Conjunctions

It is remarkable how sublime reading pleasure can sometimes be found in seemingly insignificant and forgotten works (the flip side of the coin unfortunately being that acclaimed novels often turn out to be boring and uninspiring). A well crafted novel intended merely to entertain and staying within the accepted boundaries of the genre can be more satisfying than a lengthy epic that attempts too much.  Reading the grand masters of science fiction such as (the early) Heinlein or Poul Anderson is still rewarding today, even if the science and future seems dated to us in the 21^st century, mainly because they were such skillful storytellers, wielding the tools of writing with seemingly effortless ease, simplicity and brevity. No doubt due to market forces and circumstances, the first post-war generation of science fiction writers cemented the popularity of the genre with a flood of well written novels of little more than 150 pages.  And it is no doubt due to the similar market forces and circumstances that these works have now disappeared from our book shelves, and have been replaced by tombs of overlong and dreary fantasy.

 

In the 60’s and 70’s a few authors still produced a few of these little gems (think Barrington J. Bayley or Harry Harrison), but after the appearance of word-processors in the 80’s SF novels have become inflated, often loosing all evidence of writing skill in the process. John Brunner is best remembered for his 3 novels Stand on Zanzibar, The Sheep Look Up and The Shockwave Rider that, though indeed seminal masterworks and still highly relevant, can never be characterized as short and entertaining – I found especially The Sheep Look Up to be harrowing, horrifying and depressingly thought provoking.  Brunner however also wrote some of the most enjoyable ‘small’ novels that still entertain, and prove good quality and skill to be more valuable than lofty intentions. 

 

The 3 novels comprising his Zarathustra series (available in one volume titled Victims of the Nova) are prime examples of Brunner’s narrative skill.  In little more than 150 pages each, these 3 novels (Polymath, The Avengers of Carrig and The Repairmen of Cyclops) tell simple but satisfying stories, rich in plot and characterization. Each tells a story that has been told countless times before in science fiction: Polymath for example deals with the colonization of a hostile world, while Carrig concerns a colony that has reverted back to pre-modern culture and technology. Brunner’s mastery lies in the way his text still grips the reader.  Reading these novels is like re-reading an old favorite – yes, it is familiar, but it still manages to delight and entertain.  And even if he never strays far from the traditional conventions of the genre, a careful reading of Brunner’s ‘lesser’ novels will reveal elements that were quite progressive at the time (Maddalena in Carrig is an exceptionally strong and willful female character for a 60’s novel). But most of all these novels share an underlying humanism that, for me, touches on the essence of science fiction.