The World Menders

Interplanetary Relations Bureau #2

by Lloyd Biggle Jr.

On the world Branoff IV, in the lovely land of Scorvif, live the rascz, an industrious, artistic, superbly civilized race. Few of them are aware that their prosperous civilization is totally dependent upon the olz, a race of slaves owned by their god-emperor. The olz till the fields and work the forests and mines, and their reward is starvation and the vicious, caustic stroke of the zrilm whip.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Novels, Science Fiction Fantasy

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1971

About the author

Biggle was born in 1923 in Waterloo, Iowa. He served in World War II as a communications sergeant in a rifle company of the 102nd Infantry Division; during the war, he was wounded twice. His second wound, a shrapnel wound in his leg received near the Elbe River at the end of the war, left him disabled for life.

After the war, Biggle resumed his education. He received an A.B. Degree with High Distinction from Wayne State University and M.M. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. Biggle taught at the University of Michigan and at Eastern Michigan University in the 1950s. He began writing professionally in 1955 and became a full-time writer with the publication of his novel, All the Colors of Darkness in 1963; he continued in the writing profession until his death.

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

DAW Collectors #15

Cover Art: Kelly Freas

Author: Lloyd Biggle, Jr.: 17 April 1923 - 12 September 2002

Alternate Names: Ллойд Дж. Биггл-мл?, Ллойд Биггл-младший?, Lloyd Biggle, Lloyde Biggle, ロイド・ビッグル, Jr. -

(The second book in the Cultural Survey series)


Lloyd Biggle, Jr.’s "The World Menders" treats first contact with the seriousness its deserves . Ferrari, before his graduation from the Cultural Survey Academy, is sent off (without clear orders) to join the Interplanetary Relations Bureau (charged with First Contact with societies outside of the Federation of Independent Worlds). Initially Ferrari uses his training to apply a new eye towards the cultural artifacts of the inhabitants of the pre-modern society of Scorvif. The society is an unusual one–the emperor owns slaves who appear to have no culture and are treated with extreme violence and hatred. However, the non-slave population does not seem aware that the slaves exist although they survive off of their labor.

After a stunning breakthrough where he deduces from a tapestry that the emperor of Scorvif had died (IRB agents had figured it out but were testing Ferrari), Ferrari wants to join the field team. After extensive training, Ferrari–with numerous errors that should have had him removed permanently from the team–decides to take drastic measures.

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember him for The Light That Never Was: SF to do with art and alien and/or animal rights. There, the aliens we thought beasts turned out to create art, and the discovery of it blew the lid off our exploitation. This plot also has an oppressed animal-like species, and the plot hinges on whether it has or can have an artistic culture -- and whether it needs one in order to throw off its shackles.

Bless them, they have made these old novels of his available in ebook for $3-4. Except I can't see my beloved 'Light', yet, and I think my sister owned our copy.

[Joachim Boaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...

Despite the idiotic moments in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), as a kid I adored the first sequence–the undercover team observing the Ba’Ku community from a hidden observation station (before Data’s malfunction). Of course, Star Fleet assumed the Ba’Ku were pre-warp drive (and thus first contact shouldn’t be initiated). The mechanics of going undercover to initiate or prepare a society for contact is a fascinating and endlessly replayable SF premise. In Star Trek no one seems to take seriously the indoctrination [...}

[Michael Gerardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember seeing the serialized version of this book in Analog, way back in 1971. It was hugely successful with the readership, getting the best score in The Analytical Laboratory ever recorded. Now I know why. The book was that good.

The story centers on the investigation of a race of (apparently) humans, the olz, who seem to have no culture. They exist in a state of abject slavery, are cruelly abused by their rasc masters (acting with the authority of their owner, the kru), die in massive numbers in years of limited food production, yet never rise up against their oppressors. To the contrary, they are completely loyal to those very oppressors.

The question is, Why? A young Cultural Survey trainee, Cedd Farrari, wants to find out. For the rascz are themselves a highly cultured race, and the only civilization on the planet. When he witnesses how the rascz abuse the olz, he determines to do something about it, without disrupting the mission of the Interplanetary Relations Bureau on the planet. But how do you instigate a revolution among a people who have no concept of rebellion? The plan he comes up with is remarkable, and the outcome is probably unique to science fiction.

This book should be read by anyone working for the U.S. State Department, at the least. The IRB's motto, "Democracy imposed from without is the severest form of tyranny", is more timely today then when the book was first written.

Highly recommended.

[Peter Coomber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This science fiction novel (published 1971) has stood the test of time (so far), possibly because it is about people and not all about science. Perhaps in a number (50, 100?) of years time, the popular view of 'people' will have changed and it may then seem dated?
A thoughtful book from a thoughtful author. My only criticism is that it rushes along in parts and the ending is a little too 'nice and tidy' (that's two criticisms, not one, I know).
If you enjoy your science fiction - or any fiction - with a bit of thought in it (rather than just blasting aliens, etc) then I recommend you read this.

[Nebogipfel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good book by Lloyd Biggle, set in the same Universe as his book Monument. In this one I see parallels wih Iain Banks (or rather in Banks I see parallels with Biggle). Biggle's Interplanetary Relations Bureau is like Bank's Culture, the group of people on Branoff IV like Culture's Contact subgroup and the main character belongs to Cultural Survey (CS) which could be the equivalent of Banks' Special Circumstances (SC). I wonder if Biggle had any impact on Banks.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cedd Farrari has just graduated from Cultural Survey when his entire class is seconded to the Interplanetary Relations Bureau and he is shipped off to Branoff IV. The mission already on planet is hampered by very strict non-interference protocols and Farrari initially works within them. Finding that he is getting nowhere he enlists the aid of a female agent Liano, who is a yilesc to the indigenous people. What a yilesc actually is turns out to be a mystery, although Liano seems to have some psychic abilities. Farrari is appalled by the hierarchy on Branoff IV, where the ultimate ruler, the kru, delegates to the middle class rasc, and the slave overseers, the durrl. The vast majority of the population are olz - slaves - and they are abused to death wholesale by the durrl. Farrari decides a revolution is in order but to his dismay finds that the olz worship their tormentors and seem to want to be killed! Finding a trigger for the olz becomes his aim and eventually he finds a way of at least getting the docile olz to follow him, in his guise as a resurrected baker’s apprentice. But what will he do now he has them on the march? Even more disturbingly, the olz don’t appear to have any culture for Farrari to study and he starts to suspect they have made a huge error classifying them. Lloyd Biggle Jr. has forged a handbook of cultural relations and while the last twenty pages are exciting, the lead-up has long since dampened the reader's ardour. For completists.

[Ciaran Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok this one had tough boots to fill after the first one, but as sequels go this was pretty good! I was gripped from start to finish. Biggle is truly underrated. The way that slavery, compassion, and measuring what it means to be “human,” (or at least a sentient and intelligent life form,) are explored in this novel is sensitive but deeply fulfilling. A great addition to the Science Fiction genre.

[Michael Blanco · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was first difficult to comprehend the world Lloyd Biggle had created with new terms for races, animals, plants, etc. As I continued reading I became a part of this world Lloyd created and I feel he ended this book strong, keeping me on my toes. I could understand some confusion in the beginning, but keep reading on!!!

[Herb Costello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science fiction without the tech. The prime directive gets a workout. Politics, religion and anthropology blended together to form a very entertaining story...
.

[Stephen Rowland · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow one, but worth it.

[John Oswalt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this to death when I read it in high school, over 50 years ago, so I'm giving i 5 stars. I doubt I would love it that much now.

[Jon Nielson · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the crap did I just read and why?

[John Loyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the success of Jef Forzon on Gurnil [The Still, Small Voice of Trumpets] the Interplanetary Relations Bureau has decided to assign a cultural survey agent to every mission. This leads to Cedd Farrari being taken away from his training and assigned to Branoff IV. Branoff IV has two races, rascz and olz. The olz are subservient. The live in villages far away from the rascz cities. The tend fields and do whatever their durrl master asks. The durrlz give them only enough to survive, and the olz do nothing else. No culture at all, no art, no crafts, no singing. During the winter many olz die of starvation.

Farrari has some initial success interpreting the rascz shrouding the Kru temple and the mysterious work going on behind those screens. He had been told it takes years to become a field agent but the circumstances allow him to get into the field. Later he meet Liano who is sullen because she lost her husband. He is allowed to train to be an ol with Liano, because it's therapeutic for her. In the winter they go into the field together working among the olz to save as many as they can from starvation and in a couple villages disease.

