Stark, The: The Voyage and the People-Jack Vance outline for a novel

Stark, The: The Voyage and the People-Jack Vance outline for a novel

"The Stark or The Stark: The Voyage and the People" was written by Vance in 1954 and first published in 2005 in the Vance Integral Edition.  In 2012 it was made available as an eBook.  It has been described as 'an outline for a novel" and as "an outline for a series).  Under "Contents" this story is referred to simply as "The Stark" but on page 31 in the book it is listed as The Stark: The Voyage and the people.  29 chapters are listed but a number are very sketchy and some near the end do not have chapter titles.  The outline is 49 pages long.  Even though it is an outline, it has a beginning, middle and end, although some chapters are one sentence summaries.  The story is pure science fiction. 

On Earth, a research assistant at Mt. Wilson Observatory discovers that a star is headed for the sun, is predicted to arrive in about 22 years and will destroy the Earth.  After this information is made public some scientists suggest that all countries unite to work on a project to build a giant spaceship named The Stark that will accommodate all of Earth's people.  It is anticipated that this project will take at least 20 years to complete.  Russia, under strict communist rule, decides to cooperate with the U.S. and all the other countries in the world join in as well.  This unity lasts until the ship is completed and leaves Earth. 

Soon, however, "A rash of societies, political alignment, associations for the promulgation of various ideas breaks out."  Among these groups are the Non-conformists, Golden Rule Society, Optimum Humans, Socratic Society, Ecumenists, and Social Ecologists  The Stark is a huge ship but its immense size means that many people are far apart and communication is fragmented.  Conflicts and disagreements increase until all of the people originally from Europe revolt and declare independence.  Some groups manipulate to try to take control of the ship while other groups chose not to be in control because they don't want to be blamed when things go wrong.  Generations later a new race lives in the bow of the giant ship while the stern has unruly criminals, fugitives and other unsavory characters. "The Stark is divided into two groups, antagonistic, irreconcilable and mutually incomprehensible."  (It sounds somewhat similar to U.S. politics but even worse.) 

In the foreword Paul Rhoads attributes much of Vance's theme in The Stark to Vance's long time interest in the writings of Oswald Spengler.  Rhoads summarizes Spengler's main thesis as stating that "cultures rise, flower, then decay and fall."  Avid history readers such as myself will recognize many similarities to the history of humankind.  Some countries and groups of people unite while others disband.  Religions, politics, belief systems and self interest cause disharmony and even violence among various people.  Perhaps Vance is simply holding up a mirror for us.

The story, although an outline, is filled out enough narrative to engage one's attention, but The Stark will probably appeal mostly to devoted Vance fans.  It has much potential and we can only imagine what the completed novel might have been like.  I’ve read this several times and rate it a 3 “Liked it.”

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Wild Thyme and violets, Other Unpublished Works (2012)