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Big Planet #2
Showboat World
Two deadly rivals fight a battle of wits along the treacherous waterways of an alien world.
In Showboat World, Jack Vance returns to the exotic and fantastic Big Planet, a world colonised by criminals and outcasts.
Apollon Zamp is adept at dodging the dangers of sailing a showboat from port to perilous port along the Vissel River. And his labours aren't helped by his archrival, Garth Ashgale, constantly threatening to undermine Zamp's plans. But their rivalry reaches boiling point when Zamp sets out to compete at the Grand Festival at Nornune, with a menacing Ashgale not far behind.
"One of the finest writers the science fiction field has ever known" Poul Anderson
In Showboat World, Jack Vance returns to the exotic and fantastic Big Planet, a world colonised by criminals and outcasts.
Apollon Zamp is adept at dodging the dangers of sailing a showboat from port to perilous port along the Vissel River. And his labours aren't helped by his archrival, Garth Ashgale, constantly threatening to undermine Zamp's plans. But their rivalry reaches boiling point when Zamp sets out to compete at the Grand Festival at Nornune, with a menacing Ashgale not far behind.
"One of the finest writers the science fiction field has ever known" Poul Anderson
171 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
16 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
Jack Vance
777 books1,591 followersAka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
October 27, 2022
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.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
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.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
June 1, 2021
First published in 1975, SW takes us back to the Big Planet but this is not a sequel. SW is close to being a farce and Vance must of had a lot of fun writing it. The story centers on two 'showboat' captains-- Zamp and Ashgale-- who have the finest showboats on the river. Showboats perform something like vaudeville acts when they stop in at various towns along the river; there are so many different acts (and some really funny ones) that it is impossible to describe them all. Nonetheless, these acts serve as something like icing on the cake, for the real story is the interactions among the showboat captains.
Far up the river a king as decried that the winner of a showboat contest will receive a palace and heaps of iron (Big Planet has little metal resources and iron serves as a currency like gold). Ashgale and Zamp engage in many clever ways to undermine each other before the contest; the dialogue is snarky and fun among them. The 'mystery' is a woman who attaches herself to Zamp's troupe; she is cold and regal and tells many lies.
The book's blurb states: "Amazing adventures of two wily rogues on a planet settled by Earth's misfits" is a pretty good one IMO. Unlike much of Vance's work, there is little in the way of social commentary or critique-- this is a space opera romp designed to take you away for a little while. 3.5 stars rounding up!
Far up the river a king as decried that the winner of a showboat contest will receive a palace and heaps of iron (Big Planet has little metal resources and iron serves as a currency like gold). Ashgale and Zamp engage in many clever ways to undermine each other before the contest; the dialogue is snarky and fun among them. The 'mystery' is a woman who attaches herself to Zamp's troupe; she is cold and regal and tells many lies.
The book's blurb states: "Amazing adventures of two wily rogues on a planet settled by Earth's misfits" is a pretty good one IMO. Unlike much of Vance's work, there is little in the way of social commentary or critique-- this is a space opera romp designed to take you away for a little while. 3.5 stars rounding up!
November 10, 2015
With the possible exception of ‘Space Opera’, a joke-novel written as if P. G. Wodehouse were to write science-fiction, ‘The Magnificent Showboats’, originally published as ‘Showboat World’, is surely Jack Vance’s most outrageously over-the-top novel, at least outside of his pure fantasies. The full restored title is ‘The Magnificent Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII, Big Planet.’
Although it is framed as a companion-piece to Vance’s early novel ‘Big Planet’, which is considered by knowledgeable critics to be a forerunner of the ‘planetary romance’ genre, and which involves some fairly serious world-building, ‘The Magnificent Showboats’ could not by any stretch of the imagination be called science-fiction. It is an outright comic fantasia that owes more to old Hollywood movies than it does to science fiction: a pungent and beguiling mix of ‘Showboat’ and ‘Boom Town’ (the Clark Gable/Spencer Tracy vehicle about duelling oil-barons), set in a typically exotic Vancian world and featuring the colourful language and off-colour humour that came so naturally to Vance.
The story of theatrical impresarios – high-class carnies - striving to outdo each other with ever more fantastical performances aboard their showboats, as they travel upriver through ever more fantastical landscapes, is really just an excuse for Vance to let loose with ever more fantastical inventions and theatrical jokes, and the book is none the worse for that. To his credit Vance does not allow extravagance to rob the story of a certain narrative direction (which involves many digressions), but it is the journey that we enjoy – literally – rather than the destination.
Although it is framed as a companion-piece to Vance’s early novel ‘Big Planet’, which is considered by knowledgeable critics to be a forerunner of the ‘planetary romance’ genre, and which involves some fairly serious world-building, ‘The Magnificent Showboats’ could not by any stretch of the imagination be called science-fiction. It is an outright comic fantasia that owes more to old Hollywood movies than it does to science fiction: a pungent and beguiling mix of ‘Showboat’ and ‘Boom Town’ (the Clark Gable/Spencer Tracy vehicle about duelling oil-barons), set in a typically exotic Vancian world and featuring the colourful language and off-colour humour that came so naturally to Vance.
The story of theatrical impresarios – high-class carnies - striving to outdo each other with ever more fantastical performances aboard their showboats, as they travel upriver through ever more fantastical landscapes, is really just an excuse for Vance to let loose with ever more fantastical inventions and theatrical jokes, and the book is none the worse for that. To his credit Vance does not allow extravagance to rob the story of a certain narrative direction (which involves many digressions), but it is the journey that we enjoy – literally – rather than the destination.
