Wow, the first tie in Hugo Award history and one of the
books is Frank Herbert’s Dune. For
those of you that don’t know, Dune is
one of the bestselling and most important works in the history of science
fiction. How could it tie with a relatively unheard of book like This Immortal? After having heard them both it isn’t as hard
to see as you would imagine.
Let’s
begin with Dune. Dune is a very unconventional science fiction novel in a number of
ways. Though it does take place in the future (20,000 years in the future), it
does not feature computers, rockets, intelligent aliens, or any of the standard
sci-fi troupes. Instead computers are forbidden and humanity has colonized much
of the universe without finding any intelligent alien life. Travel between
worlds is not accomplished by rockets but instead by ships that bend space to
move from one end of the universe to the other. The government of the Known
Universe is set up on medieval lines with an Emperor and Houses Major and Minor
who control planets as fiefs. While much of science fiction shows government as
democratic and efficient, the Imperium is decidedly byzantine and despotic with
various factions with their own agendas fighting each other, both overtly and
covertly. It’s a truly fascinating universe and easy to get lost in. Strangely,
given the depth of the universe and the scale that is set up, a vast majority
of the novel takes place on one planet, Arrakis also known as Dune. Arrakis is
a desert world with little to recommend it except for one thing: the spice
Melange. The spice is everything in Dune.
It allows the navigators of the Spacing Guild to fold space making it vital for
the economy and very existence of the Imperium. It expands the minds of people
and lengths their lives. It is also very addictive. Spice can only be mined on
Arrakis so the planet is the most vitally important in the Known Universe.
The story itself is about the son
of Duke Leto Atreides, Paul. The Atreides are given the planet of Arrakis from
their sworn enemies, the Harkonnens, led by the grotesque Baron Vladimir
Harkonnen. The new fief is a trap set by the Baron and the Emperor to destroy
the Atreides. The Baron wants to destroy his sworn enemy and the Emperor fears
the Atreides rising power. Paul and his mother, Jessica, flee into the desert
of Arrakis and create an army out of the native inhabitants, the Fremen, to
destroy the Harkonnens and retake the planet. The description I just gave of Dune hardly captures what makes it a
great novel. It’s like describing the Sun without mentioning that it is hot. Dune is well realized characters
operating in a society unlike our own with interesting philosophical
underpinnings. Paul’s mother is a member of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, a
group trying to create the perfect human. Herbert does an excellent job with
the effects of environment effect on people and society and the role and misuse
of religion. That is the reason that Dune
is one of the great sci-fi novels and not just a great tale.
I read Dune
for the first time when I was in 7th grade and absolutely adored it.
Not to date myself, but that was 17 years ago and I thought I should reread it
for this review. It is still an excellent book and ranks as of one of my
all-time favorites but there are some elements that could use some work. Herbert
has a real problem switching perspectives which can be jarring. A section could
be focusing on Jessica and then switch to Paul and switch again within a few
pages. It is hardly a deal breaker but some tighter editing could fix that.
This may seem like a strange complaint but characters are a bit too
calculating. Everyone one is thinking 8 steps ahead and nothing happens without
a great deal of intrigue. And I mean everyone; from the lowest Fremen to the
noble houses, nearly every character is constantly on edge. This can be a bit
wearing after a while and my reading of history shows that Herbert doesn’t use
enough stupidity. These issues are small compared to how great this book. If
you are a science fiction fan and you haven’t read Dune change that now. I mean
right now. Stop reading and go get the book. You will not be disappointed.
I have one main problem with This
Immortal: it is not as good as Dune. But it is very good. This can be a problem
with a yearly award; some years are great and others are not. In my mind This Immortal should not have tied with Dune but it is far superior to The Wanderer. I guess 1966 was just a
good year. Even though This Immortal
is not Dune level good I am glad it
tied with Dune; otherwise I probably never would have read it.
Roger Zelzany came up with an
interesting premise for This Immortal.
It takes place on devastated Earth with population of only 4 million. Most of
the planet is radioactive and people can only live in tropical and temperate
areas by ocean so the world capital is Port-du-Prince, Haiti and Greece is the
home of our titular hero, Conrad. Conrad is enjoying his honeymoon on a Greek
island when he is called to Port-du-Prince to take a Vegan around the planet to
some of the ruined sights. Conrad has little choice because the Vegans own
Earth and treat it as a tourist destination. Conrad takes this Vegan around
with a company of former lovers, enemies, and friends. The Vegan, who claims he
is on a mission to record the monuments of Earth, is important but Conrad
doesn’t know why. Because of this he defends the Vegan from numerous attempts
on his life including, but no limited to, mutated animals, members of his own
company, and savage natives.
What sells this novel is Zelzany’s
excellent writing and the likability of his main character. Conrad, who narrates the
story in first person, is a joy to read. He maybe an immortal but he is a hardly typical. He has
a pronounced limb because one leg is shorter than the other, a scared face and
an irreverent sense of human. I wanted to spend more time with this character
and learn more about his past that is hinted at throughout the novel. It was a
short but fun 200 odd pages and made me interested in reading more of Roger
Zelzany’s work.
What can else can I say but that
1966 was a good year for science fiction. Two excellent books and I discovered
a new author I liked. I should always be this lucky. Read both of these books. This Immortal might be hard to
find. I only found it at the University
of Delaware library. Dune can be
found anywhere. Go now and read them both. You will be disappointed.
