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Durdane #2
The Brave Free Men
Durdane is in the grip of the devilish Roguskhoi. Raping and pillaging in their lethal thrust to their heartland, they annihilate all who cross their path. With spirits sapped by years of silent tyranny, the men of Durdane stand impotent, their faceless leader a prisoner in his own palace. One man alone can save Durdane - the musician Gastel Etzwane. But even he is unaware that worming through the land is a corruption more deadly than anything the Roguskhoi can inflict.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
13 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Jack Vance
778 books1,598 followersAka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, Ellery Queen, Alan Wade.
John Holbrook Vance was an American writer widely celebrated for his imaginative contributions to science fiction, fantasy, and mystery literature. Over a career that spanned more than six decades, he became known for richly detailed worlds, inventive language, and stories that combined adventure with sharp social observation. His work influenced generations of speculative fiction writers and helped expand the literary possibilities of the genre. Vance wrote more than sixty books and numerous short stories, many first appearing in science fiction magazines before later being expanded into novels and collections. His fiction was widely translated and developed an international readership.
Vance grew up in California and spent part of his youth on a ranch near the Sacramento River delta, where he developed a love of the outdoors and an appetite for reading. The family experienced financial hardship during the Great Depression, prompting him to take a variety of jobs before completing his studies at the University of California, Berkeley. During these years he worked in several trades and cultivated interests in music, travel, and sailing, experiences that later informed many of the settings and themes in his fiction. Before becoming a full-time writer he held numerous occupations, including shipyard worker, merchant seaman, carpenter, and surveyor.
His earliest published story appeared in the mid 1940s in a science fiction magazine, marking the beginning of a long writing career. Throughout the following decades he produced stories across multiple genres, though he became best known for science fiction and fantasy cycles that combined imaginative settings with elaborate cultures and social systems. Among his most famous works are The Dragon Masters and The Last Castle, both of which received Hugo Awards. The Last Castle also earned the Nebula Award, confirming Vance's reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in speculative fiction. His fantasy trilogy Lyonesse later received the World Fantasy Award, while his memoir This Is Me, Jack Vance! earned another Hugo decades later.
In addition to speculative fiction, Vance wrote several mystery novels, some under pseudonyms including Ellery Queen. These works often blended crime elements with psychological or social themes and sometimes anticipated ideas that later appeared in his science fiction. His storytelling frequently emphasized cultural conflict, moral ambiguity, and intricate social customs rather than large-scale warfare, setting him apart from many contemporaries in the genre.
Vance maintained close friendships with other science fiction writers and participated in literary communities that shaped postwar American speculative fiction. He traveled widely with his family and spent extended periods abroad, experiences that influenced the exotic settings and cosmopolitan tone found in many of his books. Music also played a role in his life and writing, reflecting his long-standing enthusiasm for traditional jazz.
Despite gradually losing his eyesight later in life, Vance continued writing with the aid of specialized software and completed both fiction and autobiography in his later years. Over time his reputation grew steadily, and he received numerous honors, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and recognition as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Critics and fellow writers often praised his distinctive style, wit, and imagination, and his stories remain widely read within the science fiction and fantasy community.
John Holbrook Vance was an American writer widely celebrated for his imaginative contributions to science fiction, fantasy, and mystery literature. Over a career that spanned more than six decades, he became known for richly detailed worlds, inventive language, and stories that combined adventure with sharp social observation. His work influenced generations of speculative fiction writers and helped expand the literary possibilities of the genre. Vance wrote more than sixty books and numerous short stories, many first appearing in science fiction magazines before later being expanded into novels and collections. His fiction was widely translated and developed an international readership.
Vance grew up in California and spent part of his youth on a ranch near the Sacramento River delta, where he developed a love of the outdoors and an appetite for reading. The family experienced financial hardship during the Great Depression, prompting him to take a variety of jobs before completing his studies at the University of California, Berkeley. During these years he worked in several trades and cultivated interests in music, travel, and sailing, experiences that later informed many of the settings and themes in his fiction. Before becoming a full-time writer he held numerous occupations, including shipyard worker, merchant seaman, carpenter, and surveyor.
His earliest published story appeared in the mid 1940s in a science fiction magazine, marking the beginning of a long writing career. Throughout the following decades he produced stories across multiple genres, though he became best known for science fiction and fantasy cycles that combined imaginative settings with elaborate cultures and social systems. Among his most famous works are The Dragon Masters and The Last Castle, both of which received Hugo Awards. The Last Castle also earned the Nebula Award, confirming Vance's reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in speculative fiction. His fantasy trilogy Lyonesse later received the World Fantasy Award, while his memoir This Is Me, Jack Vance! earned another Hugo decades later.
In addition to speculative fiction, Vance wrote several mystery novels, some under pseudonyms including Ellery Queen. These works often blended crime elements with psychological or social themes and sometimes anticipated ideas that later appeared in his science fiction. His storytelling frequently emphasized cultural conflict, moral ambiguity, and intricate social customs rather than large-scale warfare, setting him apart from many contemporaries in the genre.
Vance maintained close friendships with other science fiction writers and participated in literary communities that shaped postwar American speculative fiction. He traveled widely with his family and spent extended periods abroad, experiences that influenced the exotic settings and cosmopolitan tone found in many of his books. Music also played a role in his life and writing, reflecting his long-standing enthusiasm for traditional jazz.
Despite gradually losing his eyesight later in life, Vance continued writing with the aid of specialized software and completed both fiction and autobiography in his later years. Over time his reputation grew steadily, and he received numerous honors, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement and recognition as a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Critics and fellow writers often praised his distinctive style, wit, and imagination, and his stories remain widely read within the science fiction and fantasy community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
May 14, 2021
The second installment in the Durdane trilogy picks up right were The Anome left off; makes sense as the entire trilogy was first serialized in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine. Gastel Etzwane, having captured the Anome at the end of the last book, now assumes his role, stating he is acting as the point man for the Anome. As one reviewer put it, TBFM is really a heroic account of bureaucratic restructuring! Gastel needs to defend the Shant against the Roguskhoi barbarians. The Roguskhoi are terrible foes-- almost impervious to arrows and such, they take any women they can find and kill anyone who opposes their 'lusty ways'. It seems the Roguskhoi can breed with human women, but they then spawn up to 12 'imps', or baby Roguskhoi, who then mature in less than a year. Further, the women, in the process, are rendered sterile.
