Book Review: Chateau d’If and Other Stories-Jack Vance

Book Review: Chateau d’If and Other Stories-Jack Vance

Vancealot: Jack Vance in Review, TJ Jones

Spatterlight Press trade paperback, 460 pages

Release Date: 2017

Cover art: Howard Kistler

Contents:

·       Phalid’s Fate, 36 pages, novella

·       Chateau d’If, 65 pages, novella

·       Crusade to Maxus, 1 pages, novella

·       Shape-Up, 15 pages, short story

·       The Augmented Agent, 42 pages, novelette

·       Milton Hack from Zodiac, 52 pages, novella

·       The Gift of Gab, 54 pages, novella

·       Nopalgarth, 101 pages, novella

·       The Narrow Land, 43 pages, novelette

Chateau d’If and Other Stories is a very good collection of shorter works by Jack Vance. It has nine stories, including six novellas, two novelettes and one short story. This collection is highly recommended to fans of Jack Vance, science fiction and fantasy readers or anybody who likes highly imaginative, creative, well written shorter works.

Included in this collection are nine stories including six novellas, two novelettes and one short story.  This collection is a high quality trade paperback edition that is based on the Vance Integral Edition (VIE) that is the revised and author approved edition of the writings of Jack Vance.  Many of the original writings of Vance were edited, altered, expanded or cut by editors, especially shorter works that were published first in science fiction and fantasy magazines. Below are brief reviews and ratings of the stories that are included in this collection.

Phalid's Fate-Jack Vance novelette

"Phalid's Fate" is the third work that Vance ever published and is a 36 page novelette that first came out in December, 1946 in the magazine Thrilling Wonder Stories.  Although it is a very early work, it is still a fascinating tales.  Insect like aliens called Phalids have been making surprise attacks against Earth ships. But a counter attack by the Earth military is not possible because they do not know the location of the Phalid's bases or home planet.  The Phalids recently killed the two brothers of Ryan Wratch. Ryan was almost killed too, but his brain was saved and implanted into one of the Phalid bodies. (Scientists are able to transplant human brains into Phalid bodies but not into other human bodies.)  Now that Wratch has the senses, language, body and some of the brain stem of a Phalid, he plans to infiltrate them and find out where their home planet is.  The plan is to send a signal from the Phalid's home planet to reveal its location so that Earth's military will be able to counterattack.  How Wratch adjusts to his new body and brain stem and what he is able to see, feel and do, provide a fascinating exercise in Vancian imagination.  I’ve read it several times and rated it a 4 “Really liked it.”

Chateau d'If-Jack Vance novella (author’s preferred title) AKA: “New Bodies for Old”

"Chateau d'If" is a 65 page novella that was first issued in August, 1950 in the magazine Thrilling Wonder Stories under the title “New Bodies for Old.”  Five friends are sitting together at the Oxonion terrace having drinks and conversing. They seem bored and have had enough to drink but decide to continue drinking anyhow.  One of them comments, "Might as well spend my money on liquor as anything else."  Another comments that "drunkenness is about the only adventure left." Someone else mentions how expensive adventures are and that it costs twenty million dollars for planetary rocket.  One member says that he heard interesting things about an adventure that might be more affordable.  It is called Chateau d'If. While they are talking a telescreen commercial appears with the message, "Jaded? Bored? Want adventure? Try the Chateau d'If."  Members of the group are intrigued and decide to pool their money to sponsor one of them to visit Chateau d'If and report back to the rest of the group.  They roll dice to see who will be the test subject and Zaer loses.  After visiting Chateau d'If though, Zaer does not appear at the scheduled time to meet his friends.  He is later observed by one of the friends at an expensive hotel. He informs the other members of the group so they decide to go to the hotel to find Zaer. They find him in the company of a beautiful woman in a sumptuous setting, obviously having obtained a great deal of money. But when they approach Zaer, he does not seem recognize them. When they mention the money they pooled together to sponsor him to visit Chateau d'If, he pulls out his wallet and reimburses them even though he claims he has no idea what it is all about.  The group members conclude that he is being secretive and somehow obtained a large sum of money after visiting Chateau d'If . They are now all eager to sign up for this experience themselves.  We eventually learn what Chateau d'If is and the mystery of what happens to people when they sign up.  I’ve read this story many times. This early work by Vance is well worth reading.  My rating: 4 “Really liked it.”

Crusade to Maxus-Jack Vance novelette (author’s preferred title) AKA: “Overlords to Maxus”

"Crusade to Maxus" is a 71 page Jack Vance novella that was first published in the magazine Thrilling World Stories in February, 1951 under the title "Overlords to Maxus."  The main character, Dyle Travec, goes to the planet Maxus to try to find his family members who were kidnapped by a slave trader ("slaver") who is taking them to the planet to sell as slaves.  The planet has an extensive manufacturing economy that is based on slavery. Travec is hoping he can arrive in time to buy back his mother, two sisters and a brother at the "Slave Distribute" when they are put up for auction. By the time arrives, though, his mother is dead and all of his other family members have been sold. He is able to speak with one of his sisters who asks him to save a friend of theirs who was very helpful and kind on the flight to the planet.  Travec is able to do so and then leaves the planet with this friend to track down the "slaver" and kill him for what he has done.  Travec does find the slave trader but encounters something he never anticipated. The "slaver" is actually planning a revolution to free all the slaves on Maxus.  Can he support this "slaver" after what he did to his family or should he follow through with justifiable revenge?  It all becomes pleasantly complicated with self-interest, politics and economics each playing a role. Some ethical issues to ponder are also involved.  I’ve read this story multiple times  found it to be quite engaging and rated it a 4 “Really liked it.”