July 19, 2013
Showboat World is not a sequel to Big Planet. It shares the first book's planetary setting and introduces new, native characters and a different scenario, revolving around the traveling 'showboats' that ply entertainment spectacles around the Tinsitala Steppe region.
The back cover led me to believe that the book amounts to a showdown between the rival boatmasters Apollon Zamp and Garth Ashgale, but this proved inaccurate: the conflict between these two was largely relegated to the first third. Likewise, Big Planet's weird societies, here, are not really the menacing obstacles of the first book. Instead they form the background element for the interplay between and competition among the central characters: the scoundrel Apollon Zamp, the mysterious and strangely detached Damsel Blanche-Aster, and the parsimonious and unadventurous Throdorus Gasson. All work at cross purposes to one another towards sometimes incompatible goals (whether this be escaping with one's hide intact, reaching the distant Mormune for a performance competition, or avoiding the amorous advances of Zamp and Gasson) and this results in a complicated three-way dance of bluster, negotiation, conciliation, and obstinate refusal.
Much of the book is therefore assorted bickering and lack of plot advancement, which made it--especially the middle third or so--extremely difficult for me to read. Each protagonist had an odious quality that seemed to hamper progress, whether it be Zamp's unwelcome advances upon Damsel B-A, the Damsel's lifelessness, or Gasson's unenterprising and conservative nature.
The back cover led me to believe that the book amounts to a showdown between the rival boatmasters Apollon Zamp and Garth Ashgale, but this proved inaccurate: the conflict between these two was largely relegated to the first third. Likewise, Big Planet's weird societies, here, are not really the menacing obstacles of the first book. Instead they form the background element for the interplay between and competition among the central characters: the scoundrel Apollon Zamp, the mysterious and strangely detached Damsel Blanche-Aster, and the parsimonious and unadventurous Throdorus Gasson. All work at cross purposes to one another towards sometimes incompatible goals (whether this be escaping with one's hide intact, reaching the distant Mormune for a performance competition, or avoiding the amorous advances of Zamp and Gasson) and this results in a complicated three-way dance of bluster, negotiation, conciliation, and obstinate refusal.
Much of the book is therefore assorted bickering and lack of plot advancement, which made it--especially the middle third or so--extremely difficult for me to read. Each protagonist had an odious quality that seemed to hamper progress, whether it be Zamp's unwelcome advances upon Damsel B-A, the Damsel's lifelessness, or Gasson's unenterprising and conservative nature.
May 13, 2009
I really love Vance when he does his silly-yet-arch routine, much more so than the more serious stuff of his I’ve attempted such as the Demon Princes. Not really fantasy and certainly not really science fiction in any but the softest sense, this novel takes place on a planet covered in rivers where roving bands of entertainers ruthlessly compete for audiences and dockspace. I’m usually not one for cultural references in my second-world stuff but Vance has some choice Macbeth references in here.
June 20, 2019
Classic Vance. Entertaining, lots of humour, fascinating, extremely well written stylistically. The one BIG reproach I must make towards Vance, is that he spoiled all other SF or fantasy writers for me. No one can write like Vance. Vance has set the standard so high, that every other author is at best mediocre. Ah well....
May 30, 2024
Showboat World was first published in 1975. In 1983 it was reissued under the title Showboat World: The Magnificent Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII South, Big Planet. In 2011 it was issued as an e-book under the title The Magnificent Showboats. My copy is 217 pages long. Although it is described as being part two of the Big Planet series, it is not a sequel to Vance's Big Planet, a novel that was first published 23 years earlier in 1952. Vance only uses the planet called Big Planet for the setting. None of the characters or story line are shared. Even some things about the planet have changed so that it now has a moon whereas the original Big Planet did not have any moons. But it is still a huge planet that was settled by religious fanatics, cultists, misfits and other people who fled Earth years ago. There is no central government and each town has its own customs, rules, laws, religion, and culture. Because there is almost no heavy metal on Big Planet, it has never been technologically developed and pieces of iron are used like money.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The novel that does have some similarity with Showboat World is Vance's Space Opera. In Space Opera a traveling opera group visits different planets to offer opera performances. Each planet has different customs, rules, beliefs, tastes, etc. so that each performance is received differently. In Showboat World the boats move up and down a long river called the Vissel and each village or town they stop at has totally different people with varying reactions to the shows. Both novels are very funny and will be appreciated by those who enjoy Vance's humor.
Vance often presents odd or interesting characters rather than likeable ones and sometimes offers us protagonists who are even outright scoundrels. Here we have the self centered, unlikable main character Apollon Zamp captain of the showboat Miraldra's Enchantment. He specializes in entertainment that includes acrobats, actors and lighter entertainment. His main rival is unscrupulous Garth Ashgale who is captain of the Fironzelle's Golden Conceit. Ashgale offers lavish performances of a more serious nature. Both want to enter their showboats in a contest with rich rewards sponsored by the king of Mornune. This kingdom is up the river on the other side of The Bottomless Lake. Traveling there involves a river journey past dangerous nomadic tribes, slavers and knights who demand exorbitant fees for passage. Zamp and Ashgale also do everything they can to sabotage each others showboats and chances of winning the contest.
