What do you think?
Rate this book
Archonate Universe
The Other
Meet Luff Imbry, an insidiously clever confidence man . . . He likes good wine, good food, and good stolen goods, and he always maintains the upper hand. When a business rival gets the drop on him, he finds himself abandoned on Fulda—a far-off, isolated world with a history of its own. Unable to blend in and furious for revenge, Imbry has to rely on his infamous criminal wit to survive Fulda’s crusade to extinguish The Other.
Hailed as the heir apparent to Jack Vance, Matthew Hughes brings us this speculative, richly imagined exploration of society on the far edges of extreme. A central character in Black Brillion, Luff Imbry is at last front and center in Hughes’s latest rollercoaster adventure through a far-future universe.
Hailed as the heir apparent to Jack Vance, Matthew Hughes brings us this speculative, richly imagined exploration of society on the far edges of extreme. A central character in Black Brillion, Luff Imbry is at last front and center in Hughes’s latest rollercoaster adventure through a far-future universe.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
9 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Hughes
202 books282 followersBorn in Liverpool, his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Married since late 1960s, he has three grown sons. He is currently relocated to Britain. He is a former director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 13, 2016
Ah, judging books by their covers, what folly. You know, from the sly and self-serving smirk on Luff Imbry's face, I expected this to be a tale about deception, intrigue, derring-do, skulduggery and the like. No, what we have here is an adventure tale cum quest fantasy where Mr Imbry is not really in much of a position to play scoundrel, rogue or rascal. In fact, he spends much of his time figuring out how to escape from the world of inbred religious loonies he's been stranded upon.
In fact, I feel a little cheated, though I shouldn't be. The novel's blurb states quite unequivocally that Imbry is a rascal and a crook and I guess in the other stories he features in, he may well be precisely those things. In this book, his implied talent for cleverness and deception is put aside by a need for self-preservation and some mystery solving.
All that aside, the novel could be best described as pleasantly serviceable. From what little I know of this author, I believe he writes in the Jack Vance vein, which is something I've always thought to be fraught with deceptive danger. Vance had a style that is seductive to an author - you want to imbue your every sentence with whimsical poesy and colourful verbiage. He's easy to imitate - I've done it too, but he's extremely difficult (if not impossible) to master. Underneath the "big words" and the dash and the colour lies a scintillating internal logic that only Vance understood. I don't think anyone will master his voice, only approximate it.
While there are echoes of Vance's work in the beginning and end sections of this book, it's too matter of factly constructed to be Vance. It's also decidedly nastier than anything Vance ever wrote. Vance liked to throw the odd barb at religion and those who adhered to it like glue, but this book all but names religions the playground of the weak-minded and pliable. Doesn't disguise itself in any way.
Also, I felt like I was reading one novel and portions of another. The beginning and the ending seem to come from outside the central narrative - there's things going on before and after this story that are alluded to, but I'm not seeing anywhere in the book that this is part of a series. Goodreads isn't listing it as one. And only about two thirds through the novel does Imbry actually list who may have led him to the forsaken planet he ended up on. Almost an afterthought.
A couple of quibbles that other reviewers have pointed out. Hughes overuses the word "ineffable" and a lot. And why call Imbry a fat man throughout? Does Imbry being fat have any significance above and beyond the fact he likes his dinners? Is it part of some characteristic or notoriety he gained in another story? Without knowing this, I wasn't sure what the point of it all was.
Anyhow, I like enough of what I saw in this book to seek out more of Hughes' work.
In fact, I feel a little cheated, though I shouldn't be. The novel's blurb states quite unequivocally that Imbry is a rascal and a crook and I guess in the other stories he features in, he may well be precisely those things. In this book, his implied talent for cleverness and deception is put aside by a need for self-preservation and some mystery solving.
