Assault on a City-Jack Vance novella

Assault on a City-Jack Vance novella

AKA: “The Insufferable Redheaded Daughter of Commander Tynnott, OTE” (author’s preferred title)

Assault on a City is a 49/51 page(17,400 words) novella that was issued first in 1974 in the anthology Universe 4 under the title “Assault on the City.” It placed fourth in the 1975 Locus Awards for Best Novella and was a semifinalist in the 1975 Hugo Awards for Best Novella.  It has been listed as a novelette and as a novella but at 17,400 words it is just above the 17,000 word minimum level for novellas.

The main character in this novelette is Alice Tynnott, daughter of Commander Tynnott, O.T.E.  The O.T.E. title stands for Order of the Terrestrial Empire and is an honorary designation of “galactic nobility” that elevates the entire family to superior status.  Alice and her parents have reserved an aerie on Earth because her father has a work related assignment to complete.  These aeries are like luxurious mobile homes that can fly above the ground.  A limited number of aeries are on Earth and can only be reserved by OTEs.  . Ordinarily Alice and her parents do not live on Earth but on the planet Rampold.  Alice is a young, attractive woman who is very self-assured, aloof, confident and independent.

When Alice arrives on Earth to board their aerie she is seen by a workman named Bodred “Bo” Histledine who is polishing the aerie.  Bo is a scoundrel and well known to the police. He is employed as a workman only because employment is required as part of his probation.  Bo is immediately attracted to Alice, but she totally ignores him as he works. Frustrated, Bo walks past Alice and drops a wrench on her foot and then apologizes.  Throughout the story Bo will continue to stalk and try to attract Alice.

Another man, Waldo, is a friend of the family and has been doing his best to be more than just friends with Alice.  Waldo decides to visit her on Earth and offers to escort Alice around a nearby Earth town named Jillyville where spacemen and tourists like to visit and many odd alien beings can be found.  While visiting Jillyville they are seen by Bo who becomes jealous and causes problems for Waldo, nearly getting him killed. Eventually, when Bo can’t charm Alice, he goes to extreme measures to take revenge for what he perceives as her rejection of him.  The story involves bizarre aliens called jeeks who when upset squirt a body tar substance from near their tails.  There is also an addictive process called “gunk” whereby two people are hooked up electrically for hallucinatory, hyper-erotic, sexual experiences. I’ve read story four times so far and rated it 4 “Really liked it.”

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Lost Moons (1982)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Wild Thyme, Green Magic (2009)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Golden Girl and Other Stories (2017)