So, we follow Gastel around the Shant as he tries to mobilize an army in a nation that has known peace for generations. He must mobilize arms manufacture, coordinate the resistance, among other needed duties and has to learn much of this from scratch. While the entire book is basically about the battle between the Shant and the Roguskhoi, there is a scant amount of actual fighting; rather, this installment is more about uncovering the mystery of the origin of the Roguskhoi and their objectives. Unlike the previous volume, this one reaches a satisfying conclusion. 3.5 stars rounding up!
So, we follow Gastel around the Shant as he tries to mobilize an army in a nation that has known peace for generations. He must mobilize arms manufacture, coordinate the resistance, among other needed duties and has to learn much of this from scratch. While the entire book is basically about the battle between the Shant and the Roguskhoi, there is a scant amount of actual fighting; rather, this installment is more about uncovering the mystery of the origin of the Roguskhoi and their objectives. Unlike the previous volume, this one reaches a satisfying conclusion. 3.5 stars rounding up!
May 27, 2022
The second instalment of the Durdane confirms the series's status as being at the lower end of Vance's oeuvre. This is breathlessly written and strangely off kilter (I'm not sure whether the main character is even very likeable, and the entire plot comes across as basically implausible), and mostly lacking in Vance's signature wit. There is enough going on to keep the reader entertained, though, and there are still strikingly brilliant passages and typically wonderful emergent worldbuilding to savour.
August 31, 2015
Volume II in Vance's Durdane series, consisting of three interconnected novels, written over a period, between 1971 and 1973.
The Durdane trilogy comprising THE FACELESS MAN (a.k.a. THE ANOME), THE BRAVE FREE MEN, and THE ASUTRA.
The Durdane trilogy comprising THE FACELESS MAN (a.k.a. THE ANOME), THE BRAVE FREE MEN, and THE ASUTRA.
January 2, 2019
An heroic tale of bureaucratic administration restructuring.
November 14, 2020
5/10 en 2011.
Segunda parte de la saga, no mejora. De lo peor que he leído de Vance.
Segunda parte de la saga, no mejora. De lo peor que he leído de Vance.
March 9, 2026
The Brave Free Men, the second novel in Jack Vance’s Durdane Trilogy, was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in July and August 1972. I read the 1978 Ace edition, with cover art by David Meltzer.
At the end of The Faceless Man, Gastel Etzwane has deposed the absolute dictator of Shant, the Anome, and has effectively taken on the Anome’s power himself. Through much of The Brave Free Men, Etzwane leads a revolution to replace the authoritarian rule of the Anome with a representative, democratic government.
The country of Shant, on the planet Durdane, is an intriguing creation. It is divided into sixty‑two cantons, each with its own laws and customs—and in many of them those laws and customs are cultish, abusive, and insane. The Anome has supported local law enforcement through the torc system: every adult wears a torc, which the Anome can use to blow off their head if they step out of line. Etzwane aims to change the role of the Anome: “Our goal is not uniformity; we quell only those institutions which victimize the helpless: grotesque theologies, indenture…. Where once the Anome enforced law, in the new times he becomes a source of recourse” (p. 160).
In addition to the bizarre local laws the Anome has upheld, a widespread indenture system keeps a large portion of Shant’s population in effective slavery. Etzwane, with remarkable skill and political aplomb, overthrows the entire structure.
Etzwane is aided in uniting Shant under a new government by an external threat: the monstrous pseudo-human Roguskhoi, who have invaded Shant and are occupying and despoiling canton after canton. The book states that Durdane was colonized from Earth nine thousand years earlier. Over this immense span of time, the people of Shant have developed their strange society but have also regressed technologically, perhaps to the level of nineteenth‑century Earth. They must now make rapid advances in military technology to overcome the Roguskhoi. This is typical of Vance, who often combines bizarre sociological and anthropological inventions with cultures that are primitive in other respects.
Vance provides some of the long history of Shant through the words of the scholar Maliambre-Octagon (pp. 112–113, 154). He also has Maliambre initially defend the torc system: “I am as free as is possible! I act as I please, within the lawful scope. Thieves and murderers lack freedom; they may not rob and kill. The honest man’s torc is his protection against such ‘freedom’” (p. 157). And again: “The torcs have kept the peace. The compulsion of the torc is best” (p. 159). Authoritarians have been making similar arguments since time immemorial.
Vance appears to make a clear political statement in the book. The authoritarian torc system does not produce an army with the morale and energy needed to defeat the Roguskhoi. Etzwane creates the army of the Brave Free Men by offering to remove the torcs of those willing to fight for Shant:
All across Shant the placards appeared, in dark blue scarlet, and white:
To fight the Roguskhoi a special Corps had been formed:
THE BRAVE FREE MEN.
If you are brave:
If you would lose your torc:
If you would fight for Shant:
You are invited to join the Brave Free Men.
The corps is elite.
Present yourself to the agency in Garwiy City. (p. 168)
An army of men without torcs is then capable of defeating the Roguskhoi. A strain of sexism does run through the book: men hold all power and authority, and at first I wondered how the creation of the Brave Free Men helped women still wearing torcs. But the formation of this army is only one of the first steps in Etzwane’s broader plans. It is also worth noting that The Brave Free Men was written half a century ago, when attitudes were different.
Vance’s writing is excellent. Here is how he describes Finnerack: “He is a man for whom the persistence and fatefulness of black were invented” (p. 166). The characters of Etzwane, Finnerack, Maliambre, and others are well developed and believable. The story is exciting and unfolds at a brisk pace. As in The Faceless Man, it comes rapidly to a conclusion I did not expect. I am inspired to go straight to the third book to see how the trilogy closes.
At the end of The Faceless Man, Gastel Etzwane has deposed the absolute dictator of Shant, the Anome, and has effectively taken on the Anome’s power himself. Through much of The Brave Free Men, Etzwane leads a revolution to replace the authoritarian rule of the Anome with a representative, democratic government.
