Moon Moth, The-Jack Vance novelette

Moon Moth, The-Jack Vance novelette

The Moon Moth is a marvelous work. It is a novelette of 35/37/39/42 pages that was first published in Galaxy Magazine in August, 1961.  It takes place on the planet Sirene where adherence to specific local customs and protocol is more important than money or even life itself. Edwer Thissell was recently appointed as the new Consular Representative from Earth after the previous Representative to Sirene was killed because he violated a social norm. Thissell has been taking lessons to learn to play various musical instruments in order to communicate with the locals.  All communication on Sirene must be made by playing the appropriate musical instruments and singing in a certain respectful way. Social behavior expected on Sirene is so detailed and complex that it is almost incomprehensible to anyone not born in the culture. Slight violations or mistakes might be interpreted as a grave insult or offense and can lead to bodily harm or even death.  All of the Sirene residents also wear special masks as must the four men from Earth.  Only certain types of masks can be worn depending on the status and musical skills of the wearer.  The mask Thissell wears is of the "moon moth." It is a mask of low prestige but a safe one to wear.

Thissell is sent a special message by his superiors assigning him the duty of capturing an assassin from Earth who will soon arrive to Sirene.  Unfortunately the message is delayed, and the assassin is able to elude capture.  Thissell must begin the process of tracking him down in the town where he has to interact with the local people. He knows that violating the strict rules of behavior can lead to severe consequences but he also knows that he will lose his job if he fails. 

In many of Vance’s writings he creates a world or society that has strange, often seemingly nonsensical rules and social norms that, although absurd to us as outsiders, are in many ways no more strange than ones in our own cultures on Earth.  Masks in Sirene, for example, are like social fronts or facades that we encounter with people in our own culture daily.  Esteem and status in Sirene culture are based on such things as the quality of singing and playing strange musical instruments whereas on Earth, in many places, social status is often based on such things as being a popular musician, actor, or athlete.  If an outsider from another world viewed various rituals, social norms and cultural beliefs on Earth they would probably appear to be as odd and arbitrary as those on the planet Sirene seem to us.  Vance is an amazingly skillful creator of other worlds and these strange worlds often prompt us to recognize the odd and irrational elements of our own culture.

The Moon Moth is complex, thought provoking, well thought out and very skillfully written.  I’ve read and reread every published work by Vance and this is probably the finest short work Vance ever wrote. It is essential reading, a real classic and one of the finest short works ever written. I’ve read it multiple times and rate it a 5.

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The Worlds of Jack Vance (1973)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The Best of Jack Vance (1976)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Moon Moth and Other Stories (1976)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The World Between and Other Stories (1965)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Jack Vance Treasury (2007)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Green Magic: The Fantasy Realms of Jack Vance (2012)

Included in the Jack Vance collection Moon Moth and Other Stories (2012 Spatterlight)