Norstrilia | |||||
Cordwainer Smith | |||||
Gollancz SF Collector's Edition, 277 pages | |||||
A review by Greg L. Johnson
Norstrilia is part of a large future history covering tens of
thousands of years, and many colourful characters. Smith mainly wrote short
stories, and readers of those stories will recognize several of the
characters that appear in Norstrilia, especially C'mell and the Lord
Jestecost. The stories as a whole tell the history of mankind from the end
of our civilization to its expansion through space under the watchful eyes
of the Instrumentality of Mankind. The themes are a fusion of Smith's
political opinions and his religious philosophy, and unfortunately, we'll
never know exactly how it was all going to end because he died in 1966,
with much of the story yet untold.
Described in these terms, Norstrilia sounds like a fairly
conventional, if deeper than most, science fiction series from the 60s.
But there was nothing conventional about Cordwainer Smith. He borrowed
storytelling techniques from Chinese folk tales, added a poet's
sensibility, and synthesized them into a style that was all his own. Take,
for example, the opening of Norstrilia:
A current problem for SF writers is that stories written two or
three decades ago may now seem obsolete. Greg Bear has said that he feels
that two of his early novels, Eon and Eternity, are now almost unreadable
because of their basis in Cold War politics. This is not a problem for the
stories of Cordwainer Smith. The scope of his vision and the uniqueness of
his style remove them from a direct reliance on current events. Plus, in
Norstrilia, there are moments of serendipity that serve to make the novel
seem like it was written last week. Rod completes his purchase of the Earth
with the help of a sentient computer, who, as one tactic, sends the largest
amount of "Instant Messages" on record. Rod also becomes involved in a
recurring sub-plot in Cordwainer Smith's stories, the plight of the
underpeople.
The underpeople are genetically altered animals who act as servants
and do the dirty work for humans. No doubt inspired by the Civil Rights
movement when these stories were written, the underpeople's problems remain
fresh and topical today, whether you read them as a metaphor for exploited
people, or as a straightforward commentary on the issue of animal rights
itself.
Regardless of the political and philosophical depth of his writing,
the real reason to read Cordwainer Smith is for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Whether you've read some of the short stories and are ready for a larger
tale, or have not yet encountered Cordwainer Smith, a new edition of
Norstrilia is a perfect opportunity to better acquaint yourself with a
writer who is among the legendary figures of science fiction.
Reviewer Greg L. Johnson, while not that much of a shopper, wouldn't mind a trip to the Department Store of Heart's Desires. His reviews also appear in the The New York Review of Science Fiction. |
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