The Horn of Joy is a fictional book in Madeleine L'Engle's A Swiftly Tilting Planet. It is the second book by fictional author Matthew Maddox.
Contents[]
The book was written in 1868 and was said to be "a strange book, passionately anti-war", included "some weird theory of the future influencing the past", and “was the first American science fiction novel.” Part of the plot includes a Welsh prince named Madoc who ends up in New England and fighting with his elder brother over a Native American girl named Zylle. The elder brother then leaves for the fictional country of Vespugia. The story also involves a time-traveling unicorn.
Role in the Story[]
In A Swiftly Tilting Planet the main characters Charles Wallace and his sister Meg O'Keefe see through the eyes of the author as well as some of his ancestors, such as the Welsh prince, and one of his family's descendants. Much of the book ties back into what Charles Wallace is seeing as he attempts to stop a nuclear war by "fixing" the past. It helped them discover the connection between it and the leader of Vespugia’s name: Mad Dog Branzillo. The Welsh prince Madoc (Mad Dog), Matthew Maddox’s brother Bran (the Bran in Branzillo), and the Native American girl Zylle (the Zillo in Branzillo). The Horn of Joy may be an account of Charles adventure, written by his final host.