Wyst: Alastor 1716-Jack Vance novel, book review

Wyst: Alastor 1716-Jack Vance novel

AKA: Alastor Book 3

Wyst: Alastor 1716 was first published as a paperback novel in 1978.  It is the third and final novel in the Alastor series.  Each book in this series is a stand alone novel connected only by their shared setting in the Alastor Cluster. My out of print paperback has 218 pages of text with 5 pages more of a glossary at the end.

The Alastor Cluster consists of thirty thousand live stars and three thousand inhabited planets with a human population of about five trillion.  All of the people share a common language and are ruled by the Connatic who lives on the planet Numenes. The Connatic uses his wits and a powerful military like police force called the Whelm to keep the peace, especially focusing on space pirates called starmenters. 

Wyst is one of the planets in the Alastor Cluster.  It is also known as Alastor 1716.  Most of the novel takes place on Wyst in the Arrabus Nation.  Uncibal is one of the main cities in Arrabus.  All Arrabus residents live under the Egalistic Manifold.  Everyone is considered absolutely equal and individualism is considered elitism, the opposite of egalism.  Arrabus is suppose to be a utopia, but things are not always as they seem. 

Wyst: Alastor 1716 is one of the more sociological and political novels by Vance, although in many ways it is simply a creative, intriguing mystery novel set on an exotic planet.  The main character, Jantiff Revensroke, resides on the planet Zeck and wins the grand prize in an art contest with the award being a free round trip ticket to another planet of one's choice with spending money.  Jantiff chooses to travel to the planet Wyst because he saw an announcement for the centennial celebration of Arrabus Nation.  He is curious to visit Arrabus because it claims that it is a nation that has developed a utopian society where everyone is equal and residents do not have to work much or worry.  While visiting Arrabus, Jantiff hopes to paint and draw pictures of local people, sites and scenery and to study the local customs and society. 

Many people have been immigrating to Arrabus recently because it is known as an egalistic country where the government requires residents to work only thirteen hours a week and provides everyone with food and a place to live.  It is "a fantastic social experiment, where food and shelter, like air, are considered the natural gift of all men."  Work is called "drudge" and jobs are assigned randomly so nobody has a specialty, skill or occupation.  Outside contractors are hired for work that Arrabus residents don't want to do or that they do not have the skills to perform.  Machines are expected to do most of the work.  Free time, of which there is much, is suppose to be for pleasure in this "society dedicated to self-fulfillment, pleasure and frivolity."  There is very little that can be purchased in local stores so the "tokens" residents earn doing drudge have only minimal utility.  Alcohol is not sold so many residents try to make their own alcoholic beverages from their rationed food.

In order to provide inexpensive food for all of its citizens, the government of Arrabus rations the food and serves the same three foods each day for every meal to all the residents.  This food is produced in food synthesizers from an unknown substance called sturge.  It comes in three different forms, each of them rather bland tasting.  There is a pudding like form called wobbly, a white drink called deedle and a cake called gruff.  Natural food is called "bonter" and is highly coveted.  Arrabus residents even make raids outside Arrabus, marauding "into the primitive" to a place called the Weirdlands where they steal fruit, chickens, vegetables etc. from farms.  The farmers use trip wires, pit falls, dogs and clubs to try to protect their crops and livestock from theft. 

Government assigned housing is available to everybody but to minimize expenses it is very bleak and crowded.  Housing is in gigantic block tenements with, "row after row, sector after sector, of apartment blocks, each to house three thousand folk."  Everyone shares an apartment with at least one other person who is assigned randomly without regard to age, sex or other factors.  Jantiff is assigned to a small apartment with a middle aged woman who sleeps in a bed next to his separated only by a thin curtain.  Her boyfriend, child and friends also are frequently there, allowing for little privacy.

Any possessions or property of residents of Arrabus are subject to theft, something that is socially sanctioned and referred to as snergery.  "Snerging ensures egalism.  It's a very direct remedy against anyone accumulating goods. In Arrabus we share and share alike."  Soon after Jantiff arrives in Arrabus his camera and other property is stolen.  When he complains he is told to get over it and quit being an "elitist."  Jantiff does not like having his valuables stolen any more than he likes stealing produce and livestock from farmers in the Weirdlands.  Jantiff's attitudes about individual responsibility, privacy and fairness cause frequent problems for him.

The plot is fairly straightforward and involves a political conspiracy that originates from some innocent drawings done by Jantiff.  Intrigue, treachery, conspiracy and mystery follow with many interesting events in between.  There is the marauding trip into the Weirdlands to raid farmers crops and livestock.  Those around Jantiff continually try to manipulate him and to get him to pay for things.  Jantiff attends a national sport called shunkery pits huge mounted beasts against one another with participants and observers often being injured or killed during shunk battles.  Jantiff also attends a food orgy event called a bonterfest that is contracted through Weirdlands gypsies.  Jantiff flees the city, meets witches, encounters a hostile townspeople who try to blind him and smash his fingers.  There are witch hunts using dog like creatures to try murder harmless witches and their children.  Conspirators plot to overthrow the Arrabus government and replace the Whispers who officially represent Arrabus.  Terrorists attack with knives and powerful explosives.  There are also plans to try to kill the Connatic who sends high level representatives to Wyst to investigate.  The strange experiences, adventurous situations and unusual people Jantiff encounters, plus the other events and intrigues in the novel, are far too numerous to even mention much less describe.  In addition to the fascinating plot and story, I thought the resolution and ending were also very good.

Wyst: Alastor 1716 is recommended to all Vance fans as are the other two Alastor novels.  This is not one of the novels that comes to mind when I recommend a book to a reader new to Vance.  But it could serve that purpose since it is a stand alone novel that is well written, interesting, and engaging.  Vance fans will certainly want to read Wyst and it should have some appeal to science fiction devotees and wider audiences. I’ve read this novel several times so far and rate it a 4 “Really liked it.”

Alastor Cluster-Jack Vance Series

1. Trullion: Alastor 2262 (1973)
2. Marune: Alastor 933 (1975)
3. Wyst: Alastor 1716 (1978)