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4.0étoiles sur 5
Imperfect, but one good thriller and some fascinating themes, Jui 1 2004
The half dozen short stories centre on Haviland Tuf, a fastidious, pompous, somewhat misanthropic character, who outsmarts his foes, and appears to be the only person with integrity in the whole universe. The superior prequel story describes how he gained possession of an ancient but technologically massively advanced juggernaut - its most crucial capacity is genetics. Tuf can create virtually any species he wants - from devastating viruses to gentle cute grass-eaters to beasts of nightmare.
The story that started this collection (all written for Analog) probably came from the old notion that the technology we have now would make past cultures view us as God/s. In 'Call Him Moses', Martin sets up a self-styled prophet who takes over a planet by (secretly non-miraculously) reproducing most of the plagues of Exodus - the executive hand over office under threat of the first born'plague'.
Our 'hero' deliberately appears to this dictator as a pillar of light, saying I am the Lord God. With his far greater technology he displaces the 'false prophet'. Martin pushes this pretty hard, having his (not ironic or undermined) protagonist sincerely say for all intents and purposes in this case he is God because of the planet altering powers his ship gives him.
The same theme is explored in 'Manna from Heaven', written seven years later. Faced with an absurdly overpopulated planet which, after every chance to work on birth control (something their religion abhors), is descending into anarchy and expansionist warfare, Tuf devises a plant that will essentially sterilise 99% of the population.
"You have no right," declares the (straw woman) president of the planet. "...Who the hell gave you the authority to make that decision for them? ... You're no better than we are. You're only human ... What gives you the goddamned right to play God with our world and our lives?"
..."I make no claims to godhead in the mythological sense, " [replies Tuf,] "Yet I submit that I do indeed wield the power of a god...I traffic in the life and death of worlds. Enjoying as I do these godlike abilities, can I rightfully decline the accompanying responsibility, the equally awesome burden of moral authority? I think not."
Normally such a declaration would have the reader saying with Tuf's antagonist, "He's insane." But Martin is pushing us to think a little deeper. A cool theme that emerges is that we should recognise our responsibility rather than just act as if it doesn't exist. Learning to be comfortable with the power we have is actually admirable. It'd be great if he wrote something about this relating to the responsibility we in the '1st world' automatically have to the '3rd world' - with every purchase we make.
Tuf persuades the president with the analogy of the way he sterilised his cats:
"... Ultimately, as you yourself will discover, there are but two fundamental options. You must either reconcile yourself to inhibiting the fertility of your cats, entirely without their consent, I might add, or, failing that, some day most assuredly you will find yourself about to cycle a bag full of newborn kittens out your airlock into the cold vacuum of space. Make no choice, and you have chosen. Failure to decide, because you lack the right, is itself a decision, First Councillor. In abstaining, you vote."
"Tuf," she said, her voice agonised, "don't! I don't want this damned power."
I can see in this why he deals so well with the nature of kingship in his, 'Song of Ice and Fire' series, particularly Danerys. Also putting the power thing into this context doesn't offend my sensibilities as a Christian who actually does think God is not merely a myth, and all believers fools and/or manipulative liars.
While these two stories are easily the most challenging thematically, they don't really set the tone for the book. Interesting that the first story written, 'Call Him Moses', comes second last. The earlier ones are all prequels, most written seven years later in '85. The longest and most enjoyable, 'The Plague Star', is simply a thriller - Tuf has to kill or be killed by the individuals in the landing party attempting to claim the valuable ship. We then have novel accounts of how Tuf deals with the ecological problems of various planets.
There is another theme: despite him solving massive problems, his solutions are generally resented by those he rescues, and his motives always unjustly impugned (projection). This may be Martin deliberately setting him up for godhood, rightly seeing that justice from above, even in response to calls for help, often just results in rank ingratitude and abuse.
A weakness, however, is that no other character is given the sense or personality to actually appreciate or even understand Tuf's actions. Because some of these actions are so clearly helpful, this means everyone else is either stupid and/or ugly, or inconsistent. Tuf's eccentricities and virtue could have been much more enjoyable if he'd had at least some sympathetic characters - his precious cats aren't enough for me.
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5.0étoiles sur 5
Pleasant surprise- fun, readable, non-insulting Science Fict, Mai 20 2004
I picked this book up on a whim, I have always been a fan of the movie Silent Running and thought this had a similar premise (turns out it doesn't really, but that's ok).First off I have to say that the book is a little oddly constructed. I am tired of the one line author bios ("Lives in Maine with his wife and four cats...") but in the end papers of Tuf Voyaging we get Mr. Martin's CV for goodness sake. The man has a lot to be proud of, but really, come on. Let's keep the ego in check a little. Besides, the book speaks for itself. I understand it is "cobbled" together from stories published previously, but for myself, coming in unawares, the chapters work just fine. The opening chapter deals with how Tuf gets an amazing space ship, a bio-engineering "ark" (in one of the less subtle moments the ship is named, um, The Ark). Then we get introduced to an over populated planet in need of help (and desiring The Ark). Then a few more chapters, cleverly showing how Tuf uses the Ark in unexpected ways to both help people and satisfy his sense of morals. The books works because a) it is endlessly inventive, always the hallmark of good science fiction, and b) clever in execution. Each chapter lays out an interesting problem which Tuf then proceeds to, in his own droll way, solve. Not always the way people expect or want him too, but in a way which is interesting nonetheless. I do have to agree the novel ends some what poorly. Martin boxes himself into a corner and then offers a fairly mediocre (if not logical) way out, but the rest of the book more than makes up for it. Hey, it's a fun read, it makes you think (and imagine) and yet does not dumb things down or present silly ideas just for shock or novelty value. Highly recommended.
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Good Stuff, Fév 14 2004
Like many people who have recently read "Tuf Voyaging" for the first time, I was introduced to George R. R. Martin through the outstanding "Song of Ice and Fire" series. "Tuf", of course, has a very different setting. In the far future, humanity lives on scattered planets long after the collapse of the Empire. One relic survives: a 'Seedship', containing all the ancient data and technology needed to clone extinct species or create new ones. This ship falls into the hands of a trader named Haviland Tuf, who promptly sets off on a series of adventures, using the ship's capabilities to address ecological and societal problems on various planets.Although this is certainly early Martin, I would argue that we can definitely see the same qualities here that we love in his current set of fantasy triumphs. Characters stand out for their strong personalities and unshakable convictions. Tuf, portrayed as intelligent and self-confident but still holding a sense of humor, embodies the same strength and likeability that we find in Tyrion Lannister and other unforgettable creations. As in the "Song", minor characters are also well-developed in the space of just a few lines, creating genuine emotional intensity as they vie against Tuf. I should mention also that the humor is strong. Things that are supposed to be funny actually are funny. The best story of the bunch is "The Plague Star", the opening chapter in which we see how Tuf acquires his ship and grow introduced to his tough but patient personality. This one is a minor masterpiece that pitches an entire crew into an every-man-for-himself battle where nobody can be trusted. (Petyr Baelish and Varys would feel right at home.) As with his later fantasy novels, Martin toys with the reader. He sets up situations where you think you can predict what will happen, but keeps some tricks up his sleeve until the last minute. Slightly less enchanting, but still definitely worth reading, are three stories where Tuf helps a crowded planet deal with overpopulation. I didn't find these tales excessively preachy, but there was certainly less action there than what I've come to expect from Martin.
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