such mundane animals as cows.

* ExtremeOmnivore: Aahz, in a visual RunningGag in Foglio's graphic novels, is occasionally seen snacking on various objects not usually considered food. However, considering the content of Pervian food (See MasochistsMeal, below), this may be entirely justified - or just Foglio's sly way of pointing out Aahz's [[LargeHam scenery-chewing ways]] in the novels.

* FantasyGunControl: The series has dimension-hopping, high technology, and heavy warfare, but no guns. The mobsters carry crossbows in their violin cases.

* GuileHero: Aahz. In the early novels especially, there are very few problems that he isn't able to simply talk his way out of.

* HandshakeRefusal: Aahz offers to take protagonist Skeeve on as his apprentice, since Skeeve's teacher has just been murdered. Pleased, Skeeve offers his hand to seal the deal...and Aahz refuses, because he doesn't shake hands with apprentices. Skeeve wonders if he should have thought this arrangement through a little more.

* ItMustBeMine: In ''Myth Directions'', Tanda the Trollop assassin wants to procure a hideous green frog statue whose only value is as a trophy in a sporting competition, as a birthday present for Aahz. HilarityEnsues. Then gets cranked even higher when Aahz learns about his intended gift and includes snatching it back as part of the plan to deal with the hilarity.

* OurGeniesAreDifferent: The denizens of Djinger are all strapped for cash and hire themselves out to work in magic lamps, rings, bottles, and so forth. Beyond that, they work entirely on hype.

* ShoutOut: E.g. Guido & Nunzio (see their Wrestling/{{WWE}} prototype in the UnrelatedBrothers article).

*** Phil Foglio's illustration of Don Bruce for one book looks like a certain [[{{Barnaby}} Mr. O'Malley.]]
**** For that matter, Nick the Vampire is Phil's avatar in-universe.

* ThisIsMyHuman: Skeeve has a pet, the little dragon Gleep. Gleep has a pet,too -- the Klahdish boy Skeeve.

* VirginPower: Embarrassingly, Skeeve is the only one in the group that does not elicit a negative reaction from a [[strike:stolen]] borrowed war unicorn.

*** Then again, it seems to put up with Aahz too, who almost certainly has, so it may just be very well-trained.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: Skeeve is pretty scary when he really loses his temper.

* TheMagicPokerEquation: Justified in ''Little Myth Marker.'' Skeeve has no skill or knowledge of the game in question: so he bets everything on the first hand without even looking at the cards. By reducing the game to what amounts to a coin flip, he renders skill irrelevant. This caused considerable problems for the people he didn't know were rigging the game in his favor.

* TakeThat: Myth-Told Tales, a collection of short stories, is a whole string of them, slamming fox-hunting, beauty contests and hair salons. After Asprin's RealLife troubles with the IRS, Myth-Taken Identity also worked in an anti-tax-agency subplot.

*** The again, it seems to put up with Aahz too, who almost certainly has, so it may just be very well-trained.

* WeAreAsMayflies: Skeeve's human lifespan is occasionally mentioned as being very short by Aahz's standards.

* EloquentInMyNativeTongue: Gleep the dragon is actually very intelligent, but you would only know that if you spoke Dragon.
** ''All'' of Skeeve's employees are smarter than him when they have their own POV stories. His mob muscle has the local equivalent of an MBA.
*** Better educated, yes, but not necessarily smarter.

Additionally, the first novel was adapted into an eight-part graphic novel by [=WaRP=] Graphics (publishers of ''ElfQuest'') in the mid-80s, illustrated and heavily rewritten by PhilFoglio, who also supplied illustrations for many of the novels. This was the only part of the graphic adaptation to make it into full-color bound volumes. Four more issues followed, with art by Jim Valentino, attempting to bridge the action between the first and second novels. The second novel was later adapted into another eight-part comic series by Ken and Beth Mitchroney and published by Apple from 1987 through 1989. Foglio's comics are slowly going online, three pages a week, at [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/mythcomic.php his website]].

* TheMagicPokerEquation: Justified in ''Little Myth Marker.'' Skeeve has no skill or knowledge of the game in question: so he bets everything on the first hand without even looking at the cards. By reducing the game to what amounts to a coin flip, he renders skill irrelevant.

'''The even "newer" series, written solo by Nye after [[AuthorExistenceFailure Asprin's death]]):'''

* WeakButSkilled: As a magic-user, Skeeve only knows a handful of basic spells. Nevertheless, he's able to use these ([[GuileHero along with copious amounts of cunning, negotiation, and B.S.]]) to get the reputation of a sorcerous demi-god.

'''The "new" MythAdventures series, co-authored with Jody Lynn Nye (who intends to continue the series after [[AuthorExistenceFailure Asprin's death]]), currently contains the following novels:'''

Additionally, the first novel was adapted into an eight-part graphic novel by WaRPGraphics (publishers of ''ElfQuest'') in the mid-80s, illustrated and heavily rewritten by PhilFoglio, who also supplied illustrations for many of the novels. This was the only part of the graphic adaptation to make it into full-color bound volumes. Four more issues followed, with art by Jim Valentino, attempting to bridge the action between the first and second novels. The second novel was later adapted into another eight-part comic series by Ken and Beth Mitchroney and published by Apple from 1987 through 1989. Foglio's comics are slowly going online, three pages a week, at [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/mythcomic.php his website]].

