Cover blurb: Far in the future, gallant knights in armor battle the wild forces of a dying technology.
"What can half a hundred brigands, a poet and an ancient lecher do to flex a will such as that?"
What indeed? M. John Harrison brings his sharp intelligence, and his beautiful command of language to the New Wave disruption of Heroic Fantasy.
Basically, this is exactly what you would expect from Harrison -- novelist, critic, essayist and rock-climber -- if you are already familiar with his work. And it's exactly what your won't be expecting, if you're at all familiar with Heroic Fantasy.
First, of course, and probably most obvious at a glance -- it's very short, just about a novella. This is down to the fact that Harrison doesn't spin out his material in the way that you might expect, and incidents that another author would have devoted whole long chapters to are covered (or dismissed) in a sentence. This keeps the reader on their toes, and constantly disrupts our expectations. Don't get too fond of Character A, because -- whoosh! -- they're gone! Killed off, or just a blur in the rear-view mirror of the narrative's headlong rush. Don't hesitate too long over the throw-away mention of this epic battle or that personal tragedy because -- whoosh!! -- it barely matters!! Harrison very efficiently does enough to suggest a rich and complicated backstory, while not letting it get in the way of a satisfying story.
Second, Harrison has an admirable cynicism about some of the best-beloved tropes of Heroic Fantasy -- the magic, the naming of names, the epic journeys, the lonely towers. And when he isn't blatantly undermining them, he is subtly undermining them ...
"The right fist rested on the pommel of his plain long sword, which, contrary to the fashion of the time, had no name. Cromis ... was more possessed by the essential qualities of things than by their names; concerned with the reality of Reality, rather than with the names men give it."
Contrary to the fashion of the time (and publishing, now and at the time of publication) Harrison is more interested in the essential qualities of things, and the reality of Reality, and he demonstrates that, in the right hands, that can be served by Heroic Fantasy just as well as any number works of pious, serious "literature."
Good stuff, and looking forward to the subsequent novels in the series.
What indeed? M. John Harrison brings his sharp intelligence, and his beautiful command of language to the New Wave disruption of Heroic Fantasy.
Basically, this is exactly what you would expect from Harrison -- novelist, critic, essayist and rock-climber -- if you are already familiar with his work. And it's exactly what your won't be expecting, if you're at all familiar with Heroic Fantasy.
First, of course, and probably most obvious at a glance -- it's very short, just about a novella. This is down to the fact that Harrison doesn't spin out his material in the way that you might expect, and incidents that another author would have devoted whole long chapters to are covered (or dismissed) in a sentence. This keeps the reader on their toes, and constantly disrupts our expectations. Don't get too fond of Character A, because -- whoosh! -- they're gone! Killed off, or just a blur in the rear-view mirror of the narrative's headlong rush. Don't hesitate too long over the throw-away mention of this epic battle or that personal tragedy because -- whoosh!! -- it barely matters!! Harrison very efficiently does enough to suggest a rich and complicated backstory, while not letting it get in the way of a satisfying story.
Second, Harrison has an admirable cynicism about some of the best-beloved tropes of Heroic Fantasy -- the magic, the naming of names, the epic journeys, the lonely towers. And when he isn't blatantly undermining them, he is subtly undermining them ...
"The right fist rested on the pommel of his plain long sword, which, contrary to the fashion of the time, had no name. Cromis ... was more possessed by the essential qualities of things than by their names; concerned with the reality of Reality, rather than with the names men give it."
Contrary to the fashion of the time (and publishing, now and at the time of publication) Harrison is more interested in the essential qualities of things, and the reality of Reality, and he demonstrates that, in the right hands, that can be served by Heroic Fantasy just as well as any number works of pious, serious "literature."
Good stuff, and looking forward to the subsequent novels in the series.
