an ideal way to spend a soggy day indoors. the author seemed to be in a relaxed mood when writing this lark and reading it was in turn a relaxing expean ideal way to spend a soggy day indoors. the author seemed to be in a relaxed mood when writing this lark and reading it was in turn a relaxing experience. the plot: Vance literalizes the term "space opera" by detailing the misadventures of an opera company touring various worlds, all in a condescending attempt to bring music and culture to various primitive backwaters. the results are as amusing as one would expect, given the writer and the plot. a pungent perspective on the inevitable downward trajectory of the human race is provided by way of a young woman's longing to be reunited with her homeworld; alas, you can never go home again. as a person who loves dry wit, traveling, opera, and dragonish grande dames (one of which is the book's best character), Space Opera delighted me from start to finish....more
humans unwittingly host invisible, transdimensional parasites that coil around our brains and control our emotions. the planet Ixax has decimated itsehumans unwittingly host invisible, transdimensional parasites that coil around our brains and control our emotions. the planet Ixax has decimated itself due to these parasites that have transported themselves from our planet to theirs. the Ixaxians have had enough: kidnapping a human scientist, they free him from his parasite and then return him home, giving him but a few weeks to rid the Earth of this menace, or else a scorched-earth solution will be enacted. despite the pure pulp of the premise, this is an especially cerebral outing for the already-dry Jack Vance. the humor is scarce here, and as with those other novels where Vance has kept his wit at a minimum (Languages of Pao, Dragon Masters), the result is a narrative that is more distancing than involving. still, this is a worthwhile experience, due to its exploration of free will (or the illusion of free will), group-think, and the automatic antipathy that tribes will feel towards outsiders. is this a cautionary tale critiquing communism or, preferably, an allegory in favor of nonbinary thinking? shades of Colin Wilson....more
the houses of the planet Iszm are vegetable, carefully bioengineered to the exacting standards of Iszic craftsmen. only bland mid-level houses are expthe houses of the planet Iszm are vegetable, carefully bioengineered to the exacting standards of Iszic craftsmen. only bland mid-level houses are exported to Earth; not the sophisticated, time-consuming exemplars of this craft reserved for the Iszic elite, nor the inexpensive, easy to reproduce houses that are home to the Iszic worker class. it is the latter, if exported, that could solve Earth's terrible housing crisis, muses the botanist Farr during his tour of Iszm. if only the paranoid, secretive Iszic would allow their export! but then again, muses Farr at a later point, Earth could solve its own housing crisis if only the extremely wealthy would use their wealth for the greater good. but we'll sooner see blood bleed from a stone!
this is a fast-paced conspiracy thriller, of sorts. across three settings - Iszm, Earth, and a starship traveling from one planet to the other - Aile Farr encounters plots and schemes, murders and raids, mercenaries and megalomaniacs, and a sophisticated way of turning a tourist into a mule. a clever and thoughtful book. the descriptions of these symbiotic vegetable-houses was a particular highlight....more
the wildly over the top (and awesome) cover may lead those unfamiliar with the author to believe that this will be an equally wild and over the top mathe wildly over the top (and awesome) cover may lead those unfamiliar with the author to believe that this will be an equally wild and over the top man versus monster adventure. not the case. this superb thriller is Vance at his smooth, streamlined best: wall to wall ideas to contemplate, all delivered in prose that is stylish and witty. capable everyman Joe Smith (that name!) is far from his homeworld Earth, ensnared in the political machinations occurring between various factions on various planets. religious fanaticism, decadent elite rule over dull conformist plebes, and mercantilist liberalism versus belligerent imperialism all have their turn at being reviewed and then scorned by a disinterested Joe Smith and a surprisingly revolutionary Jack Vance. we also have an excellent pair of foils for Joe: two extremely attractive, high-handed, and insular aristocrats, both basically psychopathic; Joe immediately feels an visceral and violent aversion to the fellow, while of course finding the equally callous lady of the pair to be infinitely charming and loveable. the book's cover is metaphorical: all should fear the monstrous power of religious dogma as a colonialist tool for mass oppression. in this case, religion is a gigantic tree that literally devours its foolish followers....more
the marvelous Showboat World takes place on Big Planet, which is also the name of one of Vance's earliest books. but it is not a sequel to that book. the marvelous Showboat World takes place on Big Planet, which is also the name of one of Vance's earliest books. but it is not a sequel to that book. not in the slightest, it is different in all ways. the indifferent callousness of the earlier work has been replaced by more urbane gestures, a nonchalant shrug, a careless wave of the hand, a disdainful eyeroll quickly smiled away. Big Planet's hurtling pace has been replaced by a leisurely stroll, plenty of time to consider and contemplate and judge, never rushed, always amused. the swift, slim prose is now rather more pleasantly plump; this novel enjoys its curves, the luscious way certain words and phrases taste. frantic flight by politicians and agents ziplining across a demented planet is now a slow trip down various waterways on a decadent planet, these voyages made by clever artistes. no longer do we have a protagonist who is a tough and dour manly man, fit as a fiddle and tight as drum; instead we have a charming, vaguely amoral showman, good with a weapon but perhaps overly fond of wine and rich foods, and a bit thick around the middle.
