Free Houses

"...the free houses that owe no allegiance to any one time or dominion..."

-Neil Gaiman, The Sandman: The Wake (New York, 1997), p. 29, panel 2 -

- include:

Neil Gaiman's Inn of the Worlds' End;

Gaiman's Toad-Stone;

Poul Anderson's Old Phoenix.

Differences between Worlds' End and Old Phoenix

(i) The Old Phoenix is between worlds whereas Worlds' End is at the end of all worlds. (Since worlds are ending all the time, the Worlds' End Inn is continually created.)

(ii) The Old Phoenix is always the same:

"The taproom is changeless..."

-Poul Anderson, "Loser's Night" IN Anderson, All One Universe (New York, 1996), pp. 105-123 AT p. 108 -

- whereas Worlds' End changes its size and shape even while people are in it.

(iii) In the Old Phoenix:

"Windows are always shuttered, I suppose because they would not look out over any of the worlds on which the front door opens, but onto something quite peculiar."

-Poul Anderson, "House Rule" IN Anderson, Fantasy (New York, 1981), pp. 9-20 AT p. 12.

- whereas guests in the Worlds' End both hear and see a storm - which is really a "reality storm" - and then see something very peculiar.