Shape-Up-Jack Vance short story

"Shape-Up" is a 15 page short story published first in Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine in November, 1953.  Our protagonist, Jarvis, reads a classified ad about four high paying positions available as space travelers and decides to apply. When he arrives at the place of interview he notes that many other men are also interested in the jobs. He finds his interview to be especially strange because they seem mostly interested in weight and blood type of the applicants and want to narrow the group down to eight.  Jarvis soon finds himself to be under suspicion for past misdeeds in what turns out to be much more than a job interview. Vance uses only 15 pages to present us with another suspenseful, action story with odd characters but it is only mildly interesting. I’ve read it several times and rated it a  3 “Liked it”

Augmented Agent-Jack Vance, novelette (author’s preferred title) AKA: “I-C-a-BeM

"The Augmented Agent is a 42 page novelette that was written in 1956 and first published in October, 1961 in Amazing Stories magazine under the title "I-C-a-BeM."  This is another story that is pure fun.  James Keith is in a special branch of the CIA where agents are surgically altered (augmented).  Keith's hair consists of, "multi-laminated accumulators."  His dentures are "scrambled, condensed, transmitted, received, expanded and unscrambled radio waves of energies almost too low to be detected."  Fingernails are "copper-silver alloy, internally connected to the accumulators in his hair" and allow Keith to electrically kill or stun others by touching them with his fingers. Keith has been altered to look identical to an African politician whom he is supposed to dispose of and impersonate.  It is James Bond, Monty Python and Jack Vance all tumbled into one story.  I’ve read it multiple times and rate it a 4 “Really liked it”

Milton Hack from Zodiac novella (author’s preferred title) AKA: Man from Zodiac

"Milton Hack from Zodiac" was written in 1957 and first published ten years later in August, 1967 in Amazing Stories Magazine.  It is a 52 page novella and is also known as "Man from Zodiac."  Its draft title was “Phronus-Sabo Contract.” This is a clever, witty story about a company called Zodiac that offers contracts to bring government, infrastructure and organization to other societies.  Milton Hack is their field representative and travels to other planets to try to sell contracts.  He also owns 8% of the company.  The rest of the company stock has just been inherited by a brother and sister after their father died. Hack has been screening out applicants to avoid those that are especially problematic and unlikely to meet their financial commitments, but his new boss wants him to sign up anybody.  Giving in to pressure, Hack contracts with an especially uncivilized, warring group called the Phrones from Ethelrinda Cordas.  The Phrones, however, are not really interested in a government.  They don’t really want sewers, roads or infrastructure but simply want high tech arms to kill off their enemies, the Sabols.  The Sabols in the meantime have signed a contract with a different company that is in competition with Zodiac and they also seem to want only weapons. Hack is tenacious and clever as he tries to explain that he is there to set up a government, not to provide arms.  The story is interesting with many twists.  I’ve read it several times rated it a 4 “Really liked it.”

Gift of Gab, The-Jack Vance novella

"The Gift of Gab" is a 54 page novella that was first published in Amazing Science Fiction in September, 1955.  Our main character, Fletcher, works on a barge on an alien planet where they harvest barnacles and sea slugs from the ocean to make chemical compounds. One of his men turns up missing and then a strange creature grabs Fletcher by the leg and tries to pull him into the sea.  This is a planet where there are supposed to be nothing that is predatory toward people.  All of the animals on the planet seem harmless, including the very common seal like marine creature called a dekabrach.  But much more is going on with the habitants of the planet and also with his coworkers on another barge.  The intrigue builds as Fletcher, who is stuck on the planet with his crew until relief arrives, tries to investigate the mystery.  "Gab," incidentally, refers to communication between different species.  I’ve read this several times and found it to be interesting and enjoyable to read and rated it a 4 “Really liked it.”

Nopalgarth-Jack Vance novella (author’s preferred title) AKA: Brains of the Earth

"Nopalgarth" is a 101 page novella that was first released in 1966 as a paperback Ace Double under the title "Brains of the Earth."  (The other part of the double is The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph.) The title was changed to "Nopalgarth" when it was issued by DAW publishers in 1980.  Nopalgarth was the preferred title by Vance. Note: In the DAW issue the novella Nopalgarth was published in a paperback along with two other novellas: The Houses of Iszm and Son of the Tree.  This collection of both stories was titled “Nopalgarth.”  There is no such thing as a series called Nopalgarth, however.  I contacted Jack Vance’s son to verify this.