All that aside, the novel could be best described as pleasantly serviceable. From what little I know of this author, I believe he writes in the Jack Vance vein, which is something I've always thought to be fraught with deceptive danger. Vance had a style that is seductive to an author - you want to imbue your every sentence with whimsical poesy and colourful verbiage. He's easy to imitate - I've done it too, but he's extremely difficult (if not impossible) to master. Underneath the "big words" and the dash and the colour lies a scintillating internal logic that only Vance understood. I don't think anyone will master his voice, only approximate it.
While there are echoes of Vance's work in the beginning and end sections of this book, it's too matter of factly constructed to be Vance. It's also decidedly nastier than anything Vance ever wrote. Vance liked to throw the odd barb at religion and those who adhered to it like glue, but this book all but names religions the playground of the weak-minded and pliable. Doesn't disguise itself in any way.
Also, I felt like I was reading one novel and portions of another. The beginning and the ending seem to come from outside the central narrative - there's things going on before and after this story that are alluded to, but I'm not seeing anywhere in the book that this is part of a series. Goodreads isn't listing it as one. And only about two thirds through the novel does Imbry actually list who may have led him to the forsaken planet he ended up on. Almost an afterthought.
A couple of quibbles that other reviewers have pointed out. Hughes overuses the word "ineffable" and a lot. And why call Imbry a fat man throughout? Does Imbry being fat have any significance above and beyond the fact he likes his dinners? Is it part of some characteristic or notoriety he gained in another story? Without knowing this, I wasn't sure what the point of it all was.
Anyhow, I like enough of what I saw in this book to seek out more of Hughes' work.
April 19, 2012
This is really a 3.5 star book. The first third is padded out and stodgy, but once we get into top gear, we arrive at a particularly pleasing outcome. On balance, this is definitely worth reading if you enjoy thoughtful science fiction with a wry view of worlds and the people who live on them.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2012/0...
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2012/0...
January 16, 2012
Hums along at a nice pace and then gets quite silly in its info dumps and bland world building. The dramatic conclusion makes the whole thing even more pointless and unenjoyable. Imbry is a great antihero, but this is one of Hughes' weakest efforts.
January 21, 2012
Although the book has an interesting character and a curious premise, the end to this story takes some of the shine off it's charm with a deus-ex-machina conclusion that leaves the reader feeling somewhat lacking.
October 8, 2014
A Luff Imbry novel. This is not part of the trilogy published by PS Publishing, but rather a stand alone adventure. This is not the best Imbry book so don't start with this one. I would recommend "The Meaning of Luff" as the best place to start.
July 24, 2012
I can't say I really enjoyed this book at all. It reminded me of a 50s SF crossed with a bad original Star Trek episode. And that's not in a good way.
March 23, 2017
I think of Matthew Hughes as a very civilized, very dry author. His characters always seem to be on the brink of drinking tea or discussing the etymology of various adverbs. No one seems to break a sweat, panic, punch--they might do all those things, but they don't seem to. I quite like him--his books are the opposite of visceral, and I'm not a huge fan of visceral.
His best are charming satires, in my opinion, with likable characters thrust in absurd situations. In The Other the main character is less likable, the situation less absorbing, the satire less pungent, and the overall sense of a polite carrying-out of the plot failed to grab me.
But this is unusual for me--I usually really enjoy his books. Basically I'd suggest you give him a try, but start with Fool's Errant, just in case, and work your way over to this one much later. If you don't like Fool's Errant, you'll hardly care for this.
I actually started it years ago, and failed to complete it. I picked it up again last week and finished it off--I'm making a huge attempt not to buy new books until I've finished reading my stash! But it certainly wasn't compelling enough for me to finish it the first time, even though I'd got myself 3/4 of the way through.
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)
His best are charming satires, in my opinion, with likable characters thrust in absurd situations. In The Other the main character is less likable, the situation less absorbing, the satire less pungent, and the overall sense of a polite carrying-out of the plot failed to grab me.
But this is unusual for me--I usually really enjoy his books. Basically I'd suggest you give him a try, but start with Fool's Errant, just in case, and work your way over to this one much later. If you don't like Fool's Errant, you'll hardly care for this.
