Piękna krew

Dragon Griaule

by Lucius Shepard

„Piękna krew” Luciusa Sheparda to dzieło wyjątkowe i z dawna wyczekiwane: pierwsza pełnowymiarowa powieść ze świata smoka Griaule’a.
Shepard pierwszy raz podjął ten temat w roku 1984, kiedy to opublikował „Człowieka, który pomalował smoka Griaule’a”, i na przestrzeni lat wielokrotnie do niego wracał, choć nigdy jeszcze w tak fascynującej i wyczerpującej formie.

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks

182 pages, Hardcover

First published June 29, 2014

About the author

Brief biographies are, like history texts, too organized to be other than orderly misrepresentations of the truth. So when it's written that Lucius Shepard was born in August of 1947 to Lucy and William Shepard in Lynchburg, Virginia, and raised thereafter in Daytona Beach, Florida, it provides a statistical hit and gives you nothing of the difficult childhood from which he frequently attempted to escape, eventually succeeding at the age of fifteen, when he traveled to Ireland aboard a freighter and thereafter spent several years in Europe, North Africa, and Asia, working in a cigarette factory in Germany, in the black market of Cairo's Khan al Khalili bazaar, as a night club bouncer in Spain, and in numerous other countries at numerous other occupations. On returning to the United States, Shepard entered the University of North Carolina, where for one semester he served as the co-editor of the Carolina Quarterly. Either he did not feel challenged by the curriculum, or else he found other pursuits more challenging. Whichever the case, he dropped out several times and traveled to Spain, Southeast Asia (at a time when tourism there was generally discouraged), and South and Central America. He ended his academic career as a tenth-semester sophomore with a heightened political sensibility, a fairly extensive knowledge of Latin American culture and some pleasant memories.

Toward the beginning of his stay at the university, Shepard met Joy Wolf, a fellow student, and they were married, a union that eventually produced one son, Gullivar, now an architect in New York City. While traveling cross-country to California, they had their car break down in Detroit and were forced to take jobs in order to pay for repairs. As fortune would have it, Shepard joined a band, and passed the better part of the 1970s playing rock and roll in the Midwest. When an opportunity presented itself, usually in the form of a band break-up, he would revisit Central America, developing a particular affection for the people of Honduras. He intermittently took odd jobs, working as a janitor, a laborer, a sealer of driveways, and, in a nearly soul-destroying few months, a correspondent for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, a position that compelled him to call the infirm and the terminally ill to inform them they had misfiled certain forms and so were being denied their benefits.

In 1980 Shepard attended the Clarion Writers’ Workshop at Michigan State University and thereafter embarked upon a writing career. He sold his first story, "Black Coral," in 1981 to New Dimensions, an anthology edited by Marta Randall. During a prolonged trip to Central America, covering a period from 1981-1982, he worked as a freelance journalist focusing on the civil war in El Salvador. Since that time he has mainly devoted himself to the writing of fiction. His novels and stories have earned numerous awards in both the genre and the mainstream.

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a copy of the Deluxe Hardcover number 128 of 1000. Book has dragon scale end papers but is smaller in height than usual Subterranean Press books. This by all accounts is Mr. Shepards last book. Someone may find a number of uncollected stories and publish an anthology, and we would all be lucky if they do.

Lucius Shepard August 21, 1943 – March 18, 2014.

Before reading this book please, and I ask this in the kindest way, read his collection "The Dragon Griaule" or the stories that are collected there in. "The Dragon Griaule" collects Lucius Shepard's six stories and novellas about Griaule, the mile-long 750-foot-high dragon that has been in a spellbound sleep for thousands of years. The table of contents is 1984's "The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule", 1988's "The Scalehunter’s Beautiful Daughter" also available from Mark Ziesing Books, 1989's "The Father of Stones" also available from Washington Science Fiction Association, 2004's "Liar’s House", 2010's "The Taborin Scale", and 2013's "The Skull" a new 40,000 word novel that advances the story in unexpected ways, connecting the ongoing saga of an ancient and fabulous beast with the political realities of Central America in the 21st century.

