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Alastor #2
Marune: Alastor 933
Paperback
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
17 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
Jack Vance
779 books1,590 followersAka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 15, 2016
"By an axiom of cultural anthropology, the more isolated a community, the more idiosyncratic become its customs and conventions. This of course is not necessarily disadvantageous."The Rhune are an aloof and eccentric culture. Lords of a beautiful, mountainous realm on the planet Marune of the Alastor Cluster, their extreme elegance and insistence on formality belie a nature so prone to aggression and martial conflict that they have been banned ownership of energy weapons and flying vehicles. The Rhune regard sexuality as repulsively decadent; they view the act of consumption as they do the act of excretion: as something vaguely shameful, to be done in private; hand-to-hand combat is considered an embarrassingly intimate act. All of this changes during the times known as mirk: shadows fall and doors are either bolted tight or left hopefully unlocked as men bare their chests, don capes and "man-masks" to roam the night, bringing violence upon each other and entering the chambers of women with a more mutually pleasurable sort of violence in mind.
Jack Vance is well-known for his expertise in portraying a host of exotic cultures with an often ironic distance. He really outdid himself with his conception of the fascinating Rhune. Marune: Alastor 933 is the story of a young man who finds himself stranded, with no memory intact, slowly realizing that some villain has attempted to forestall his ascent to the lordly position of clan Kaiark, of the Rhunes. And so back to Marune he must go, to solve that mystery and many more.
That's the plot, but as always with Vance, the plot is just one thing happening in the novel. This book is also a thoughtful and amusing analysis of "culture": how they create biases and often automatic responses in humans, how restrictive cultures often reject individuality, how an insular culture can be viewed from the outside as bizarrely narrow, and how that insular culture can in turn view the outside world as repugnantly alien. Vance portrays the Rhune with his usual detachment, but he is also clearly enchanted by his creation. As was I.
The novel features icy, Machiavellian women and an art form based on scent-scapes and people willing to kill for the sake of propriety and a gothic castle filled with secret 'mirk-passages' that honeycomb its walls. Ah, mirk! So tantalizing.
It also features standard Vance prose. And by "standard" I mean prose that takes me right to my happy place. Vance's elegance, his slyness and his artfulness and his dryness, his consummate ability to say so much with so little, his interest in using obscure words and his mastery in constructing the perfect sentence, his easy ability to make the most understated of dialogue come across as oddly sinister or charmingly humorous or intriguingly multi-leveled, or all of that at the same time... top-notch. He's one of a kind - his own sort of unique, insular, idiosyncratic culture. I read his books and I rarely stop smiling.
Here was the milieu he loved: conversation! Supple sentences, with first and second meanings and overtones beyond, outrageous challenges with cleverly planned slip-points, rebuttals of elegant brevity; deceptions and guiles, patient explanations of the obvious, fleeting allusions to the unthinkable.
May 31, 2020
I am always awed, among other things, by Vance's incredibly rich vocabulary. Not just his use of arcane words, but his inventive and slightly unorthodox usage of terms in contexts that convey nuance and uniqueness, with minimal affectation. This is most evident in his delightfully crisp portrayals of alien worlds and landscapes, and also his pithy descriptions of strange races and individuals.
So we come to Marune: Alastor 933, the second of Vance's loosely connected Alastor series. I started with this, rather than the first, Trullion: Alastor 2262, because, why not? Here Vance once again employs one of his favorite tropes, i.e. the aggrieved youth seeking retribution against a grave injustice.
Within Vance's canon Marune: Alastor 933 is perhaps not overly remarkable. Yet, it is still quite a good showing for Vance, and very fine when put into the context of writings from merely mortal authors. The world of Marune, with the strange customs of the enigmatic Rhune people who become the focus of the story, are richly detailed and are so thoroughly engrossing that it takes on a deep fascination of itself. The Rhune are an incredibly austere and erudite people, who nevertheless become savages once a month when their world is thrust into darkness. Within this world Vance presents a compelling story of palace intrigue, murder and political tension, which comes to an end rather abruptly.
It's interesting to note that Vance's sci-fi worlds nearly always appear quite low tech. Certainly there is no mass access to advanced technology, excepting perhaps transit via interstellar space ships. What there is of advanced technology, including computers and expansive data stores, are exclusively in the realm of government and the ultra wealthy.
So we come to Marune: Alastor 933, the second of Vance's loosely connected Alastor series. I started with this, rather than the first, Trullion: Alastor 2262, because, why not? Here Vance once again employs one of his favorite tropes, i.e. the aggrieved youth seeking retribution against a grave injustice.
Within Vance's canon Marune: Alastor 933 is perhaps not overly remarkable. Yet, it is still quite a good showing for Vance, and very fine when put into the context of writings from merely mortal authors. The world of Marune, with the strange customs of the enigmatic Rhune people who become the focus of the story, are richly detailed and are so thoroughly engrossing that it takes on a deep fascination of itself. The Rhune are an incredibly austere and erudite people, who nevertheless become savages once a month when their world is thrust into darkness. Within this world Vance presents a compelling story of palace intrigue, murder and political tension, which comes to an end rather abruptly.
It's interesting to note that Vance's sci-fi worlds nearly always appear quite low tech. Certainly there is no mass access to advanced technology, excepting perhaps transit via interstellar space ships. What there is of advanced technology, including computers and expansive data stores, are exclusively in the realm of government and the ultra wealthy.
April 3, 2024
In a distant galaxy, at an undetermined time, a young man is wandering and suffering from amnesia. His investigation leads him to discover that his name is Efraim, that he is Prince Rhune, people of the planet Marune in the constellation Alastor, and that he was the victim of a political plot. It is a science fiction book from a great master of American SF, all in all quite banal: a thin plot, sometimes obscure descriptions of Rhune society, and shortcuts too (who is Dervas? What happens to her?). Fortunately, an endearing hero is surrounded by beautiful (but dangerous) enemies, which gives the book a little spice.
February 4, 2015
En Francais:
J’ai reçu cette petite édition française de “J’ai Lu” dans la poste d'un ami très cher. Le titre est le même en français qu’il est and anglais, alors méfiez-vous, mes amis anglophones, si on fait la commande en ligne.
La mise en place: un amnésique perdu est transmise aux autorités. Son n’aide est pas au mieux minime. -Comment se débarrasser de lui, est la seule motivation pour eux qui se douane s’en mêlé dû lui (aucun n’est prêt à payer son transport, une fois que son origine est déterminée.... c’est bien son problème). Enfin, l'amnésique est laissée seul à découvrir sa propre identité et aussi, comment, pourquoi et surement, par qui, sa mémoire a été effacé.
D’après cette traduction (j’ai eu l’occasion de comparé autre titre de "J’ai Lu", ils sont généralement bien traduits ligne par ligne et mot pour mot, au plus possible). Vance s’exprime clairement et avec beaucoup d’imagination. Il a créé ici dans ce roman, plusieurs mondes ludiques et intéressants, mais l'importa cet et mit sur la juxtaposition sociale entre un peuple et un autre. Les Fwâi-chis étaient mon préféré personnellement, et j’aurai aimé plus de mots dédier Ver eux. Le monde qui est principalement développé est celle de la Rhune. Ils concidaire la plupart de ce que nous trouvons agréables, comme pour exemple, manger en public, le sexe... comme être tout à fait vulgaires et doit être pratiquées avec discrétion, sauf durant le temps de "mirk". Durant ce temps, les soleils tombent dessous l'horizon, le peuple se fit avec masque et pour cette courte période, toutes vulgariter sont permises.
Le roman “Null-A” par A.E. van Vogt, avait un élément comparable, et la période de ‘soleil multiple coucher’ fait penser du roman “Nightfall” d’Asimov. Je le signale pas pour suggérer que Vance fait que l’imitation, parce que ce n’est certainement pas le cas, mais “Marune: Alstor 933”, publié en 1975, est d’un genre différent de ce qui est tipis des années de 1960 qui est une period, est d’un genre différent de ce qui est tipis des années de 1960 qui est une period de réinvention du genre souvent sous le titre du “New Wave”, ou le “scifi dur” à la Clarke et Niven, populaire pendant le temps de la publication de “Marune”. Ce roman m’a donné l’impression du genre de roman publié durant les années des ‘40 et ‘50: rapidement exécuté, pas long ou exgissant et conçu avec un sens d’étonnement (ceci existe moins fréquemment depuis Armstrong à éter observé à sautiller sur la surface de la lune par tout le peuple entier).
D'après ce roman, je vais certainement lire la suite des œuvres de Jack Vance. J’ai toujours supposé qu'il était principalement un écrivain de la fantaisie (épée et sourcier) et peut-être il est (pas qu'il n'y ait rien de mal avec ça, mais ce n’est pas que je préfère). Cependant, cette histoire a été traitée plus comme ceux de Robert Silverberg.
Un très bon roman.
An Anglais:
I received this little French J'ai Lu edition in the mail from a dear friend. The title is the same in French as it is in English, so beware if ordering on line.
I do read in french, but don't often have the opportunity, and thus, do not run from one when it literally comes to my door. It's good to keep in practice.
The set up is: An amnesiac is found then passed on to the authorities. Help is at best minimal: How to get rid of him is the motivation. (No one's willing to pay the price of his transport home, once that is determined... that's his problem). Finally the amnesiac is left to rediscover who he is, and how, why and by who his memory’s been wiped.
Judging by this translation (and I have compared others of these "J'ai Lu"editions, they translate it line by line, word for word, as best as possible), Vance writes clearly and imaginatively. He creates several entertaining and interesting worlds in this novel, but the focus is on the juxtaposition of the societies; how one sees and reacts to the other. The Fwai-chi were my personal favourite peoples and I wished there had been more words spent on them, but a better developed example are the Rhune, who, for example, find most of what we consider pleasurable, such as eating, sex (and probably simply being loud...) to be utterly vulgar and only to be practiced in private, until "mirk" comes around. This is when the suns all fall below the horizon, and dawned with cloak and mask, for that short period of time, pretty much anything is permitted.
A. E. van Vogt's Null-A had such an element and the "sun down" period is sort of reminiscent of Asimov's "Nightfall". I point this out not to suggest that Vance is a copycat, because he certainly isn’t. But that "Marune: Alstor 933", though published in '75, is unlike that of the late '60's New Wave reinvention of the genre, or the hard scifi a la Clarke and Niven, popular during the time of its writing, it read more like a novel of the fifties. Quick, tight, sense of wonder plots (these less common after Armstrong hopped around on the surface of the moon).
I am sincerely grateful someone went through the trouble of sending me this gem of a book. And I will definitely read more of Vance’s work (in his own language). I am aware he has a loyal following but had always assumed he was more a writer of fantasy (sword and castle) and perhaps he is (not that there’s anything wrong with that) I just tend to stay clear of them. However, this particular story was treated more along the lines of the early to mid period work of R. Silverberg.
A very good one.
J’ai reçu cette petite édition française de “J’ai Lu” dans la poste d'un ami très cher. Le titre est le même en français qu’il est and anglais, alors méfiez-vous, mes amis anglophones, si on fait la commande en ligne.
La mise en place: un amnésique perdu est transmise aux autorités. Son n’aide est pas au mieux minime. -Comment se débarrasser de lui, est la seule motivation pour eux qui se douane s’en mêlé dû lui (aucun n’est prêt à payer son transport, une fois que son origine est déterminée.... c’est bien son problème). Enfin, l'amnésique est laissée seul à découvrir sa propre identité et aussi, comment, pourquoi et surement, par qui, sa mémoire a été effacé.
D’après cette traduction (j’ai eu l’occasion de comparé autre titre de "J’ai Lu", ils sont généralement bien traduits ligne par ligne et mot pour mot, au plus possible). Vance s’exprime clairement et avec beaucoup d’imagination. Il a créé ici dans ce roman, plusieurs mondes ludiques et intéressants, mais l'importa cet et mit sur la juxtaposition sociale entre un peuple et un autre. Les Fwâi-chis étaient mon préféré personnellement, et j’aurai aimé plus de mots dédier Ver eux. Le monde qui est principalement développé est celle de la Rhune. Ils concidaire la plupart de ce que nous trouvons agréables, comme pour exemple, manger en public, le sexe... comme être tout à fait vulgaires et doit être pratiquées avec discrétion, sauf durant le temps de "mirk". Durant ce temps, les soleils tombent dessous l'horizon, le peuple se fit avec masque et pour cette courte période, toutes vulgariter sont permises.
Le roman “Null-A” par A.E. van Vogt, avait un élément comparable, et la période de ‘soleil multiple coucher’ fait penser du roman “Nightfall” d’Asimov. Je le signale pas pour suggérer que Vance fait que l’imitation, parce que ce n’est certainement pas le cas, mais “Marune: Alstor 933”, publié en 1975, est d’un genre différent de ce qui est tipis des années de 1960 qui est une period, est d’un genre différent de ce qui est tipis des années de 1960 qui est une period de réinvention du genre souvent sous le titre du “New Wave”, ou le “scifi dur” à la Clarke et Niven, populaire pendant le temps de la publication de “Marune”. Ce roman m’a donné l’impression du genre de roman publié durant les années des ‘40 et ‘50: rapidement exécuté, pas long ou exgissant et conçu avec un sens d’étonnement (ceci existe moins fréquemment depuis Armstrong à éter observé à sautiller sur la surface de la lune par tout le peuple entier).