When Zamp's showboat is destroyed by an angry audience, he negotiates an agreement with another boat owner, Throdorus Gasson. Gasson owns a boat that is a floating museum but is tempted take Zamp on as a partner and rename his ship the Miraldra's Enchantment if Zamp and his troupe will perform a serious, ancient, Earth play instead of one of their frivolous acts. Zamp agrees and Gasson chooses Shakespeare's Macbeth. Zamp wants to entertain the audiences so he can make money and eventually win the prize offered by the king of Mornune. Gasson is a historian and scholar and wants the performance to be as authentic as possible. Each river town they visit has a very different culture so what entertains one town can offend another. The negotiations about how much to adapt or compromise Macbeth and the varied receptions it receives in each town was satirical and often quite hilarious. Being familiar with Shakespeare's play adds to the reader's amusement.
Both Zamp and Gasson are infatuated with an attractive woman, Damsel Blanche-Aster. Gasson is boring but respectful. Zamp harasses her and is selfish, vain and obnoxious. If you need to have a likeable character in a novel, want a tight plot and don't appreciate Vance's humor, this novel is not for you. This is a light, comical, easy to read novel that is over the top and not intended to be serious. Being in the future and on another planet appears to be its only claim to being science fiction. For the most part it is a humorous fantasy novel. I've read it twice now in the past few years and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The novel that does have some similarity with Showboat World is Vance's Space Opera. In Space Opera a traveling opera group visits different planets to offer opera performances. Each planet has different customs, rules, beliefs, tastes, etc. so that each performance is received differently. In Showboat World the boats move up and down a long river called the Vissel and each village or town they stop at has totally different people with varying reactions to the shows. Both novels are very funny and will be appreciated by those who enjoy Vance's humor.
Vance often presents odd or interesting characters rather than likeable ones and sometimes offers us protagonists who are even outright scoundrels. Here we have the self centered, unlikable main character Apollon Zamp captain of the showboat Miraldra's Enchantment. He specializes in entertainment that includes acrobats, actors and lighter entertainment. His main rival is unscrupulous Garth Ashgale who is captain of the Fironzelle's Golden Conceit. Ashgale offers lavish performances of a more serious nature. Both want to enter their showboats in a contest with rich rewards sponsored by the king of Mornune. This kingdom is up the river on the other side of The Bottomless Lake. Traveling there involves a river journey past dangerous nomadic tribes, slavers and knights who demand exorbitant fees for passage. Zamp and Ashgale also do everything they can to sabotage each others showboats and chances of winning the contest.
When Zamp's showboat is destroyed by an angry audience, he negotiates an agreement with another boat owner, Throdorus Gasson. Gasson owns a boat that is a floating museum but is tempted take Zamp on as a partner and rename his ship the Miraldra's Enchantment if Zamp and his troupe will perform a serious, ancient, Earth play instead of one of their frivolous acts. Zamp agrees and Gasson chooses Shakespeare's Macbeth. Zamp wants to entertain the audiences so he can make money and eventually win the prize offered by the king of Mornune. Gasson is a historian and scholar and wants the performance to be as authentic as possible. Each river town they visit has a very different culture so what entertains one town can offend another. The negotiations about how much to adapt or compromise Macbeth and the varied receptions it receives in each town was satirical and often quite hilarious. Being familiar with Shakespeare's play adds to the reader's amusement.
Both Zamp and Gasson are infatuated with an attractive woman, Damsel Blanche-Aster. Gasson is boring but respectful. Zamp harasses her and is selfish, vain and obnoxious. If you need to have a likeable character in a novel, want a tight plot and don't appreciate Vance's humor, this novel is not for you. This is a light, comical, easy to read novel that is over the top and not intended to be serious. Being in the future and on another planet appears to be its only claim to being science fiction. For the most part it is a humorous fantasy novel. I've read it twice now in the past few years and thoroughly enjoyed it both times.
November 30, 2023
Reading Showboat World, I felt like I was back home on the Dying Earth. Although the setting does not have a cabal of megalomaniacal sorcerers or a mood of pre-apocalyptic decadence to unify it, the Westernesque backdrop and riverboating culture work almost as well, and the plot is as tightly wound as its length is tightly bound.
Despite the prurient sexism his characters (and their author) often display, Vance could occasionally craft a dynamic female figure, and Damsel Blanche-Aster must rank with his best. Though it is a shame she doesn't appear on the page as frequently as the men who lust after her, her skill at dissimulation more than matches them, and at times I thought she could have become Vance's first female antihero. Maybe someone else ought to take up the task.
Despite the prurient sexism his characters (and their author) often display, Vance could occasionally craft a dynamic female figure, and Damsel Blanche-Aster must rank with his best. Though it is a shame she doesn't appear on the page as frequently as the men who lust after her, her skill at dissimulation more than matches them, and at times I thought she could have become Vance's first female antihero. Maybe someone else ought to take up the task.
February 11, 2019
Showboat World is very much its own story and not a sequel to anything, but in terms of its use of the setting of 'Big Planet' is a world-sequel to the earlier Vance novel of that name. While Big Planet built the fascinating world of of a super large but extremely low density and iron poor world that would be one of the most formative works of the planetary romance genre, Showboat World is the far superior story.
With this setting combined with many of the themes present in 'Space Opera', Vance wrote SW into a work that surpasses either in creativity and enjoyment. Focusing on just one of the continents of Big Planet, one dominated by a vast river system along which numerous bizarre cultures congregate, and one profession: the showboats that chart the river providing live shows like traveling troubadours. Here we meet three protagonists who more often than not are scheming against each other for their own ends, and a few antagonists they come across-as well as their journey to the most potentially impactful show of them all all the way up at the half-known headwaters of the giant river.
This is one of the works where Vance's ability to craft luxuriant, alien, and sleazy cultures is on full display.
With this setting combined with many of the themes present in 'Space Opera', Vance wrote SW into a work that surpasses either in creativity and enjoyment. Focusing on just one of the continents of Big Planet, one dominated by a vast river system along which numerous bizarre cultures congregate, and one profession: the showboats that chart the river providing live shows like traveling troubadours. Here we meet three protagonists who more often than not are scheming against each other for their own ends, and a few antagonists they come across-as well as their journey to the most potentially impactful show of them all all the way up at the half-known headwaters of the giant river.
This is one of the works where Vance's ability to craft luxuriant, alien, and sleazy cultures is on full display.
August 4, 2021
Truly an excellent story. One of the best endings I've ever come across. I think this will be the book I recommend to people who have never read Vance before.
July 6, 2022
4.5 stars. An ultimately inconsequential and frivolous but ridiculously enjoyable novel.
September 28, 2017
Střihnul jsem si dalšího Jacka Vanceho, knihu, která nese plný titul: The Magnificent Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII South, Big Planet. Titul je dlouhý, kniha, jak bylo v té době slušným zvykem, krátká. Příběh je jednoduchý - na obří planetě protkané mohutnou řekou, plují divadelní lodě, které bojují mezi sebou o zájem diváků... a s diváky o zaplacení vstupného. A teď dostanou příležitost hrát před králem o obří cenu. Bohužel je království v neprozkoumané části řeky... a k tomu každé město, které potkávají, je svým vlastním způsobem podivné a diváky mohou urazit zcela jiné věci.
Je to klasický Vance, takže, i když je to sci-fi, je to opět spíš putovní fantasy, složené z kratších epizod, kdy jen čekáte, co se zase podělá a odkud přijdou problémy (v tom je asi nejlepší první město, kde to jde v černém humoru nejdál). Jinak se, jak je u Vanceho zvykem, řeší hlavně otázky financí, jak z koho co nejvíc vymáčknout. Myslím, že většina dialogů v knize se točí kolem smlouvání. Nechtěl bych Jacku Vancovi půjčovat peníze.
Hrdina je tu opět poměrně extravagantní parchant, který zneužívá koho může a manipuluje se všemi. Chvílemi je to, jako kdyby Woodehousův Jeeves vzdal kariéru služebníka a rozhodl se prorazit v mimozemském šoubyznysu. Čemuž taky odpovídá i absolutní tlumení jakýchkoliv emocí.
Není to nijak převratná věc, ale Vanceho styl, míchající barokní jazykovou opulentnost s odměřenou cyničností, bizarními světy, kde na každém kroku číhá nějaké podivné nebezpečí a téměř absolutní absencí morálky (byť tenhle hrdina je proti Cugelovi vyložený charakter) mi nějakým zvláštním způsobem sedí.
Je to klasický Vance, takže, i když je to sci-fi, je to opět spíš putovní fantasy, složené z kratších epizod, kdy jen čekáte, co se zase podělá a odkud přijdou problémy (v tom je asi nejlepší první město, kde to jde v černém humoru nejdál). Jinak se, jak je u Vanceho zvykem, řeší hlavně otázky financí, jak z koho co nejvíc vymáčknout. Myslím, že většina dialogů v knize se točí kolem smlouvání. Nechtěl bych Jacku Vancovi půjčovat peníze.
Hrdina je tu opět poměrně extravagantní parchant, který zneužívá koho může a manipuluje se všemi. Chvílemi je to, jako kdyby Woodehousův Jeeves vzdal kariéru služebníka a rozhodl se prorazit v mimozemském šoubyznysu. Čemuž taky odpovídá i absolutní tlumení jakýchkoliv emocí.
Není to nijak převratná věc, ale Vanceho styl, míchající barokní jazykovou opulentnost s odměřenou cyničností, bizarními světy, kde na každém kroku číhá nějaké podivné nebezpečí a téměř absolutní absencí morálky (byť tenhle hrdina je proti Cugelovi vyložený charakter) mi nějakým zvláštním způsobem sedí.
November 26, 2011
Apollon Zamp, master of the Showboat Miraldra's Enchantment has just been informed of a contest held by King Waldemar for the best entertainment. He almost misses the preliminary competition because of the machinations of rival Garth Ashdale, which rivalry continues throughout the the journey undertaken toward the final tournament, staging exhibitions at various and multifarious hamlets along the way. Comic tragedy befalls at times, at others no small profit. This is Big Planet, of course, and if you're not familiar it was colonized by refugees from assorted marginalized groups, religious cults, and barbarians of Earth. These settlements and civilizations have remained apart and retained their flavor. Each has interesting laws and prejudices that the showmaster has to contend with in staging his productions, sometimes with unfortunate results. Vance's strengths lie in describing these denizens and Zamp's productions. His weakness is creating sympathetic characters. It may be that he intends the reader to not mind as much when tragedy befalls his characters if we don't really like them. I suppose I was compelled to continue reading, and I do feel that I enjoyed the book, so Vance largely succeeded. I also think that Vance intended to set more books on Big Planet, and it's unfortunate that he hasn't because it's a very interesting place.
November 5, 2019
Although the setting is the same as in Big Planet, actually it might be elsewhere. There is nothing in common with the former novel apart from the title, some background setting and the unexplained origin of the diverse people and communities, if you are inclined to think so.
Nevertheless, here is Vance as a master storyteller. In Big Planet the outcome is nice and praise is given by being a first novel on exploring new societies, but not excelling in the overall story. Here Vance has mastered his style and honed his skills after more of 25 years in the job. And it shows.
One just wonders why so many authors consistently pour out plumbean tomes on multi-volume series when on less than 17o pages you can have a magnificent story. Ah! But this is Vance, of course, the master of them all.
Nevertheless, here is Vance as a master storyteller. In Big Planet the outcome is nice and praise is given by being a first novel on exploring new societies, but not excelling in the overall story. Here Vance has mastered his style and honed his skills after more of 25 years in the job. And it shows.
One just wonders why so many authors consistently pour out plumbean tomes on multi-volume series when on less than 17o pages you can have a magnificent story. Ah! But this is Vance, of course, the master of them all.
May 7, 2017
This short novel involves a troupe of actors traveling by riverboat on a technologically backward planet. Through a series of misfortunes, the group ends up repeatedly staging variations of Macbeth while hoping to win first prize in competition held in a remote and hostile kingdom. Comedy ensues.
Showboat World is vintage Vance and though it might not one of his more admired works, it displays all the qualities that made Vance what he was: a true American original with a distinctive writing style characterized by verbal cleverness, a broad and occasionally obscure vocabulary, an appreciation of misfits and a thorough-going sense of humorous coincidence.
Showboat World is vintage Vance and though it might not one of his more admired works, it displays all the qualities that made Vance what he was: a true American original with a distinctive writing style characterized by verbal cleverness, a broad and occasionally obscure vocabulary, an appreciation of misfits and a thorough-going sense of humorous coincidence.
July 5, 2020
Sur le fleuve Vissel naviguent des troupes itinérantes, faisant escale de village en village pour jouer des pièces de théâtre ou amuser les spectateurs avec des farces. Apollon Zamp, patron du bateau L’Enchantement de Miraldra, est l’un des meilleurs et rivalise continuellement avec Garth Ashdale. Tous deux cherchent à être la troupe sélectionnée dans sa région pour avoir le droit de participer au grand concours de Mormune, où le vainqueur gagnera l’anoblissement et la richesse… Mais voilà, ils sont tous deux retors sous des dehors diplomates, et chacun est persuadé de sa supériorité artistique et de la vulgarité des pièces de son concurrent…
Zamp subira heurs et malheurs, et rencontrera lors de son périple Throdorus Gassom, directeur de musée encore plus fier et convaincu de sa culture voire un peu fat, ainsi que Dame Blanche-Aster, belle jeune femme distante et mystérieuse, intelligente et un brin manipulatrice. En réalité, dans ce microcosme de baladins, tout le monde est un peu roublard, tout le monde cherche à doubler l’autre. Il est souvent divertissant de lire entre les lignes des conversations qui sont pleines de sous-entendus, et où les protagonistes mentent et insinuent que l’autre ment aussi… Et personne n’est dupe, les tromperies et les coups bas sont nombreux !
L’écriture est plus mature que les autres romans de l’auteur que j’ai lu jusqu’ici. Les personnages, hauts en couleur, sont beaucoup plus approfondis et réalistes dans leurs défauts si humains sous des airs théâtraux plutôt amusants, l’atmosphère est parfaitement évoquée au détour d’une phrase, et les retournements de situations sont fréquents. Le plaisir de lecture est d’autant plus grand. Et comme nous sommes chez Jack Vance, chaque ville ou village traversé a ses coutumes et ses tabous que les baladins transgressent régulièrement sans le savoir, les obligeant à fuir précipitamment. Le comique de situation est présent maintes fois dans cet ouvrage, contribuant à donner un ton pittoresque à ce voyage qui se déroule dans des décors et des paysages fruits de l’imagination débordante de l’auteur.
Dans ce contexte de comédie truculente, l’auteur n’hésite pas à se faire chamailler (il n’y a parfois pas d’autres mots) les protagonistes pour savoir quel type de pièce présenter, entre la farce qui attire le tout-venant, et la pièce classique qui élève les esprits mais est moins commerciale. Question récurrente pour toute personne qui aimerait promouvoir la culture !
Ce roman fait « suite » à La Planète Géante, qui m’avait laissé un sentiment mitigé. En réalité, Les Baladins raconte une histoire indépendante. L’auteur publie en guise de prologue un « extrait du guide des planètes habitées » qui lui permet de rappeler ce qu’il faut savoir sur la planète. Il n’est donc pas nécessaire d’avoir lu le premier roman pour apprécier Les Baladins, et c’est tant mieux car tous les éléments sont meilleurs : les personnages, la région traversée, et l’intrigue pleine de rebondissements, dans une atmosphère théâtrale au propre comme au figuré.
Un très bon Jack Vance !
