Aaron Singleton
4/6/2012
Jack Vance. A writer that I trust so much that if his name is on the cover, no matter the genre, I will buy the book knowing full-well that I will enjoy every page. This book is no exception.
Ah, Trullion. This book conveys the feel, the mood of the Planet Trullion with such skill that it becomes as real in the mind as memories of a vacation. The setting alone is enough to entertain and interest, but add to that Vance's talent, his knack, as he calls it, for creating cultures and sub-cultures every bit as varied and strange and implausible as many on our own planet; add as well the Vancian dialogue, the charm of the footnotes, the strong main character, the plot...
...And then add in the sport of Hussade, a team sport and the number one form of entertainment in the massive planetary system of Alastor Cluster of which the planet Trullion is a part. It's somewhat like football in the U.S. as far as the dedication of its fans. Most of the title planet's citizens are huge Hussade fans. The game itself is similar to hockey played on narrow, precarious walkways suspended over a pool of water. I'll leave the remaining details (and there are many) to Vance.
Vance describes three or four Hussade matches in the book, and although I HATE watching sports and have no interest in them at all, I loved every moment of the Hussade matches described in this book. I was absolutely enthralled. And Hussade isn't even the focus of the book, even though it seems to be the main focus of this review.. Sorry about that =) The story is a great one concerning blackmail, lots of money, a cult, a group of violent gypsies called the Trevanyi, betrayal, abduction, deceit, you name it.
Overall, a great read, as is usual with Vance. Highly recommended.