Raising the Dead, in a Manner of Speaking (Minnesota W/O)
Written: Feb 13 '04 (Updated Feb 08 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fast-paced, well-written, good characterization.
Cons: Occasionally obscure prose, but other than that, not much.
The Bottom Line: Good book from a prolific author. Well worth a look.
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| slarter's Full Review: |
Being an inveterate procrastinator, I of course left the selection of a book for Stephen Murray's Minnesota Write-Off until the last minute. It wasn't exactly the last minute, per se, but it was fairly late. So, as the February 7th deadline approached, I scoured the World Wide Web for authors from Minnesota, desperately seeking something that would pique my interest while still meeting the criteria for the Write-Off, to which (to my eternal gratitude and gratification) I had received an invitation. Finally, the day I was embarking upon a journey to Dublin, Ireland, I discovered that there existed a Minnesota Humanities Commission, which annually presents a Minnesota Book Award in a range of genres. To my delight, the past awards listings included a Science Fiction/Fantasy genre, and I immediately scoured these listings for a name I might recognize. After reading through several years worth of entries, I discovered Gordon R. Dickson whom, despite having read nary a word of his writings, I knew to be a fairly prolific sci-fi author. Mere hours before running off to the airport, I picked up Necromancer at Barnes & Noble (with my handy discount card, no less), and by the time we landed in Dublin, I had completed my assigned reading. And just for the sake of credibility, I should mention that Dickson was born in Canada, but spent most of his life in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and therefore qualifies as a Minnesota writer.
Characters & Plot
At an undefined time in the future, poverty and war have been abolished. An enlightened age has begun, with liberty and justice for all. The World Engineer’s Complex, supercomputer-powered and borderline aware, is responsible for jobs, construction, weather, and life on earth. Yet despite this, Paul Formain is not happy. Since a near-death experience, a strange malaise has plagued him, an odd, occasional sense of cosmic connectedness that is beyond his previous experience. In addition to this, he seems to be plagued by events outside his control, even to the point of dreadful injury in an industrial accident.
His life is destined to change, however, when he comes in contact with the Chantry Guild, a society founded and controlled by the enigmatic Walter Blunt. In opposition to the technocracy that controls the world, the Guild is dedicated to destruction, to anarchy, and to the freedom of the human spirit. Inexplicably drawn to the Guild, Paul enlists, under the tutelage of Jason Warren, and begins to learn the application of the Alternate Laws. What is the purpose of the Guild? Who is Kantele, and why does she react so strangely to Paul? Why is Walter Blunt avoiding Paul? The answers to these questions lead to Paul’s ultimate destiny, and in the unknown and uncontrollable future.
Analysis
Necromancer was originally published in 1962, and, as far as I can tell, is a sort of prequel to Dickson’s series of novels about the Dorsai Era. In the book, there is no mention of either Dorsai or Eras, so it stands alone fairly effectively, although it is abundantly clear that it sets the stage for many stories to come. Dickson is a Hugo Award winner, and clearly has a firm grasp of language and story. His characters are well-defined, and his dialogue is crisp and believable. At times, his prose allows for poignancy through simplicity, decorated sparsely with telling descriptions.
The wound of an amputation bled somewhere in the depths of Paul. His eyes dimmed. The sun had lost its way momentarily behind a cloud, and the forest floor was all one color. (p138)
The themes underpinning the novel add a relevance to the story that enhances its effectiveness. In essence, the book is an exploration of technology’s effects upon humanity, and the consequences of stultifying comfort to the human spirit. ”...we in the Chantry Guild are... opposing an idea that happiness for the human race consists of wrapping it tighter and tighter in the swaddling bands of a technological civilization.” (p118-9) These themes, of course, have been treated before, but in this case Dickson is less concerned with satire (a la Brave New World) than exploratory fiction. The social engineering of Necromancer becomes a basis for the development of a character-driven story, as opposed to a vehicle for social criticism. As such, the potential for social criticism is underdeveloped in favor of story advancement and character development.
Very few flaws are apparent in this novel. The occasional anachronism crops up, given that it was originally written in 1962 (e.g. the use of Fahrenheit as opposed to Celsius), but not often enough to disrupt the flow of the narrative. The only niggling criticism I have of Necromancer could be applied to any book attempting to discuss obscure science/philosophy in the course of its story. Inevitably, it seems, when describing a subjective epiphany or some other elevated spiritual/intellectual occurrence, a writer’s prose devolves into obscure metaphor and allegory. More often than not, I find myself skimming these portions of novels, as writers’ attempts to finesse a description of the indescribable generally veer off into abstruse meanderings. Though Dickson attempts a small amount of this, it does not cripple the story, and indeed is probably necessary to the furtherance of the plot, so is forgivable.
Finale
I’m actually rather pleased to have discovered a new writer, and one who is clearly very capable of sustaining an interesting tale. I have entirely too much on my table at this moment to charge off after another author, devouring all of his writings in chronological order like I usually do, but I will certainly be keeping Dickson in mind for future literary exploration. Necromancer is a short novel, moves quickly, and is quite well written. The themes it explores are relevant, and the characters interesting. In my opinion, the best works of science fiction are those which don’t simply plaster a story onto a futuristic backdrop, but rather develop in a thoughtful way a technologically advanced world in which its characters can grow and breathe and live. This Dickson accomplishes quite handily, and as such, I can easily recommend this book to the fan of science fiction. Even non-sci-fi readers may enjoy it, for its depth of characterization and fast-paced story. It’s not a work of brilliance, but it is certainly an entertaining read, and stands a head above most of the mediocre space operas churned out nowadays.
This has been my shamefully late entry into Stephen_Murray’s Minnesota Write-Off. For a list of the other participants, follow the link to Mr. Murray’s profile page. Who knew Minnesota was such an interesting state?
© SL, 2004
Recommended:
Yes
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slarter
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Reviews written: 131
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You live, you learn...
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