A Feast Unknown

by Philip José Farmer

A Feast Unknown

by
Philip José Farmer

book data

35 ratings, 3.97 average rating, 7 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		27%
4		48%
3		15%
2		6%
1		3%

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published

January 1995 (first published 1969) by Rhinoceros Publications

binding

Paperback

setting

Unknown

isbn

1563332760 (isbn13: 9781563332760)

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Jamie rated it:

08/02/08

Read in January, 1992

recommends it for: Fans of pulp, action-adventure, erotica

Farmer was one of the first sci-fi authors I was exposed to when I first stepped outside of fantasy. By the point that I opened up A Feast Unknown I had already read his tales of Riverworld, Dayworld, the World of Tiers, and more. I had already read the Mother Was a Lovely Beast anthology about feral children and his fictional biography with the horrible name Tarzan Alive!—so I was well aware of Farmer's obsession with Mr. Of the Apes.

Pulp and related fiction was an ea...more Farmer was one of the first sci-fi authors I was exposed to when I first stepped outside of fantasy. By the point that I opened up A Feast Unknown I had already read his tales of Riverworld, Dayworld, the World of Tiers, and more. I had already read the Mother Was a Lovely Beast anthology about feral children and his fictional biography with the horrible name Tarzan Alive!—so I was well aware of Farmer's obsession with Mr. Of the Apes.

Pulp and related fiction was an early love for me, something I got into about the age of thirteen. I had already read stories by Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith (inspired by one of my favorite D&D modules of the time), and a Mr. Edgar Rice Burroughs. I learned how the Buster Crab and later versions of Tarzan were just so changed from the hero of the books -- who neither stupid nor illiterate. (The guy taught HIMSELF to read!) Even with some of the silly soap opera elements -- I mean, how many times can one hero suffer amnesia? -- I really enjoyed the Tarzan stories.

I had less exposure to Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze, but I was passingly familiar. I knew the basics of his backstory, knew that he lived in the Empire State Building, and would sometimes "cure" criminals by lobotomizing them. No, I'm not kidding.

The reason I mention both of these iconic pulp-era characters is that A Feast Unknown tells the tale of thinly disguised variations of Tarzan and Doc Savage. The pulps were written at a time when talk of sex was taboo, so while both Lord Greystoke and Clark Savage, Jr. were both powerful, handsome, and sometimes violent men, sex seems to the farthest thing from their minds. (Tarzan was a perfect gentleman to Jane when they were first alone and later did not cheat on her with the hot priestess of Opar even when he suffered from amnesia!) Farmer's basic premise seems to be simply putting sex back into the equation with these two, but then goes a bit further.

In modern times, such an exercise would probably be limited to a twisted fanfic, but this was nearly 40 years ago. Yet Farmer manages to redeem the book by not only giving a more "whole" psychological picture of Tarzan--er, "Lord Grandrith" but also explores the connection between sex and violence.

When I say connection, it becomes literal. Something snaps in the minds of the two "heroes," and they become incredibly aroused by acts of violence and even climax when they take a life. This is graphic, disturbing stuff, so I don't recommend it for people who don't care to read about gory, violent death along with the details of a man's ejaculation.

Not a great book. Considering some of the grand-scale crazy ideas Farmer has explored, this one almost seems a bit juvenile. But it's an interesting book. Farmer charges into areas most authors would be scared to even approach. His action is exciting, if a bit sick, and the psychological exploration of iconic characters is a nifty notion that I shall file away for a later day in my own writing.

Read at your own risk. At the end of the day, I'm glad I read it -- though at seventeen may have been a bit too young for the material....less

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