Posted by Dom Ciocca, Jr. on October 02, 1997 at 15:24:57:
In Reply to: Essays on Vance? posted by MikeE on October 01, 1997 at 18:42:20:
: Are there any essays on Vance's work? I would love to read some.
: Another question? I have been poised to reread Emphyrio (sp? I post at work and can't look up the name right now). Is there any interest in trying a reading club type thing here. Everyone takes a couple of weeks, reads a selected book and then posts in a discussion of the work? I know I'm a FNG and this may not be where this site is headed, but wanted to ask. I'm ready to take a three week vacation after tomorrow night, will be back online 27 Oct. If anyone is interested, I'll have read it by then.
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Sure, sounds fun, it's been 15+ years since my only reading of the novel, I remember it as a novel (I was then awash in my new-found fave Jack Vance) that wasn't one filled with the Can't wait to get to the next page excitement I'd encountered in Wyst:Alastor 1716, the first half of To Live Forever or the Tschai books (except The Pnume, which was at first read impenetrable), but was rather more like "The Palace of Love" "The Pnume" or "The Grey Prince" not as incomparably exciting to read but filled with things that provoke thought, speculation,
worlds to savor patiently, not gobble rapaciously. Here's what I
basically recall about the novel Ghyl Tarvoke is a lad growing up as a commoner on a world ruled by cruel, capricious, effete aristocrats. Ghyl has heard tell of "Emphyrio" a space hero who would someday come to liberate the galaxy and a tales-teller at a fair tells Ghyl that it is his destiny to become the real Emphyrio. When Ghyls gentle and kind humble artisan father is tortured and killed by agents of the ruling class because of his lackluster observation of the ridiculous sacerdotal ceremonies they prescribe--"Your perfomance at the Leapings has been judged and found wanting", Ghyl comandeers a space ship and bocomes a pirate, swearing revenge against the sadistic Rulers of his Home World (it pops to mind!)Halma. After much space adventure Ghyl becomes "Emphyrio" in fact, and lears the great secret: the Lords of Halma are not real men at all, but automata. In a chilling final scene Ghyl/Emphyrio confronts the ruling Lord with the accustation "You-all the Lords of Halma- you're nothing but robots- not even alive. The Lord's response was "I know-it's the horror I've had to exist with. And the others--the others don't know!" Can't wait to dive into Emphyrio again--I clear my reading schedule of some O'Brian sea tales and the null-A trilogy I've been saving by van Vogt. I'll be looking forward to exchanging notes afterward. Anybody else? This seems like a good idea?---Dom C. Jr.