Big Planet was a precursor to wonderful streamlined adventures like the Planet of Adventure series, one of my favorite things; Showboat World led to the enchanting Night Lamp, a relaxed meander and another favorite thing.
I liked Big Planet but I loved Showboat World. I also am inclined to be overly fond of wine and rich foods and meandering through life, amused. Showboat World is just more me, including its self-absorption.
so the commission sent to dampen down the ambitions of a sneaky tyrant crash lands, ouch, due to the machinations of that tyrant. and off the survivorso the commission sent to dampen down the ambitions of a sneaky tyrant crash lands, ouch, due to the machinations of that tyrant. and off the survivors go! across this very big planet known as Big Planet, full of all sorts of crazy places and crazy customs and crazy people who fled from the boring Earth and her boring federated planets. oh man this book took me back. the commission basically ziplines across this world, seeing all the sights, which reminded me of ziplining in Costa Rica. they accidentally and then purposely smoke some hella hallucinogenic plants which reminded me of my time in the Netherlands. they visit some really cosmopolitan cities right next to some let's just say religiously excitable cities which reminded me of my time in Turkey. they see a lot of countryside vistas and also enjoy some nightlife and also get into some fights which reminded me of my various times in Mexico. they even get to scale a fucking gigantic mountain which reminded me of my time in Kenya. a couple of the commissioners take on some eager slaves to help out with rest and relaxation which reminded me of my time in Cambodia. oh and they get to betray and kill each other too which reminded me of my times in Italy and the various murder parties that lessened the number of my friend group but also helped release some pent-up tensions. gosh all the memories that came flooding back!...more
this colorful illustrated adaptation of Jack Vance's classic story also illustrates how this author's appeal is all about the prose and not about a drthis colorful illustrated adaptation of Jack Vance's classic story also illustrates how this author's appeal is all about the prose and not about a driving narrative. Vance focuses on describing and commenting on the journey; he's not particularly interested in the destination. despite the vivid art, the book was a mediocre experience. all of those glorious Vancean phrases are nowhere to be found. and without that prose, the joy in the journey itself is lost. I can't imagine how anyone could understand this if they were unfamiliar with the source material. the story is strongest near the end, which does have an ironic appeal and a brief, vicious moment of enjoyable schadenfreude. additional star awarded because of the fantastic intro by Carlo Rotella, who paints an entirely moving portrait of my favorite author's life....more
it seems so long ago that i read this, my first and so far only book finished this month. it was a pleasant, hopeful, rather lovely way to start out 2it seems so long ago that i read this, my first and so far only book finished this month. it was a pleasant, hopeful, rather lovely way to start out 2021.
what is this "lurulu" of the book title?
"If you recall, we were speaking of lurulu. At the risk of banality, I will point out that 'fate', 'destiny', and 'lurulu' are not synonymous. 'Fate' is dark and ponderous; 'destiny' is more like a beautiful sunset. In speaking of 'lurulu', however, language of this kind is not useful. Lurulu is personal; it is like hope, or a wistful longing, more real than a dream."
"lurulu" was a pleasing way to envision a new year, after 2020. of course, after finishing this book, real world events soon occurred that were quite less than pleasing. and so my interest in reading fiction suddenly evaporated while an unhealthy obsession with watching the so-called news all day & all night came into being. happily, that wretched fever has passed and i am feeling a slow settling back into my preferred ways. i may now even be able to summon up the energy to reply to emails that have been for many weeks unanswered. and in time, may even start making plans!
this is my favorite author jack vance's last book. it has little in the way of a driving narrative. its central characters are low-key, well-differentiated but not ostentatiously over the top nor erratic; they have a quiet affection for each other that has a sturdy foundation of loyalty and is generously topped off with a teasing humor. ideal traveling companions for each other and for the reader. they have various adventures, they eventually find a restful home, they realize they are not done living a life of curiosity, they set out again. the novel is sequel to the equally charming, ocassionally dark Ports of Call and coda to the author's career. it ends as it is about to start again. in many ways it is an ideal last story: relaxed, gracious, ironic, humorous, hopeful, wistful, dreamy yet real; a summing up but also an open door.
synopsis: a young man and his friends travel here and there, learning about life....more
"Shape-Up" - 4 stars A trap is sprung, concealed weapons are revealed, mysteries are solved. As Miriam notes in her review, this short story is a maste"Shape-Up" - 4 stars A trap is sprung, concealed weapons are revealed, mysteries are solved. As Miriam notes in her review, this short story is a master class is saying a lot with a little. A whole society and way of living are outlined briskly, tantalizingly.
"The Man from Zodiac" - 4 stars Zodiac Control Inc. creates governments. Milton Hack is their nondescript field representative. Poor Milton has to deal with creating a functioning society out of two gross barbarian clans. Achieving this will require skulduggery, bamboozlement, mining operations, and putting greed and opportunism to work in the service of the greater good. This is Vance at his most sardonic and dispassionate. Fun stuff!
"Golden Girl" - 3 stars It sure is depressing being an attractive alien from an evolved civilization stranded on a detestable barbaric world called Earth. I really felt for the poor lass.
"The Planet Machine" - 3 stars A mechanic is perhaps accidentally sent to a strange planet to fix a talkative machine that has become sick and deadly. Jack Vance loves languages and he loves long-game mysteries and this story is full of both. Very enjoyable.
"Crusade to Maxus" - 4 stars 'Tis revolution time! Technocrat slavers must die! This was a rousing adventure delivered coolly in the classic ironic Vancean style. Although there was less irony and more satisfying albeit brutal schadenfreude in the exciting finale of technocratic overlords vs. telepathic revolutionaries. One side holds rather an advantage... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
"Three-Legged Joe" - 2 stars Two arrogant young prospectors find a threat on a barren world. This was overlong and too concerned with which tools and devices would best destroy Joe, whose only offense is his appetite. Poor hungry Joe, I really felt for him too.
"Sjambak" - 3 stars A documentarian visits a placid society of Javanese and Arabic heritage. Such a peaceful lifestyle is sure to create its small share of malcontents and would-be warriors, if only to combat boredom. And thus the "sjambaks". A pleasant and amusing story.
"The Augmented Agent" - 5 stars
And now for something completely different! This novella is a Cold War espionage tale set in the imaginary African country of Lakhadi, caught between the Soviet Union and China, and trying to forge its own destiny. It is rife with cyborg agents: spies, assassins, and doubles; its hero an African-American spy in the highly augmented, weaponized guise of a tribal chieftain. Vance quickly removed any fears I may have had of reading a potentially colonialist take on Africa. His sympathies are squarely with a Free Lakhadi - one that could unite and lead the African nations - while still retaining his typically ironic perspective. The finale of multiple doubles trying to take each other out was wild.
