From rec.arts.sf.written Sun Jul 26 16:56:38 1992 Path: herkules.sssab.se!isy!liuida!sunic!mcsun!uunet!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!swrinde!mips!pacbell.com!decwrl!netcomsv!mork!dani From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: Jack Vance: Madouc Message-ID: Date: 26 Jul 92 00:44:58 GMT Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Lines: 18 Let me be the far-from-first to note that "Madouc" is an excellent work of fantasy. In style, it is very similar to much of Vance's better science fiction: Almost all of the characters are urbane and well-spoken, many implausibly so, but the pleasure which good dialogue brings far outweighs the loss in characterization. (The characters are distinguished by what they have to say, rather than by how they say it.) The book stands alone, so not having read the other Lyonesse books is not a problem. ----- Dani Zweig dani@netcom.com If you're going to write, don't pretend to write down. It's going to be the best you can do, and it's the fact that it's the best you can do that kills you! -- Dorothy Parker From archive Thu Jul 30 17:06:20 MDT 1992 From: jcc@MIMSY.UMD.EDU (John Cherniavsky) Subject: Araminta Station - Jack Vance - review Date: 8 Jan 88 19:23:11 GMT Araminta Station Jack Vance Underwood-Miller 0-88733-059-2 $60.00 This is Book 1 of the Cadwal Chronicles. I generally like Jack Vance's work (otherwise why spend $60.00 for the limited edition when Tor is coming out with a hardcover in a month or so), and this is typical of his more recent work. Cadwal is a planet discovered by a member of the Naturalist Society of Earth. The planet was to be maintained as a natural preserve and not exploited. To enforce this non-exploitation, the Society established Arminta Station - an area of 100 square miles. The original administrators in charge of six agencies were named Wook, Clattuc, Diffin, Offaw, Veder, and Laverty. The administrators and their descendents established six houses taking the above names - each house limited to 40 individuals with "full agency status" (i.e. citizenship). Arminta Station is the story of Glawen Clattuc from age 16 to 21. At age 16 each individual from the houses is assigned an index. For 5 years, by study and luck, the index may be improved. At age 21 a decision is made regarding full agency status. If the index is not low enough the individual becomes a non-citizen - this means that residence at the houses is no longer available and that emigration is likely. Araminta Station concerns the coming of age in an unusual society of Glawen Clattuc. It contains several sub-plots involving murderous mysteries and trips to various nearby planets - each with their own unusual societies - not to mention descriptions of two other societies on Cadwal, the Yips of Yiptown and the Naturalists of Stroma. This is a long (450 pp) and very rich book and the pace and writing style are closer to Vance's Lyonesse series than his Alastor or Tschai series. I recommend the book to any Jack Vance aficionado. John C. Cherniavsky Georgetown University