The country of Shant, on the planet Durdane, is an intriguing creation. It is divided into sixty‑two cantons, each with its own laws and customs—and in many of them those laws and customs are cultish, abusive, and insane. The Anome has supported local law enforcement through the torc system: every adult wears a torc, which the Anome can use to blow off their head if they step out of line. Etzwane aims to change the role of the Anome: “Our goal is not uniformity; we quell only those institutions which victimize the helpless: grotesque theologies, indenture…. Where once the Anome enforced law, in the new times he becomes a source of recourse” (p. 160).
In addition to the bizarre local laws the Anome has upheld, a widespread indenture system keeps a large portion of Shant’s population in effective slavery. Etzwane, with remarkable skill and political aplomb, overthrows the entire structure.
Etzwane is aided in uniting Shant under a new government by an external threat: the monstrous pseudo-human Roguskhoi, who have invaded Shant and are occupying and despoiling canton after canton. The book states that Durdane was colonized from Earth nine thousand years earlier. Over this immense span of time, the people of Shant have developed their strange society but have also regressed technologically, perhaps to the level of nineteenth‑century Earth. They must now make rapid advances in military technology to overcome the Roguskhoi. This is typical of Vance, who often combines bizarre sociological and anthropological inventions with cultures that are primitive in other respects.
Vance provides some of the long history of Shant through the words of the scholar Maliambre-Octagon (pp. 112–113, 154). He also has Maliambre initially defend the torc system: “I am as free as is possible! I act as I please, within the lawful scope. Thieves and murderers lack freedom; they may not rob and kill. The honest man’s torc is his protection against such ‘freedom’” (p. 157). And again: “The torcs have kept the peace. The compulsion of the torc is best” (p. 159). Authoritarians have been making similar arguments since time immemorial.
Vance appears to make a clear political statement in the book. The authoritarian torc system does not produce an army with the morale and energy needed to defeat the Roguskhoi. Etzwane creates the army of the Brave Free Men by offering to remove the torcs of those willing to fight for Shant:
All across Shant the placards appeared, in dark blue scarlet, and white:
To fight the Roguskhoi a special Corps had been formed:
THE BRAVE FREE MEN.
If you are brave:
If you would lose your torc:
If you would fight for Shant:
You are invited to join the Brave Free Men.
The corps is elite.
Present yourself to the agency in Garwiy City. (p. 168)
An army of men without torcs is then capable of defeating the Roguskhoi. A strain of sexism does run through the book: men hold all power and authority, and at first I wondered how the creation of the Brave Free Men helped women still wearing torcs. But the formation of this army is only one of the first steps in Etzwane’s broader plans. It is also worth noting that The Brave Free Men was written half a century ago, when attitudes were different.
Vance’s writing is excellent. Here is how he describes Finnerack: “He is a man for whom the persistence and fatefulness of black were invented” (p. 166). The characters of Etzwane, Finnerack, Maliambre, and others are well developed and believable. The story is exciting and unfolds at a brisk pace. As in The Faceless Man, it comes rapidly to a conclusion I did not expect. I am inspired to go straight to the third book to see how the trilogy closes.
September 18, 2022
Jak čtu Vanceho krátce po Moorcockovi, tak mi přijde, že to jsou naprosté solární protipóly. Oba mají bizarní a v reálu neudržitelné dekadentní světy, ovšem jeden z nich k nim přistupuje s přístupem stárnoucího patologa. Jeden sází na emoce, druhý je zcela ignoruje. A zatímco jeden má hrdiny zmítané osudem, hrdinové druhého jdou za svým, bez ohledu na to co či kdo jim stojí v cestě… a jak moc stupidní je to, za čím jdou.
Ano, Vance je ten druhý (a taky starší) z těch dvou autorů, a je celkem logické, že mi sedne víc (a je celkem jasné, že čtenářům ne). The Brave Free Man je přímé pokračování románu Anome, ve kterém se hrdina na konci dostal k moci (respektive k možnosti nechávat lidem vybuchovat hlavy) a teď je rozhodnutý ji využít k tomu, aby splnil svůj hlavní cíl – vyhladit rasu, která napadá obyvatele a unáší jim manželky. A to i za cenu, že bude muset totálně rozvrátit celý společenský systém a riskovat vyvolání chaosu.
V tomhle je to trochu naivní, ale Vance scifárny v sobě mají něco z pohádek a lidé v jednotlivých říších jsou všichni ideově jednotní a nebouří se proti svým normám. Nejsou to jedinci, jsou to zástupci systému. A i když tady je v centru válka, víc se o ní lidé baví, než že by bojovali. Víc se kniha soustředí na řešení byrokratických problémů, na diplomatické kontakty a rozpory mezi hrdiny, než na popisování ztečí.
Vztahy tady nejsou (jedinou výraznější ženskou postavu z minulého dílu hrdina zastřelí hned začátku knihy), a hrdina je spíš účelný než sympatický (což ale k Vancemu taky patří). Je to příběhově jednodušší, nějaké emoce by přece jen neškodily, a rozhodně to není autorovo vrcholné dílo. Ale stejně je to Vance. Jeho věci jsou v SF žánru tak svébytné a odlišné (a úmyslně archaické), že už jen proto stojí za přečtení.
Ano, Vance je ten druhý (a taky starší) z těch dvou autorů, a je celkem logické, že mi sedne víc (a je celkem jasné, že čtenářům ne). The Brave Free Man je přímé pokračování románu Anome, ve kterém se hrdina na konci dostal k moci (respektive k možnosti nechávat lidem vybuchovat hlavy) a teď je rozhodnutý ji využít k tomu, aby splnil svůj hlavní cíl – vyhladit rasu, která napadá obyvatele a unáší jim manželky. A to i za cenu, že bude muset totálně rozvrátit celý společenský systém a riskovat vyvolání chaosu.
