Joshua Gordon, a college professor of creative writing and a writer of pulp fiction, has written several books called the Forneria series.  They are much beloved by the reading public.  Joshua Gordon believes that Forneria actually exists and that he is the Creator god of that place.  Gordon is dying.  He has a year at most.  He believes his death will bring end to Forneria so he embarks on a plan to save Forneria by handing it over to a new young writer. 

John Fisher, a student of Gordon’s, has just left the armed services and is driving a cab to keep alive. He is a very talented young author.  Joshua likes Fisher, and sees the salvation of Forneria in him, so Gordon offers Fisher a job as his assistant to help finish “a last Forneria story.” Fisher jumps at the offer.  Soon he begins having dreams of himself in the Desert of Forneria.  A strange red bird is explaining how he has been sent to Forneria to save it.

Joshua Gordon’s son, Lucian, hates his father.  Lucian blames the death of his mother on his father and with that he blames the Forneria stories because his mother died while Joshua was away promoting the first book of the series.  Joshua is guilt ridden, thinking that he has been a terrible father, though his son has become a successful and rich man.  When Lucian discovers his father’s illness he is glad knowing that his father will leave the copyrights of the Forneria stories to him.  He knows his father loves the stories and knows he thinks of Forneria as real so Lucian makes clear to his father that he will destroy the world Joshua has created through the ultimate revenge of letting the books fall out of print. To foil Lucian Joshua changes his will, leaving the copyrights to John Fisher.  The rest of his estate will go to Lucian, but Forneria will not.  Lucian, obsessed with having the copyrights, begins court proceedings to have his father declared non compos mentis. He is stalled at every turn by Joshua’s old friend and attorney Ed Chance.

Meanwhile, Joshua and John are writing the new Forneria story.  John tells Joshua about the strange dreams.  Joshua is glad.  He wanted to pull John into the story as a character as well as making him the co-author of the work.  As the story progresses Fisher defines himself more and more as a character in the new novel, and the line between reality and Forneria becomes blurred.  As Joshua grows weaker Fisher take over most of the writing. He sees that to protect Forneria he not only has to defeat the evil god (called Lucian) but must defeat Lucian Gordon in the real world.  

            Lucian offers Fisher a quarter of a million dollars if he will simply sign the copyrights over to him, Lucian, when Joshua’s will is executed.  Fisher is tempted, but says no.  Joshua says Lucian will offer any amount of money to get the copyrights, but John and Katherine, the nurse who is taking care of Joshua, but who is also a spy for his son, poo poo Joshua.  Joshua, sick unto death, dares Fisher to call Lucian and tell him he might sell the copyrights for a cool ten million dollars. John calls, putting the call on the speaker so Katherine can also hear, and makes the offer.   Lucian jumps at it.  John, in love with Forneria both as a part of the novel and now as a creator, will not turn it over to Lucian for Ten Million or even Ten Billion.  He tells Lucian that he will never let go of the copyrights. The phone confrontation brings on a crisis. Joshua is taken to a hospital where he dies.  Fisher has the copyrights, but Lucian sues claiming there was a contract between them.