The book is available on some form of e-reader, or from Subterranean Press in the printed format.

In “The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule” (available to reed here for free from Baen Books)

http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/97...

is an account of an artist Meric Cattanay—and his decades long effort to paint and kill a dormant, not quite dead dragon measuring 6,000 feet from end to end. The story was nominated for multiple awards and is now recognized as one of its author’s signature accomplishments. We meet Meric Cattanay again in "Beautiful Blood" the first novel-length exploration of the world of the Dragon Griaule.

"Beautiful Blood" begins in the 1850s in the town of Teocinte, in a world “separated from our own by the thinnest margin of possibility.” It is a landscape whose dominant feature is the massive, long-dormant body of an ancient dragon that has lain there, motionless, for millennia, exerting a powerful but mysterious influence on the surrounding area. The novel tells the story of Richard Rosacher, an ambitious young medical student who becomes fascinated by the properties inherent in the dragon’s blood. His exploitation of those properties launches him on a career that leads him from the shabbiest quarter of Teocinte to a morally ambiguous position of power, wealth, and influence. Beautiful Blood takes us though the entire length of that career, which is marked throughout by the invisible agency of Griaule, who may well be the driving force behind Rosacher’s astonishing ascension.

An excellent finish by an outstanding author. Highly recommended

[Florin Pitea · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very decent ending to the Dragon Griaule series.

[Kyle Muntz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good novel, and an excellent coda to Shepard's work set around the Dragon Griaule--an immense, undying, maybe metaphysical dragon, paralyzed thousands of years ago by a wizard, who is both the central presence and sometimes setting in a series of very good linked short novels, mostly set in a kind of alternate 1900s. This one is maybe most impressive because, after the books collected in "The Dragon Griaule," which were written slowly over 30 years (and, though I don't remember why exactly, in my review I compared to to Bolano's 2666), I'd thought the story was done.

This novel, while not taking things forward exactly, ties together a lot of strands from the other novellas, though generally it's just the story of a life: of a not very good man, who discovers the dragon's blood can be used as a drug, and uses it to create a small empire. Shepard's writing has always had a powerful classical elegance, and it's in full force here. The overall arc, in a lot of ways, is also very classical--there's a lot of narrative, but mostly it moves at the rhythm of life over 40 years, asking a lot of questions without answering many of them, but somehow being amazingly compelling the whole way. The "landscape" descriptions were particularly striking, as Shepard gives us so many elaborate, beautifully rendered passages on the dragon and the creatures that live on it. (Though, like a lot of Shepard's work, his portrayal of women is maybe his only weakness, but a reoccurring one.)

This was Shepard's last book before he died last year. He's another interesting example of a very good writer with no central or defining work, which has given me a lot of trouble reading him--and it doesn't help that he seemed to write mainly short stories. The Dragon Griaule Sequence, though it was only collected recently, is the probably the closest to Shepard's "major work," though it's also missing some of the strengths of The Golden, which was a short, very different but equally brilliant novel. I'm not sure where to re-enter his work exactly--I have some hesitations about "Life During Wartime" (his most successful novel, though maybe oddly since I feel like his style isn't suited for SF), but I'll probably be checking that out soon, as Shepard is a very good writer I've been wanting to read more of even if I've been away from his work for a while.