"Peculiar sort of assassination," he reflected. "Everyone gets killed but the victim."...more
I love the foreword that Vance put in this one, which outlines the probable future of space travel but is mainly improbable nonsense. This is the VancI love the foreword that Vance put in this one, which outlines the probable future of space travel but is mainly improbable nonsense. This is the Vance that I know: charming and sardonic, a list-maker, smiling as if at his own secret joke. I love how it opens by declaring that the modern era is the most exciting one yet, now that the world is moving past boring, outdated European traditions. And I especially love how the foreword closes on a note of caution for the novel's young readers: kids, don't grow up to be a space pirate - you'll come to a bad end. Join the Space Navy instead!
Vandals of the Void was Vance's first novel, written for juveniles. It is about a deft and self-sufficient 15 year old who was raised on the lovely world of Venus and is now off on a voyage to meet his father on the Moon. And there he becomes involved in a murderous mystery featuring nefarious plots, double agents, an easily outsmarted bully, and of course dastardly space pirates whose penchant for wholesale slaughter really pisses young Dick off. Dick's morals are not of the flexible sort. He learns some life lessons like never judge a stranger by their hook nose, and also finds a fabulous dead city hidden under the Moon's surface. But the latter is not a particularly important part of the story, which is mainly about how this smart kid foils some evil plans and then eventually realizes that he wants to join the Space Navy. A boy after the author's own heart, who was once a Merchant Marine.
Vance doesn't put much of his trademark style into this one, but he doesn't dumb things down for the kids either. It's a swift, fun, satisfying tale, but mainly for Vance completists....more
4 stars for "The Miracle Workers". reviewed in Green Magic.
3 stars for "Telek". it's dandified but oppressive telekinetic superhumans versus the sheep4 stars for "The Miracle Workers". reviewed in Green Magic.
3 stars for "Telek". it's dandified but oppressive telekinetic superhumans versus the sheep rest of humanity! the protagonist does his best to move his fellow revolutionaries away from terrorist slaughter and towards a more exalted goal: if you can't beat 'em... join 'em! this is a briskly paced novella full of fun ideas, understandable fervor against aristocrats, and the occasional bit of moody but hopeful introspection about the fate of human kind, given the vagaries of human nature.
3 stars apiece for "When the Five Moons Rise" and "Noise". these short stories are linked by a common theme: the wonders and horrors that can arise from a man's mind, and so sometimes take actual shape. of course, as this is science fiction, those shapes achieve actual physical forms. in the former story, they entrance and then terrify; in the latter, they entrance and entrance again, leading our hero astray...
4 stars for "The Men Return". reviewed in Green Magic.
5 stars for the fascinating "The New Prime". 5 lives, 5 paths, 5 choices, 5 qualities displayed or absent. 5 tests. but tests for what exactly? perhaps the important questions are these: if 5 qualities are being tested, which qualities have been left out of that test - and who designed the test itself? certain qualities make a certain kind man; most certainly, the ruler of the universe should have abundant qualifications.
"The New Prime" also functions as an admirable display of how elastic Vance's storytelling can be, no matter the milieu, as the novella moves easily through various scenarios including a search on an abandoned planet, vengeful warfare against monstrous aliens, a battle between color artists, a prisoner's torture, and what to do when you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a fancy garden party in mid-20th century Boston, stark naked. (view spoiler)[why, pretend to be a fratboy in the middle of some typical hazing ritual, of course! (hide spoiler)] these stories within a story were all compelling and the overall purpose/message/ending of "The New Prime" was sublime. per usual Vancean standards, the prose is lambent.
synopsis: clever, elderly, and very snobby Magnus Ridolph constantly finds himself in debt; fortunately, his skill as an intergalactic detective alwaysynopsis: clever, elderly, and very snobby Magnus Ridolph constantly finds himself in debt; fortunately, his skill as an intergalactic detective always brings in the greenbacks. this is a collection of all stories featuring the urbane Ridolph.