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Possibly averted, more books were planned to be written by Nye after Asprin's death, but as of spring 2012 nothing has yet come of this.

Additionally, the first novel was adapted into an eight-part graphic novel by WaRPGraphics (publishers of ''ElfQuest'') in the mid-80s, illustrated and heavily rewritten by PhilFoglio, who also supplied illustrations for many of the novels. This was the only part of the series to make it into full-color bound volumes. Four more issues followed, with art by Jum Valentino, attempting to bridge the action between the first and second novels. The second novel was later adapted into another eight-part comic series by Ken and Beth Mitchroney and published by Apple from 1987 through 1989. Foglio's comics are slowly going online, three pages a week, at [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/mythcomic.php his website]].

Additionally, the first novel was adapted into an eight-part graphic novel by WaRPGraphics in the mid-80s, illustrated and heavily rewritten by PhilFoglio, who also supplied illustrations for many of the novels. Four more issues followed, attempting to bridge the action between the first and second novels. The second novel was later adapted into another eight-part comic series by Ken and Beth Mitchroney and published by Apple from 1987 through 1989. Foglio's comics are slowly going online, three pages a week, at [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/mythcomic.php his website]].

* TheMagicPokerEquation: Justified in ''Little Myth Marker'', as Skeeve has no skill or knowledge of the game in question, betting everything on the first hand without even looking at the cards. By reducing the game to what amounts to a coin flip, he renders skill irrelevant.

* NaiveNewcomer: Skeeve.

* MasochistsMeal: ''All'' of Pervian food. According to Aahz: "The biggest problem with Pervian food is to keep it from crawling away from your dish while you are eating it..."

* ''Another Fine Myth'' (1978)
* ''Myth Conceptions'' (1980)
* ''Myth Directions'' (1982)
* ''Hit or Myth'' (1983)
* ''Myth-ing Persons'' (1984)
* ''Little Myth Marker'' (1985)
* ''M.Y.T.H. Inc. Link'' (1986)
* ''Myth-Nomers and Im-Pervections'' (1987)
* ''M.Y.T.H. Inc. in Action'' (1990)
* ''Sweet Myth-Tery of Life'' (1993)
* ''Myth-Ion Improbable'' (2001)
* ''Something M.Y.T.H. Inc.'' (2002)

'''The "new" {{MythAdventures}} series, co-authored with Jody Lynn Nye (who intends to continue the series after [[AuthorExistenceFailure Asprin's death]]), currently contains the following novels:'''
* ''Myth-Told Tales'' (2003)
* ''Myth Alliances'' (2003)
* ''Myth-Taken Identity'' (2004)
* ''Class Dis-Mythed'' (2005)
* ''Myth-Gotten Gains'' (2006)
* ''Myth-Chief'' (2008)
* ''Myth-Fortunes'' (2009)

Additionally, the first novel was adapted into an eight-part graphic novel by {{WaRP Graphics}} in the mid-80s, illustrated and heavily rewritten by PhilFoglio, who also supplied illustrations for many of the novels. Four more issues followed, attempting to bridge the action between the first and second novels. The second novel was later adapted into another eight-part comic series by Ken and Beth Mitchroney and published by Apple from 1987 through 1989. Foglio's comics are slowly going online, three pages a week, at [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/mythcomic.php his website]].

* AggressiveNegotiations: Skeeve is parleying with the head of the opposing army when suddenly he realises the opposing army has been moving into position to attack him while he's distracted by the peace talk. He complains that this is a breach of protocol, and is informed that yes, it is, but it also works extremely well.

* AnotherDimension: A whole plethora of them, more than any individual can visit in one lifetime.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: Played for laughs. Magic? Fine. Demons? Fine. Dragons? Fine. Interdimensional travel? Fine. Blue gremlins? NO WAY!

* CatsAreMagic: Lampshaded in one of the books: "Cats and computers can work through dimensions."

-->"This was supposed to inspire them to settle their difference with a quick compromise. Instead, they thanked me for my wisdom, shook hands, and left smiling, presumably to carve up the cat."

* MasochistsMeal: ''All'' of Pervian food. According to Aahz: "The biggest problem with Pervian food is to keep it from crawling away from your dish while you are eating it..."

* PleasePutSomeClothesOn: Skeeve has this problem with Queen Hemlock and Bunny. The fact that he's embarrassed tips off Hemlock that he's not who he's magically disguised as.

* ShoutOut: E.g. Guido & Nunzio (see their {{WWE}} prototype in the UnrelatedBrothers article).

** Well, they never did [[DidTheyOrDidntThey actually figure out whether he had or not]], and by that time he had already owned that unicorn for years. Long enough for it to overlook if he did or didn't.

* WateringDown: The book ''M.Y.T.H. Inc. In Action'' features Mob enforcer Guido discussing this phenomena, noting it's a way for the bar owner to make more money off less product, and his customers don't mind because less alcohol per glass makes the drink "healthier".

* {{Expy}}: In ''Something M.Y.T.H. Inc.'', parodies of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, Zorro, and the Fellowship of the Ring all make trouble for Possiltum. In the latter case, their expy status is deliberately self-engineered ("We need a dwarf!").

[[redirect:MythAdventures]]