[Mike Mclatchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucius Shepard's final novel displays and possibly condenses everything he did well as a writer. I fear that even though he was pretty well decorated in the fields of science fiction and fantasy (and not to mention didn't seem to think much of them), he still seemed to be relatively obscure, especially in his second phase (which started up mostly after much of the 90s had passed). I've rarely read anything from him that I didn't think was a deep study in character, particularly the almost daunting self-reflection of males passing their middle age who often seemed to be in part a partial stand in for the author. His characters both seem to strive for and fail in their search for some sort of central morality and in so many ways, it felt like the fantastic elements of his work were almost a stand in for the unknowable in life, something I find a really deep connection with. The central character, Richard Rosacher, in this final book in the Dragon Griaule sequence, starts out a scientist but quickly finds himself the center of a new type of drug trafficking based on the blood of the ancient, gargantuan dragon who is the center and mystery of the city Teocinte. It reads almost like a travelogue or bizarre hagiography as Rosacher becomes immensely powerful through his new industry. However, the events of his life and his meeting with various other strong men as well as personal lovers never fail to change the trajectory of his life, intertwined in some nebulous way with Griaule. One of the many fascinating parts of the book is how this fabled city slowly seems to shift into the world we know, as the book moves along, slight allusions to the various countries of the world place Teocinte perhaps somewhere in Central or South America, where so many of his classic short stories are set, all of which leads to an ending that is classic Shepard. There are few writers who ever wrote prose as beautiful and visionary as Shepard, it's something I'm reminded of with every story and novel of his I read. He was both literature and as easy to read as a thriller aimed at the mainstream, even just the snatches of the time you spend in his worlds are instantly gripping and rewarding, despite that plotting might not have been his strength. Like the best stories in the Griaule sequence and masterpieces like "The Jaguar Hunter," it's difficult to leave a Shepard study unchanged or at least mulling over your own ethics. A fitting end to one of the great sequences in fantasy. One day I hope he's spoken of in the same breath as the great authors of fiction, he was just that good.

[Sara Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been ages since I read a Lucius Shepard novel. This one is hard to define. Short and sweet: There's the dragon Griaule, in an ensorcelled sleep for thousands of years with no end in sight; the city built around and on it along with the ecosystem that developed on and inside it; and those who wish to get rich and/or powerful from it. Shepard creates an amazing, dynamic, and somewhat frightening world around, on, and in the dragon. With most of the people, what you see is not who they are. The main character is an interesting study, starting out with one path and desire, diverging and achieving what many desire, and always striving to return. He's not a particularly likeable man, but compelling.

That's all I'm going to say. I highly recommend it, but it wasn't quite 5-star for me.

[Blue Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first book I have admitted to myself I will never finish. It had an intriguing idea and plot, but it was poorly executed with too many digressions, extraneous characters, and irrelevant details. His writing style wasn't bad, but out could use some development, along with his plotting. There were moments when I really liked how certain characters interacted, but there were other moments where I just totally disconnected from the story, which is death to my interest level. I feel like they rushed this to publication before really scrutinizing it well.

[Todd Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding last novel in the Dragon Griaule world. Lucius Shepard was a marvelous author, taken way too soon. Highly recommended, but make sure you read the novellas in "The Dragon Griaule" first.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not really my fare but I gave it a try since I won a copy of the book by chance.

Interesting setting: a town abutting a huge dragon that's been immobile for millennia.

I didn't care for the main character though or the book's portrayal of women (mostly they exist to be slept with).

[Pedro L. Fragoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This last exploration of the Griaule mythology is a particularly well accomplished fantasy, full of magic and wonder and twists. It's also more of a series of tales than one single novel.

And above all, what a tragic loss is the loss of Shepard. To not have ever again stories told with phrases and phrases like these:

“Well, you’ve succeeded. You’re a brothel keeper, a drug dealer, and you’re ruthless in your business practices. You’ve had people murdered. Yet you think of yourself as a good man. Most people are no different. We all engage in that sort of deceit, but we’re not as skilled at it as you. Your sins are so great, yet you hide the fact from yourself so thoroughly! It’s truly remarkable.”

(...)

"The moon, silvery and almost full, was at its zenith and in its light he could make out palm crowns on the plain below, but not their trunks. A thin mist veiled the brilliance of the stars. Insects chirred and a nightjar cried. Rosacher felt as alone and frightened as he had on that long-ago night when he had drawn blood from Griaule’s tongue, yet he pressed forward into the thickets, made wary by every rustle, every shadowy twitch and tremble of leaf or twig."

(...)