Zamp subira heurs et malheurs, et rencontrera lors de son périple Throdorus Gassom, directeur de musée encore plus fier et convaincu de sa culture voire un peu fat, ainsi que Dame Blanche-Aster, belle jeune femme distante et mystérieuse, intelligente et un brin manipulatrice. En réalité, dans ce microcosme de baladins, tout le monde est un peu roublard, tout le monde cherche à doubler l’autre. Il est souvent divertissant de lire entre les lignes des conversations qui sont pleines de sous-entendus, et où les protagonistes mentent et insinuent que l’autre ment aussi… Et personne n’est dupe, les tromperies et les coups bas sont nombreux !
L’écriture est plus mature que les autres romans de l’auteur que j’ai lu jusqu’ici. Les personnages, hauts en couleur, sont beaucoup plus approfondis et réalistes dans leurs défauts si humains sous des airs théâtraux plutôt amusants, l’atmosphère est parfaitement évoquée au détour d’une phrase, et les retournements de situations sont fréquents. Le plaisir de lecture est d’autant plus grand. Et comme nous sommes chez Jack Vance, chaque ville ou village traversé a ses coutumes et ses tabous que les baladins transgressent régulièrement sans le savoir, les obligeant à fuir précipitamment. Le comique de situation est présent maintes fois dans cet ouvrage, contribuant à donner un ton pittoresque à ce voyage qui se déroule dans des décors et des paysages fruits de l’imagination débordante de l’auteur.
Dans ce contexte de comédie truculente, l’auteur n’hésite pas à se faire chamailler (il n’y a parfois pas d’autres mots) les protagonistes pour savoir quel type de pièce présenter, entre la farce qui attire le tout-venant, et la pièce classique qui élève les esprits mais est moins commerciale. Question récurrente pour toute personne qui aimerait promouvoir la culture !
Ce roman fait « suite » à La Planète Géante, qui m’avait laissé un sentiment mitigé. En réalité, Les Baladins raconte une histoire indépendante. L’auteur publie en guise de prologue un « extrait du guide des planètes habitées » qui lui permet de rappeler ce qu’il faut savoir sur la planète. Il n’est donc pas nécessaire d’avoir lu le premier roman pour apprécier Les Baladins, et c’est tant mieux car tous les éléments sont meilleurs : les personnages, la région traversée, et l’intrigue pleine de rebondissements, dans une atmosphère théâtrale au propre comme au figuré.
Un très bon Jack Vance !
February 15, 2026
Jack Vance’s Showboat World was first published in 1975. I read the DAW edition of 1981, with cover art by David Mattingly. Showboat World is considered a kind of sequel to Big Planet, as it also takes place on Big Planet. However, aside from sharing this location, the two books have nothing in common. Moreover, Showboat World was written twenty years after Big Planet, and the later book displays Vance’s fully developed style.
The marvellous showboats ply the River Vissel and its tributaries, stopping at a port here and there to present a show for the edification of the local populace. Boat captains Garth Ashgale and Apollon Zamp are fierce rivals. The two other key characters are Damsel Blanche Aster and Throdorus Gassoon. The story involves a journey up the river to Mornune, where the king has declared a competition among the showboats. Great riches will go to the company offering the best performance.
Vance introduces us to many of the settlements and towns along the Vissel. One of his great strengths as a science-fiction writer is his presentation of bizarre and interesting societies on alien worlds. Each stop along the Vissel or one of its tributaries gives Vance the opportunity to display such a society, and they are all varied and distinct.
The sociological and anthropological aspects of Showboat World are amusing. In addition, the four main characters are finely drawn. Zamp and Gassoon’s showboat is presenting a version of Macbeth, “a classical drama from medieval Old Earth.” Showboat World is a lot of fun—much better than its predecessor, Big Planet.
The marvellous showboats ply the River Vissel and its tributaries, stopping at a port here and there to present a show for the edification of the local populace. Boat captains Garth Ashgale and Apollon Zamp are fierce rivals. The two other key characters are Damsel Blanche Aster and Throdorus Gassoon. The story involves a journey up the river to Mornune, where the king has declared a competition among the showboats. Great riches will go to the company offering the best performance.
Vance introduces us to many of the settlements and towns along the Vissel. One of his great strengths as a science-fiction writer is his presentation of bizarre and interesting societies on alien worlds. Each stop along the Vissel or one of its tributaries gives Vance the opportunity to display such a society, and they are all varied and distinct.
The sociological and anthropological aspects of Showboat World are amusing. In addition, the four main characters are finely drawn. Zamp and Gassoon’s showboat is presenting a version of Macbeth, “a classical drama from medieval Old Earth.” Showboat World is a lot of fun—much better than its predecessor, Big Planet.
June 13, 2020
Questo è stato il mio primo approccio con Jack Vance, un autore molto acclamato, che però non mi ha conquistato. Il genere è fantascientifico, lo stesso della mia scorsa lettura, e anche stavolta non mi ha lasciato soddisfatto, non riesco proprio a digerire il genere.
In questo classico Jack Vance ci porta sul pianeta gigante, un'ambientazione già riportata in altri suoi scritti, stavolta però ci lascia scoprire alcuni attori delle Showboat. Come suggerisce il nome, sono delle navi con teatro annesso che, percorrendo un fiume che attraversa buona parte del pianeta, fa tappa in diverse città proponendo i propri spettacoli teatrali attraccando nei vari porti delle diverse città. L'autore ci lascia scoprire anche le diverse tribù e popolazioni che abitano il pianeta, sempre risalenti alla razza umana, ma ognuna con la proprià identità culturale e accomunate dalla continua ricerca dei materiali che sono sempre stati molto scarsi, infatti sul pianeta gigante anche il ferro è molto prezioso.
Il protagonista, Apollon Zamp è il comandante della Miraldra incantata e quando il Re decide di indire una competizione tra le migliori Showboat si ritroverà a gareggiare contro il suo rivale: Garth Ashgale.
L'idea di questa navi mi è piaciuta tantissimo e anche i personaggi sono ben caratterizzati, ciò che non mi è piaciuto è stata la trama, troppo piatta e noiosa per i miei gusti.
In questo classico Jack Vance ci porta sul pianeta gigante, un'ambientazione già riportata in altri suoi scritti, stavolta però ci lascia scoprire alcuni attori delle Showboat. Come suggerisce il nome, sono delle navi con teatro annesso che, percorrendo un fiume che attraversa buona parte del pianeta, fa tappa in diverse città proponendo i propri spettacoli teatrali attraccando nei vari porti delle diverse città. L'autore ci lascia scoprire anche le diverse tribù e popolazioni che abitano il pianeta, sempre risalenti alla razza umana, ma ognuna con la proprià identità culturale e accomunate dalla continua ricerca dei materiali che sono sempre stati molto scarsi, infatti sul pianeta gigante anche il ferro è molto prezioso.
Il protagonista, Apollon Zamp è il comandante della Miraldra incantata e quando il Re decide di indire una competizione tra le migliori Showboat si ritroverà a gareggiare contro il suo rivale: Garth Ashgale.
L'idea di questa navi mi è piaciuta tantissimo e anche i personaggi sono ben caratterizzati, ciò che non mi è piaciuto è stata la trama, troppo piatta e noiosa per i miei gusti.
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December 7, 2024A terrific read, very entertaining and highly recommended to Vance fans of Dying Earth stories as it is in that vein, although set on the Big Planet. (And features little sci-fi trappings as far as space travel, as it concerns those dwelling on a fully colonized planet already.) Though there are lots of episodes with silly village customs, turning of tables on roguish adversaries and so on, there's also a strange (maybe unique) plot about showboats-- traveling riverboats doing theatrical productions and the adventures, hijinks and chicanery involved in operating them.
July 14, 2020
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
"Big Planet is populated by Earth’s misfits. The massive landmass and low human population of the planet results in small settlements populated by drastically different cults/beliefs/social structures isolated from each other. Showboat captains ply the rivers of the lower Vissel basin offering entertainment to the disparate communities — carefully [...]"
"Big Planet is populated by Earth’s misfits. The massive landmass and low human population of the planet results in small settlements populated by drastically different cults/beliefs/social structures isolated from each other. Showboat captains ply the rivers of the lower Vissel basin offering entertainment to the disparate communities — carefully [...]"
June 21, 2023
This story about a trouple of floating theater performers can be seen as an accessible introduction to the work of Vance, although it is considerably more tame than most of his work. A nice read, without any scifi or magical aspects, not remarkable except for a subtle Vancian atmosphere.
December 23, 2021
Delightful from start to finish
April 25, 2024
2.5 stars.
Over-journeyed and oddly claustrophobic, finishing with a whimper of a climax. I found this to be neither an easy nor an enjoyable read.
Not recommended.
Over-journeyed and oddly claustrophobic, finishing with a whimper of a climax. I found this to be neither an easy nor an enjoyable read.
Not recommended.
September 20, 2024
Classic Vance: A witty, baroque, adventure on Big Planet in which riverboat showmen try to outdo one another as they seek fame and fortune.
Want to read
December 4, 2024A
October 31, 2025
2.98
Too many made up words even for a scifi book
Too many made up words even for a scifi book
December 22, 2020
A delightful Vancian feast!
January 19, 2025
An under appreciated (by me at least) example of high Vance. In some ways like an extended Cugel story (albeit with a smarter and less sociopathic protagonist). Considerably better than the original "Big Planet" from 1957, reading them back to back shows Vance growing into mastery. Five stars compared to almost any other sci-fi, still falls short of the absolute best Vance stories like the entire Dying Earth sequence
May 30, 2024
This novel was first published in 1975 under the title Showboat World. In 1983 it was reissued under the title Showboat World: The Magnificent Showboats of the Lower Vissel River, Lune XXIII South, Big Planet. In has also been published with the title The Magnificent Showboats. Although it is described as being part two of the Big Planet series, it is not a sequel to Vance's Big Planet, a novel that was first published 23 years earlier in 1952. Vance only uses the planet called Big Planet for the setting. None of the characters or story line are shared. Even some things about the planet have changed so that it now has a moon whereas the original Big Planet did not have any moons. But it is still a huge planet that was settled by religious fanatics, cultists, misfits and other people who fled Earth years ago. There is no central government and each town has its own customs, rules, laws, religion, and culture. Because there is almost no heavy metal on Big Planet, it has never been technologically developed and pieces of iron are used like money.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The novel that does have some similarity with Showboat World is Vance's Space Opera. In Space Opera a traveling opera group visits different planets to offer opera performances. Each planet has different customs, rules, beliefs, tastes, etc. so that each performance is received differently. In Showboat World the boats move up and down a long river called the Vissel and each village or town they stop at has totally different people with varying reactions to the shows. Both novels are very funny and will be appreciated by those who enjoy Vance's humor.
