Houses of Iszm, The-Jack Vance novella

Houses of Iszm, The-Jack Vance novella

This is a novella of 126 pages that was written by Jack Vance in 1953 and first published in April, 1954 in Startling Stories magazine.  It is currently in print in a high quality paperback edition from Spatterlight Press along with Vance's novella Son of the Tree.  The Houses of Iszm is sometimes listed as part two of the “Nopalgarth” series but this is incorrect.  Although there is a novella by the title Nopalgarth, there is no series called Nopalgarth. (I confirmed this with Jack Vance’s son.)  This novella is not part of any series.

 Initially the setting is on the planet called Iszm where trees are carefully grown from seeds (with proper care and secret incantations) and end up developing into houses with integrated rooms, walls, ceilings, plumbing, decor, etc.  Some develop into simple one room dwellings, but others are luxurious homes with multi levels, bathing pools, and atmospheres charged with oxygen.  The people on the planet sell these "houseplants" to distributors on other planets and have a monopoly on them because they never sell a female tree or seeds, and the plants cannot be propagated by cuttings.  On Earth all plants are sold exclusively to K. Penche who is allowed to purchase a limited quantity of trees of only one type.

On Iszm they have been developing and perfecting these trees that turn into houses for two hundred thousand years.  They even have some that grow into being wooden boats, although the rigging must be added artificially.  The trees are also sentient beings and have personalities.  Some trees are called sentry trees and will strike out and even kill trespassers if they don't know the password.  Even if a female seed should ever be stolen there is a very complex, secret process for growing the plants and only the Iszics know how to do this.  Each tree also requires many hours of training called house breaking.  "It must be entered, mastered, trained.  The webbings must be cut; the nerves of ejaculation must be located and paralyzed.  The sphincters must open and close at a touch.  The art of house-breaking is almost as important as house-breeding.  Without correct breaking a house is an unmanageable nuisance--a menace."

Our main character, Aile Farr, is a botanist from Earth who decides to visit Iszm and study these plants.  He also hopes to persuade the Iszics to allow exports of smaller, more affordable houses to help with housing problems on Earth.  Farr learns, however, that it costs the same to grow and ship a simple tree house as it does a multilevel one so the Iszics have no incentive to export cheaper houses.  All visitors to Iszm are also suspected of wanting to steal some seeds of female trees and Farr is especially suspect because he is a botanist.  The government on Iszm is constantly trying to monitor and thwart theft by using elaborate security systems, screenings and procedures.  Those who try to steal are usually killed or captured.  If captured they are sent to a tree prison called the Mad House.

This is a suspenseful, humorous, enjoyable novella involving police, undercover agents, smugglers, murderers and a central character who tries to stay alive while figuring out what is going on.  Vance fans will want to read The Houses of Iszm even though it is not one of his finest works.  Those looking for an odd, engaging novella might also find this enjoyable.  I’ve read this four times so far and rate it a 4-

Printed as Son of the Tree/The Houses of Iszm, (1964, Ace double paperback)

Printed as The Houses of Iszm, (1974, Mayflower)

Printed as The Houses of Iszm, (1983, Underwood-Miller)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Nopalgarth (2012, DAW)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Grand Crusades: Early Jack Vance, vol. 5 (2012)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Son of the Tree & The Houses of Iszm (2017, Spatterlight)