Jack Vance is a favorite among favorites: he's easily my most beloved writer of science fiction and fantasy. and so I've been avoiding some of his lesser-known or less-respected works. why spoil what I love? or so I rationalized. but reading this didn't take away my appreciation. when you love something or someone, you love them despite the flaws. and here are the 2 star flaws: thin stories with even thinner endings, less impressive prose than what I'm used to, an odd focus on things Magnus (or perhaps Vance) considers ugly (mainly flab - LOL?), and an overall feeling that these were written sometime between breakfast and lunch.
it was interesting to see all of the Vancean hallmarks on display, even in a set of stories that were all quite slight: characters obsessed with the minutiae of exchanging "munits" (a standard form of galactic currency); highly eccentric and insular alien cultures; heaps of sardonic disdain; and an ironic, detached use of understatement when describing various dramatic, horrific, or awe-inspiring events. nearly each of the mysteries are solved due to Magnus' understanding of how different cultures simply don't use the same logic or understand the same norms as most humans; any person who attempts to consider their own personal, culturally specific, subjective perspective as an objective way to look at a situation is a person who is just not getting the big picture, and will no doubt fail. it's sort of fun watching such people fail, in this book and of course in the real world....more
WITH VANCE PEST CONTROL, PESTS DON'T STAND A CHANCE!
In addition to bugging you, the pests known as Humans pose serious risks to your health and properWITH VANCE PEST CONTROL, PESTS DON'T STAND A CHANCE!
In addition to bugging you, the pests known as Humans pose serious risks to your health and property – all year long. Humans carry various diseases, so it’s important to keep them in their place. No matter what season it is, they will sneak onto your world searching for food, water and a comfortable habitat. Our technicians work to deliver solutions – rooted in science ‐ that protect every world, including "Earth" - where these pests apparently originate.
IT STARTS WITH AN INSPECTION
Our residential pest control process is simple. Friendly, certified technicians hailing from a range of former slave races will perform a thorough inspection of your world to uncover potential issues. As we were all once enslaved and modified by these pests, we know where humans like to live and lurk, and how they "think". We'll provide you with a fully customized program to treat and eliminate entry points and nests. With award-winning training and advanced technology, your technician will look for conditions that invite human pests, tackle current infestations, and stop the life cycle to prevent future invasions.
EACH WORLD IS UNIQUE
When you have a pest problem or want to protect your home world from future invaders, we apply our science-based approach to help identify the root of your problem and implement a solution made expressly for your world. During each visit, you can count on a highly-trained technician to investigate, protect, fortify, keep watch, report, and follow up to maintain our high service standard. Our technicians live to exterminate humans!
YEAR-ROUND PEST CONTROL SERVICE FOR YEAR-ROUND PEACE OF MIND
Humans, like most pests, are often quite persistent. So we are too. Vance Pest Control works around the calendar to maintain a human-free environment. Within 30 days of your first treatment, we'll activate our Pest-Away® program. This includes a thorough inspection of your world to ensure that any newly emerging humans do not re-infest the area. Then we'll administer treatment regularly to protect your property - and your peace of mind. They may run and hide in their fanciful little castles, but we shall administer treatment to every last one of them!...more
JUST SAY NO TO IMMIGRANTS! so say the malign leaders known as the "Whispers" at the start of this novel. although they have a genuine antipathy towardJUST SAY NO TO IMMIGRANTS! so say the malign leaders known as the "Whispers" at the start of this novel. although they have a genuine antipathy towards immigrants, their actual goals are more subtle yet also predictably banal: they seek personal gain, and a lot of it; the question of immigration is simply a cover for their strategies and a sop to the masses who put these populist leaders in place. but are they actually leaders? their swagger and double talk reveal them as dangerously insecure frauds.