V tomhle je to trochu naivní, ale Vance scifárny v sobě mají něco z pohádek a lidé v jednotlivých říších jsou všichni ideově jednotní a nebouří se proti svým normám. Nejsou to jedinci, jsou to zástupci systému. A i když tady je v centru válka, víc se o ní lidé baví, než že by bojovali. Víc se kniha soustředí na řešení byrokratických problémů, na diplomatické kontakty a rozpory mezi hrdiny, než na popisování ztečí.
Vztahy tady nejsou (jedinou výraznější ženskou postavu z minulého dílu hrdina zastřelí hned začátku knihy), a hrdina je spíš účelný než sympatický (což ale k Vancemu taky patří). Je to příběhově jednodušší, nějaké emoce by přece jen neškodily, a rozhodně to není autorovo vrcholné dílo. Ale stejně je to Vance. Jeho věci jsou v SF žánru tak svébytné a odlišné (a úmyslně archaické), že už jen proto stojí za přečtení.
September 19, 2025
This book comes from the peak Vance period when he was still writing short novels but had fully developed his style. It's beautifully written, though at some points his style becomes almost baroque in its descriptions.
The first book jn this series did most of the world-building, so this entry is mostly plot and character driven. The plot is brisk, but ultimately it's about the hero taking over the government, reforming it, and saving the world.
Vance's best characters are actually anti-heroes like Cugel. Kirth Girsen of the Demon Princes books and Adam Reith of Tschai are much more generic, omni-competent stereotypes, but have their limits. Gastel Etzwane, hero is this series, is almost a Mary Sue. He's a talented musician (the book contains several extended scenes describing musical improvisation) who at the end of book 1 becomes Anome, the world's dictator. He turns out to be perfectly suited for this job and once he's swept aside the bureaucrats who impede progress goes from victory to victory. It's kinda sickening, like a child's "if I were king..." fantasy. His top lieutenant is a much more flawed and interesting character, otherwise I'd drop this book another star.
Overall, not Vance's best plot or character, but has the great color and amusing dialogue of his peak writing.
The first book jn this series did most of the world-building, so this entry is mostly plot and character driven. The plot is brisk, but ultimately it's about the hero taking over the government, reforming it, and saving the world.
Vance's best characters are actually anti-heroes like Cugel. Kirth Girsen of the Demon Princes books and Adam Reith of Tschai are much more generic, omni-competent stereotypes, but have their limits. Gastel Etzwane, hero is this series, is almost a Mary Sue. He's a talented musician (the book contains several extended scenes describing musical improvisation) who at the end of book 1 becomes Anome, the world's dictator. He turns out to be perfectly suited for this job and once he's swept aside the bureaucrats who impede progress goes from victory to victory. It's kinda sickening, like a child's "if I were king..." fantasy. His top lieutenant is a much more flawed and interesting character, otherwise I'd drop this book another star.
Overall, not Vance's best plot or character, but has the great color and amusing dialogue of his peak writing.
August 26, 2018
God dang Jack Vance is good. Who else could casually throw in a really worthwhile interchange about individuality vs. traditionalism like this?
Dystar said: "Without my torc I would be mad with joy."
Mialambre seemed astounded both by the .concept and by Dystar's response. "How can this be? The torc is your representation, the signal of your responsibility to society."
"I recognize no such responsibility," said Dystar. "Responsibility is the debt of people who take. I do not take, I give. Thereafter my responsibility is gone."
"Not so," exclaimed Mialambre. "This is an egotistical fallacy! Every man alive owes a vast debt to millions—to the folk around him who provide a human ambience, to the dead heroes who gave him his thoughts, his language, his music; to the technists who built the spaceships which brought him to Durdane. The past is a precious tapestry; each man is a new thread in the continuing weave; a thread by itself is without meaning or worth."
Dystar gave generous acquiescence. "What you say is truth. I am at fault. Nonetheless, my torc is unwelcome; it coerces me to the life I would prefer to live by my own free will."
April 20, 2020
Vance manages to produce epic SF in around 60,000 words. Ahead of his time and still immensely readable
April 17, 2024
Where the first book in this series felt unpolished, the similar qualities of this book instead felt experimental to me, which is similar to "unpolished" except with a positive bent. A lot of interesting threads have been laid out here, and I hope the third book provides a satisfying resolution. Like the first book, some of the events and characters' reaction to them seemed a bit too neat and tidy for the situation. Also like the first book, this work does not stand alone, but is really the middle section of what should be one long book encompassing the trilogy.
April 4, 2021
Book 2 of the Durdane series, and Gastel Etzwane has tracked down the elusive Anome, the Faceless Man who controls the continent of Shant by sending out proclamations and the threat of explosive torcs which keep citizens in line. The Anome refuses to deal with the marauding monsters known as the roguskhoi, so Gastel takes over and starts putting together an army that will remove the enemy, the Brave Free Men of the title. But someone close to him seems to be trying to sabotage his work.
That’s the story and it’s engaging enough but what makes a Vance book so readable is the language and the world building. There is a whole chapter in this book where Gastel travels around the various cantons of Shant and encounters a huge variety of peoples and habits, described in detail by Vance for no other reason than the fun of it. He also frequently mentions the colours worn by people or used to decorate, which have detailed meanings in their society.
Always a joy to read, and there’s another in the series to come.
That’s the story and it’s engaging enough but what makes a Vance book so readable is the language and the world building. There is a whole chapter in this book where Gastel travels around the various cantons of Shant and encounters a huge variety of peoples and habits, described in detail by Vance for no other reason than the fun of it. He also frequently mentions the colours worn by people or used to decorate, which have detailed meanings in their society.
Always a joy to read, and there’s another in the series to come.
August 28, 2024
The tale of Gastel Etzwane continues. The Roguskhoi begin to overrun Shant and the Anome refuses to act. Etzwane, acting in the name of the Anome, tries to muster the diverse culture of Shant to fight the enemy. He recruits old friends and acquaintances in this effort. But, who is behind the Roguskhoi, and how have they managed to anticipate Etzwane's plans? All very typical Vance and very fun.
May 18, 2020
Similarly to "The Faceless Man", Vance seems to hurry through is own story in order to get to the end. This sequel has less of the hustling, double crossing, and mischief that characterizes his best work, replaced by a roughly sketched military campaign.