"In late afternoon they arrived at the village of Becan, on the edge of the king’s hunting ground amidst banana trees and one towering mango tree whose ripening fruit hung from structures that looked as ornate as candlelabras—it was a dismal collection of huts constructed of sapling poles and thatch, its muddy streets dappled with puddles. At the center of the village was a longhouse where travelers were permitted to sleep in hammocks for the night, and close by the longhouse was a largish hut, overhung by the leaves of a banana tree, wherein a wizened, white-haired old man, dressed in clothes made from flour sacking, with perhaps a dozen teeth left in his head, sat behind an empty crate and dispensed cups of unrefined rum. The late sun shining through the poles striped the dirt floor. Four wooden tables were arranged about the interior, but only six chairs, one toppled on its side and another occupied by a young woman who might have been pretty had she run a brush through her tangled hair and washed away the grime from her face and worn something more appealing than loose canvas trousers and a blouse that was mostly rips and stains. She affected what Rosacher judged to be a seductive pose and smiled at the two men as they entered, thus advertising her function."

As always, a beautiful publishing object (i.e., physical book) by Subterranean Press (there's also an e-book) to round up the magic.

"For the longest time he feared that he would not die, that Griaule bestowed upon him an unwanted immortality; but now that he notices a stiffness in his limbs, an uncertainty in his step, a slight diminution of vision, all the minor failures of the flesh, he has come to feel at ease with himself as never before. All he needs of the world washes to his door."

The writing is so consistently magical, it's unbelievable.

[Julian White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsigned numbered edition of 1000 (unnumbered volume... )

A novel (and therefore not included n the Gollancz fantasy Masterworks/Subterranean Press editions of The Dragon Griaule, which collects all the stories to date - 2012ish) but the narrative is clear even without that background. (The very first story, The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule is referenced as the protagonist in that story is also in the novel.)

An interesting tale - at its heart the life story of Richard Rosacher, a newly qualified doctor who is fascinated by the ensorcelled (but not dead) Dragon Griaule, around and on the mostly quiesecent body of which has grown the town of Teocinte. He explores the nature of the dragon's blood - research that diverts him from medicine into other professions... Although the book has a definite beginning, middle and ending it might be regarded as a series of short stories since one of the effects of the blood on Rosacher is to cause some extended black-outs - years may pass of which he has no memory when he 'surfaces'.

Enjoyable but probably best read after the previously published collection.

[Klaudia Gambuś · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book without realizing that it was part of an already established universe ruled by the dragon Griaule. The book isn’t very long, but it intrigued me enough that I’m eager to read the previous stories set in this world.

There are a few things that could have been improved, but overall, it was quite good, and I enjoyed reading it.

[mysilicielka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sam pomysł jest świetny - uśpiony/zaczarowany smok, wokół którego wybudowano miasteczko, który przez jednych jest czczony jak bóstwo, a przez innych wykorzystywany jako źródło zarobku. Wykonanie niestety mnie pokonało. Książka jest tak mało angażująca, że powrót do przerwanej lektury wywoływał skrzywienie na mojej twarzy. DNF, bo naprawdę nie obchodzi mnie, jak to się skończy.

[Dale Carothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. But sad that it was his last.

[Ron Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've admired Shepard's books for a long time, and looked forward to reading this addition to the Dragon Griaule stories, but found it hard to stay focused on the story. I'm not sure if it was because of the sudden occasional jumps in time or a main character I found less engaging and sympathetic than the usual Shepard main character.

I'll probably let the book sit for a few years and give it another try, see if it works for me then.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the passing of Lucius Shepard, he has left us with questions of morality for the reader to answer in the closing of the Dragon Griaule stories. Expanding from the previous novelette length, I was glad
to have the joy of reading more of the prose that marks a style uniquely Lucius.

[Steve]

Lucius Shepard (August 21, 1943 – March 18, 2014)

Blessed be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_...

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/03/luci...

[David Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding continuation of the story surrounding the Dragon Griaule.

http://opionator.wordpress.com/2014/0...

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written story about a town that is built around a live but dormant dragon and a man who was built by his town. I enjoyed this story and I am eager to read "The Man Who Painted The Dragon".