I actually started it years ago, and failed to complete it. I picked it up again last week and finished it off--I'm making a huge attempt not to buy new books until I've finished reading my stash! But it certainly wasn't compelling enough for me to finish it the first time, even though I'd got myself 3/4 of the way through.
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)
August 9, 2021
Hughes, Matthew. The Other. Underland Press, 2011.
Matthew Hughes’ bio says he “writes science-fantasy in the Jack Vance mode.” Vance is certainly a model worth following, and The Other offers a good example of what Hughes can do with the form. The hero, Luff Imbry, a clever, self-reliant art dealer and con man is kidnapped by parties unknown and dumped on a backward planet with a ridged eugenic standard that the paunchy Imbry comes nowhere near meeting. He is thrown into a traveling circus of genetic misfits and has to figure out a way to escape and get off the planet that has no spaceport and no obvious way to phone home. Adventure, as you might expect, ensues. Imbry is an engaging character who has a way with artificial intelligences, in this universe called integrators, even if they have had their ethical subroutines suborned. The plot is a bit slow to develop, but patience pays off. 3.5 stars.
Matthew Hughes’ bio says he “writes science-fantasy in the Jack Vance mode.” Vance is certainly a model worth following, and The Other offers a good example of what Hughes can do with the form. The hero, Luff Imbry, a clever, self-reliant art dealer and con man is kidnapped by parties unknown and dumped on a backward planet with a ridged eugenic standard that the paunchy Imbry comes nowhere near meeting. He is thrown into a traveling circus of genetic misfits and has to figure out a way to escape and get off the planet that has no spaceport and no obvious way to phone home. Adventure, as you might expect, ensues. Imbry is an engaging character who has a way with artificial intelligences, in this universe called integrators, even if they have had their ethical subroutines suborned. The plot is a bit slow to develop, but patience pays off. 3.5 stars.
December 19, 2019
I discovered Matthew Hughes through the SF&F magazine. I think he's amazing with short stories.
Unfortunately, can't say the same with novellas/novels.
The storyline of 'The Other' is fantastic, and I love the end, but the execution is messy, to say the least. This book deserves better, Mr Hugues. Please review it, get some copy editing if needed.
Unfortunately, can't say the same with novellas/novels.
The storyline of 'The Other' is fantastic, and I love the end, but the execution is messy, to say the least. This book deserves better, Mr Hugues. Please review it, get some copy editing if needed.
May 13, 2023
An unusual book in the Luff Imbry series. Normally, Luff is found on civilised planets; this time, he is kidnapped and dumped onto a desert planet with a xenophobic people, and has to use all his ingenuity to find a way out. The story has an intriguing psychological basis, and an interaction with myth, which grows out of the story
November 22, 2022
Even though quite enjoyable in its own way, this is one of the weaker of Hughes' works and certainly the weakest of Luff Imbry stories. Still, a weak Hughes is better than most "strong" offerings by many other authors.
December 12, 2024
Another fairly obscure PKD Award nominee by an author I was unfamiliar with. All in all, very well written and an intriguing and interesting story. So I’ve read two nominees from the 2012 class and they’ve both been very good, so perhaps it’s time to read the winner.
July 3, 2017
What a find! Loved it. This is a great story based on a really unique world. I'm going to be reading more of this Canadian (-British) author!
April 17, 2023
Great
Imbry is somehow likable without any redeeming qualities. The author breathes new life into the trope of the affable criminal.
Imbry is somehow likable without any redeeming qualities. The author breathes new life into the trope of the affable criminal.
January 13, 2014
I happened across this novel at the library and picked it up based on the strength of the press. Underland Press. A Portland based indie press who released books by two of my favorite authors Brian Evenson and John Shirley. Hughes a Canadian author is new to me but has novels published with both Nightshade and Angry Robot. I can’t say where this novel fits in with his greater style I can only judge this one.
