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Царството на злото
Secretly and in stealth, four puny humans set out to invade the heartland of Evil - the so-called Empty Lands, filled with every evil creature from the darkest of mankind's myths.
Harcourt went reluctantly to rescue his long-lost and almost forgotten fiancee. The Knurly Man, who was somewhat other than quite human, went to find the death that would be kinder than the future he foresaw. The abbot sought to recapture a fabulous prism in which the soul of a saint had been trapped. And the girl Yolanda was seeking the answer to a mystery and a question she did not know.
But already their coming and their purpose was known. The denizens of the Empty Lands were girding for war.
And behind all the Evil lay the most ancient of dark Powers, waiting patiently for the humans whose souls should set it free.
Harcourt went reluctantly to rescue his long-lost and almost forgotten fiancee. The Knurly Man, who was somewhat other than quite human, went to find the death that would be kinder than the future he foresaw. The abbot sought to recapture a fabulous prism in which the soul of a saint had been trapped. And the girl Yolanda was seeking the answer to a mystery and a question she did not know.
But already their coming and their purpose was known. The denizens of the Empty Lands were girding for war.
And behind all the Evil lay the most ancient of dark Powers, waiting patiently for the humans whose souls should set it free.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
22 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Clifford D. Simak
965 books1,063 followers"He was honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award and was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) in 1977." (Wikipedia)
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
July 31, 2018
Well they can't all be winners - I suppose.
Cliff Simak is well known for his award wining sci-fi writing skills, so I was fascinated to see he had written a fantasy book. Unfortunately, Cliff should have stuck to his knitting. The plot was okay, but reading it was just plain boring.
Maybe I didn't enjoy it because I just don't like fantasy (with some notable exceptions - Misters George Martin and Tolkein), but I don't think so.
If you're a fan of Simak, stick to his sci-fi stuff; it's right up there with Arthur Clarke.
Cliff Simak is well known for his award wining sci-fi writing skills, so I was fascinated to see he had written a fantasy book. Unfortunately, Cliff should have stuck to his knitting. The plot was okay, but reading it was just plain boring.
Maybe I didn't enjoy it because I just don't like fantasy (with some notable exceptions - Misters George Martin and Tolkein), but I don't think so.
If you're a fan of Simak, stick to his sci-fi stuff; it's right up there with Arthur Clarke.
March 2, 2025
Ο Clifford D. Simak κάνει τη δική του υπέρβαση και φεύγει από τα στενά πλαίσια της soft sci-fi με τους καλοκάγαθους εξωγήινους και τους ανθρώπους στους οποίους πάντα μπορείς να ελπίζεις για το καλύτερο, τους γλυκύτατους average Joes του μπαίνοντας στα χωράφια του Fantasy και… το κάνει με το δικό του τρόπο, μέσα από ένα πρίσμα εναλλακτικής ιστορίας, dark fantasy και τρόμου (ΟΚ, ο τρόμος είναι σαν απόμακρη αίσθηση στο Background, ένας ζόφος στον ορίζοντα, δεν πηδάνε γκόμπλιν πάνω σας κάθε τρεις και λίγο).
Φυσικά, επειδή ο Simak είναι αυτός που είναι, πίσω από το προπέτασμα καπνού (ή… fog of war, όπως θα δείτε διαβάζοντας) μιας περιπέτειας, βρίσκεται μια μίνι μελέτη πάνω στην ανθρώπινη φύση όταν αυτή αντιμετωπίζει μια άγνωστη μη ποσοτικοποιήσιμη απειλή. Το Κακό δεν είναι ένας δράκος, ένας συντεταγμένος στρατός που επιτίθεται, ένας Σάρουμαν, ένας διεφθαρμένος εκτελωνιστής ή κακιασμένος κριτής στο X-Factor, είναι πέρα από την άμεση ανθρώπινη αντίληψη, ξεπερνά τα όρια των ανθρώπων και οι περιοχές που αυτό καλύπτει (απαγορευμένοι τόποι) δεν είναι απαραίτητα γεωγραφικές συντεταγμένες, όσο μια αλληγορία για το άγνωστο, τρόμος απέναντι σε μεταφυσικές δοξασίες, η αίσθηση των ανθρώπινων ορίων και ο φόβος που η σκέψη της υπέρβασής τους συνεπάγεται.
Και για μια φορά, ο Simak παύει να είναι τόσο καλούλης και γλυκούλης και επειδή έχει πένα γερή, βυθίζει όλο το έργο σε μια αίσθηση απειλής, ζόφου, επικείμενου θανάτου, τρόμου χειρότερου από αυτόν που νιώθω εγώ στη σκέψη ότι η γενιά που μεγάλωσε με tictok θα είναι οι γιατροί και οι νοσοκόμοι που θα με αναλάβουν στα γεράματα.
Σας έταξα όμως εναλλακτική ιστορία και ακόμη δεν έχω πει λέξη σχετικά. Ναι, βρισκόμαστε στην Ευρώπη, ή τουλάχιστον σε κάτι που θυμίζει το μεσαιωνικό ευρωπαϊκό χώρο, με περιπλανώμενους ιππότες και μια περιοχή όπου ο άνθρωπος δεν έχει θέση, τα σύνορα της ανθρωπότητας είναι δεδομένα, πέρα από αυτά βρίσκεται το κακό (the evil dwells), οι απαγορευμένοι τόποι γεμάτοι δαίμονες, αρχέγονες οντότητες, τερατάκια και φυσικά… φόβο.
Θα περίμενε κανείς, ο γερο-Clifford (όταν εκδόθηκε το βιβλίο ήταν 78 ετών) να το ρίξει στις επικές μάχες, ξίφη, ξόρκια, μπάλες φωτιάς… αχ, δεν τον ξέρετε καλά. Ναι, έχει τον απαραίτητο ιππότη που τριγυρίζει στις δημοσιές και τα λαγκάδια, έχει ένα μάγο και μερικούς ακόμη σχεδόν αρχετυπικούς fantasy χαρακτήρες -ο καθένας με χούγια και τα κίνητρά του, αλλά όχι, δε θα τους ρίξει στη μία μάχη μετά την άλλη, αντίθετα, θα αναδείξει την άγνοιά τους σχετικά με το τι υπάρχει στο… επέκεινα (εκεί που «the evil dwells») και μέσα από μια αργή διαδικασία θα τους οδηγήσει (χωρίς να τους αναπτύξει ιδιαίτερα, καθώς ζητούμενο είναι η ατμόσφαιρα και η γενική αίσθηση και όχι οι πράξεις ηρώων και προσωπικές δικαιώσεις ή επιτεύγματα) μέσω αλληλεπιδράσεων και βιωμάτων στην terra incognita όπου οι γνωστοί φυσικοί νόμοι δεν έχουν ισχύ και τα όρια μεταξύ πραγματικότητας και ψευδαίσθησης είναι ασαφή. Ακόμη και το τέλος του βιβλίου, αφήνει μια αίσθηση ότι δεν πάνε όλα όπως θα έπρεπε, ή για να το θέσω από μια λιγότερο ανθρωποκεντρική γωνία «όπως θα θέλαμε», με κυρίαρχη την αίσθηση ότι το κακό είναι πάνω από την ικανότητα των ανθρώπων να το αντιληφθούν σε όλο του το μεγαλείο και την έκταση…
Αν θέλετε επίπεδη περιπέτεια, απτούς εχθρούς, δράκους που βγάζουν φλόγες, επικές μάχες και famous last stands, πιλάλες με άλογα, «χμουώργκ», τον ήρωα να κερδίζει το κορίτσι στο τέλος και να το γκαστρώνει μέχρι να αποικίσουν μόνοι τους ολάκερη ήπειρο, είστε σε λάθος βιβλίο.
Το Where the Evil Dwells είναι ένα σκοτεινό παραμύθι, μια αλληγορία για την αδυναμία του ανθρώπου να συλλάβει έννοιες όπως το κακό στην ολότητά τους, οι ίδιοι οι ήρωες μοιάζουν πολύ μικροί για αυτό που μισοαντιλαμβάνονται ότι αντιμετωπίζουν, με ατμοσφαιρικό τρόμο, αλλά πραγματικά ατμοσφαιρικό, όχιχλαπάτσες φορσέ τρόμο τύπου King ή ακόμα χειρότερα Koontz, κάτι σαν εξώγαμο του Clive Barker με τον Neil Gaiman (αλλά κατ’ εμέ ανώτερο κι από τους δύο).
Φυσικά, επειδή ο Simak είναι αυτός που είναι, πίσω από το προπέτασμα καπνού (ή… fog of war, όπως θα δείτε διαβάζοντας) μιας περιπέτειας, βρίσκεται μια μίνι μελέτη πάνω στην ανθρώπινη φύση όταν αυτή αντιμετωπίζει μια άγνωστη μη ποσοτικοποιήσιμη απειλή. Το Κακό δεν είναι ένας δράκος, ένας συντεταγμένος στρατός που επιτίθεται, ένας Σάρουμαν, ένας διεφθαρμένος εκτελωνιστής ή κακιασμένος κριτής στο X-Factor, είναι πέρα από την άμεση ανθρώπινη αντίληψη, ξεπερνά τα όρια των ανθρώπων και οι περιοχές που αυτό καλύπτει (απαγορευμένοι τόποι) δεν είναι απαραίτητα γεωγραφικές συντεταγμένες, όσο μια αλληγορία για το άγνωστο, τρόμος απέναντι σε μεταφυσικές δοξασίες, η αίσθηση των ανθρώπινων ορίων και ο φόβος που η σκέψη της υπέρβασής τους συνεπάγεται.
Και για μια φορά, ο Simak παύει να είναι τόσο καλούλης και γλυκούλης και επειδή έχει πένα γερή, βυθίζει όλο το έργο σε μια αίσθηση απειλής, ζόφου, επικείμενου θανάτου, τρόμου χειρότερου από αυτόν που νιώθω εγώ στη σκέψη ότι η γενιά που μεγάλωσε με tictok θα είναι οι γιατροί και οι νοσοκόμοι που θα με αναλάβουν στα γεράματα.
Σας έταξα όμως εναλλακτική ιστορία και ακόμη δεν έχω πει λέξη σχετικά. Ναι, βρισκόμαστε στην Ευρώπη, ή τουλάχιστον σε κάτι που θυμίζει το μεσαιωνικό ευρωπαϊκό χώρο, με περιπλανώμενους ιππότες και μια περιοχή όπου ο άνθρωπος δεν έχει θέση, τα σύνορα της ανθρωπότητας είναι δεδομένα, πέρα από αυτά βρίσκεται το κακό (the evil dwells), οι απαγορευμένοι τόποι γεμάτοι δαίμονες, αρχέγονες οντότητες, τερατάκια και φυσικά… φόβο.
Θα περίμενε κανείς, ο γερο-Clifford (όταν εκδόθηκε το βιβλίο ήταν 78 ετών) να το ρίξει στις επικές μάχες, ξίφη, ξόρκια, μπάλες φωτιάς… αχ, δεν τον ξέρετε καλά. Ναι, έχει τον απαραίτητο ιππότη που τριγυρίζει στις δημοσιές και τα λαγκάδια, έχει ένα μάγο και μερικούς ακόμη σχεδόν αρχετυπικούς fantasy χαρακτήρες -ο καθένας με χούγια και τα κίνητρά του, αλλά όχι, δε θα τους ρίξει στη μία μάχη μετά την άλλη, αντίθετα, θα αναδείξει την άγνοιά τους σχετικά με το τι υπάρχει στο… επέκεινα (εκεί που «the evil dwells») και μέσα από μια αργή διαδικασία θα τους οδηγήσει (χωρίς να τους αναπτύξει ιδιαίτερα, καθώς ζητούμενο είναι η ατμόσφαιρα και η γενική αίσθηση και όχι οι πράξεις ηρώων και προσωπικές δικαιώσεις ή επιτεύγματα) μέσω αλληλεπιδράσεων και βιωμάτων στην terra incognita όπου οι γνωστοί φυσικοί νόμοι δεν έχουν ισχύ και τα όρια μεταξύ πραγματικότητας και ψευδαίσθησης είναι ασαφή. Ακόμη και το τέλος του βιβλίου, αφήνει μια αίσθηση ότι δεν πάνε όλα όπως θα έπρεπε, ή για να το θέσω από μια λιγότερο ανθρωποκεντρική γωνία «όπως θα θέλαμε», με κυρίαρχη την αίσθηση ότι το κακό είναι πάνω από την ικανότητα των ανθρώπων να το αντιληφθούν σε όλο του το μεγαλείο και την έκταση…
Αν θέλετε επίπεδη περιπέτεια, απτούς εχθρούς, δράκους που βγάζουν φλόγες, επικές μάχες και famous last stands, πιλάλες με άλογα, «χμουώργκ», τον ήρωα να κερδίζει το κορίτσι στο τέλος και να το γκαστρώνει μέχρι να αποικίσουν μόνοι τους ολάκερη ήπειρο, είστε σε λάθος βιβλίο.
Το Where the Evil Dwells είναι ένα σκοτεινό παραμύθι, μια αλληγορία για την αδυναμία του ανθρώπου να συλλάβει έννοιες όπως το κακό στην ολότητά τους, οι ίδιοι οι ήρωες μοιάζουν πολύ μικροί για αυτό που μισοαντιλαμβάνονται ότι αντιμετωπίζουν, με ατμοσφαιρικό τρόμο, αλλά πραγματικά ατμοσφαιρικό, όχι
December 18, 2024
This is a light fantasy quest novel with a group of characters who aren't especially likable, which matches the ending, all three of which are a little atypical for Simak, a long-time master of the science fiction genre. He threw in all of the fantasy tropes he could think of, I believe, whether they fit or not. There are some amusing discussions and good descriptions, a little too much religious speculation for my taste, and a terrific Michael Whelan cover on the Del Rey editions. It's a quick and enjoyable read if your expectations aren't too high, but it's really not representative of his other work.
October 25, 2015
Две неща мога да заявя за Клифърд Саймък:
1. Автор фантаст, който безкрайно уважавам
2. Изобщо не може да пише фентъзи.
"Царството на злото" е идеален пример за второто. Цялото действие може да проследите в анотацията на гърба на книгата. Точно така, нищо друго не се случва и е също толкова скучно. Има някаква хилядолетна римска империя, от която са главните действащи лица(сърце не ми дава да ги нарека герои), но устройството, имената и съществата в Пустата земя миришат на Англия от 16-17 век. Мотивите на приключенците са плоски, действието бавно и скапано описано, а края е никакъв.
Толкова.
1. Автор фантаст, който безкрайно уважавам
2. Изобщо не може да пише фентъзи.
"Царството на злото" е идеален пример за второто. Цялото действие може да проследите в анотацията на гърба на книгата. Точно така, нищо друго не се случва и е също толкова скучно. Има някаква хилядолетна римска империя, от която са главните действащи лица(сърце не ми дава да ги нарека герои), но устройството, имената и съществата в Пустата земя миришат на Англия от 16-17 век. Мотивите на приключенците са плоски, действието бавно и скапано описано, а края е никакъв.
Толкова.
March 18, 2018
Where the Evil Dwells is set in an alternate timeline where in late antiquity Central Europe was swarmed by a horde of ogres, trolls, fairies, dragons, harpies, and other beasts collectively known as the Evil. Some of the Evil are more beastly than others, but altogether they are not a divided band of miscreants, but seem to have some sort of a confederate structure and are able to present a united front to the Romans. Initially this was bad news for the empire, but ironically the presence of the Evil far from hastening its downfall, encouraged the Romans to put their squabbles aside and unite against the common threat. Moreover, the Evil served as a buffer state between Rome and the incursions of the steppe peoples, so the empire never had to deal with the barbarian invasions of the Volkerwanderung. As a result the empire managed to survive more or less intact until the date of the book, which I've either missed or is never mentioned explicitly.
However, none of this really matters. The story is about Charles Harcourt and his motley band of friends who plunge into the Empty Lands (where the Evil dwells) to retrieve a prism that houses the soul of a saint. It could have been set in alt-history England, France, Germany, Poland, or any high fantasy setting without changing anything about the plot or, indeed, the setting. The only Roman thing in the book is a single character who pops up at the start of the book, leaves, then shows up again near the end only to promptly die. This highlights a reoccurring problem of the book -- it is very much governed by the Rule of Cool. The author throws in elements that tickle his fancy, realises he doesn't know what to do with them, forgets about them and carries on.
One of Charles' companions is the Knurly Man, who is not human. What he is, we don't know. Where he comes from, we don't know. Why he is questing with humans, we don't know. Why humans didn't mistake him for one of the Evil and burn him, we don't know. What does his non-humanness bring to the plot? At one point he procures a healing salve to treat a character's wounds, and once or twice he sheds some light on the backstory of some of the denizens of the Empty Lands, which amounts to "This thing is very ancient, and I don't know much about it".
Soon after the party enters the Empty Lands an earth elemental approaches their camp. A character squashes it. The Knurly Man says this was a terrible idea, as the elementals are more ancient than the Evil itself and this will no doubt bring calamity upon them. They enter a swamp to escape the elementals and they are never mentioned again.
