Customer Reviews

Alastor

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Jack Vance is one of the all time great authors in any style. His writing sparkles like a bright mountain stream that twists every which way but always knows where it is going. He creates highly imaginative worlds that come alive to the reader and peoples them with characters that are as real as the folks next door. Alastor was the first I read and is still my favorite but all three are great!

This collection of 3 novels shows Vance doing what he does best- creating detailed & exotic worlds with unconventional social systems, and telling an engaging story through interesting characters.

'Marune' finds a man without a memory- he slowly learns who he is, and who had stolen his mind and why. The answer leads him into Machiaviellian intrigue in a remarkable land of subtle noblemen.

'Trullion' is a water world with a mania for a competitive sport known as Hussade- and Glinnes Hulden has more to worry about than keeping his team together. All is not well among the deceptively tranquil islands.

'Wyst' is a look at a perfectly egalitarian society that is by no means a Utopia. "The trouble with Utopia is people".

This book is worth the price for the settings alone- Vance is the best creator of imaginative and vibrant worlds. The plots are interesting as well- icing on the cake. Vance is a master science-fantasy stylist.

Alastor is a compendium of three novels set in the same science fiction universe: Trullion:Alastor 2262 (first published in 1973), Marune:Alastor 933 (1975), and Wyst:Alastor 1716 (1978). The name Alastor refers to a political entity of 3000 worlds comprising trillions of humans all ruled by the Connatic, a benevolent autocrat. Each story is centered on a particular world of Alastor, each with its own peculiar customs, a staple of Jack Vance's writings.

Trullion is the weakest of the three stories. Unlike most of Vance's stories, this one never captures the attention of the reader. The wrap up of the murder mystery that is central to the plot is unconvincing as are some of the more arcane plot twists.

It should be mentioned that the plot outline of Trullion in the book description above, as well as on the back of the book itself, bears little resemblance to the actual plot. Trullion is about a man who leaves his home to serve in the Connatic's space navy and returns years later to claim his rightful inheritance.

Marune is a typical Vance story. The protagonist is a sympathetic character and the world of Marune contains all of the bizarre social conventions that one expects from Vance. My only complaint is that he pulls a deus ex machina to resolve the story.

Wyst is a blatant critique of communism. Vance has a grand time ridiculing the inherent contradictions of a society that attempts to enforce a radical brand of 'egalism'. One aspect that makes this story unusual is the personality of Jantiff Rovenstroke, the protagonist. For much of the story Jantiff is a weak willed, unsympathetic, character. Towards the end, he is forced to fend for himself and surprisingly demonstrates much ingenuity and self-reliance. This transformation makes Wyst the best of the three Alastor stories.

I've already read this 3 times and it just keeps getting better and better.

The book contains 3 stories and each one though not as good as some of his other novels is still better that most any other authors. I very highly recommend it.