Inferno

Galactic Comedy #3

by Mike Resnick

The story of the planet Faligor, which has much in common with Uganda, from colonization to independence.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Michael "Mike" Diamond Resnick, better known by his published name Mike Resnick, was a popular and prolific American science fiction author. He is, according to Locus, the all-time leading award winner, living or dead, for short science fiction. He was the winner of five Hugos, a Nebula, and other major awards in the United States, France, Spain, Japan, Croatia and Poland. and has been short-listed for major awards in England, Italy and Australia. He was the author of 68 novels, over 250 stories, and 2 screenplays, and was the editor of 41 anthologies. His work has been translated into 25 languages. He was the Guest of Honor at the 2012 Worldcon and can be found online as @ResnickMike on Twitter or at www.mikeresnick.com.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the third in a series about 3 planets that are allegories of African countries. Falligor is Uganda and, like Uganda, a beautiful land that was taken over by a genocidal maniac.... Mike writes a good story, showing us his insights into African culture. He gives us a lot to think about. I wish he could continue the series...
Note: Mike Resnick passed away in 2020.

[Bryan Thomas Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished the three book series comprised of Paradise, Purgatory and Inferno -- Chronicles Of Distant Worlds. Each of the three was a great read, but they just got better as I went along. Purgatory was better than Paradise and Inferno was better than Purgatory.

Inspired by the author's travels in Africa and his love of the continent and her cultures, each of the books chronicles the Earthen Republic's interference in alien worlds and the tragic consequences which result. Inferno is modeled after the nightmare of Idi Amin's reign in Uganda in the 70s and 80s. This time, the Department of Cartography has deliberately left the Republic out and instead tried to bolster and assist the locals in educating their people and improving their planet. The desire is to let the natives shape their own world, only some of the natives take to the Western style more than others and conflict arises.

When the leader the Department of Cartography has supported is defeated by a rival, the planet's government becomes unfriendly to the Republic, resisting joining the Republic, and seeking aid and trade with worlds outside the Republic's influence. As the world, Faligor, drifts further from the Department's hopes, a coup arises, one which the Republic hopes will restore order and integrity to the government. Instead, the General who led the revolution is even more brutal than his predecessor. He begins a campaign of racial cleansing and persecution of the population, creating a military state where his people live in fear.

The General fears only one thing: war with the Republic, but the Republic refuses to interfere. The Department of Cartography had insisted they stay out and not mess it up, so now the leadership was determined to leave Faligor to its own fate. As the former director of the Department of Cartography, who's retired on Faligor, tries to interfere, he becomes an enemy of the General and finds himself jailed and threatened for it.

Inferno is a powerful story of tragedy. A good, kind people who grow to believe they may deserve the cruel dictators who take over their planet one after another. It is the story of the humans who tried to help them and now watch in horror as their plan backfires and the planet falls apart. It's an echo of one of the most tragic events in world history and one of the greatest murderers who ever lived.

The story is a page turner and it is deeply moving. It causes the reader to consider his or her own values, morality and expectations for government, to evaluate his or her prejudices toward people who are different, and to question whether those people and their cultures deserve more respect than they've been given. It reminds us that despite our best intentions, our own interference in other countries has led to great tragedy and harm, and sometimes our "superior" culture ends up not being as superior as we suppose.

A deeply powerful must read for science fiction fans and any reader interested in other cultures. Written by a master storyteller in simple prose full of great characters and deep emotions. Resnick never preaches. He lets the story's events speak for themselves. And speak they do, loudly and continually. A book you'll never forget.

For what it's worth...

[Alexander Theofanidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Θεία κωμωδία του Resnick, τερματικός σταθμός: ΚΟΛΑΣΗ

Ο κόσμος Φάλιγκορ, κάποτε ιδανικός κόσμος και πρότυπο, με βιομηχανική παραγωγή και τουρισμό, μέσα σε δύο δεκαετίες έχει παρακμάσει αισθητά. Και η κατάσταση πρόκειται μόνο να χειροτερέψει. Σε ένα χρονικό που θυμίζει Αφρική ή Λατινική Αμερική, με πραξικοπήματα, δολοφονίες και τα λοιπά, ο κύκλος της βίας, της διαφθοράς και του αίματος δε σπάει ποτέ, μέχρι να μη μείνει κυριολεκτικά τίποτα όρθιο. Η κόλαση είναι ο Φάλιγκορ.

[Althea Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this was presented as the final book of a trilogy, in fact all three books are stand-alone novels. Each presents the history of a different African country, as science fiction. So one could view them as a triptych, but not really a trilogy.