September 22, 2022
Decent continuation of the SF adventure, in which matters prove to be less simple to resolve than the protagonist expected after usurping the rulership of his world. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...
July 12, 2023
Masterly writing.
Jack Vance unveils his plot inch by inch and this reader didn't foresee where it was leading but enjoyed the imaginative display. Interesting conflicts, characters. A totally enjoyable read.
Jack Vance unveils his plot inch by inch and this reader didn't foresee where it was leading but enjoyed the imaginative display. Interesting conflicts, characters. A totally enjoyable read.
September 21, 2018
An enemy is vanquished, another enemy pops up, and you must keep reading on!
November 18, 2023
Leí pensando que tenía más de ciencia ficción, terminó siendo fantasía, aunque transcurra en un futuro lejano.
November 12, 2024
más orientado a la acción y la ciencia ficción, y con el ritmo mejor ajustado que el primer libro. una lectura fascinante
November 18, 2025
Naruto and Sasuke
May 27, 2024
AKA: Durdane Book 2
The Brave Free Men was first published in 1972 in digest form in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Released in 1973 as a novel, this is the second book in the three volume Durdane Chronicles. It is a continuation of the story begun in The Anome and should be read after that book and not as a stand alone novel. This is the second time I have read this series and I liked each of the books even better after rereading. Although the three books are not the very finest Vance has written, I found them fascinating, easy to read and entertaining and recommended them to all Vance fans.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The first book, The Anome, introduced most of the characters and had interesting revelations about the government, customs and culture of Slant. The Brave Free Men is more action oriented, continuing the story but focusing more on getting the corrupt government to work properly and motivating the citizens to actively defend themselves against the invading Roguskhoi.
In The Brave Free Men the main protagonist, Gastel Etzwane, now has control over the Faceless Man and the government. He and his supporters must mobilize the entire country to defend themselves against the Roguskhoi who keep increasing the frequency and intensity of their attacks on the people of Shant. The Roguskhoi invade towns, killing all men and children and kidnapping the women to rape and use as incubators for their offspring. The citizens of Shant do not know where these monstrous humanoid creatures came from but suspect that a neighboring country might have created them from cloning and are using them as a weapon against the Shant.
A single Roguskhoi can physically handle ten equally armed men in combat, but the Roguskhoi have only simple weapons such as clubs and scimters so the challenge for the citizens of Shant is to invent and manufacture new more technologically advanced weapons that can turn the odds in the fight against the Roguskhois. Shant has also been without any wars for over a thousand years so has no military or combat trained citizens. The whole country must now mobilize to defend against the invading Roguskhoi.
Rallying the citizens proves to be very difficult, however, because the people are extremely passive and have only known the dictatorial, highly centralized and controlled government of the Faceless Man who had total control over their lives but also protected them and kept things peaceful and crime free. When scientists, for example, are asked to invent new more advanced weapons to supplement their swords and crossbows, the scientists want to know exactly what weapons the Faceless Man wants. They are not used to thinking independently or being innovative or creative and expect detailed instructions on how to proceed. The citizens are use to the total control and protection of the Faceless Man and do not know how to take initiative, organize or defend themselves. Many of them are in situations similar to indentured servants with such low wages and high expenses that almost no workers ever pay off their debts to earn their freedom.
The Brave Free Men is enjoyable to read, interesting and bristling with action. There is enough resolution at the end of it that the third volume, The Asutra, could be considered optional reading. But I found The Asutra to be an intriguing continuation of the story and the most satisfying of the three books so advise reading it next. I think the Durdane Chronicles are underappreciated by some Vance fans probably because Vance created some marvelous works of genius that tower over almost everything else in the genre. The Durdane Trilogy is not the best of Vance but it is still quite good and well worth reading. I’ve read The Brave Free Men three times now and I rated it at a 4 “Really liked it.”
The Brave Free Men was first published in 1972 in digest form in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Released in 1973 as a novel, this is the second book in the three volume Durdane Chronicles. It is a continuation of the story begun in The Anome and should be read after that book and not as a stand alone novel. This is the second time I have read this series and I liked each of the books even better after rereading. Although the three books are not the very finest Vance has written, I found them fascinating, easy to read and entertaining and recommended them to all Vance fans.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The first book, The Anome, introduced most of the characters and had interesting revelations about the government, customs and culture of Slant. The Brave Free Men is more action oriented, continuing the story but focusing more on getting the corrupt government to work properly and motivating the citizens to actively defend themselves against the invading Roguskhoi.
In The Brave Free Men the main protagonist, Gastel Etzwane, now has control over the Faceless Man and the government. He and his supporters must mobilize the entire country to defend themselves against the Roguskhoi who keep increasing the frequency and intensity of their attacks on the people of Shant. The Roguskhoi invade towns, killing all men and children and kidnapping the women to rape and use as incubators for their offspring. The citizens of Shant do not know where these monstrous humanoid creatures came from but suspect that a neighboring country might have created them from cloning and are using them as a weapon against the Shant.
A single Roguskhoi can physically handle ten equally armed men in combat, but the Roguskhoi have only simple weapons such as clubs and scimters so the challenge for the citizens of Shant is to invent and manufacture new more technologically advanced weapons that can turn the odds in the fight against the Roguskhois. Shant has also been without any wars for over a thousand years so has no military or combat trained citizens. The whole country must now mobilize to defend against the invading Roguskhoi.
Rallying the citizens proves to be very difficult, however, because the people are extremely passive and have only known the dictatorial, highly centralized and controlled government of the Faceless Man who had total control over their lives but also protected them and kept things peaceful and crime free. When scientists, for example, are asked to invent new more advanced weapons to supplement their swords and crossbows, the scientists want to know exactly what weapons the Faceless Man wants. They are not used to thinking independently or being innovative or creative and expect detailed instructions on how to proceed. The citizens are use to the total control and protection of the Faceless Man and do not know how to take initiative, organize or defend themselves. Many of them are in situations similar to indentured servants with such low wages and high expenses that almost no workers ever pay off their debts to earn their freedom.
The Brave Free Men is enjoyable to read, interesting and bristling with action. There is enough resolution at the end of it that the third volume, The Asutra, could be considered optional reading. But I found The Asutra to be an intriguing continuation of the story and the most satisfying of the three books so advise reading it next. I think the Durdane Chronicles are underappreciated by some Vance fans probably because Vance created some marvelous works of genius that tower over almost everything else in the genre. The Durdane Trilogy is not the best of Vance but it is still quite good and well worth reading. I’ve read The Brave Free Men three times now and I rated it at a 4 “Really liked it.”
April 28, 2024
The Brave Free Men was first published in 1972 in digest form in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Its draft title was Palasedra. Released in 1973 as a novel, this is the second book in the three volume Durdane Chronicles. It is a continuation of the story begun in The Anome and should be read after that book and not as a stand alone novel. This is the third time I have read this series and I liked each of the books even better after rereading. Although the three books are not the very finest Vance has written, I found them fascinating, easy to read and entertaining and recommended them to all Vance fans.
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The first book, The Anome, introduced most of the characters and had interesting revelations about the government, customs and culture of Slant. The Brave Free Men is more action oriented, continuing the story but focusing more on getting the corrupt government to work properly and motivating the citizens to actively defend themselves against the invading Roguskhoi.
In The Brave Free Men the main protagonist, Gastel Etzwane, now has control over the Faceless Man and the government. He and his supporters must mobilize the entire country to defend themselves against the Roguskhoi who keep increasing the frequency and intensity of their attacks on the people of Shant. The Roguskhoi invade towns, killing all men and children and kidnapping the women to rape and use as incubators for their offspring. The citizens of Shant do not know where these monstrous humanoid creatures came from but suspect that a neighboring country might have created them from cloning and are using them as a weapon against the Shant.
A single Roguskhoi can physically handle ten equally armed men in combat, but the Roguskhoi have only simple weapons such as clubs and scimitars so the challenge for the citizens of Shant is to invent and manufacture new more technologically advanced weapons that can turn the odds in the fight against the Roguskhois. Shant has also been without any wars for over a thousand years so has no military or combat trained citizens. The whole country must now mobilize to defend against the invading Roguskhoi.
Rallying the citizens proves to be very difficult, however, because the people are extremely passive and have only known the dictatorial, highly centralized and controlled government of the Faceless Man who had total control over their lives but also protected them and kept things peaceful and crime free. When scientists, for example, are asked to invent new more advanced weapons to supplement their swords and crossbows, the scientists want to know exactly what weapons the Faceless Man wants. They are not used to thinking independently or being innovative or creative and expect detailed instructions on how to proceed. The citizens are use to the total control and protection of the Faceless Man and do not know how to take initiative, organize or defend themselves. Many of them are in situations similar to indentured servants with such low wages and high expenses that almost no workers ever pay off their debts to earn their freedom.
The Brave Free Men is enjoyable to read, interesting and bristling with action. There is enough resolution at the end of it that the third volume, The Asutra, could be considered optional reading. But I found The Asutra to be an intriguing continuation of the story and the most satisfying of the three books so advise reading it next. I think the Durdane Chronicles are underappreciated by some Vance fans probably because Vance created some marvelous works of genius that tower over almost everything else in the genre. The Durdane Trilogy is not the best of Vance but it is still quite good and well worth reading. I’ve read The Brave Free Men three times now and I rated it at a 4 “Really liked it.”
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
The first book, The Anome, introduced most of the characters and had interesting revelations about the government, customs and culture of Slant. The Brave Free Men is more action oriented, continuing the story but focusing more on getting the corrupt government to work properly and motivating the citizens to actively defend themselves against the invading Roguskhoi.
In The Brave Free Men the main protagonist, Gastel Etzwane, now has control over the Faceless Man and the government. He and his supporters must mobilize the entire country to defend themselves against the Roguskhoi who keep increasing the frequency and intensity of their attacks on the people of Shant. The Roguskhoi invade towns, killing all men and children and kidnapping the women to rape and use as incubators for their offspring. The citizens of Shant do not know where these monstrous humanoid creatures came from but suspect that a neighboring country might have created them from cloning and are using them as a weapon against the Shant.
A single Roguskhoi can physically handle ten equally armed men in combat, but the Roguskhoi have only simple weapons such as clubs and scimitars so the challenge for the citizens of Shant is to invent and manufacture new more technologically advanced weapons that can turn the odds in the fight against the Roguskhois. Shant has also been without any wars for over a thousand years so has no military or combat trained citizens. The whole country must now mobilize to defend against the invading Roguskhoi.
Rallying the citizens proves to be very difficult, however, because the people are extremely passive and have only known the dictatorial, highly centralized and controlled government of the Faceless Man who had total control over their lives but also protected them and kept things peaceful and crime free. When scientists, for example, are asked to invent new more advanced weapons to supplement their swords and crossbows, the scientists want to know exactly what weapons the Faceless Man wants. They are not used to thinking independently or being innovative or creative and expect detailed instructions on how to proceed. The citizens are use to the total control and protection of the Faceless Man and do not know how to take initiative, organize or defend themselves. Many of them are in situations similar to indentured servants with such low wages and high expenses that almost no workers ever pay off their debts to earn their freedom.
The Brave Free Men is enjoyable to read, interesting and bristling with action. There is enough resolution at the end of it that the third volume, The Asutra, could be considered optional reading. But I found The Asutra to be an intriguing continuation of the story and the most satisfying of the three books so advise reading it next. I think the Durdane Chronicles are underappreciated by some Vance fans probably because Vance created some marvelous works of genius that tower over almost everything else in the genre. The Durdane Trilogy is not the best of Vance but it is still quite good and well worth reading. I’ve read The Brave Free Men three times now and I rated it at a 4 “Really liked it.”
August 7, 2020
Los dos primeros libros de la trilogía en realidad se leen como una sola narración. De hecho, El Anomo no termina, sino que se detiene casi a mitad de escena.
Resulta un viaje fascinante seguir las peripecias de los protagonistas de Vance por los extraños mundos que recrea, sus gestas son dignas de los grandes viajes de los personajes de Verne, o de Arthur Conan Doyle en "El mundo perdido" por ejemplo.
Uno de los elementos más sorprendentes del ciclo de Durdane es que en su literatura crea elementos del steampunk. El subgénero no reconocido en el momento en que Vance escribía, sus elementos son sin embargo evidentes. Habiendo vuelto la vida al rusticismo después de que la humanidad dominara las estrellas, entre los pocos avances técnicos del pueblo de Etwane están los carros tirados por caballos, la tecnología básica de radio y el armamento primitivo. Así, lo que distingue a Durdane como un texto steampunk ejemplar son los dirigibles. Vance, conocido por sus extraños dispositivos de transporte, los globos de Durdane son de los más singulares. Esencialmente globos de aire caliente unidos por vías con ruedas, los dispositivos flotantes transportan a los pasajeros a las principales áreas urbanas de Durdane a lo largo de una red muy parecida a un sistema de trenes y billetes. Añadiendo carácter a la trama, la imaginación de Vance una vez más demuestra ser una delicia.
Resulta un viaje fascinante seguir las peripecias de los protagonistas de Vance por los extraños mundos que recrea, sus gestas son dignas de los grandes viajes de los personajes de Verne, o de Arthur Conan Doyle en "El mundo perdido" por ejemplo.
Uno de los elementos más sorprendentes del ciclo de Durdane es que en su literatura crea elementos del steampunk. El subgénero no reconocido en el momento en que Vance escribía, sus elementos son sin embargo evidentes. Habiendo vuelto la vida al rusticismo después de que la humanidad dominara las estrellas, entre los pocos avances técnicos del pueblo de Etwane están los carros tirados por caballos, la tecnología básica de radio y el armamento primitivo. Así, lo que distingue a Durdane como un texto steampunk ejemplar son los dirigibles. Vance, conocido por sus extraños dispositivos de transporte, los globos de Durdane son de los más singulares. Esencialmente globos de aire caliente unidos por vías con ruedas, los dispositivos flotantes transportan a los pasajeros a las principales áreas urbanas de Durdane a lo largo de una red muy parecida a un sistema de trenes y billetes. Añadiendo carácter a la trama, la imaginación de Vance una vez más demuestra ser una delicia.
December 24, 2017
I’m a sucker for a weird subgenre of story- those about someone organizing and leading a small, unlikely army and overthrowing one or another long-held societal arrangement. Bonus points if it’s ideologically simpatico — a revolutionary people’s army, say — but I’ll take it even if it’s just private kingdom building. What can I say, I like a good story about delegation! Usually the prose is disappointing in these stories and the dorks who write them — often frustrated wannabe (or actual) military officers — can’t restrain themselves from going on at tedious length about maneuvers across imaginary, indifferently-related maps. But I’ll still give them a look when I see them.
The second installment of Jack Vance’s “Durdane” series finds our hero, Gastel, organizing just such a force, the titular “Brave Free Men,” to repel a rapacious horde of not-quite-orcs, the Roguskhoi, from destroying Shant. He has his work cut out for him. Shant has plenty of aristocrats (and killers) but no military tradition. The descendants of religious and ideological enthusiasts dumped onto a colony planet millennia ago, the inhabitants of its Shant’s various cantons concern themselves with maintaining their various arbitrary cult rules and general societal stasis.
Anyone familiar with midcentury scifi knows much of what happens next. Gastel and the few men he can trust have to overcome the hokum and conservatism of their backward culture. They do this largely by freeing indentured servants and enlisting them in the titular army. There are various technical challenges to overcome, betrayals both suspected and real, people telling them Shant can’t change and the heroes telling them it has to, etc.
What distinguishes Vance’s take on this plot is skepticism of the enterprise. In the end, the mobilized people of Shant beat back the hordes. Gastel sets up a new government with a parliament (but with no house apportioned by population, I noticed!). But the big reveal in the end — where the Roguskhoi came from — reframes the whole existence of Shant. Without giving too much away, it’s revealed that the hordes that almost destroyed the planet were somewhere between a joke and a speculative venture by powers much bigger and colder than anything Gastel can conjure up. If Shant is nothing but a dumping ground or playpen for amoral interstellar empires, then what larger purpose does change serve? Well, presumably we’ll get some kind of answer in the third and last book. ****’
https://toomuchberard.wordpress.com/2...
The second installment of Jack Vance’s “Durdane” series finds our hero, Gastel, organizing just such a force, the titular “Brave Free Men,” to repel a rapacious horde of not-quite-orcs, the Roguskhoi, from destroying Shant. He has his work cut out for him. Shant has plenty of aristocrats (and killers) but no military tradition. The descendants of religious and ideological enthusiasts dumped onto a colony planet millennia ago, the inhabitants of its Shant’s various cantons concern themselves with maintaining their various arbitrary cult rules and general societal stasis.
Anyone familiar with midcentury scifi knows much of what happens next. Gastel and the few men he can trust have to overcome the hokum and conservatism of their backward culture. They do this largely by freeing indentured servants and enlisting them in the titular army. There are various technical challenges to overcome, betrayals both suspected and real, people telling them Shant can’t change and the heroes telling them it has to, etc.
What distinguishes Vance’s take on this plot is skepticism of the enterprise. In the end, the mobilized people of Shant beat back the hordes. Gastel sets up a new government with a parliament (but with no house apportioned by population, I noticed!). But the big reveal in the end — where the Roguskhoi came from — reframes the whole existence of Shant. Without giving too much away, it’s revealed that the hordes that almost destroyed the planet were somewhere between a joke and a speculative venture by powers much bigger and colder than anything Gastel can conjure up. If Shant is nothing but a dumping ground or playpen for amoral interstellar empires, then what larger purpose does change serve? Well, presumably we’ll get some kind of answer in the third and last book. ****’
https://toomuchberard.wordpress.com/2...
July 31, 2012
This sparsely told tale is the sequel to The Faceless Man (AKA The Anome) and the second book of the Durdane trilogy. The books are no longer in print but Kindle editions can still be purchased. The copy I have (shown here http://dlmorrese.wordpress.com/2012/0...) is a limited hardcover edition published in 1983 that I found at my local library. Apparently, they are quite rare.
This book continues the adventures of Gatzel Etzwane as he tries to defend his country, Shant, from the mutant Roguskhoi. Unfortunately, the culture and government of Shant, as they currently exist, are ill equipped to address the situation, so Etzwane must first take control of the government, revamp society, restructure the bureaucracy, develop new technology, and oust the Roguskhoi -- and he has only 251 pages to do so. Vance manages to have him pull it off believably, which is quite an accomplishment.
The way he does it may not appeal to some modern readers, though. He summarizes much of what happens, ‘telling’ the story rather than ‘showing’ it. He restricts the point of view to a single character, Etzwane, and therefore relates much of what occurs in either narrative or exposition.
The plot is interesting, and the setting and characters are imaginative and well conceived. I recommend it.
This book continues the adventures of Gatzel Etzwane as he tries to defend his country, Shant, from the mutant Roguskhoi. Unfortunately, the culture and government of Shant, as they currently exist, are ill equipped to address the situation, so Etzwane must first take control of the government, revamp society, restructure the bureaucracy, develop new technology, and oust the Roguskhoi -- and he has only 251 pages to do so. Vance manages to have him pull it off believably, which is quite an accomplishment.
The way he does it may not appeal to some modern readers, though. He summarizes much of what happens, ‘telling’ the story rather than ‘showing’ it. He restricts the point of view to a single character, Etzwane, and therefore relates much of what occurs in either narrative or exposition.
The plot is interesting, and the setting and characters are imaginative and well conceived. I recommend it.
July 30, 2019
Much more enjoyable than the first book in the trilogy, due largely to the exposure of the protagonist to many new cultures and races. This is the sort of thing Vance excels out, and here he tosses aside one-page encounters with curious societies that a lesser author might spend an entire novel on.
Of course, some of the flaws in science fiction writing of the period are well in evidence here, in particular the notion that a young man of good character can do anything he sets his mind to. In this case, we have an uneducated musician who somehow designs a parliamentary government from scratch. Also a balloon-tender/lifelong-prisoner who trains an entire military in tactics. Where did they learn this stuff? Why does nobody else seem to know it?
The finale of the book is a huge departure from how things started out. I've seen this before in Vance's work: a provincial, often rural beginning that then thrusts the characters onto the international (or, more generally, interplanetary) stage. I think it is necessary, as the zero-to-hero story starts to sag a little on its own. In this case, it sets up the third book of the series nicely, which is a good thing because I was considering chucking the trilogy entirely after the first one.
Of course, some of the flaws in science fiction writing of the period are well in evidence here, in particular the notion that a young man of good character can do anything he sets his mind to. In this case, we have an uneducated musician who somehow designs a parliamentary government from scratch. Also a balloon-tender/lifelong-prisoner who trains an entire military in tactics. Where did they learn this stuff? Why does nobody else seem to know it?
The finale of the book is a huge departure from how things started out. I've seen this before in Vance's work: a provincial, often rural beginning that then thrusts the characters onto the international (or, more generally, interplanetary) stage. I think it is necessary, as the zero-to-hero story starts to sag a little on its own. In this case, it sets up the third book of the series nicely, which is a good thing because I was considering chucking the trilogy entirely after the first one.
November 14, 2019
3.9⭐ Another tale of a richly described fantastical world, told in Vance's unique, baroque style. This is the second volume in his Durdane trilogy, taking place in an isolated human colony, long cut off from Earth. It's a vividly imagined culture, like Vance's other worlds, governed by complex manners and rituals. You have to like the style, which is vaguely like watching 'The Tudors', set on another planet.
The first book deals with the life story of our hero, who as a boy escapes from a tyrannical cult to become a skilled musician. The second describes his adventures after falling in with a cultural observer (and sometime secret agent) from Earth and their effort to stop a mysterious invasion. The third installment sees our heros tracing the origins of the invasion and the greater threat posed to humanity. All are quick and easy reads,again, if you enjoy Vance's style. I certainly do.
The first book deals with the life story of our hero, who as a boy escapes from a tyrannical cult to become a skilled musician. The second describes his adventures after falling in with a cultural observer (and sometime secret agent) from Earth and their effort to stop a mysterious invasion. The third installment sees our heros tracing the origins of the invasion and the greater threat posed to humanity. All are quick and easy reads,again, if you enjoy Vance's style. I certainly do.
June 15, 2012
This is not my favorite Vance book (that honor goes to Eyes of the Overworld), not by a long shot but it shares so many characteristics that make Vance's books such a joy to read. Every Jack Vance book I've read demonstrate such fantastic knowledge about so many aspects of the world and this book is no exception. You need only read Vance's descriptions of the kind of music his characters play or the kind of dishes available at the many inns to get a glimpse of how much you might be missing out on in this world. The behavior, motivations and reactions of each of his characters are explained so concisely and masterfully that I dont think anything can be added/subtracted to make it better. I dont know of any author who is better at analyzing the range of human emotions than JV.
June 1, 2016
The problem I'm having with this series is that the quality of Vance's imagination seems to outstrip the quality of his prose. Shant is a fascinating set-up, the use of colour and the alternative semantics that go with it is a huge consideration. As is the government of the Anome and the alternatives posited. The mix of technologies, lost secrets along sied glass and crystal craft, the genetically engineered monsters of the Rugoshki and even the musical instruments described. In fact, there's way too much to fit into so short a book. Everything is rushed, to the points of heavy exposition at points, and major shifts in ideology are adopted for too quickly for plausibility. It's a shame, because the ideas, the stories being told here, are great.
February 14, 2014
The problem I'm having with this series is that the quality of Vance's imagination seems to outstrip the quality of his prose. Shant is a fascinating set-up, the use of colour and the alternative semantics that go with it is a huge consideration. As is the government of the Anome and the alternatives posited. The mix of technologies, lost secrets along sied glass and crystal craft, the genetically engineered monsters of the Rugoshki and even the musical instruments described. In fact, there's way too much to fit into so short a book. Everything is rushed, to the points of heavy exposition at points, and major shifts in ideology are adopted for too quickly for plausibility. It's a shame, because the ideas, the stories being told here, are great.
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