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Gerald Knave
Knave In Hand
Gerald Knave was rumored to be arrogant, expensive, and dangerous, but Haven IV bit the bullet: Knave came, he cost plenty, he offended everyone. Before his job was done, he alone would stand between the peaceful folk of Haven IV and an inter-space war of annihilation.
- GenresScience Fiction
216 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1979
17 people want to read
About the author
Laurence M. Janifer
123 books7 followersLaurence M. Janifer (born Laurence M. Harris) was an American science fiction author, with a career spanning over 50 years.
Janifer was born in Brooklyn, New York with the surname of Harris, but in 1963 took the original surname of his Polish grandfather. Many of his early stories appeared under the "Larry M. Harris" byline.
Though his first published work was a short story in Cosmos magazine in 1953, his career as a writer can be said to have started in 1959 when he began writing for Astounding and Galaxy Science Fiction. He co-wrote the first novel in the "Psi-Power" series: Brain Twister, written with Randall Garrett under the joint pseudonym Mark Phillips. The novel was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960, and published in book form in 1962. Janifer's best known work is the "Survivor" series, comprising five novels and many short stories. The series follows the career of Gerald Knave as he visits (and survives to tell the tale of) planets on the outskirts of the civilized galaxy.
In addition to his career as a novelist and short story author, Janifer was an editor for Scott Meredith Literary Agency; editor/managing editor of various detective and science fiction publications; film reviewer for several magazines; and a talented pianist.
Laurence Mark Janifer's pseudonyms include: Alfred Blake, Andrew Blake, Larry M. Harris, Mark Phillips (with Randall Garrett), Barbara Wilson, Tom Beach, Robert J. Cassiday, Robert Cassiday, Lorens M. Dženifer, Renee St. Hahn, Laurance Janifer, Sir David Leeds, William Logan, Siral
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurenc...]
Janifer was born in Brooklyn, New York with the surname of Harris, but in 1963 took the original surname of his Polish grandfather. Many of his early stories appeared under the "Larry M. Harris" byline.
Though his first published work was a short story in Cosmos magazine in 1953, his career as a writer can be said to have started in 1959 when he began writing for Astounding and Galaxy Science Fiction. He co-wrote the first novel in the "Psi-Power" series: Brain Twister, written with Randall Garrett under the joint pseudonym Mark Phillips. The novel was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960, and published in book form in 1962. Janifer's best known work is the "Survivor" series, comprising five novels and many short stories. The series follows the career of Gerald Knave as he visits (and survives to tell the tale of) planets on the outskirts of the civilized galaxy.
In addition to his career as a novelist and short story author, Janifer was an editor for Scott Meredith Literary Agency; editor/managing editor of various detective and science fiction publications; film reviewer for several magazines; and a talented pianist.
Laurence Mark Janifer's pseudonyms include: Alfred Blake, Andrew Blake, Larry M. Harris, Mark Phillips (with Randall Garrett), Barbara Wilson, Tom Beach, Robert J. Cassiday, Robert Cassiday, Lorens M. Dženifer, Renee St. Hahn, Laurance Janifer, Sir David Leeds, William Logan, Siral
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurenc...]
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 19, 2025
Knave in Hand was the second novel in a long-running series that Janifer continued to add to from its debut in 1977 throughout the rest of his career into the new century. (Sadly, I don't believe a comprehensive collection of all the short works was ever published. Ace published the first two novels and Doubleday did one collection of shorter pieces, but the other novels were from a small specialty press and the balance of the other stories remain uncollected.) Knave is a survivor (his business cards even say so), a Heinlein competent man, a rogue, a guy you want on your side when the chips are down, like Harrison's Slippery Jim Di Griz (the Stainless-Steel Rat), or Laumer's Retief, or Williams' Drake Majistral, or Vance's Magnus Ridolph. (Actually, I prefer the character Angelo DiStefano that Janifer created with S.J. Treibich, but no one else seems to...) In this second outing Knave travels to Haven IV to investigate the theft of the crown jewels and then becomes involved in an assassination that may lead to interstellar war. Along the way he offends everybody, especially the women, even the reptiles, but it all comes out all right, if improbably, at the end. It's kind of dated, but still a quick bit of fun; I liked it better than Survivor.
August 22, 2018
Ticked Tocks
Interesting in parts and an improvement on the previous novel in the series. The title character, Gerald Knave is hired by the human government of the Haven system to solve the mystery of the theft of a set of glass fishbowls which are central to the religious culture of the native Tocks, a centipede like race. There are wry observations to how the Tocks might be far more advanced than we believe and Janifer does a better job of characterization this time around.