"Inferno" is based on the history of Uganda, from the time of the first Western explorers, up until the time of Resnick's writing (1993).
Although it is set on the planet of Faligor, which is populated by various tribes of golden-furred aliens, the allegory (which is stated up front) is very clear. A few events are simplified and conflated, but the history is Uganda's, and the events presented are what really happened. (yes, I looked up the history of Uganda on the web right after finishing the book!) Even the names of the aliens are faux-African, and at no point to they really act like aliens - they act as the all-too-human figures they were based on acted (which could be viewed as a failing, if you're judging the book as science fiction.)
That's the thing, I didn't really feel like it was science fiction, even though it had plenty of aliens, spaceships, laser guns, and etc... The writing was very basic, and throughout most of it, did read like history. The main characters were there to go through the events and comment on them - they didn't really come to life.
So, while I agreed with Resnick's points on the dangers of colonialism, and also feel like I've learned many more details than I did know about the atrocities that happened in Uganda, with the dictator Idi Amin, etc.. - and why they happened - I can't say this was truly a great book.
I did think it was worthwhile to read, however.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resnick's Galactic Comedy sequence is comprised of three novels: Paradise, Purgatory, and Inferno. On the surface they're chronicles of distant worlds, as the blurbs proclaim, but they're actually allegorical studies of post-colonial modern Africa; he examines all of the problems of the cultures, the economies, the tribal factions, the politics, and so on and on. Just when the reader thinks that things can't get any worse, it does, moving from Kenya in the first volume to Zimbabwe in the second and ending in Uganda. I learned a lot more from these books than I ever did in a sociology class. The stories don't have neat endings or solutions because they're so tightly tied to our real world, but they're among Resnick's very best work.

[Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in Resnicks Galactic Comedy. In the first book I had little idea it was telling a story about African colonization. After I read the book I found that out and was amazed. The second book I was half way between reading sci fi and reading African history. Still loved it. By this book I could not even see the aliens or a far away planet. I just saw African tribes, Africa, and the white men trying to bring there country into modern times. I still loved it. At this point I love the subject of Africa and how Resnick uses it to inspire science fiction stories to express struggle.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting. I've never read a book like this before. It focused on the society as a whole rather than individuals. Although Arthur Cartright (who I guess is the main character) didn't appear in many chapters, I still really enjoyed his character and his personality. It was a strangely written book, but it worked. Quick read, too. I'd recommend it to any sci-fi fan

[Zeusthedog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ultimo volume della trilogia della Commedia Galattica è la trasposizione fantascientifica della storia recente dell'Uganda. Terribile ed incalzante.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A galactic irony, maybe, but I don’t consider it a comedy.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad, plausible, colonialism.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

sifi not for me

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

VOTO ALL'INTERO CICLO GALACTIC COMEDY:3,8
Di tutt'altro tenore rispetto al ciclo Starship dello stesso autore, la trilogia Galactic Comedy presenta come tema fondamentale, trattato secondo i canoni della space opera più classica, il colonialismo e lo sfruttamento delle risorse nonchè delle popolazioni locali, alludendo chiaramente al periodo colonialista del XIX a danno di molti paesi africani.

Si pone particolarmente l'accento,oltre che sulla natura stessa della politica colonialista e di cosa significhi per le popolazioni che la subiscono, anche sugli effetti disastrosi che questa comporta sull'organizzazione politica e sociale e sulle speranze di un futuro migliore delle stesse, una volta ottenuta l'indipendenza, situazione scaturita dalla "civilizzazione coatta" che i popoli sfruttati sono costretti a subire, andando a cambiare radicalmente la loro filosofia di vita e il loro modo di vivere, catapultandole in un sistema che non sono in grado di comprendere fino in fondo e che spesso e volentieri non riescono ad autosostenere.
Per quanto mi riguarda, il primo volume Paradise è quello più debole dal punto di vista narrativo.
Gli altri due volumi, sebbene abbiano una struttura più classica, sono senza dubbio più coinvolgenti ed emozionanti

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

the trilogy of Inferno, Paradise, Purgatory by Mike Resnick was very fascinating. Its the story of three different groups of people, originally from different parts of Africa, however retold in a sci-fi setting. I was utterly fascinated by the sociological and anthropology of the Alien species on each planet in each book. The story of the Humans who went there, explored and discovered, and ultimately ravaged the societies. I wish I could get these three books in Hardcover again and re-read them back to back.

[Ketan Shah]

Like his earlier novel Paradise,Mike Resnick looks at the state of Africa in a Sci Fi mirror. An idyllic planet is torn apart by a horrific sucession of power hungry madmen.The events portrayed seem far fetched until you realise that unfortunately they've happened here on Earth over and over again.

[Japland · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fascinating and bizarre to read about the build up to and downward spiral of Idi Amin era Uganda depicted as an alien world. Many insider jokes and references were included, Resnick obviously knows his history and must have spent some time in Uganda.