At the journey's end they find Charles' long lost love, who had become evil and tries to claw the eyes out of Charles' new girlfriend. Charles pushes her away, she screeches, and scuttles off. Why she became evil, what was her endgame, and what happened to her after, all a mystery.
None of these elements were added with an overarching goal in mind (and there are a lot more). I imagine the reasoning of the author was, "A party of humans is boring, we need something gnarly. Gnarly? I like the way I think", "If we have the party intercepted by the Evil now, then I'll have to come up with a convincing reason for why they were able to escape. How about they get intercepted by something else? But what else lives here? Let's just say it's something very old", and "Wouldn't it be cool if instead of running to welcome Charles, Eloise was evil instead? Bam". I'm not a strict adherent of Chekhov's gun, but I do believe in writing with intent. Introducing an element that does not contribute to the plot, setting, or development of themes, that you don't intend to develop or explain is sloppy writing. That's how the super awesome stories I wrote with my best friend when I was twelve looked. To be fair, the author at least has the self awareness to lampshade pretty much all such elements, but lampshading is more effective if you do it rarely enough for the reader to forget about it.
On the flipside to elements which do nothing, there are the elements that make the entire plot possible, but are also dropped in with little or no explanation (or explanation that is left until the last few pages of the book), and there are plenty of these too. The party meets a wandering wizard, who later turns up to save them on a couple of occasions; four wooden gargoyles save them from an attack of the Evil and escort them for the rest of their journey; when they are lost and surrounded by the Evil they are literally teleported to their destination by what is apparently the soul of the saint and/or some wizards who were friends with the saint? These are not quite Deus ex Machinae, except perhaps for the last, as there is at least some foreshadowing, and ex post exposition dumps, but they are still very unsatisfying. Charles Harcourt is the star of this quest, but he wouldn't have gotten anywhere without lightning bolts coming down from the sky to rescue him whenever he messes up, which he does a lot.
What redeems this book is a few passages of highly effective writing. The highlight is definitely when the party enters a temple to escape a storm and finds themselves beset by what appear to be Elder Gods. The scene is masterfully set, from the fury of the storm outside, to the eerie quiet of the temple proper, to the sudden nightmareish cacophony of things that should not be threatening to burst in and consume them. Of course, none of this is relevant to the rest of the plot, the characters are saved by some magic none of them can properly explain, and once out they promptly forget about it and move on.
I don't know if this book is meant to be part of a series or set in some wider universe, but taken on its own merits it's a confused mess with a few flashes of brilliance.
However, none of this really matters. The story is about Charles Harcourt and his motley band of friends who plunge into the Empty Lands (where the Evil dwells) to retrieve a prism that houses the soul of a saint. It could have been set in alt-history England, France, Germany, Poland, or any high fantasy setting without changing anything about the plot or, indeed, the setting. The only Roman thing in the book is a single character who pops up at the start of the book, leaves, then shows up again near the end only to promptly die. This highlights a reoccurring problem of the book -- it is very much governed by the Rule of Cool. The author throws in elements that tickle his fancy, realises he doesn't know what to do with them, forgets about them and carries on.
One of Charles' companions is the Knurly Man, who is not human. What he is, we don't know. Where he comes from, we don't know. Why he is questing with humans, we don't know. Why humans didn't mistake him for one of the Evil and burn him, we don't know. What does his non-humanness bring to the plot? At one point he procures a healing salve to treat a character's wounds, and once or twice he sheds some light on the backstory of some of the denizens of the Empty Lands, which amounts to "This thing is very ancient, and I don't know much about it".
Soon after the party enters the Empty Lands an earth elemental approaches their camp. A character squashes it. The Knurly Man says this was a terrible idea, as the elementals are more ancient than the Evil itself and this will no doubt bring calamity upon them. They enter a swamp to escape the elementals and they are never mentioned again.
At the journey's end they find Charles' long lost love, who had become evil and tries to claw the eyes out of Charles' new girlfriend. Charles pushes her away, she screeches, and scuttles off. Why she became evil, what was her endgame, and what happened to her after, all a mystery.
None of these elements were added with an overarching goal in mind (and there are a lot more). I imagine the reasoning of the author was, "A party of humans is boring, we need something gnarly. Gnarly? I like the way I think", "If we have the party intercepted by the Evil now, then I'll have to come up with a convincing reason for why they were able to escape. How about they get intercepted by something else? But what else lives here? Let's just say it's something very old", and "Wouldn't it be cool if instead of running to welcome Charles, Eloise was evil instead? Bam". I'm not a strict adherent of Chekhov's gun, but I do believe in writing with intent. Introducing an element that does not contribute to the plot, setting, or development of themes, that you don't intend to develop or explain is sloppy writing. That's how the super awesome stories I wrote with my best friend when I was twelve looked. To be fair, the author at least has the self awareness to lampshade pretty much all such elements, but lampshading is more effective if you do it rarely enough for the reader to forget about it.
On the flipside to elements which do nothing, there are the elements that make the entire plot possible, but are also dropped in with little or no explanation (or explanation that is left until the last few pages of the book), and there are plenty of these too. The party meets a wandering wizard, who later turns up to save them on a couple of occasions; four wooden gargoyles save them from an attack of the Evil and escort them for the rest of their journey; when they are lost and surrounded by the Evil they are literally teleported to their destination by what is apparently the soul of the saint and/or some wizards who were friends with the saint? These are not quite Deus ex Machinae, except perhaps for the last, as there is at least some foreshadowing, and ex post exposition dumps, but they are still very unsatisfying. Charles Harcourt is the star of this quest, but he wouldn't have gotten anywhere without lightning bolts coming down from the sky to rescue him whenever he messes up, which he does a lot.
What redeems this book is a few passages of highly effective writing. The highlight is definitely when the party enters a temple to escape a storm and finds themselves beset by what appear to be Elder Gods. The scene is masterfully set, from the fury of the storm outside, to the eerie quiet of the temple proper, to the sudden nightmareish cacophony of things that should not be threatening to burst in and consume them. Of course, none of this is relevant to the rest of the plot, the characters are saved by some magic none of them can properly explain, and once out they promptly forget about it and move on.
I don't know if this book is meant to be part of a series or set in some wider universe, but taken on its own merits it's a confused mess with a few flashes of brilliance.
January 26, 2016
I never thought I could be disappointed in a Simak book. While the story itself was technically fine, I really disliked Harcourt. What a jerk; tainted the entire book for me. I do not mind a dislikeable character in theory, but we are suppose to be rooting for this ass. Ugh. Anyway, I did not hate the book, but I will not be rereading it.
June 26, 2025
My boy Clifford's fantasy epic was fun and sweet and sad. Full of a love of storytelling reminiscent of Tolkien and some classic tropes, while still having the unique twists that are Simak's signature. (A troll trying and failing to hang himself, and the main character declaring, "He bungled it." Hysterical.) As usual, I'm buying whatever he's selling.
January 13, 2019
Ревюто в Wanderbook
На пръв поглед, сюжетът тук е класически фентъзи епос - в една земя, подобна на нашата, но където Римската империя е оцеляла, броди неназовано Зло, напиращо на талази. При последната атака загиват много, изчезва и една смела девойка - любима на главния ни герой Чарлс. Когато чичо му донася вести от Пустите земи, където се е оттеглило Злото, у него се заражда надежда, че ще я намери. Заедно с Чарлс тръгва абат Гай - амбициран да открие призмата на Лазандра, в която е затворена душата на светец. Към тях присъединяват и други - Нъли, верен приятел, който не е съвсем човек, и Йоланда - девойка с дарба да вае дърво и сякаш привързана към Пустите земи.
Звучи наистина класическо, нали? Но след като започнах да чета, и продължавах нататък, започнах да се чувствам все по-... странно, може би? До края не можех да се отърся, че тази книга е била някак... експериментална за автора, но не се наканих да направя проверка. Просто бяха струпани много елементи на куп, които поотделно ми харесваха, но заедно ме озадачаваха. Прекръстосваха по разни начини, докато накрая се стигна до хем очаквана, хем неочаквана развръзка.
Много се зарибих по римския елемент - дори и изобщо да няма разхождащи се центуриони - как би изглеждал светът, ако не се бе разтурила Римската империя ми е неочаквано слабо място. Тук атмосферата ми напомни и на "Кодексът Алера" на Джим Бъчър. Светът на Саймък обаче е стигнал горе-долу до средновековно ниво, защото светът е застигнат от някакво безименно Зло. Това Зло изглежда не отговаря на християнската представа за злото и дявола не е споменат никъде, въпреки че за Църквата се говори често - за Бог, светци, Константинопол, който си искате аспект на църквата. Злото винаги е изписвано с главна буква, и когато говорят за него, звучи някак удохотворено, като едно общо съзнание. Но в пустите земи се сблъскваме с различните въплъщения на Злото - огри, тролове, гулове (много ми е странен този превод, какво ще кажете плътояди?), които, макар и определено неприятни, са просто лоши, но не изглеждаха подчинени на обща цел. Освен това, има и някакво още по-голямо зло, древно и Лъвкрафтово, което чака света да се свърши, за да изпълзи.
Сложно, а?
Спътниците на Чарлс ставаха все по-странни с всеки следващ, присъединил се към групата. Не можех да се ориентирам за отношението си към тях, но май и другите герои не можеха. В книжката се намираха и доста забавни моменти - имаме отдаден на бог папагал, трол-самоубиец, и множество словесни двубои между Нъли и Гай. Интересното е, че комичните епизоди си намериха място във финалната развръзка, което не мога да кажа за други неща. Например един пич на финала - идея си нямам кой беше, защо беше и какво свърши.
От положителната страна на книжката - имаме все така приятния разказ на Саймък, интересни фантастични същества - отново се възхитих на това как работи с тях, битки и интересна магия, лек, забавен диалог, и дори комични елементи.
От не съвсем положителната, останах объркана от само скицираната история и развитие на героите, от това, че се натрупаха доста герои и елементи, които сякаш не успяха да се развият, и от някои елементи на фона. Светът на "Царството на злото" би могъл да се превърне в уютно местенце за фентъзи поредица, но в този обем не ми стигна.
На пръв поглед, сюжетът тук е класически фентъзи епос - в една земя, подобна на нашата, но където Римската империя е оцеляла, броди неназовано Зло, напиращо на талази. При последната атака загиват много, изчезва и една смела девойка - любима на главния ни герой Чарлс. Когато чичо му донася вести от Пустите земи, където се е оттеглило Злото, у него се заражда надежда, че ще я намери. Заедно с Чарлс тръгва абат Гай - амбициран да открие призмата на Лазандра, в която е затворена душата на светец. Към тях присъединяват и други - Нъли, верен приятел, който не е съвсем човек, и Йоланда - девойка с дарба да вае дърво и сякаш привързана към Пустите земи.
Звучи наистина класическо, нали? Но след като започнах да чета, и продължавах нататък, започнах да се чувствам все по-... странно, може би? До края не можех да се отърся, че тази книга е била някак... експериментална за автора, но не се наканих да направя проверка. Просто бяха струпани много елементи на куп, които поотделно ми харесваха, но заедно ме озадачаваха. Прекръстосваха по разни начини, докато накрая се стигна до хем очаквана, хем неочаквана развръзка.
Много се зарибих по римския елемент - дори и изобщо да няма разхождащи се центуриони - как би изглеждал светът, ако не се бе разтурила Римската империя ми е неочаквано слабо място. Тук атмосферата ми напомни и на "Кодексът Алера" на Джим Бъчър. Светът на Саймък обаче е стигнал горе-долу до средновековно ниво, защото светът е застигнат от някакво безименно Зло. Това Зло изглежда не отговаря на християнската представа за злото и дявола не е споменат никъде, въпреки че за Църквата се говори често - за Бог, светци, Константинопол, който си искате аспект на църквата. Злото винаги е изписвано с главна буква, и когато говорят за него, звучи някак удохотворено, като едно общо съзнание. Но в пустите земи се сблъскваме с различните въплъщения на Злото - огри, тролове, гулове (много ми е странен този превод, какво ще кажете плътояди?), които, макар и определено неприятни, са просто лоши, но не изглеждаха подчинени на обща цел. Освен това, има и някакво още по-голямо зло, древно и Лъвкрафтово, което чака света да се свърши, за да изпълзи.
Сложно, а?
Спътниците на Чарлс ставаха все по-странни с всеки следващ, присъединил се към групата. Не можех да се ориентирам за отношението си към тях, но май и другите герои не можеха. В книжката се намираха и доста забавни моменти - имаме отдаден на бог папагал, трол-самоубиец, и множество словесни двубои между Нъли и Гай. Интересното е, че комичните епизоди си намериха място във финалната развръзка, което не мога да кажа за други неща. Например един пич на финала - идея си нямам кой беше, защо беше и какво свърши.
От положителната страна на книжката - имаме все така приятния разказ на Саймък, интересни фантастични същества - отново се възхитих на това как работи с тях, битки и интересна магия, лек, забавен диалог, и дори комични елементи.
От не съвсем положителната, останах объркана от само скицираната история и развитие на героите, от това, че се натрупаха доста герои и елементи, които сякаш не успяха да се развият, и от някои елементи на фона. Светът на "Царството на злото" би могъл да се превърне в уютно местенце за фентъзи поредица, но в този обем не ми стигна.
April 3, 2023
An alternate history fantasy in which Rome remains a successful empire but the dominant religion is Christianity? Okey doke.
From 3, to 2, to 1, this progressively slipped lower than my expectations. While Simak hints at some interesting, deeper themes initially, he declines to venture further and instead keeps his gang of misfits strolling through "The Empty Land" aimlessly, seeking something we have no reason to believe is significant, pursued by "The Evil". You could probably use this as a case study of how not to write a story, as the entire thing is so clumsily put together. While it makes use of cliches, this is more in terms of the generic world-building, monsters and basic quest kick-off; but in terms of how things play out, a carbon copy of a classic fantasy work would have been much better. Towards the end, things just happen with no real rhyme or reason, events contradict former events, characters contradict themselves. This is worse than a first draft. I knew Simak was meant to be uncomfortable within the fantasy genre, but I didn't think it would be this bad. If anything I would have thought he'd fare well, being a soft science fiction writer who is well-regarded for his pastoral prose. Scene-setting and mysterious, Lovecraftian writing are often where he shines, and there is only one sequence here that really comes close to that. As a Simak fan I did find it readable and enjoyed the odd turn of phrase but this is easily one of his worst books. Wrapping stories up has never been one of his strengths, but here the effort is stupendously bad. I thought there might be some kind of twist that would bring things into the realm of science fantasy, as I'd read somewhere that all of Simak's "fantasy" had some hint back towards his sci-fi roots, but if it was there it went flying over my head. The magic seems to be pretty explicitly magic to me.
In my opinion, Destiny Doll is a much better example of Simak trying his hand at fantasy. Though it is largely science fiction, it parallels a lot of what's in this book, only it is executed much better. A quest narrative, a strange world, mythological creatures, religious and philosophical commentary and a band of misfits.
From 3, to 2, to 1, this progressively slipped lower than my expectations. While Simak hints at some interesting, deeper themes initially, he declines to venture further and instead keeps his gang of misfits strolling through "The Empty Land" aimlessly, seeking something we have no reason to believe is significant, pursued by "The Evil". You could probably use this as a case study of how not to write a story, as the entire thing is so clumsily put together. While it makes use of cliches, this is more in terms of the generic world-building, monsters and basic quest kick-off; but in terms of how things play out, a carbon copy of a classic fantasy work would have been much better. Towards the end, things just happen with no real rhyme or reason, events contradict former events, characters contradict themselves. This is worse than a first draft. I knew Simak was meant to be uncomfortable within the fantasy genre, but I didn't think it would be this bad. If anything I would have thought he'd fare well, being a soft science fiction writer who is well-regarded for his pastoral prose. Scene-setting and mysterious, Lovecraftian writing are often where he shines, and there is only one sequence here that really comes close to that. As a Simak fan I did find it readable and enjoyed the odd turn of phrase but this is easily one of his worst books. Wrapping stories up has never been one of his strengths, but here the effort is stupendously bad. I thought there might be some kind of twist that would bring things into the realm of science fantasy, as I'd read somewhere that all of Simak's "fantasy" had some hint back towards his sci-fi roots, but if it was there it went flying over my head. The magic seems to be pretty explicitly magic to me.
In my opinion, Destiny Doll is a much better example of Simak trying his hand at fantasy. Though it is largely science fiction, it parallels a lot of what's in this book, only it is executed much better. A quest narrative, a strange world, mythological creatures, religious and philosophical commentary and a band of misfits.
July 19, 2008
It's the 20th century and Rome never fell. Harcourt, the Knurly Man and two others venture across the river into southern Europe where the Evil dwell - ogres, dragons, goblins, etc. - to retrieve an artifact. Not particularly inventive, creative, the characters are boring and cliched, and the writing is clumsy.
April 28, 2016
Fantasy is clearly not Simak's best genre, but this is an interesting diversion. A bit of alternate history, a bit of sword and sorcery, and a quest that might not be a good idea. I like the little twists -- people aren't quite what they seem, the evil is more out of place than really evil, and the goals, when attained, have a different worth than expected.
September 4, 2019
I remember this author from my youth, in college and my first years as a teacher. Along with Andre Norton, Madeleine L'Engle, and Arthur C. Clarke, he helped open the possibilities of Fantasy and Science Fiction to me. Thank you, Mr. Simak. I read and loved your book.
August 28, 2023
Clever. I selected this based on the cover. I was not disappointed.
December 28, 2013
Rich story but not exactly for me. Pretty bleak. =)
February 8, 2016
The first book I ever read back in 1984.
July 15, 2019
Really great story. I wasn't sure it would wrap up by the end of the book, but it did, and wrapped up well.
February 21, 2025
A fun standalone fantasy narrative with subtle worldbuilding.
Usually, my problem with delving into the High Fantasy genre is the heavy worldbuilding and the strangeness of it all. I recognize that this is its main appeal to fantasy fans, and I love to read and hear about the lore of Middle Earth, Roshar, or the Wheel of Time series—but reading and experiencing it myself is another story. Maybe that's why I liked "Where the Evil Dwells" — at the start, the pace is a little bit rough, but the mysteries kept me hooked, and it's hard to stop when we discover the goals and motivations of each character. It helps that the setting is quasi-historical, being an alternate world where mythical creatures live beside man and wars against Evil are common. Also, the Catholic Church is there, and we have a kind of post-Theodosius Roman Christian Empire. It's true that the author doesn't delve more into it — but at least it's an intriguing background to a story that is essentially self-contained.
I think this is its main appeal: there are no great war fights, no greater stakes — the narrative is personal, and the lore is subservient to the journey of each character. The narrative has to end when the arcs are complete: and there's no need to know the intricacies of that world, nor its ultimate destiny or even to see how the characters returned to normal life after the adventure. There are interesting lessons about trust and distrust, and the way Harcourt and the heroes treat the creatures of Evil is consistent and made me remember Frieren's relationship with demons — and I love it. I tried to outsmart Simak and theorize about Yolanda and other characters, but this time he caught me — there aren't mind-blowing plot twists and the ending is anti-climatic, but it works for it.
Overall, it left me satisfied and I would recommend it as a fast read.
Usually, my problem with delving into the High Fantasy genre is the heavy worldbuilding and the strangeness of it all. I recognize that this is its main appeal to fantasy fans, and I love to read and hear about the lore of Middle Earth, Roshar, or the Wheel of Time series—but reading and experiencing it myself is another story. Maybe that's why I liked "Where the Evil Dwells" — at the start, the pace is a little bit rough, but the mysteries kept me hooked, and it's hard to stop when we discover the goals and motivations of each character. It helps that the setting is quasi-historical, being an alternate world where mythical creatures live beside man and wars against Evil are common. Also, the Catholic Church is there, and we have a kind of post-Theodosius Roman Christian Empire. It's true that the author doesn't delve more into it — but at least it's an intriguing background to a story that is essentially self-contained.
I think this is its main appeal: there are no great war fights, no greater stakes — the narrative is personal, and the lore is subservient to the journey of each character. The narrative has to end when the arcs are complete: and there's no need to know the intricacies of that world, nor its ultimate destiny or even to see how the characters returned to normal life after the adventure. There are interesting lessons about trust and distrust, and the way Harcourt and the heroes treat the creatures of Evil is consistent and made me remember Frieren's relationship with demons — and I love it. I tried to outsmart Simak and theorize about Yolanda and other characters, but this time he caught me — there aren't mind-blowing plot twists and the ending is anti-climatic, but it works for it.
Overall, it left me satisfied and I would recommend it as a fast read.
April 3, 2025
While the author is better known for science fiction and for more classical SFF, Simak has a few epic fantasy books of the quest type flavour: Like Goblin Reservation or Enchanted Pilgrimage this is one of them, though this was written much later in his career.
It is also a bit of an alternative universe: Set back in the time of the early Christian church, one could determine exactly it's era through the facts that are given. For example, Simak tells us that 'the Evil' invasion from the North was all that stopped the church from spilling. So, go back in time to when the Eastern Church established Byzantium and you have your era.
In this world, the split was prevented by the 'Evil' lands, which we would read as fantasy, being full of dragons, unicorns, fairies and ogres. The Evil had attempted to invade the Christian lands back had been beaten back and in the course of that Harcourt became a man, but the neighbouring castle where he sweetheart lived was overrun.
So when a hint that she might still be alive comes to him, Harcourt, along with a long term friend of his father - who is not quite human, but certainly not evil - the Abbot for the nearby monastery, hoping to rescue a saint, and the millers daughter all venture together into the lands where the Evil (or the uncanny) dwell, on a strange quest.
While an unusual Simak, I really liked it.
It is also a bit of an alternative universe: Set back in the time of the early Christian church, one could determine exactly it's era through the facts that are given. For example, Simak tells us that 'the Evil' invasion from the North was all that stopped the church from spilling. So, go back in time to when the Eastern Church established Byzantium and you have your era.
In this world, the split was prevented by the 'Evil' lands, which we would read as fantasy, being full of dragons, unicorns, fairies and ogres. The Evil had attempted to invade the Christian lands back had been beaten back and in the course of that Harcourt became a man, but the neighbouring castle where he sweetheart lived was overrun.
So when a hint that she might still be alive comes to him, Harcourt, along with a long term friend of his father - who is not quite human, but certainly not evil - the Abbot for the nearby monastery, hoping to rescue a saint, and the millers daughter all venture together into the lands where the Evil (or the uncanny) dwell, on a strange quest.
While an unusual Simak, I really liked it.
February 4, 2023
I found this near-forgotten fantasy novel on the shelves of my local library and, curious to see the name of a science fiction master on a clearly fantasy fiction adventure, picked it up to see what the ride was like.