A few complaints: First, the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the book, a pet peeve of mine and the fault of the publisher ACE Books and not the author. There is no giant armoured combat suit in the story though there was in the previous book - it looks like left over cover art used to save a few dollars. Secondly there is the rather annoying dissing of "FemLibs" that recurs several times, unnecessary to the story and obviously reflective of the author's retrograde views of women, his praise of Jessiss, the Tock queen, notwithstanding, Janifer makes it clear that he regards female competence the exception not the rule. Then again, Knave doesn't think much of other people in general. The portrayal of the alien Tock culture, architecture, sexuality and living arrangements is fairly decent and there's a good anti-racism message where Knave attempts to put down a riot. However the plot device of the internecine human rebellion itself seems to come out of nowhere,and the battle scene at General Rowen's home, while meant to sound like a sedate "stiff upper lip" conversation in an English drawing room, while a good forum to implant information, seems contrived and fades as quickly as it started. But not bad as comedy. Finally the ending fails to resolve most of the story's loose threads - Janifer introduces a whole room of new characters at the end - then doesn't use them.
It's not a bad story in and of itself, but it could have used some editorial assistance and a rewrite. On the other hand there probably wasn't much of a budget for this sort of thing anyway. The author was probably on his own.
Interesting in parts and an improvement on the previous novel in the series. The title character, Gerald Knave is hired by the human government of the Haven system to solve the mystery of the theft of a set of glass fishbowls which are central to the religious culture of the native Tocks, a centipede like race. There are wry observations to how the Tocks might be far more advanced than we believe and Janifer does a better job of characterization this time around.
A few complaints: First, the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the book, a pet peeve of mine and the fault of the publisher ACE Books and not the author. There is no giant armoured combat suit in the story though there was in the previous book - it looks like left over cover art used to save a few dollars. Secondly there is the rather annoying dissing of "FemLibs" that recurs several times, unnecessary to the story and obviously reflective of the author's retrograde views of women, his praise of Jessiss, the Tock queen, notwithstanding, Janifer makes it clear that he regards female competence the exception not the rule. Then again, Knave doesn't think much of other people in general. The portrayal of the alien Tock culture, architecture, sexuality and living arrangements is fairly decent and there's a good anti-racism message where Knave attempts to put down a riot. However the plot device of the internecine human rebellion itself seems to come out of nowhere,and the battle scene at General Rowen's home, while meant to sound like a sedate "stiff upper lip" conversation in an English drawing room, while a good forum to implant information, seems contrived and fades as quickly as it started. But not bad as comedy. Finally the ending fails to resolve most of the story's loose threads - Janifer introduces a whole room of new characters at the end - then doesn't use them.
It's not a bad story in and of itself, but it could have used some editorial assistance and a rewrite. On the other hand there probably wasn't much of a budget for this sort of thing anyway. The author was probably on his own.
April 8, 2015
Knave in Hand (1979) 216 pages by Laurence M. Janifer.
I just read a couple of Gerald Knave stories, and when I updated my database, noticed I had this novel by Janifer on my shelf. I opened up the book, saw the easily readable font and the short length, and figured I could knock this one out in a few hours. It was a quick read.
Knave is brought on to Haven IV, home of the non space-faring Tocks after the crown jewels have been stolen. Humans have colonized Haven II and Haven III, IV being too cold for humans, but after years the two human planets sent delegations there. The Tocks are snakelike in appearance, and have a peaceful culture with very little violence and law breaking. Haven II has an embassy on Haven IV, and Haven III has in an identical building a consulate.
Right as Knave is being greeted after landing his one man ship on Haven IV, they get word that General Tal has been assassinated, and more violence ensues without any discernible reason. The mystery is why is all this happening. The meat of the story though is how Knave can fix the situation. Knave goes to the embassy where there is an incident, then meets with Nassanank and Jessiss (King and Queen of the Tocks), on to HQ to meet with General Roven, back to the embassy but meets a riot along the way, spends the night in the embassy, and then presents the answers. Interspersed with the action are Knave's thoughts on what is going on.
The book really goes fast. Not Hugo material, but pleasant reading.
I just read a couple of Gerald Knave stories, and when I updated my database, noticed I had this novel by Janifer on my shelf. I opened up the book, saw the easily readable font and the short length, and figured I could knock this one out in a few hours. It was a quick read.
Knave is brought on to Haven IV, home of the non space-faring Tocks after the crown jewels have been stolen. Humans have colonized Haven II and Haven III, IV being too cold for humans, but after years the two human planets sent delegations there. The Tocks are snakelike in appearance, and have a peaceful culture with very little violence and law breaking. Haven II has an embassy on Haven IV, and Haven III has in an identical building a consulate.
Right as Knave is being greeted after landing his one man ship on Haven IV, they get word that General Tal has been assassinated, and more violence ensues without any discernible reason. The mystery is why is all this happening. The meat of the story though is how Knave can fix the situation. Knave goes to the embassy where there is an incident, then meets with Nassanank and Jessiss (King and Queen of the Tocks), on to HQ to meet with General Roven, back to the embassy but meets a riot along the way, spends the night in the embassy, and then presents the answers. Interspersed with the action are Knave's thoughts on what is going on.
The book really goes fast. Not Hugo material, but pleasant reading.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews