New Bodies for Old-Jack Vance novella

New Bodies for Old-Jack Vance novella

AKA: Chateau d’If (author’s preferred title)

Chateau d'If is a 61 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 what happens to people when they visit there.  This early work by Vance is well worth reading.  I’ve read it three times so far and rated it 4 “Really liked it.”

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Chateau d’If and Other Stories (2017)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The Narrow Land (1984)

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