Posted by Rodger Whitlock on August 14, 1998 at 08:41:36:
In Reply to: Re: Some Thoughts on Re-reading "Araminta Station" posted by Michael Reynolds on August 13, 1998 at 22:47:49:
: : I'm re-reading Araminta Station, and what a delight it is!
: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: I think "Araminta Station" is brilliant; moreover--and lots of people will take strong issue with this--I think it's Mr. Vance's last really good book, ranking right up there with the Tschai or Anome series.
: The whole dilemma of the Yips speaks to one of the main issues of our times, namely: who is to do society's scut work?
: Yipton seemed like a cross between Bali, Bangkok, Tijuana, and the West Bank. Glawen's experiences there were very moving, as was the fate of Kirdy Wook.
: I, too could re-read this book several times more. Can't say that for Night Lamp, Rhialto et al. Sorry, but that's how it is....
I agree fully with you about this. It's my suspicion that the reason
the sequels to Araminta Station are progressively shorter is that
Jack Vance's vision was rapidly failing at that time, and the effort
of writing a complex, detailed narrative such as Araminta was beyond
him.
His more recent books seem, to me, to be like Reader's Digest
Condensed Books. The basic stuff is there, but the wordy elaborations
which are characteristic of Vance at his finest are missing.
"Nightlamp" seemed to me to be in the nature of an encore in a
vaudeville where all the performers come back onto stage together for
a last farewell to the spectators: there's the formidable dame (Dame Clytie and the Clattuc
sisters), there's the slim-hipped, competent protagonist, and so on.
BTW, I hope everyone has read "Ecce and Old Earth" and "Throy." Although
they get bad press, esp. "Throy," in fact each is perfectly
proportioned to the plot it contains. The ending of "Throy" moves me
to tears, but I suppose that's just because I'm a sentimental old
sap.