The story is about the olz being oppressed and the olz themselves don't give it a second thought. They worship the durrlz or any rascz and live only to serve. The problem with this is that the planet can't be considered for membership until things change. If the IPR allows themselves to be identified then the planet is blown. They will have to pack up, leave and maybe come back in a thousand years.

After reading twenty or thirty Agatha Christie novels, I finally realized that any time the corpse was mangled and was identified because of the clothes or the car it had been driving that it was really someone else that had been murdered. We tend to believe the police because they are in authority and should really know how to identify a body. I get an analogous feeling with the misdirection that Biggle used in this story. So even though the revelation at the end was a bit of a let down the Farrari character was interesting enough to carry the story.

[David H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this in serialized form (as published over 3 parts in the February through April 1971 issues of Analog). It may differ from the final complete publication.

The World Menders started out in a very intriguing manner: our hero Cedd Farrari is plucked out of his final year in the Cultural Survey academy to work as a specialist for the Interplanetary Relations Bureau (IPR), a covert organization on the fringes of the Galactic Federation who secretly try to make each uncontacted alien world ready for First Contact with democracy as a first-level goal. It seemed pretty cool, and made me think of the Star Trek TNG episode "Who Watches the Watchers." There's an allusion to the events of the first novel The Still, Small Voice of Trumpets (which I haven't read), but otherwise this stands alone. I really, really wish this had been better than it was, but Biggle has apparently never talked to a sociologist or anthropologist before. The alien rascz are a slave society, enslaving the olz beneath them. Farrari eventually gets interested in them, and tries in several ways to get them to fight against the rascz but is continually frustrated by the unwillingness of the olz to fight against their slavery. As several points, Farrari pronounces that the olz have no culture, no art or music or anything. Another IPR agent makes the realization that maybe the olz want to die. All in all, it's both confusing and offensive. Some plotholes are simply waved away and leaps of logic are made without much logic. (Seriously, the origin of the yilesc is literally just handwaved away in the end, even though it was a major mystery in the middle.) Even Farrari seems confused on what he wants. It's obvious that Biggle is using the IPR stories to poke fun at excessive bureaucratic restrictions (I have to admit the Field Manual excerpts always cracked me up), but I can't imagine ever recommending this book to anyone.

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

1992 grade B
2021 grade B+ (3 reads total)

Cultural Survey book 2

This is the sequel to The Still, Small Voice of Trumpets. The rule bound and moribund Interplanetary Relations Bureau learned it's lesson from the Trumpets incident and is now adding a Cultural Survey agent to all teams. In this case a new graduate has to figure out why the rulers of the world treat the workers so badly and why the workers will not revolt. Again the violence is just short of graphic and it is still a pretty adult read.

The story is not as well done as the first novel and it took me quite a while to finish it. I think there is a bit more detail than the first book making it less exciting. In any case, it definitely is worth reading. I did guess some but not all of the ending clues long before the end was revealed in the book. It was fun to find out I was right.

[Michael Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a while to really get into this book. There seemed to be little focus in the beginning that led to confusion halfway through it that caused me to wonder just what was going on... but once start understanding the culture under study it all comes together in the final half of the book - and what a concept that is! Just how do you introduce culture and revolution to a race that has no concept of such things. The people here are little more than trained and conditioned animals, "sheeple" if ever the slang-term could be applied to anyone. The ending is such that nothing is truly resolved but you are left with a glimmer of hope. It would be interesting if this was ever picked up and explored in more depth with a later generation.

[kvon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Interplanetary Relations Bureau has a motto (one of many) that reads 'Democracy imposed from without is the severest form of tyranny'. That is what kept me reading this book, and I'm glad. A culture specialist is sent by bureaucrats to a world with a particular lack of culture in one of its two dominant races, and Farrari is willing to change the world to find out why. Politics, culture, anthropology, and the Prime Directive all get a workout in this novel of contact with an underdeveloped world. Biggle has always been good at leaving me with an idea or two stuck in the brain, and this one is no exception.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one of Biggle's Interplanetary Relations Bureau stories. The IRB is sent a Cultural Survey agent to help convert the people of Branoff IV to democracy. There are strict rules on how this must be done, and like Star Trek's Prime Directive, is violated. A decent read if a bit dated in spots, I recommend The Still, Small Voice of Trumpets as a better book with a similar theme.

[Dwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old classic and favorite of mine. About learning about other cultures, including one with an unexpected twist.