It was fun.
Here's what I found: relatively straightforward characters, an admixture of John M. Ford-like alternate history (Romans, Christian relics, and European tropes) and slightly progressed Tolkein-esque fantasy (with "the Evil" characterized by trolls, ogres, and so on who at times are more than intelligent and pathetic, but also capable of change and even co-existence). There is a quest, there are revelations, there is a sense of vast mystery never truly explained. There are ancient castles guarding bridges and dragon-flown swamps with primordial ruins ensconced on remote islands. There is a love interest and it is not the one that the novel initially promises.
Granted, there are a lot of hand-waving moments and the first chapters are overly expository, but so it goes.
Thanks local library!
It was fun.
Here's what I found: relatively straightforward characters, an admixture of John M. Ford-like alternate history (Romans, Christian relics, and European tropes) and slightly progressed Tolkein-esque fantasy (with "the Evil" characterized by trolls, ogres, and so on who at times are more than intelligent and pathetic, but also capable of change and even co-existence). There is a quest, there are revelations, there is a sense of vast mystery never truly explained. There are ancient castles guarding bridges and dragon-flown swamps with primordial ruins ensconced on remote islands. There is a love interest and it is not the one that the novel initially promises.
Granted, there are a lot of hand-waving moments and the first chapters are overly expository, but so it goes.
Thanks local library!
March 4, 2025
Whoo boy, this is the lowest-quality book I’ve possibly ever actually finished. It’s wild to think that this author won a Hugo twenty years before this (and I’ve read *that* book, and it was decent).
Absolutely phoned-in, one-dimensional, plodding, random, boring, derivative stuff. It’s supposed to be high adventure in a dangerous land, but was in fact barely finishable.
The two aspects that bothered me most were the dialogue - which frequently felt abrupt and lazy, the author throwing in descriptors or abrupt topic shifts to cover the plot he wanted but without any art to it - and the abrupt jumps of plot itself, where the characters would turn around from a conversation and oh look monsters are charging again! Tedious.
Absolutely phoned-in, one-dimensional, plodding, random, boring, derivative stuff. It’s supposed to be high adventure in a dangerous land, but was in fact barely finishable.
The two aspects that bothered me most were the dialogue - which frequently felt abrupt and lazy, the author throwing in descriptors or abrupt topic shifts to cover the plot he wanted but without any art to it - and the abrupt jumps of plot itself, where the characters would turn around from a conversation and oh look monsters are charging again! Tedious.
April 1, 2019
I had only read Simak's Mastondonia before this, and that was so long ago I remember almost nothing. I did recall that he was more of a sci-fi author, so I was pretty surprised when this turned out to be straight fantasy. I was disappointed at how plodding, repetitive, and generic it was. I also didn't know what to make of Christian theology being worked into the mythos; fairies and trolls are real, but so are Christ and the Catholic Church?
If I were still in my teens, I would read this over a weekend and forget about it. As I am getting picky with age, I skipped step one because in the end it will make no difference.
If I were still in my teens, I would read this over a weekend and forget about it. As I am getting picky with age, I skipped step one because in the end it will make no difference.
May 24, 2018
A quest-fantasy story where a group of people in Medieval Europe go into a mystical land where magical creatures and danger abound. It is a very typical fantasy story that is not well written. The dialogue is poor and the plot and characters are not interesting. The plot is straight-forward. Evil is just evil. And the religious aspects are more annoying then plot moving or thought provoking.
August 18, 2025
Прочетох поредната творба на Клифърд Саймък. Тази беше много по-различна от "Всичко е трева" и останалите. Това е едно историческо фентъзи и една красива приказка за борбата със Злото. Разказа беше увлекателен, героите интересни и фантастични, но всичко беше някак набързо и повърхностно. Много исках да прочета повече за Чарлз, за Нъли, който беше от друга раса, за Гай и за всички останали герои. Имах нужда от повече задълбоченост и повече повествование.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2022
Not being a big High Fantasy fanatic, I've always had an odd kinship with this book and its quasi-historical/fantasy setting. Certainly a lot of things in it would be considered boilerplate tropes - adventuring hero, odd and large companion, and evil wizard, etc. - but it's all played with a bit more depth.
December 24, 2025
Детска приказка, в която група храбри герои се отправят в царството на злото, за да открият безценно съкровище. По пътя намират приятели и изграждат дружба.
Виждам, че Гудрийдс не се е отнесъл добре към тази книга. Тя е просто устроена, с прости изречения и изказ и съвсем разбираем свят. Според мен е шедьовър, независимо от лошите оценки на другите читатели.
Виждам, че Гудрийдс не се е отнесъл добре към тази книга. Тя е просто устроена, с прости изречения и изказ и съвсем разбираем свят. Според мен е шедьовър, независимо от лошите оценки на другите читатели.
March 15, 2018
Непогане фентезі, хоча нагадує інші твори Сімака у цьому стилі. Простежується подібність сюжетної лінії та персонажів, які мали місце у "Паломництві в магію" та "Братстві талісмана". Чимось нагадало Гобіта.
January 22, 2020
This is the twenty-seventh book by “SFWA Grand Master” Clifford D. Simak that I have read, and one of his last (1982). His first story was published in 1931. As most of his earlier books are his best, I was pleasantly surprised at this one.
December 28, 2023
Fantasy from Simak
I usually don't read fantasy, but this was Woman after all. I did not read as quickly as I have his other books. An enjoyable read , but I must confess I shall not read it again. If you are a fan of fantasy, you will probably like thus.
I usually don't read fantasy, but this was Woman after all. I did not read as quickly as I have his other books. An enjoyable read , but I must confess I shall not read it again. If you are a fan of fantasy, you will probably like thus.
December 20, 2019
My rating: ★★
February 12, 2020
Interesting read from one of the Old Masters.
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