One has to admire the ambition -- one might say hubris -- of Indian author Ashok K. Banker. A well-known and respected writer in his native country, noted, according to the publisher's promotional flyer, for authoring the first Indian crime novel in English, as well as the first Indian television series in the same language, Banker intends in this opening novel to a forthcoming trilogy to recreate and retell the Ramayana of Valmiki which, along with Mahabhrata, are the two greatest works of epic Vedic mythic literature, on par with the Homeric epics, Plato and the Christian gospels, and predating all three. Nor is this the limit of his aspiration, as he intends to follows this effort with rewrites of the aforementioned Mahabhrata, as well as the tales of Krishna and Ganesha. If successful, he will advance the knowledge and reading of these great works of Aryan and Asian literature into the mainstream of Western popular culture; a feat worthy of any author's ambition indeed!

In this opening to the trilogy -- to be followed by Siege of Mithila (already published in England by Orbit) and Demons of Chitrakut -- Banker admirably adheres to the premise of the original text, reconstructing the story of Prince Rama and the spiritual and martial tests of his youth. In doing so, the author captures a mythology refreshingly different and distinct from the usual Western fare of dragons and faerie, sure to titillate the by-now-jaded fantasy reader. Additionally, he eschews complete translation, adding a cultural element through language that at least one other critic (Carolyn Cushman, Locus, October, 2003) found distracting, but which I found in large part understandable within context, and justifiable in terms of cultural identity; for those who are anal or too obtuse to extrapolate meaning, a glossary is provided. Banker's loyalty to the spirit and cultural identity of the original text and mythos is obvious and to be applauded.

However, this becomes the novel's main deficit. In adhering too strictly to the original text, Cushman is correct in recognizing that Rama is cast in out-sized terms, a characterization that accurately reflects its source material, but which, within the medium of contemporary fantasy, seems overblown and contrived, right out of the worst excesses of an earlier Hollywood conception of Tarzan or the exotic embellishment of Scheherazade:

"… Soft rustle of the silken gold-embroidered loincloth around his tight abs. Naked feline grace. Taut young muscles, supple limbs, senses instantly attuned to the slightest hint of threat."

William Thompson is a regular contributor to SF Site and Interzone magazine. His criticism has also appeared in Revolution Science Fiction and Locus Online. In addition to his own writing, he possesses degrees in studio art and creative writing, as well as library science and special collections. He serves as an advisor to the Lilly Library for their collection of fantasy and science fiction, and has worked with noted scifi/fantasy bibliographer Hal Hall at the Cushing Library on the Michael Moorcock Life Collection. He is currently a contributor to the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Themes in Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by Gary Westfahl, Richard Bleiler, and John Clute, et al.