Nopalgarth-Jack Vance novella

Nopalgarth-Jack Vance novella (author’s preferred title)

AKA: Brains of the Earth

Nopalgarth is a 99/101/103/108 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.  The Vance Integral Edition of 2005 also lists the title as Nopalgarth so this was the preferred title by Vance. It is currently in print in the trade paperback collection titled Chateau d’If and Other Stories by Spatterlight Press. 

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 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 four times and rate it a 3+ "Liked it +"

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

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Minding the Stars: Early Jack Vance, volume 4, (2014) 

Included in Chateau d'If and Other Stories (2017, Spatterlight trade pb)