Languages of Pao, The-Jack Vance novel, book review

Languages of Pao, The-Jack Vance novel

The Languages of Pao is an early, fascinating novel by Jack Vance written in 1956 and first published in December, 1957 in an abbreviated version in the magazine Satellite Science Fiction.  Avalon Press issued it as a hardcover book in 1958.  It is currently in print in a very nice, 166 page, trade paperback edition by Spatterlight Press which is based on the restored Vance Integral Edition and supersedes all previous issues.

How much does our language shape our cognitions, behavior and even sensory perceptions?  Can changing a language dramatically alter a society?  As one of the characters in this novel states, "Language controls the mechanism of your mind.  When people speak different languages, their minds work differently and they act differently." In The Languages of Pao, Vance explores such psycholinguistic and semantic issues, especially the "Sapir-Whorf hypothesis."

The people on the planet Pao are very docile and resistant to change but hard working.  They are taken advantage of by inhabitants from other planets that have a strong military or experienced traders with fleets of ships.  The ruler of Pao, the Panarch Aiello Panasper wants to create a military so he will not have to pay tribute to those from other planets.  He also wants to develop direct trade so the Pao are not constantly cheated by the Mercantil who have all of the merchant spaceships and a monopoly on all interplanetary trade.  In order to create weapons and merchant ships he needs technology, something the Pao are painfully lacking. 

Panasper, makes arrangements to consults with a leader from the Breakness planet but is assassinated by his brother, Bustamonte.  The son of the deceased Panarch, Beran Panasper, is next in line but must go into hiding to avoid being killed by his uncle Bustamonte.  He is sheltered by Lord Palafox from the Breakness Institute on the planet Breakness.  This is the same person who was contacted to be a consultant by the Panarch before he was assassinated.  Bustamonte continues his brother's plan to consult with Palafox to try to change their society.  Palafox informs Bustamonte that this can be done but that, "We must alter the mental framework of the Paonese people, which is most easily achieved by altering the language."  Thus begins a massive social experiment that dramatically alters Pao society.  In the meantime Beran remains on Breakness and studies their language and culture while hoping he will not be assassinated by Uncle Bustamonte. 

Millions of Pao citizens are displaced and land is confiscated to set up three different centers, one for the military (Valiants), another for technical research and production (Technicants)  and a third for trade (Cogitants).  Over many years each group is taught a different language created to favor their specialty.  "To the military segment, a 'successful man' will be synonymous with 'winner' of fierce contest.  To the industrialist it will mean 'efficient fabricator.' To the traders, it equates with 'a person irresistibly persuasive'.”  In addition to the three technical languages a mixed language called Pastiche develops. 

Pao is able to develop a strong military, an industrial base and merchant trade but there are consequences so that much of the population is isolated from the three elite groups and is unhappy.  Each group (Valiant, Technicant and Cogitant) speaks only its own language and not the common Paonese language or Pastiche so they need interpreters to communicate with each other and the general population.  And the ordinary, displaced Pao citizen who is not one of these three elite groups seems to be left out of the picture.  How can the Pao maintain most of the advantages of this tremendous social experiment while improving things for the average Paonese. 

There is much more to the plot.  Beran wants to topple his uncle to become the new Panarch since he is the rightful heir.  Palafox develops an elaborate scheme to obtain indentured Paonese woman with whom he breeds, attempting to populate all planets with his offspring.  Palafox also has very powerful weapons and abilities that are implanted in him so that he is something of a Robocop.  He implants some of these in Beran whom he supports as a possible successor to Bustamonte if Bustamonte becomes too independent or uncooperative.  The Brumbo warrior clan from the planet Batmarsh continues to visit Pao to demand tribute to avoid invasion and destruction.  This clan also orders the Paonese to abandon their merchant fleet and trade with other planets, something that will ruin the Pao economy and increasing independence.  Palafox in the meantime makes it clear that he has no sense of ethics or honor and will do whatever it takes to promote his own advantage.  He outdoes Machiavelli.  Beran cannot really trust him because Palafox and his group are totally self serving and have no conscience or sense of morality.

This is a novel of ideas with the plot and characters being of secondary importance.  I have loved semantics ever since I began reading S.I. Hayakawa, IA Richards and others back in the 1960s and am familiar with the Sapir -Whorf hypothesis so was excited to read this book the first time I did so.  But a mere 157 pages does not allow for the epic depiction of such social and psychological changes and the main ideas can only be briefly sketched.  Vance gives it a good try, though, and the book is easy to read, thought provoking and engaging.

The Languages of Pao is recommended to all Vance fans and to any readers who are interested in the connection between language, behavior, cognition, perception and culture.  As far as I know it is the only science fiction novel to ever focus on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.  I liked this novel somewhat better the second time I read it.  My rating: 4 “Really liked it.”