D'après ce roman, je vais certainement lire la suite des œuvres de Jack Vance. J’ai toujours supposé qu'il était principalement un écrivain de la fantaisie (épée et sourcier) et peut-être il est (pas qu'il n'y ait rien de mal avec ça, mais ce n’est pas que je préfère). Cependant, cette histoire a été traitée plus comme ceux de Robert Silverberg.
Un très bon roman.
An Anglais:
I received this little French J'ai Lu edition in the mail from a dear friend. The title is the same in French as it is in English, so beware if ordering on line.
I do read in french, but don't often have the opportunity, and thus, do not run from one when it literally comes to my door. It's good to keep in practice.
The set up is: An amnesiac is found then passed on to the authorities. Help is at best minimal: How to get rid of him is the motivation. (No one's willing to pay the price of his transport home, once that is determined... that's his problem). Finally the amnesiac is left to rediscover who he is, and how, why and by who his memory’s been wiped.
Judging by this translation (and I have compared others of these "J'ai Lu"editions, they translate it line by line, word for word, as best as possible), Vance writes clearly and imaginatively. He creates several entertaining and interesting worlds in this novel, but the focus is on the juxtaposition of the societies; how one sees and reacts to the other. The Fwai-chi were my personal favourite peoples and I wished there had been more words spent on them, but a better developed example are the Rhune, who, for example, find most of what we consider pleasurable, such as eating, sex (and probably simply being loud...) to be utterly vulgar and only to be practiced in private, until "mirk" comes around. This is when the suns all fall below the horizon, and dawned with cloak and mask, for that short period of time, pretty much anything is permitted.
A. E. van Vogt's Null-A had such an element and the "sun down" period is sort of reminiscent of Asimov's "Nightfall". I point this out not to suggest that Vance is a copycat, because he certainly isn’t. But that "Marune: Alstor 933", though published in '75, is unlike that of the late '60's New Wave reinvention of the genre, or the hard scifi a la Clarke and Niven, popular during the time of its writing, it read more like a novel of the fifties. Quick, tight, sense of wonder plots (these less common after Armstrong hopped around on the surface of the moon).
I am sincerely grateful someone went through the trouble of sending me this gem of a book. And I will definitely read more of Vance’s work (in his own language). I am aware he has a loyal following but had always assumed he was more a writer of fantasy (sword and castle) and perhaps he is (not that there’s anything wrong with that) I just tend to stay clear of them. However, this particular story was treated more along the lines of the early to mid period work of R. Silverberg.
A very good one.
January 19, 2016
A lot of my friends are great admirers of Jack Vance. To this point, I have merely read his work piecemeal. This is in spite of the fact that his writing inspired numerous game designers over the years and he has often been recommended by friends I respect. This year, I hope to read at least five or six of his Planet of Adventure series. I own several of them (in the “to read” pile), but I haven’t found a copy of the first one. Meanwhile, I discovered one of the Alastor novels, Marune: Alastor 933. The Alastor system was vast enough for Vance to be able to experiment with a variety of protagonists without having to remake the galaxy for each book and 933 was one of those planets with its own distinct cultures.
Some might think that Marune: Alastor 933 is something of a science-fiction soap opera since the protagonist is introduced as a man who doesn’t know his name, his background, or his skills. He is a “stranger in a strange land” where nothing seems right, but not a messianic figure as in Heinlein’s novel. With no name and no idea of a name (he is even having to parse what he hears in order to learn how to speak so others can understand him), the authorities give him the temporary appellation, “Pardero.” He is assigned to a labor camp while he undergoes treatment for the amnesia. Yet, it is approximately one-eighth of the way through the novel by the time we discover the possible point of origin for the character.
Now, Marune: Alastor 933 was interesting to this point, but then, it became fascinating. The protagonist still doesn’t know his name and he has to learn all the idiosyncrasies of his culture. And these aspects of alien culture are fascinating. For example, much like the Amish of our world can ride in a car, but may not own one, the denizens of “Pardero’s” culture may rent air cars, but not own one. In addition, there is a cultural rhythm to the way the culture relates to the pattern of its four suns. There is even a relatively rare occurrence where there is complete darkness. This is known as mirk and during the “murky” shadow hours, the forbidden things may occur. Now, add in multiple individuals with a motive to kill the protagonist and a couple of betrayals and it really gets fascinating.
One curious observation is that, though this novel was published two years before Star Wars: A New Hope was released, there is a use of the term, Force, in this novel. Of course, it doesn’t mean the life force depicted in Star Wars. Rather, it is a term like “Your Majesty” designed as a polite means of addressing a powerful noble. I don’t think there was any influence exerted between the novel and the film, it was just an unexpected usage that amused me. Of course, I have a low threshold of amusement.
Nonetheless, Marune: Alastor 933 is a delightful romp through culture and possibility, a perfect example of hardcore reactionaries versus innovators. As the story unfolds, the plot seems simple enough, but when you’re trying to figure out how this individual’s story fits into the cultural history of this planet, it’s fascinating.
Some might think that Marune: Alastor 933 is something of a science-fiction soap opera since the protagonist is introduced as a man who doesn’t know his name, his background, or his skills. He is a “stranger in a strange land” where nothing seems right, but not a messianic figure as in Heinlein’s novel. With no name and no idea of a name (he is even having to parse what he hears in order to learn how to speak so others can understand him), the authorities give him the temporary appellation, “Pardero.” He is assigned to a labor camp while he undergoes treatment for the amnesia. Yet, it is approximately one-eighth of the way through the novel by the time we discover the possible point of origin for the character.
Now, Marune: Alastor 933 was interesting to this point, but then, it became fascinating. The protagonist still doesn’t know his name and he has to learn all the idiosyncrasies of his culture. And these aspects of alien culture are fascinating. For example, much like the Amish of our world can ride in a car, but may not own one, the denizens of “Pardero’s” culture may rent air cars, but not own one. In addition, there is a cultural rhythm to the way the culture relates to the pattern of its four suns. There is even a relatively rare occurrence where there is complete darkness. This is known as mirk and during the “murky” shadow hours, the forbidden things may occur. Now, add in multiple individuals with a motive to kill the protagonist and a couple of betrayals and it really gets fascinating.
One curious observation is that, though this novel was published two years before Star Wars: A New Hope was released, there is a use of the term, Force, in this novel. Of course, it doesn’t mean the life force depicted in Star Wars. Rather, it is a term like “Your Majesty” designed as a polite means of addressing a powerful noble. I don’t think there was any influence exerted between the novel and the film, it was just an unexpected usage that amused me. Of course, I have a low threshold of amusement.
Nonetheless, Marune: Alastor 933 is a delightful romp through culture and possibility, a perfect example of hardcore reactionaries versus innovators. As the story unfolds, the plot seems simple enough, but when you’re trying to figure out how this individual’s story fits into the cultural history of this planet, it’s fascinating.
June 10, 2021
The second volume in the loose Alastor trilogy differs dramatically from the first. Vance blends several classic tropes here to produce a complex and satisfying space opera, although the ending left me a little mixed as a whole. The story starts with a man who recently arrives at a spaceport but remembers nothing-- his name, the whole kit and caboodle. After passing him around (what to do with such a character), he finally falls into the hands of the local police. After some serious work attempting to restore his memories, they send him off to the capital of the Alastor cluster, Numenes, where the best doctors in the cluster reside.
One of the things I like most about Vance concerns his musings of the human condition-- no matter how strange society's customs, the odd planets and environments, the people in the distant future face the same issues we do today in their quest to provide meaning to existence. That, plus his remarkably erudite prose and interesting interactions among the characters, really makes for an entertaining read.
After several months, the doctors at Numenes determine that the mystery man is from Maurune, an odd planet orbiting 4 suns. Like the previous volume, the planets in the cluster have been settled by humanity for 1000s of years, so we are talking the distant future. Yet, most societies are decidedly 'low tech' and their environments have produced a wide range of decidedly quirky societies. Marune almost reads as something like an anthropological or sociological study (replete with footnotes no less) of Marune society. To fully develop the odd customs of Marune society (at least the 'high society' from which our mystery man comes from) would go far beyond a book review-- some highlights: eating/drinking must be done in private, any references to sex are seen as abhorrent as are feelings of attraction, strict protocols inform all social interactions and so forth.
Our mystery man upon arrival quickly sorts out that indeed he is from Marune and discovers his real identity from a book of genealogy; further, he also discovers that his is now a 'Kaiark', akin to a lord of an estate, after his 'father' was killed a few months ago. Upon traveling to his estate, still without his memories, he is immediately wrapped up in political intrigue. So, he must first try to unravel the intrigue and the mystery of who stole his memories (a potion of strange herbs did the trick we learn early on) and make sense of very pressing events.
Overall, this was more complicated then I expected-- Vance's depiction of life on Marune involved lots of invented terminology and was at times hard to follow as a result. While I really enjoyed the ride, the ending came a little too soon . Still, a colorful, fun story, first serialized back in the early 70s. 3.5 stars rounding up!!
One of the things I like most about Vance concerns his musings of the human condition-- no matter how strange society's customs, the odd planets and environments, the people in the distant future face the same issues we do today in their quest to provide meaning to existence. That, plus his remarkably erudite prose and interesting interactions among the characters, really makes for an entertaining read.
After several months, the doctors at Numenes determine that the mystery man is from Maurune, an odd planet orbiting 4 suns. Like the previous volume, the planets in the cluster have been settled by humanity for 1000s of years, so we are talking the distant future. Yet, most societies are decidedly 'low tech' and their environments have produced a wide range of decidedly quirky societies. Marune almost reads as something like an anthropological or sociological study (replete with footnotes no less) of Marune society. To fully develop the odd customs of Marune society (at least the 'high society' from which our mystery man comes from) would go far beyond a book review-- some highlights: eating/drinking must be done in private, any references to sex are seen as abhorrent as are feelings of attraction, strict protocols inform all social interactions and so forth.
Our mystery man upon arrival quickly sorts out that indeed he is from Marune and discovers his real identity from a book of genealogy; further, he also discovers that his is now a 'Kaiark', akin to a lord of an estate, after his 'father' was killed a few months ago. Upon traveling to his estate, still without his memories, he is immediately wrapped up in political intrigue. So, he must first try to unravel the intrigue and the mystery of who stole his memories (a potion of strange herbs did the trick we learn early on) and make sense of very pressing events.
Overall, this was more complicated then I expected-- Vance's depiction of life on Marune involved lots of invented terminology and was at times hard to follow as a result. While I really enjoyed the ride, the ending came a little too soon . Still, a colorful, fun story, first serialized back in the early 70s. 3.5 stars rounding up!!
November 4, 2021
This is really an exercise in pure imagination on Vance's part: the construction of a culture based on absurd premises but played, as ever, perfectly straight. It lacks the brio of his best works, but more than makes up for it with sheer inventiveness; I don't believe there is another SF writer who would have had the sheer gall to make up anything like the Rhune.
September 12, 2023
Got this one recently from inter-library loan and started last night. It's the middle book of the Alastor trilogy. Though there are thousands of planets in Vance's Alastor sector, JV only wrote three stories set there. Vance gives Shakespeare a shout out by naming a character Ariel.
I'm ever-so-slowly reaching the end of this not-that-long book. The problem is not that it's hard to read or boring, but rather my reading energy is low this week due to the heat and humidity outside. I'm enjoying this weird and puzzling story(reminds of the Lyonesse Trilogy) as JV deploys all the imaginative tricks at his considerable command. I'll be done tonight. More Vance still to be read...
- minatory = one of JV's favorite words.
-3.5* rounds down to 3* = good-not-great Vance.
I'm ever-so-slowly reaching the end of this not-that-long book. The problem is not that it's hard to read or boring, but rather my reading energy is low this week due to the heat and humidity outside. I'm enjoying this weird and puzzling story(reminds of the Lyonesse Trilogy) as JV deploys all the imaginative tricks at his considerable command. I'll be done tonight. More Vance still to be read...
- minatory = one of JV's favorite words.
-3.5* rounds down to 3* = good-not-great Vance.
July 27, 2015
reviews.metaphorosis.com
5 stars
Marune was one of the first Jack Vance books I ever bought. In fact, one of the first books of any kind I bought with my own money. I had no idea who Vance was, or what I was getting into. I don't remember what drew me to the book. It may have been the Coronet cover, which had virtually nothing to do with the contents of the book. Whatever it was that made me pick the book, I've never regretted it. It was the start of a lifelong fascination with Vance's writing.
An amnesiac turns up at a spaceport. Who is he? What to do with him? In what I now know to be classic Vancian style, no one wants him, and help is offered only reluctantly. In the course of finding the protagonist's origins and past, Vance describes a society (the Rhunes) so unusual and compelling that their bizarre habits seem extraordinarily real. I remember to this day how my teenage heart was shocked and thrilled by the concept of 'mirk' (when all the suns are down).
Simply put, Marune is Jack Vance at his best. Even many decades after first reading the story, it stands up. It has every element that marked Vance as a genius. Ingenious vocabulary, strange cultures, mystery, intelligence, and a good story. And while Vance's female characters weren't always strong, Marune features a couple who are and who have distinct minds of their own.
All in all, one of the best books Jack Vance ever wrote, which is saying a heck of a lot. I don't give five stars very often, but this is one I'd give 5+ to if I could. If you've never read Vance, this is a great place to start. If you know Vance and haven’t read this yet, get it now.Highly, highly recommended for everyone.
CVIE VI.
September 18, 2009
Vance seems to use the Alastor series to explore societies and social systems. Here the fantastic is not in bizarre lifeforms or otherworldly technology but the endlessly ornate and outlandish cultures that humans could concievably invent.
As such, the plot is almost secondary--this isn't a gripping thriller but a travelogue through a thought experiment. The Rhunes are a deeply contradictory people, warlike and yet fastidious in fashion and personal grooming (where the consumption of food is treated as the same sort of necessary unpleasantness as elimination is in most cultures), and deeply hidebound by ornate rules that depend upon the phase of the planet's suns.
It's a tragedy that the Alastor series was left at three books.
As such, the plot is almost secondary--this isn't a gripping thriller but a travelogue through a thought experiment. The Rhunes are a deeply contradictory people, warlike and yet fastidious in fashion and personal grooming (where the consumption of food is treated as the same sort of necessary unpleasantness as elimination is in most cultures), and deeply hidebound by ornate rules that depend upon the phase of the planet's suns.
It's a tragedy that the Alastor series was left at three books.
August 29, 2022
Třetí díl série Alastor, respektive třetí fantasy v rouše sci-fi z jedné vzdálené galaxie. Nic jiného než galaxii (a jejího šéfa) společného tyhle knížky nemají.
Tady je hlavní hrdina muž bez paměti, který se snaží přijít na to, kdo vlastně je. A hele, ukáže se, že jeden z vládnoucích členů kasty jménem Rhune. Což zní super, jenže jeho návrat není zrovna přivítán s otevřenou náručí. Navíc příslušníci rhunské společnosti neuznávají hudbu, nemají smysl pro humor, mají několik sluncí, takže je mnoho typů dnů a ke každému patří jiný způsob oblékání a chování. Neslušné je jíst na veřejnosti a sex se provozuje pouze v okamžicích, když není na obloze ani jedno slunce (což je tak zhruba jednou za třicet dnů) a funguje to spíš jako akceptované znásilňování, než jako romantické dvoření.
Jo, Jack Vance si na společnosti svázané podivnými rituály a pravidly potrpí. Tohle je až skoro detektivka, kdy se hrdina, handicapovaný ztrátou paměti, dostává do prostředí, kde má každý důvod ho zabít… nebo aspoň dostat do situace, ze které by vyšel jako neschopný vůdce… a on musí přitom zjistit, kdo mu ukradl paměť, a navíc ještě k tomu zabil jeho otce. A ubránit se před agresemi od ostatních vladařů. Což je všechno popisované s typickým Vanceho odstupem a lehkou sarkastičností, což je asi hlavní důvod, proč mě tenhle autor stále baví.
Tady je hlavní hrdina muž bez paměti, který se snaží přijít na to, kdo vlastně je. A hele, ukáže se, že jeden z vládnoucích členů kasty jménem Rhune. Což zní super, jenže jeho návrat není zrovna přivítán s otevřenou náručí. Navíc příslušníci rhunské společnosti neuznávají hudbu, nemají smysl pro humor, mají několik sluncí, takže je mnoho typů dnů a ke každému patří jiný způsob oblékání a chování. Neslušné je jíst na veřejnosti a sex se provozuje pouze v okamžicích, když není na obloze ani jedno slunce (což je tak zhruba jednou za třicet dnů) a funguje to spíš jako akceptované znásilňování, než jako romantické dvoření.
Jo, Jack Vance si na společnosti svázané podivnými rituály a pravidly potrpí. Tohle je až skoro detektivka, kdy se hrdina, handicapovaný ztrátou paměti, dostává do prostředí, kde má každý důvod ho zabít… nebo aspoň dostat do situace, ze které by vyšel jako neschopný vůdce… a on musí přitom zjistit, kdo mu ukradl paměť, a navíc ještě k tomu zabil jeho otce. A ubránit se před agresemi od ostatních vladařů. Což je všechno popisované s typickým Vanceho odstupem a lehkou sarkastičností, což je asi hlavní důvod, proč mě tenhle autor stále baví.
May 30, 2024
This is one of Vance's finest novels. Given what an exceptionally creative, interesting and talented writer Vance was, that is very high praise. This is a wonderful novel that I highly recommend to anybody who appreciates very good writing, interesting plots, wry humor, and an entertaining and fascinating anthropological like view of other worlds, beings and cultures.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Marune is 188 pages long, was first published in 1975 and is the second of the three novels that comprise the excellent Alastor series. I recommend reading the first in the series Trullion: Alastor 2262 before moving on to Marune: Alastor 933. The first book is not as outstanding as Marune but is well worth reading and has some background information about the Alastor Cluster government, laws, the Connatic, etc. that can add to the understanding of the second book. Each novel takes place on a different planet within the Alastor Cluster with unrelated characters and plots. Marune: Alastor 933 begins with our main character arriving at a spaceport on a strange planet where he has no memory and is unknown. He earns enough money to fly to another planet where medical and psychological testing cannot bring back his memory but do determine which planet he was from originally. He then returns to his home planet, Marune, where he is recognized and learns that he was about to be appointed to a very high ruling position prior to his absence. Not only must he determine how and why his memory was eliminated and he was sent away on a spacecraft to a distant planet, but he must do this in an extremely strict and formal culture whose customs and protocols he cannot remember. The plot is infused with political intrigue, secret religious rituals, hidden motives, suspenseful mystery and humor, but that is only one dimension of this multi-layered, marvelous novel that becomes a fascinating analysis and critique of customs, mores, beliefs and traditions in Swift like fashion. It is ripe with sociological and anthropological themes and becomes as thought provoking as it is entertaining. I look forward to reading my copy many times over. My rating: 5
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Marune is 188 pages long, was first published in 1975 and is the second of the three novels that comprise the excellent Alastor series. I recommend reading the first in the series Trullion: Alastor 2262 before moving on to Marune: Alastor 933. The first book is not as outstanding as Marune but is well worth reading and has some background information about the Alastor Cluster government, laws, the Connatic, etc. that can add to the understanding of the second book. Each novel takes place on a different planet within the Alastor Cluster with unrelated characters and plots. Marune: Alastor 933 begins with our main character arriving at a spaceport on a strange planet where he has no memory and is unknown. He earns enough money to fly to another planet where medical and psychological testing cannot bring back his memory but do determine which planet he was from originally. He then returns to his home planet, Marune, where he is recognized and learns that he was about to be appointed to a very high ruling position prior to his absence. Not only must he determine how and why his memory was eliminated and he was sent away on a spacecraft to a distant planet, but he must do this in an extremely strict and formal culture whose customs and protocols he cannot remember. The plot is infused with political intrigue, secret religious rituals, hidden motives, suspenseful mystery and humor, but that is only one dimension of this multi-layered, marvelous novel that becomes a fascinating analysis and critique of customs, mores, beliefs and traditions in Swift like fashion. It is ripe with sociological and anthropological themes and becomes as thought provoking as it is entertaining. I look forward to reading my copy many times over. My rating: 5
October 27, 2012
Marune starts off like an "I've got amnesia, who am I?" mystery and evolves into palatial political intrigue. All in a different galaxy than ours, of course. Technically, it's science fiction, but really it's more like social-science fiction. Vance is thinking about culture here: where it comes from, how it can at as a barrier between peoples, the amount which it becomes ingrained in us, the seriousness and artifice of it all. This philosophizing shows up more so in his world-building description rather than plot, though there's enough interlacing of themes throughout to satisfy. The rigid customs of the Rhunes, the culture of focus in Marune, distinctly reminded me of Mervyn Peake's The Gormenghast Novels. If you enjoyed those, some similar pleasures are to be found here. It's light, imaginative fun.
December 20, 2025
Almost through a re-read of all Jack Vance's books. This is the second book in the Alastor series, books only loosely related by taking place in the same large star cluster. Like with Trullion, Vance conjures a unique culture and describes it and its people in loving detail. These books should probably be called Anthro-Fi, even more than Vance's other works.
The plot of Marune is basically an amnesia-mystery where the protagonist has to figure out who he is, what crimes have been committed, and by whom. Most of the book is moodily beautiful, a kind of gothic romance that develops in a mannered human culture more alien than 90% of the aliens in sci-fi.
Unfortunately, Vance brings down the curtain abruptly. After 150 or so pages of slow development, everything is tied up in the last 10. It's 5 stars, vastly better than Trullion, until that point. As an adventure romance it's not unsatisfying, but it feels like it could have been so much more. Written in the 70s when publishers were desperate to find short books for their fast selling paper back prints, it feels like Vance was working to a deadline.
The plot of Marune is basically an amnesia-mystery where the protagonist has to figure out who he is, what crimes have been committed, and by whom. Most of the book is moodily beautiful, a kind of gothic romance that develops in a mannered human culture more alien than 90% of the aliens in sci-fi.
Unfortunately, Vance brings down the curtain abruptly. After 150 or so pages of slow development, everything is tied up in the last 10. It's 5 stars, vastly better than Trullion, until that point. As an adventure romance it's not unsatisfying, but it feels like it could have been so much more. Written in the 70s when publishers were desperate to find short books for their fast selling paper back prints, it feels like Vance was working to a deadline.
Read
August 9, 2022DNF 50%
My third DNF of a Vance book so it will probably be the last time I read Vance. Previous 2 books were
and
Vance prose is superb and understandably makes him a cult writer. My personal issue is everything else, the stories are very simple, lacking depth and conflict, straightforward and with predictable plots. They seem to come out from something written back in the 40's. One dimensional cardboard characters with brief appearances delivering a few lines in a formal manner (they look all the same), never to be seen again.
It's supposed to be science fiction but any technology reference is minimal. There are brief descriptions of some ships (usually only their names and little else is known) that make people travel between planets, but there are no computers, the characters gather information from old books and almanacs. Sometimes it looks more like a fantasy medieval setting than a sf book. I really wanted to like Vance books but it looks like they're not for me, sorry.
My third DNF of a Vance book so it will probably be the last time I read Vance. Previous 2 books were
and
Vance prose is superb and understandably makes him a cult writer. My personal issue is everything else, the stories are very simple, lacking depth and conflict, straightforward and with predictable plots. They seem to come out from something written back in the 40's. One dimensional cardboard characters with brief appearances delivering a few lines in a formal manner (they look all the same), never to be seen again.
It's supposed to be science fiction but any technology reference is minimal. There are brief descriptions of some ships (usually only their names and little else is known) that make people travel between planets, but there are no computers, the characters gather information from old books and almanacs. Sometimes it looks more like a fantasy medieval setting than a sf book. I really wanted to like Vance books but it looks like they're not for me, sorry.
August 11, 2017
This one was pretty nice, actually.
August 25, 2022
True that Vance created an overly complex background for this fairly pedestrian tale of amnesia, but it still it held my interest. I enjoyed the theme of a culture so absorbed in its own rituals that it becomes stifling.
March 20, 2022
»»» A aquisição:
Recebi pelos anos da minha carinhosa irmã um pequeno caixote com uma série de livros em 2.ª mão desta coleção da extinta Europa-América que eu adoro. Este foi o primeiro a sair ao calhas para leitura.
»»» A aventura:
No imenso mundo estelar de Alastor um homem acorda sem qualquer memória no porto espacial de um dos seus planetas habitados, Bruse-Tansel - Alastor 1102. Quando consegue ajuda não cura a amnésia, mas as probabilidades dizem que ele é um rhune, do continente estelar de Marune – Alastor 933.
Ele parte para o seu local de origem em busca de saber quem é, como perdeu a memória e quem o quis fazer desaparecer.
Descobre ser o governante do reino de Rhune, que todos consideravam desaparecido, e um alvo de múltiplos inimigos, incluindo do quase governador cuja posse foi interrompida pelo seu regresso.
Para assegurar a sua continuação na família e no poder que lhe foi destinado terá que reagir a uma série de eventos que vêm à superfície com o seu aparecimento, desde a misteriosa morte do seu pai, o governante anterior, à guerra iminente com o reino que se pensa ter assassinado o seu pai, à cobiça de um governante rival por uma colina sagrada para as criaturas locais, os fwai-chi (tão especiais que gozam da proteção do líder do mundo de Alastor), até às investidas contraditórias das mulheres que faziam parte da sua vida sem que ele se lembre qual a sua relação com cada uma.
Parte dos segredos revelar-se-ão nas Trevas, um período de escuridão que ocorre uma vez por mês no reino de Rhune e durante o qual os rhunes entram num frenesim, onde se libertam das normais convenções da sua sociedade, incluindo a prática de sexo, normalmente visto por eles como degradante.
»»» Sentimento final:
Gostei bastante.
É um mundo completamente novo que nos é dado a conhecer.
A astúcia e tenacidade do nosso protagonista leva-nos a admirá-lo, bem como o facto de os hábitos que conheceu antes de saber que era um rhune o influenciarem na sua perceção das convenções sociais e maneirismos dos rhune quando os reencontra.
As descrições pormenorizadas de locais e tratos sociais dos rhunes são fabulosas, em especial no que respeita ao período das trevas - nada batendo as primeiras trevas que o nosso herói enfrenta uma vez chegado ao palácio, em que os impulsos dele o chamam para percorrer o labirinto de corredores secretos do palácio, talvez até à porta de uma das donzelas que o cativa, tudo numa narração inebriante.