Vance often presents odd or interesting characters rather than likeable ones and sometimes offers us protagonists who are even outright scoundrels. Here we have the self centered, unlikable main character Apollon Zamp captain of the showboat Miraldra's Enchantment. He specializes in entertainment that includes acrobats, actors and lighter entertainment. His main rival is unscrupulous Garth Ashgale who is captain of the Fironzelle's Golden Conceit. Ashgale offers lavish performances of a more serious nature. Both want to enter their showboats in a contest with rich rewards sponsored by the king of Mornune. This kingdom is up the river on the other side of The Bottomless Lake. Traveling there involves a river journey past dangerous nomadic tribes, slavers and knights who demand exorbitant fees for passage. Zamp and Ashgale also do everything they can to sabotage each others showboats and chances of winning the contest.
When Zamp's showboat is destroyed by an angry audience, he negotiates an agreement with another boat owner, Throdorus Gasson. Gasson owns a boat that is a floating museum but is tempted take Zamp on as a partner and rename his ship the Miraldra's Enchantment if Zamp and his troupe will perform a serious, ancient, Earth play instead of one of their frivolous acts. Zamp agrees and Gasson chooses Shakespeare's Macbeth. Zamp wants to entertain the audiences so he can make money and eventually win the prize offered by the king of Mornune. Gasson is a historian and scholar and wants the performance to be as authentic as possible. Each river town they visit has a very different culture so what entertains one town can offend another. The negotiations about how much to adapt or compromise Macbeth and the varied receptions it receives in each town was satirical and often quite hilarious. Being familiar with Shakespeare's play adds to the reader's amusement.
Both Zamp and Gasson are infatuated with an attractive woman, Damsel Blanche-Aster. Gasson is boring but respectful. Zamp harasses her and is selfish, vain and obnoxious. If you need to have a likeable character in a novel, want a tight plot and don't appreciate Vance's humor, this novel is not for you. This is a light, comical, easy to read novel that is over the top and not intended to be serious. Being in the future and on another planet appears to be its only claim to being science fiction. For the most part it is a humorous fantasy novel. I've read it twice now in the past few years and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. I rate it a 4.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The novel that does have some similarity with Showboat World is Vance's Space Opera. In Space Opera a traveling opera group visits different planets to offer opera performances. Each planet has different customs, rules, beliefs, tastes, etc. so that each performance is received differently. In Showboat World the boats move up and down a long river called the Vissel and each village or town they stop at has totally different people with varying reactions to the shows. Both novels are very funny and will be appreciated by those who enjoy Vance's humor.
Vance often presents odd or interesting characters rather than likeable ones and sometimes offers us protagonists who are even outright scoundrels. Here we have the self centered, unlikable main character Apollon Zamp captain of the showboat Miraldra's Enchantment. He specializes in entertainment that includes acrobats, actors and lighter entertainment. His main rival is unscrupulous Garth Ashgale who is captain of the Fironzelle's Golden Conceit. Ashgale offers lavish performances of a more serious nature. Both want to enter their showboats in a contest with rich rewards sponsored by the king of Mornune. This kingdom is up the river on the other side of The Bottomless Lake. Traveling there involves a river journey past dangerous nomadic tribes, slavers and knights who demand exorbitant fees for passage. Zamp and Ashgale also do everything they can to sabotage each others showboats and chances of winning the contest.
When Zamp's showboat is destroyed by an angry audience, he negotiates an agreement with another boat owner, Throdorus Gasson. Gasson owns a boat that is a floating museum but is tempted take Zamp on as a partner and rename his ship the Miraldra's Enchantment if Zamp and his troupe will perform a serious, ancient, Earth play instead of one of their frivolous acts. Zamp agrees and Gasson chooses Shakespeare's Macbeth. Zamp wants to entertain the audiences so he can make money and eventually win the prize offered by the king of Mornune. Gasson is a historian and scholar and wants the performance to be as authentic as possible. Each river town they visit has a very different culture so what entertains one town can offend another. The negotiations about how much to adapt or compromise Macbeth and the varied receptions it receives in each town was satirical and often quite hilarious. Being familiar with Shakespeare's play adds to the reader's amusement.
Both Zamp and Gasson are infatuated with an attractive woman, Damsel Blanche-Aster. Gasson is boring but respectful. Zamp harasses her and is selfish, vain and obnoxious. If you need to have a likeable character in a novel, want a tight plot and don't appreciate Vance's humor, this novel is not for you. This is a light, comical, easy to read novel that is over the top and not intended to be serious. Being in the future and on another planet appears to be its only claim to being science fiction. For the most part it is a humorous fantasy novel. I've read it twice now in the past few years and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. I rate it a 4.
January 9, 2018
Les Baladins de la Planète Géante nous font découvrir un monde hostile d'une façon très originale, à travers le regard d'une troupe de théâtre qui doit adapter ses spectacles pour plaire au public et ne pas offenser les populations, au risque de parfois trahir les oeuvres qu'ils jouent ou de devoir faire face à la colère des spectateurs. le personnage d'Apollon Zamp est également très riche en facéties, et vous verrez qu'il a plus d'un tour dans son sac !
https://leschroniquesduchroniqueur.wo...
https://leschroniquesduchroniqueur.wo...
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