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errantdreams's review
3.0
Disclaimer: I haven’t read Silverberg’s other Majipoor books (this happens when you review books—publishers can send you books from series you haven't read). On the one hand, it’s useful to have a fresh perspective so that new or prospective readers have some idea of where they can and can’t jump into a series. On the other hand, there were setting details that I had issues with, and I freely admit that they might be addressed within the novels. This does mean, however, that this book doesn’t stand entirely on its own.
The prologue briefly establishes the basic premise of Majipoor—how it was settled by humans even though there were natives already present, how the population exploded over time, and how other alien races also eventually came to settle there. It’s a quick introduction, and I thought it would be enough for me to grasp the setting, but after I read a handful of stories I was only more confused.
Where’s the technology? Only sporadic mention or use of any kind of technology is in evidence, and that mostly in the final story. This planet was colonized by settlers from another planet. Various alien races also settled on the planet at various times during its history. A society that should have started with a technological edge and had injections of alien technology at regular intervals somehow took 8,000 years to show much technological advancement at all. (Look at how far humans have come on Earth in that time, and that’s without the advantages the inhabitants of Majipoor should have had.) Most of the stories had a fairly standard fantasy feel with a bizarre little bit of sci-fi tacked on in certain places. Magic seems to come out of nowhere, and it’s never reconciled with the sci-fi aspect of the setting.
Please, someone, tell me that these things are explained in the books! Either way, if you have a tendency to be bothered by world-building holes, I would recommend reading this book after reading the novels, in the hope that they explain these issues.
Overall I found the stories and the sense of time passing to be rather fascinating. I loved seeing the contrast of the depiction of current characters followed by near-mythical views of them in historical contexts. The writing style, however, made me feel detached from most of the characters (perhaps the short form makes it harder for Silverberg to get into his characters? I’d have to read the novels to know for sure), which left me with little emotional investment in the book. Add that to the setting confusions, and overall this wasn’t my favorite book. I’d love to hear from someone who has read the novels and has a sense of whether this is an artifact of reading this as a standalone book, or a pattern from the novels as well.
[NOTE: review book provided by publisher]
For a longer review including a breakdown by story, you can visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/reviews/2013/05/03/tales-of-majipoor-robert-silverberg/
The prologue briefly establishes the basic premise of Majipoor—how it was settled by humans even though there were natives already present, how the population exploded over time, and how other alien races also eventually came to settle there. It’s a quick introduction, and I thought it would be enough for me to grasp the setting, but after I read a handful of stories I was only more confused.
Where’s the technology? Only sporadic mention or use of any kind of technology is in evidence, and that mostly in the final story. This planet was colonized by settlers from another planet. Various alien races also settled on the planet at various times during its history. A society that should have started with a technological edge and had injections of alien technology at regular intervals somehow took 8,000 years to show much technological advancement at all. (Look at how far humans have come on Earth in that time, and that’s without the advantages the inhabitants of Majipoor should have had.) Most of the stories had a fairly standard fantasy feel with a bizarre little bit of sci-fi tacked on in certain places. Magic seems to come out of nowhere, and it’s never reconciled with the sci-fi aspect of the setting.
Please, someone, tell me that these things are explained in the books! Either way, if you have a tendency to be bothered by world-building holes, I would recommend reading this book after reading the novels, in the hope that they explain these issues.
Overall I found the stories and the sense of time passing to be rather fascinating. I loved seeing the contrast of the depiction of current characters followed by near-mythical views of them in historical contexts. The writing style, however, made me feel detached from most of the characters (perhaps the short form makes it harder for Silverberg to get into his characters? I’d have to read the novels to know for sure), which left me with little emotional investment in the book. Add that to the setting confusions, and overall this wasn’t my favorite book. I’d love to hear from someone who has read the novels and has a sense of whether this is an artifact of reading this as a standalone book, or a pattern from the novels as well.
[NOTE: review book provided by publisher]
For a longer review including a breakdown by story, you can visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/reviews/2013/05/03/tales-of-majipoor-robert-silverberg/
bzedan's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a sucker for a framing device and I like the one used here quite a bit. It's a nice way to bind together short stories originally published seperately.
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