The Eye of the Queen

by Phillip Mann

1st edition paperback, vg++

Genres: Science Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Phillip Mann was born in 1942 and studied English and Drama at Manchester University and later in California. He worked in the New China News Agency in Beijing for two years but has lived in New Zealand since 1969, working as a theatre critic, drama teacher and university Reader in Drama.

Series:
* Pawl Paxwax, the Gardener
* A Land Fit for Heroes

Reviews

[Roddy Williams]

‘AN EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL WAY OF DEATH

When legendary linguist Marius Thorndyke visits the bizarre planet of Pe-Ellia, he is inexorably sucked into the local way of life… of sex… of death.

Nearly twice our size, powerful, intelligent, skin-changing yet roughly humanoid, the alien Pe-Ellians are vulnerable – and deadly…’

Blurb from the 1984 Panther paperback edition


Mann’s astonishing debut novel tells the story of linguist Marius Thorndyke’s visit to the planet Pe-Ellia, accompanied by his assistant, Thomas Mnaba.
Interestingly, Mann uses the rather archaic device of providing an introduction by Thomas Mnaba, explaining that the following comprises of extracts from Professor Thorndyke’s diary, occasionally supplemented with additional material from Mnaba. This was a practice favoured by authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs in order to provide a sense of verisimilitude to the work. For some reason it sits particularly well with this novel since there is a dated feel to the style, which is not meant to suggest that the work suffers in quality. On the contrary, this is a complex and poetic work, painting a picture of a world which is, in contrast to the worlds of a large number of authors in the genre, truly alien.
The Pe-Ellians are a race of large humanoids, covered in a skin of tessellated scales. Each individual’s scales and markings are unique. They periodically, it appears, go through a transformation when they shed their skins, moving on to a new higher phase in their life, a new set of scales, often quite different from the previous one, and a new name.
Each district of Pe-Ellia is ruled by a Mantissa, a vast immobile creature which may be a Queen to the Pe-Ellians as a Queen may be to a hive of bees.
Slowly, as Professor Thorndyke spends more time with his hosts, Winter Wind, Jet, Cook and the strange and mysterious Menopause, learning the language and translating Pe-Ellian poetry, it becomes clear that the humans are affecting the natives and their culture more drastically than could have been imagined.
One cannot help but feel that there are similarities, or at least resonances, between this and CS Lewis’ ‘Out of The Silent Planet’. The Pe-Ellians are very Sorn-like in description and the Mantissa, in essence, can be compared to the Oyarsa of Lewis’ Mars. In both cases irrational Man has intruded on their society and brought death and disruption. The comparisons end there, however, as where Lewis’ work was an allegory of comparative morals and a model for a Christian society, Mann’s work is far more complex and raises questions not only about whether we would be able to communicate with an alien race (see also ‘Solaris’, ‘The Sparrow’), but whether we should do so at all. The union is likely to transform both parties, but would they be improved or diminished by the process?

[Alien]

Mankind had several contacts to ETs but they were more primitive. Now a superior ET species shows up on earth. The humans attack them but that does not impress them much. They invite the famous ET linguist Thorndyke to come visit thier planet.

A novel for a "true" science fiction fan who enjoys the really strange culture of the aliens and does not miss the action.

For a while I feared that it would get too trippy and incompehensible at the end, but that was not so. The end was pretty good actually.

[EmBe]

Sehr Origineller und emotional bewegender Roman über den Kontakt mit einer hochentwickelten außerirdischen Spezies. Diese ist (natürlich) sehr fremdartig. Der Mensch Marius Thorndyke lebt auf ihrem Planeten und erforscht sie. Dabei wird er immer mehr ein Teil ihrer Zivilisation - auch biologisch.
Die Aliens und ihre Kultur werden detailiert beschrieben. Viele Einzelheiten, insbesondere ihrer Nahrungsgewohnheiten, sind in meiner Erinnerung noch sehr lebendig, weil sie ungewöhnlich waren. Sehr empfehlenswert.

[Megan Kelosiwang]

A strange science fiction story set in a future time of cross-cultural interaction between alien species. The story and concepts were explored in detail and gave a real sense of what this kind of future could be like. The concepts were fascinating and quite vivid but I still felt a bit disconnected from the characters even though there was a lot of first person passages.