Wyst: Alastor 1716 is the final book in a loose trilogy set in the Alastor Cluster - "a node of thirty thousand live stars, uncounted dead hulks and vast quantities of interstellar detritus" - ruled by the enigmatic Connatic. he basically leaves the worlds in his care to their own devices, unless what can only be called human rights violations come to his attention. the three books are classic Jack Vance in that they each detail unusual human societies prone to both navel-gazing and fetishistic rituals; all three are basically standalones, with only their place in the Alastor Cluster and the Connatic himself linking them together - at least on the level of plot. the first book details the bizarre and insular Rhune of Marune: Alastor 933; the second presents the much more relaxed and unpretentious Trill of Trullion: Alastor 2262. the nation of Arrabus on the planet Wyst combines traits from both worlds, and the result is not a pretty one. the Arrabines are certainly as lazy as the Trill but lack that culture's mainly benign, easy-going ways; they are prey to the same toxic tunnel-vision as the Rhune, but lack that culture's sophistication and strength. Arrabines are pleasure-addicted fools whose enslavement to easy comforts go hand-in-hand with their willingness to sacrifice certain freedoms for those comforts. as a people they are doomed to failure, and not even a particularly resonant or interesting failure at that.
the story's protagonist is a youthful visitor to the planet by the name of Jantiff Ravensroke. that name is perhaps the most striking thing about him. he has the typical qualities of most Vancean protagonists: diffident, nonchalant, basically decent. those traits are paired with a marked lack of decisiveness that makes Jantiff understandable and relatable - the young man in search of himself - but his surprising passivity also makes him rather uninteresting. the combination of insipid culture and unassertive protagonist make Wyst: Alastor 1716 the least entertaining of the three Alastor books, despite its compelling themes.
still, this a good book. per usual, Vance's prose is a marvel of wit, economy, and style. even a culture as static as Arrabus' is a pleasure to read about when seen through the author's sardonic and dispassionate eyes, a gaze which also turn Jantiff's various bouts of soul-searching into something more amusing than annoying. and despite the carefully deliberate pacing, it has an ending that in short order manages to detail mass murder on a horrific scale, the apprehending and very unusual punishment of the villains responsible, the ins and outs of being the Connatic, and an exciting new path for Jantiff that lies beyond the final page. I left Wyst satisfied....more
features an eerie journey underground and an increasingly amusing journey above ground as Adam finally meets the right girl while desperately racing bfeatures an eerie journey underground and an increasingly amusing journey above ground as Adam finally meets the right girl while desperately racing back to the starship that has at long last been built and is ready for that much-delayed journey to Earth.
summary: Creepy creatures dwell below; sunlit love throbs above.
Adam enters two very different hunting grounds at the mercy of one very aggro alien race. it is full of Adam turning the tables on the bizarrely aggreAdam enters two very different hunting grounds at the mercy of one very aggro alien race. it is full of Adam turning the tables on the bizarrely aggressive Dirdir and various unpleasant human assholes, often using amusingly outside-of-the-box tactics. this novel also has Adam crying with relief after he finds a lost friend, which I thought was just the cutest thing.
summary: Hunting grounds built to hunt most humans don't take into consideration that Adam Reith is not most humans.
Adam explores more of Tschai as he attempts to carry out a rather eye-rolling plan to gain a starship and flee back to Earth. he takes in many sights Adam explores more of Tschai as he attempts to carry out a rather eye-rolling plan to gain a starship and flee back to Earth. he takes in many sights along the way via various water vehicles, and falls afoul of two cultures: the insanely stylized Yao and the sinister Wankhmen, who may have a very different relationship to their alien masters than outsiders realize. are these Wankhmen actually topping from the bottom?
summary: A travelogue featuring haunting journeys along haunting waterways as various communities are noted and often avoided.
this is my favorite of the four. I think that Vance is at his best when he describes relaxed water journeys full of contemplation on the topics of the strangeness of life and the fascinating oddness and diversity of human cultures.
details the arrival of one Adam Reith to the ancient world of Tschai. this is a world where men live in the shadow of four alien races who have long sdetails the arrival of one Adam Reith to the ancient world of Tschai. this is a world where men live in the shadow of four alien races who have long since made it clear that the human kind is the loser kind. Adam at first just wants to go home, but his burning anger at the injustice of it all means that he finds himself empowering his fellow humans into throwing off their shackles and fighting back for once in their loser lives.
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