Space Opera-Jack Vance novel, book review

Space Opera-Jack Vance novel

Space Opera was written by Jack Vance in 1964 and first published by Pyramid Books in 1965.  Vance had been contracted to write a "space opera."  Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes interplanetary adventure, romance, and melodrama.  Vance humorously wrote a novel about musical operas in outer space.  This is a light hearted, enjoyable to read, 148/160 page novel that is likely to appeal to most Vance fans.  Although the opera troupe featured in this book plays some serious opera, the book itself is definitely "comic opera."  Spatterlight Press in 2017 released a high quality trade paperback that I highly recommend.  All other editions appear to be out of print.

The story begins with our main character, Roger Wool, sitting behind his aunt's concert box at the Palladian Theater drinking champagne.  (Rather than Vance's preferred Scotch.)  His aunt, the wealthy Dame Isabel Grayce, Secretary-Treasurer of the Opera League, sits in front of him listening to the Ninth Company of Rlaru, a musical group from another planet who play strange music for Earth residents.  Some critics think the group is made up of people from Earth and that it is all a hoax.  Others are convinced that the unusual music is authentic and are captivated by its innovation and creativity.  Critics find it difficult to believe that an alien species has been able to develop sophisticated music that others find comprehensible and enjoyable.  It does not help that nobody has heard of the planet Rlaru and that the space pilot who brought them to Earth and is making much money from their concerts is not very reputable.  The musicians look similar to Earth people, although "they were flexible and frail, and somehow one received the impression that their internal organs were different in formation and arrangement from those of Earth-folk."

Dame Grayce subsequently invites a famous musicologist to one of the Ninth Company concerts to conduct a critical review of their music, but he is never able to hear them because the entire orchestra suddenly disappears over night without trace.  No ships left Earth so it is as though they were mysteriously transported off planet.

Dame Grayce learns that the space pilot, Adolph Gondar, who brought the Ninth Company to Earth had promised a cultural exchange program of music with the inhabitants of the planet Rlaru so she becomes obsessed with the idea of forming an opera group called the Phoebus Company to travel to other planets to stage famous operas to enrich the lives of intelligent alien beings.  Eventually she wants to reach the planet of Rlaru from where the Ninth Company originated so she can return their favor with a cultural exchange.  Gondar is the only pilot who can both operate their spaceship (also called the Phoebus) and who also knows how to reach the planet of Rlaru so hiring him is essential to her plans.  Bringing along her nephew, Roger, is not part of her plans but she ends up doing so anyhow when he insists and offers to photograph and chronicle the expedition.  And her plans definitely did not include Roger bringing along his new girl friend as a stow away.  Unknown to Dame Grayce, her nephew Roger has developed an infatuation with a young woman whom he wants to marry so he smuggles her aboard.  She has plans of her own, though, and this leads to major complications, intrigues, manipulations and mysteries that are eventually sorted out.  The famous musicologist also joins them.

Vance provides us with humorous and entertaining adventures of an opera company from Earth that travels to other worlds to introduce opera to the intelligent, humanoid inhabitants on different planets.  Prior to performing, the leaders of the troupe read about the customs, culture and preferences of the inhabitants on each planet and attempt to adapt the opera to their tastes.  In addition to carefully choosing the most applicable opera, they initially even modify the libretti, costumes and stage settings to try to make the presentation more culturally acceptable.  On one planet, for example, the inhabitants called byzantaurs live in blowholes in the earth so Dame Grayce chose to perform for them the Beethoven opera Fidelio because much of the action in the opera occurs in a dungeon that is somewhat similar to the blowholes. Despite careful planning and much effort, the performances are met with odd, unpredictable responses by audiences based on local ideas about music, unusual customs and assumptions of why the company is visiting. The opera troupe also has to contend with unexpected competition from a musical group called the Tough Luck Jug Band that was created for fun by some of the spaceship crew.

This is a lighthearted novel with irony, humor and much satire, contrasting different customs and cultures.  Humor is very subjective so readers will respond differently.  If you also happen to like opera, which I do, that might provide an extra attraction.  Fans of Vance will probably want to read this novel.  I’ve read it three times and rated it a 4, “Really liked it.”

Published as a stand-alone novel and also included in the out of print Jack Vance collection titled

Grand Crusades: Early Jack Vance, vol. 5 (2012)