[PRJ Greenwell]

One for the deep and meaningful crowd. A good exposition of aliens, and the author does his aliens better than 95% of SF but...the whole thing reads as a lecture or a documentary. Where's the beef? Incredibly hard going book at times too.

[Thomas]

This one defines the word lugubrious. It wants to seem old-fashioned, but it ends up just being old-fashioned.

[emily]

after deliberation with the book club, i think this book is a solid 3.5/10. a very humanist take on an extraterrestrial tale with likeable alien characters. the diary entries vs commentary was a little jarring at first because it takes you out from the story but then you get used to getting a second perspective.

we all had different images of the pe-ellians in our head and i think that was down to the author not giving a solid description on what they look like and sprinkling details about them throughout the entire book, as well as there being differences between most of the aliens. an enjoyable read nontheless

[Michael Brown]

One in the "alien contact" genre, author Phillip Mann explores genuinely strange and imaginative possibilities for what a non-Earth civilization and species might be like.

Hard to say too much without spoiling the plot, but the book concerns two human Contact Linguists who travel to the world of the Pe-Ellians. The story explores their frustrations and anxieties with cross-species communication, psychic contamination, and physiological differences. It builds to a satisfying finale which puts the plight of individual characters in a meta-cosmic context. Other readers have been a bit disappointed in its lack of orthodox action, but conceptually its thrilling.

[Mark]

An interesting and pleasant read from the SciFi past now (1983). Thought is actualized in many ways in this tale. Reminded me of a much more complex exposition of ‘The Force’ from the Star Wars Universe, which was fairly young as of the writing. It takes the idea of thought much further than in the space opera of Star Wars. A thoughtful creation by the author.

[M]

An unknown thrift store find that turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable read.

A contemplative alien contact tale revolving around the socio-existential implications of telepathy, thought as a material force, the behavioral effects of sensation, and the anthropological dilemma of going native; told through interaction with an intelligent humanoid race of reptile origin.

[Sam]

(this wasn't meant to be that good... what a nice surprise!)

[Adrienne]

This book is more about the journey than the destination.

[Nick J Taylor]

There are a lot of complex ideas here and for the most part they are explored thoroughly with an accessibility that challenges the great Clarke. The tone is cool and the pace is relaxed. The description is superb and the few characters that there are (a plus in my opinion) are extremely well drawn. Set in the not-too-distant-future, The Eye of the Queen is a tale of humanity's first contact with a species more technologically advanced than itself. As the two cultures meet, debates and misunderstanding abound, yet sympathy is achieved for all sides. This necessitates some perspective changes, which are kept to a minimum and are entirely appropriate to the beautifully simple device of presenting the narrative as an annotated series of diary extracts - a method reminiscent of Stoker's Dracula. Mann manages it with skill, commenting on his own use of linguistic devices and using it to manipulate readerly perceptions of the two main characters, in much the same way as Shelley does in Frankenstein. There is humour in such self-reflectivity, entirely fitting to Mann's statement that "Thinking about alien consciousness helps clarify my thinking about Earth and the way we conduct ourselves." A laudable aim that he undoubtedly achieves at the expense of the plot and the action, leaving the whole somewhat lacklustre. Classy to the point of sedate.

[Raj]

This was a great book of first contact between a humanity well versed in first contact with primitive races and their first ultra-advanced alien race. The aliens ask for the planet's leading contact linguist -- Marius Thorndyke -- by name and he willingly goes to their world to learn about them and their mysterious society.

The book is in the form of Thorndyke's diary entries, with commentary by a fellow linguist who came with him and it worked well. The aliens were strange enough to deserve the name and the first contact situation worked very well. Well worth reading.

[Erik Graff]

An unmemorable science fiction novel by a New Zealander about alien contact.

[Paul]

Quite a fascinating sketch of an imagined alien world. A bit too touchy-feely for me but unusual and interesting anyhow.

[Jeremy]

Rather dry and I felt like the majority of the book was never going anywhere. Then, just when it was, it ends.