A pormenorização, apesar de nos permitir visualizar um mundo e povo inéditos, acaba por ser ao mesmo tempo um aspeto que afeta o desenvolvimento da ação, porque quando algo é insinuado e a ação deveria partir em alta velocidade tudo acaba refreado por se introduzir sempre uma explicação sobre algo.
»»» Nota final (capa):
Capa fantástica, mas completamente ao lado da história, que nem sequer refere que alguém neste mundo tenha que andar com um capacete (de astronauta ou outro).
Recebi pelos anos da minha carinhosa irmã um pequeno caixote com uma série de livros em 2.ª mão desta coleção da extinta Europa-América que eu adoro. Este foi o primeiro a sair ao calhas para leitura.
»»» A aventura:
No imenso mundo estelar de Alastor um homem acorda sem qualquer memória no porto espacial de um dos seus planetas habitados, Bruse-Tansel - Alastor 1102. Quando consegue ajuda não cura a amnésia, mas as probabilidades dizem que ele é um rhune, do continente estelar de Marune – Alastor 933.
Ele parte para o seu local de origem em busca de saber quem é, como perdeu a memória e quem o quis fazer desaparecer.
Descobre ser o governante do reino de Rhune, que todos consideravam desaparecido, e um alvo de múltiplos inimigos, incluindo do quase governador cuja posse foi interrompida pelo seu regresso.
Para assegurar a sua continuação na família e no poder que lhe foi destinado terá que reagir a uma série de eventos que vêm à superfície com o seu aparecimento, desde a misteriosa morte do seu pai, o governante anterior, à guerra iminente com o reino que se pensa ter assassinado o seu pai, à cobiça de um governante rival por uma colina sagrada para as criaturas locais, os fwai-chi (tão especiais que gozam da proteção do líder do mundo de Alastor), até às investidas contraditórias das mulheres que faziam parte da sua vida sem que ele se lembre qual a sua relação com cada uma.
Parte dos segredos revelar-se-ão nas Trevas, um período de escuridão que ocorre uma vez por mês no reino de Rhune e durante o qual os rhunes entram num frenesim, onde se libertam das normais convenções da sua sociedade, incluindo a prática de sexo, normalmente visto por eles como degradante.
»»» Sentimento final:
Gostei bastante.
É um mundo completamente novo que nos é dado a conhecer.
A astúcia e tenacidade do nosso protagonista leva-nos a admirá-lo, bem como o facto de os hábitos que conheceu antes de saber que era um rhune o influenciarem na sua perceção das convenções sociais e maneirismos dos rhune quando os reencontra.
As descrições pormenorizadas de locais e tratos sociais dos rhunes são fabulosas, em especial no que respeita ao período das trevas - nada batendo as primeiras trevas que o nosso herói enfrenta uma vez chegado ao palácio, em que os impulsos dele o chamam para percorrer o labirinto de corredores secretos do palácio, talvez até à porta de uma das donzelas que o cativa, tudo numa narração inebriante.
A pormenorização, apesar de nos permitir visualizar um mundo e povo inéditos, acaba por ser ao mesmo tempo um aspeto que afeta o desenvolvimento da ação, porque quando algo é insinuado e a ação deveria partir em alta velocidade tudo acaba refreado por se introduzir sempre uma explicação sobre algo.
»»» Nota final (capa):
Capa fantástica, mas completamente ao lado da história, que nem sequer refere que alguém neste mundo tenha que andar com um capacete (de astronauta ou outro).
June 20, 2021
Op een ruimtehaven werd een jonge man gevonden, die aan geheugenverlies blijkt te lijden. Er was maar een mogelijkheid om hem te genezen van zijn geheugenverlies, en dat is op de hoofdplaneet van het Alastor-stelsel. Een reis die echter erg duur is. Om de reis te bekostigen wordt hij tijdelijk te werk gesteld in een werkkamp, waarhij ongeschoold arbeid krijgt te verrichten. De jongen, die de naam Pardero kreeg, probeert te ontdekken wie hij was en wie zijn vijand is, de man die zijn geheugen gestolen heeft. Psychologen ontdekken dat zijn thuiswereld het geheimzinnige Marune is, een planeet beschenen door vier beweeglijke zonnen. Daar aangekomen wordt Pardero begroet als de Kaiark Efraim, heerser over het Rijk van de Schaduwen. Nu moet hij nog enkel zijn vijand ontdekken en er zijn veel kandidaten.
Het verhaal was wat mij betreft niet super goed, maar ook niet super slecht. 3 Sterren dus.
Het verhaal was wat mij betreft niet super goed, maar ook niet super slecht. 3 Sterren dus.
December 19, 2013
This one was an improvement and much more fascinating read than Trullion that was the first book in Alastor series.
Its unique setting,culture of The Rhunes, the mystery behind the lack of memories for the hero makes it one of the best Vance SF novels. I just wish the ending wasnt so neat, abrupt. I wanted more climax, more Demon Princes ending. Its a book that improves on Trullion on every level. I could have read 400 pages about The Rhunes aversion to eating in public, their different long day with times of light,darkness, mirk and their feudal way of life with catles,lands, their harsh laws of etiquette.
It was a true great Vance SF that reminded me i havent read one of these in a while. I have read most of his novels by their acclaim so its only natural i have the lesser works left now.
Its unique setting,culture of The Rhunes, the mystery behind the lack of memories for the hero makes it one of the best Vance SF novels. I just wish the ending wasnt so neat, abrupt. I wanted more climax, more Demon Princes ending. Its a book that improves on Trullion on every level. I could have read 400 pages about The Rhunes aversion to eating in public, their different long day with times of light,darkness, mirk and their feudal way of life with catles,lands, their harsh laws of etiquette.
It was a true great Vance SF that reminded me i havent read one of these in a while. I have read most of his novels by their acclaim so its only natural i have the lesser works left now.
April 27, 2012
After seminary graduation I moved back to Chicago from NYC, acquiring a studio apartment on the corner of Ashland and Morse Avenues in the East Rogers Park neighborhood on the north side. Having been away from the midwest for almost a decade, I was pretty much out of contact, alone and lonely. Other than a clock radio I had no entertainment--no phonograph, no tape player, no television. What I did was look for work and read. Fortunately, there was a resale shop just down the block that had paperbacks for a pittance, many of them science fiction novels. I picked this up there, reading it in a couple of hours. It wasn't unusual to read more than one of these things in a day.
May 22, 2020
"Another book I must have read at least ten times. Jack Vance conjures up yet another fascinating world." was what I wrote on 9 December 2012. I suspect that ten times was a bit of an exaggeration! This was first published in the UK in 1978 so I probably bought my copy in the early 1980s. The story begins with a man with no memory who struggles to find from whence he came and to assume his rightful position in society. Having achieved this aim he still does not know who his enemies are and why they robbed him of his memory so he has to tread carefully. It's a good read though perhaps a bit rushed at the end.
June 17, 2016
memory loss
April 21, 2021
Nach der Mondmotte habe ich richtig wieder Lust auf Jack Vance bekommen. Die Alastor Trilogie läutet zusammen mit Heinleins Das neue Buch Hiob meine ganz persönliche SF Phase ein.
"Marune" ist der zweite Teil der Trilogie. Ein Mann wird ohne Gedächtnis auf einem Raumhafen aufgegriffen. Mit etwas Hilfe findet er zumindest seine Heimatwelt heraus. Dort angekommen sticht er mitten ins Wespennest und muss aufpassen, das sein unbekannter Feind nicht doch noch gewinnt...
Jack Vance zeigt viel Fantasie wenn es um neue, exotische Rassen geht. Das versteht er wie kein anderer und die Personen sind ebenfalls gut gelungen. Man hält den SF Autoren häufig vor, dass die Frauen bei ihnen zu eindimensional beschrieben werden. Das ist bei Jack Vance nicht so, wenn auch ihre Möglichkeiten in patriarchischen Gesellschaften eingeschränkt sind.
Die Handlung ist diesmal für meinen Geschmack zu dünn. Als Jugendlicher hat mir das Rächermotiv in Zusammenhang mit Amnese gefallen. 28 Jahre später sieht es anders aus und im Gegensatz zu den anderen beiden Alastor Romanen fehlt das gewisse Etwas.
Unterhaltsame 4 von 5 Sterne
"Marune" ist der zweite Teil der Trilogie. Ein Mann wird ohne Gedächtnis auf einem Raumhafen aufgegriffen. Mit etwas Hilfe findet er zumindest seine Heimatwelt heraus. Dort angekommen sticht er mitten ins Wespennest und muss aufpassen, das sein unbekannter Feind nicht doch noch gewinnt...
Jack Vance zeigt viel Fantasie wenn es um neue, exotische Rassen geht. Das versteht er wie kein anderer und die Personen sind ebenfalls gut gelungen. Man hält den SF Autoren häufig vor, dass die Frauen bei ihnen zu eindimensional beschrieben werden. Das ist bei Jack Vance nicht so, wenn auch ihre Möglichkeiten in patriarchischen Gesellschaften eingeschränkt sind.
Die Handlung ist diesmal für meinen Geschmack zu dünn. Als Jugendlicher hat mir das Rächermotiv in Zusammenhang mit Amnese gefallen. 28 Jahre später sieht es anders aus und im Gegensatz zu den anderen beiden Alastor Romanen fehlt das gewisse Etwas.
Unterhaltsame 4 von 5 Sterne
July 23, 2020
I do not know in what order Vance wrote his books. The Alastor series leaves me with the impression that they are the works of an inexperienced author. The main symptom of this is the abrupt wrapping up of the plot, which in Marune is even more contrived than in Wyst. It is a sleight of hand, really, in its context not entirely unreasonable, but a bit desperate. At the height of his powers, Jack Vance could certainly do better: Each book of the Demon Princes has a rather more satisfactory, if melancholy, ending.
It is an enjoyable story, however. Among the crags, valleys and rivers of a rugged but beautiful mountain landscape live the Rhune, people imagined to be in tune with that environment: Creative, violent, bound by eccentric conventions which they respect but also debate. They are one of Vance’s more fanciful inventions, but they clearly have a history and live with that history, which breathes life in them.
The construct by which the protagonist has to find his way through his own culture, after having become a stranger, is imaginative and well executed. The downside is that the other characters are sketchy, in particular the female characters. Sthelany has a complexity that is worth exploring, but Vance doesn’t really get around to it.
Not the best Vance, then, but still fun to read.
It is an enjoyable story, however. Among the crags, valleys and rivers of a rugged but beautiful mountain landscape live the Rhune, people imagined to be in tune with that environment: Creative, violent, bound by eccentric conventions which they respect but also debate. They are one of Vance’s more fanciful inventions, but they clearly have a history and live with that history, which breathes life in them.
The construct by which the protagonist has to find his way through his own culture, after having become a stranger, is imaginative and well executed. The downside is that the other characters are sketchy, in particular the female characters. Sthelany has a complexity that is worth exploring, but Vance doesn’t really get around to it.
Not the best Vance, then, but still fun to read.
June 17, 2017
Published in 1975, Marune is one of a number of Vance novels set around the Alastor star cluster near the Gaean Reach. In this, the main character is found by the authorities with complete amnesia, eventually discovering that he has been dumped hundreds of light years from home, where he is the ruling nobleman. A familiar plot pretext, also used in such grand epics as Silverberg's 'Lord Valentine's Castle' of a few years later amongst others. It also has the bubious distinction that the 1978 Coronet edition mispells the title on the cover... very sloppy.
July 14, 2020
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
"Even though I’ve previously read only three of Jack Vance’s lesser known works, The Showboat World (1975), The Blue World (1966) and City of the Chasch (1968) I’ve come to appreciate his world building and solid story telling abilities. Marune: Alastor 933 (1975), although not the best of his Alastor trilogy, is no exception. I recommend the work for all fans of space opera, “fantasy in space,” and fans of Vance’s more famous works who [...]"
"Even though I’ve previously read only three of Jack Vance’s lesser known works, The Showboat World (1975), The Blue World (1966) and City of the Chasch (1968) I’ve come to appreciate his world building and solid story telling abilities. Marune: Alastor 933 (1975), although not the best of his Alastor trilogy, is no exception. I recommend the work for all fans of space opera, “fantasy in space,” and fans of Vance’s more famous works who [...]"
July 3, 2024
A run of the mill Vance tale. The memory loss plot reminded me of his book Night Lamp. The "society with unique and inflexible mores forming a highly stratified social structure" element also reminded me of Night Lamp, as well as all his other books. At its core this is a particular flavor of crime-solving soft mystery which Vance liked to dabble in: you have a good idea of who the bad guys are early on, and you get to ride along the current of a pleasant narrative while the protagonist gets to the heart of the mystery, which is only fully resolved in the final pages.
April 19, 2021
The second in the Gaean Reach set, I couldn't put Marune: Alastor 933 down. The combination of its science/fantasy elements was propulsively interesting, with Vance using a classic "lost memory" trope to investigate inheritance, secrecy, and violence. Absolutely compelling. I didn't want this one to end!
June 29, 2021
A classic Vance -- mystery, science-anthropology and space opera all wrapped within a revenge story. Perhaps a bit less fun than Trullion with its play-by-play of the fictitious game of Hussade. Remarkable for its absolute lack of violence (except what occurs out of direct narration.) It is perhaps 4 stars for JV, 5 stars for everyone else.
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