Our story begins on Ixax, a dreary planet where an amphibian like creature "evolved into an intelligent andromorph."  For over a century a terrible war has been going on between the Tauptu and the Chitumih.  When all of the Chitumihs are finally defeated and eliminated, the Tauptu decide that they have only won a local victory and that they must continue their war on the planet they call Nopalgarth, which turns out to be their name for planet Earth.

A research scientist, Paul Burke, on Earth receives a parcel that contains a strange dollar sized metal disc that is able to defy gravity and float in the air.  Then he receives a phone call from a person, Sam Gibbons,  asking him if he received the package and suggesting that the two meet.  Intrigued by the disc, Burke drives to the Gibbon's home.  Gibbons brings Burke into his house where they meet a tall creature, "with a skin rough and gray as elephant hide.  His head was narrow and long, his eyes blank  and blind-looking, like cabochons of beer-colored quartz.  A bony crest rose from his scalp, studded with three bony knobs.  Striking down from his brow the crest because a nose, thin as a scimitar.  The chest was deep and narrow, the arms and legs corded and ropy with sinew."  Vance always provides such fascinating descriptions of his aliens and other characters.  His description of Nopals and their behavior is especially vivid.

Burke is abducted by this alien creature who is a Xaxan named Pttdu Apiptix.  After being taken to the planet Ixax, Burke is offered the responsibility of saving humans on Earth by helping eliminate a parasite called "nopals."  These are parasites that attach themselves to Xaxans or to humans and can influence the feelings, thoughts, perceptions and behavior of their host.  Nopals are usually invisible because they are not composed of matter and are from the "para-cosmos."  The Xaxans call Earth "Nopalgarth" because all people on Earth are infected with nopals.  The nopals on Earth use it as a breeding grounds and then travel to other planets to infect the Xaxans and other. 

The Xaxans are planning a mass assault on Earth to kill all nopals if Burke does not accept the proposal and succeed.  Unfortunately the process of killing the nopals will also kill all humans.  The Xaxans transport Burke back to earth and provide him with 100 kilograms of gold and instructions for a making a machine that detaches nopals one at a time from persons infected.  Unfortunately they also give him a time deadline that seems impossible to meet.  Will Burke be able to meet the deadline to save residents of Earth?  Who or what are the mysterious Nopals? 

Note that "Chitumih" and "Taukptu" are not two different species.  A Chitumih is any human, Xaxan or other creature who is infected with a nopal.  Taukptu is an individual who is not infected with a nopal.  I found this initially rather confusing the first time I read this novel.  Some of the prose and the discussions between the scientists was rather flat for Vance, a master writer, but this odd story about nopals, ghers, Xaxans and mind control readily held my interest and is recommended to Vance fans.  It is not one of Vance's better works, but it is still interesting and worth reading.  I've read it three times and continue to rate it a 3+ "Liked it +"

The Narrow Land-Jack Vance novelette

This is a 43 page novelette that was first published in July, 1967 in Fantastic magazine.  It is a fascinating story that I found totally engaging and thought provoking.  One thing that makes it very unusual is that the protagonist is an alien creature that hatches on a beach and then crawls to the water where it tries to survive while exploring its environment. Vance is a superb master at creating other worlds.  In this story he creates a world from the perspective of an alien creature who must learn about his new world while trying to figure out who and what he is. Through Vance's masterly use of language, I actually felt like I was viewing the world from the consciousness of this creature.  It is amazing how much Vance can create in so few pages. Our main character, Ern, learns that he is one of what he refers to as "water children" and that there are different types of children, some with single crests and others with double crests. They are born with some minimal ability to speak. Ern finds out that he must be wary of predatory birds, a large dangerous creature he calls an "ogre" and "men" who come to the beach to capture water children.  Ern learns to speak fluently and to eventually walk on land where he discovers what he is and encounters a frightening world were "children" are eugenically culled and where the single and double crested adult creatures kill each other as enemies. A number of sociological and psychological issues are presented as the story develops.  I found this short work to be a masterpiece and one of Vance's finest writings. I’ve read this numerous times and think it needs to be read more than once to be fully appreciated. It is an amazing work.  My rating: 5 “Fantastic”

Note:  Spatterlight Press LLC is a publishing company that was created by the family and friends of Jack Vance.  So far they have published 62 high quality trade paperback editions of Vance’s novels (all except three Ellery Queen mystery novels: Strange She Hasn’t Written, Death of a Solitary Chess Player, and The Man Who Walks Behind.) and collections of his shorter works.  These are all based on the Vance Integral Edition (VIE) which were extensively reviewed and edited to be as faithful as possible to Vance’s original writings.  Many of Vance’s works were altered or heavily edited by book and magazine editors with even the author’s titles changed. Spatterlight now offers to the general public access to Vance’s writings the way he originally intended them to be.  In 2023 they began issuing hardcover editions of the same works they had previously printed in paperback.  They also have e-book editions available at: https://jackvance.com/

Spatterlight Vance books are listed here: 

https://jackvance.com/signatureseries/