The story centers around a character named Luff Imbry, he is an overweight ne’er do-well who starts off the story being abducted and dumped on the planet Fulda. A far off world that was founded by humans but long since forgotten. Imbry tries to get off the world and has many adventures while he discovers that the people of the planet founded their civilization on a belief of total conformity.
The best thing about this novel is the tongue in cheek tone and the many laughs throughout. The setting is interesting with effective and quick world building that doesn’t bloat the word count. Luff is a funny character, I can’t say I cared much about him, but the laughs carried me through.
The novel seems to explore the concepts of individuality, and that should have been more interesting. While I was amused thorough-out I found the setting of Fulda a little uninteresting after awhile. While I was not a huge fan of this novel, it had good enough moments that I probably will try another Matthew Hughes novel.
November 18, 2012
Overall I would have liked this book more if it weren't for the ending. It started off strong and kept me interested all the way to the climax. At that point, I felt things went a little too cleanly, a little deus ex machina.
The author had sort of painted himself into a corner and then resolved it with an all too expedient solution. This solution was explained retroactively, which dramatically reduced the seriousness of the main character's predicament up till that point. There was also a major plot element that remained unresolved, leaving the thread for a sequel book.
I was entertained but a little disappointed, but I really like Hughes' work and will continue with his other books.
September 20, 2022
This was my first Matthew Hughes book and I have read and it won't be the last, as i must say that I really liked it. I thought it as witty and funny in parts and just mysterious enough to hold my interest. I found myself making time to read the book, which is always an indicator of a good page turner for me. My only complaint is that I was able to guess that the prophecy of the Ideals was really the prophecy of the indigenous species of the planet. Even so the way it unfolded was enjoyable.
July 30, 2014
I'm really glad this was a short book because I almost always finish books I start. With this book, I just didn't care about the fat man, who kidnapped him, why he was kidnapped, or about the not so smart people of Fulda. And yes, the main character is referred to as "the fat man" on page after page after page right up until the end of the book. The only thing I got out of this book is that my word of the day is ineffable. The word was used at least three times within a couple of chapters and not once to describe something that was truly great. The Other is definitely not ineffable.
July 25, 2014
Not a bad read. Plodding in places. Kind of left the main mystery unresolved. Solidly-written, but not particularly memorable. I think the title was a poor choice. Some interesting concepts present, if not entirely logical. It will be interesting to see how this one holds up, as far as how long it stays in my mind.
Not exactly high praise... but hey, I finished it. Which is more than I can say for several other titles of late. Interpret that as you will.
Not exactly high praise... but hey, I finished it. Which is more than I can say for several other titles of late. Interpret that as you will.
November 11, 2012
if this author tells me again how fat the protaganist is, i will stop reading. I get it. He is fat. Otherwise, the fat protaganist lands on rare planet. The society is based on the philosophy of the golden mean, where everyone is supposed to be like each other. Guess what? Things don't work out that way. I enjoyed reading the story and finished the book.
September 8, 2014
Very good Luff Imbry yarn. He's abducted and sent to a backwater world where there is very little water. The usual odd society with a nutty religion and a search for redemption, but this is still a highly amusing story and well worth your time.
August 4, 2011
Very cool. I've never read Matthew Hughes before, but I was quite taken by this book, and plan on seeking out more of his work.
pass-bad-reviews
June 24, 2014Personal note - look at your Rogues review.
May 17, 2012
2.5 of 5. An Endeavour Book. Stupid and pointless. It was aimed somewhat as an mythological allegory but fell quite wide of its mark.
Read
June 4, 2012I'm not rating this one because I didn't ditch it because it was bad, really - it just didn't grab me.
October 14, 2012
This is a well told story & I really like the author. However it is narrated by, in my opinion, one of the worst I've ever heard. If the the content wasn't so good I'd not have finished it.
March 20, 2014
I'm a big fan of Matthew Hughes tales of the penultimate age of earth, and this one was definitely not a let down!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews