The Alchemists

by Geary Gravel

Emrys, a human scholar, devises a plan to protect the Kin, a human-like race living on the planet Belthannis, from the Empire.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

289 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1984

About the author

Geary Gravel is an American science fiction author and professional sign language interpreter. He lives in western Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First novel (1984) by this almost-forgotten writer, and it's a good one. Set around 8,000 years from now: after many wars, collapses, and rebirths of human civilization, humans had spread to extrasolar planets via coldsleep spaceships, when they were contacted by the alien Eljins, who gave humanity FTL starships. The humans spread to some 228 worlds. Some centuries later, the Eljins abruptly disappeared, and the FTL Darkjumpers started self-destructing....

A group of scholars have been sent to the world Belthannis, to evaluate the Kin: anatomically almost identical to humans, but apparently mindless. The Human Community is always on the lookout for new worlds to colonize. The leader of the evaluation group has concocted an unlikely scheme to protect the Kin from the colonizers. The Kin themselves have something uncanny about them....

This is by no means a perfect book. Should you decide to read it, you will need to be patient with first-novel rough spots, and some of the philosophizing makes for slow going. And it's a book of its time.

But it's a remarkable novel, exploring the ever-green topic of what it means to be human. The sentient AI the humans call the Hut -- it provides a posh field shelter and kitchen -- is particularly nicely done. The book comes to a satisfactory conclusion, and I plan to read the sequel. I was reminded of the style of MA Foster, another author from the same period who's a little better-known then Gravel. And you may catch a nod to Cordwainer Smith near the end: In the dark between the worlds, Something is eating the Darkjumpers.... It may take a second reading to sort out all that's going on here. Recommended: 3.6 stars.

Here's Eric Raymond's 1990 comment: "Geary Gravel's earlier novels The Alchemists and The Pathfinders were ambitious, spectacular, philosophically involved constructions displaying lyric gifts reminiscent of Cordwainer Smith." http://www.catb.org/~esr/sfreviews/RR... Plus a couple of good reviews at Amazon. I've had this one on the to-read shelf for years....

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an elegantly constructed novel that deals with the colonial impulse, value judgements, politics, and academia. It also has one of the most interesting conciets on the subject of emotion that I've ever encountered.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humanity has spread throughout the galaxy thanks to the fast ships gifted to them by the alien Elyin, but when the Elyin disappear seemingly overnight humanity discovers that they cannot replicate the ships nor understand their engines. Gradually the ships fall into disrepair and planets for humanity become a lot rarer as slow ships must again be used. An oversight committee is set up to determine if a world will be left alone for its inhabitants or settled by humans - basically an intelligence test for each new world. Unfortunately it is skewed heavily in humanity’s favour and few worlds are left alone if they can be settled. A group is sent to judge Belthannis where an indigene which looks remarkably human has been discovered, inhabiting the planet in small plots of one kin each. Disturbed by the unfairness of removing these kin - which have no higher functions and only respond habitually, they contrive to make it appear as if the kin are sapient - closing off Belthannis to settlement. Their plan starts to unravel when an empath is sent to scrutineer and one of the kin dies after having an artificial mind implanted. Geary Gravel has presented us with a novel about paternalism and blinkered righteousness. It asks us to reflect on why what we think is right might not be. It is a thought-provoking and entertaining book.

[Lonnie Veal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a future where Man's technology has become so advanced that it's no longer Technology-- but Instrumentality, powerful and ubiquitous. So ubiquitous that no longer is an issue to be remarked upon. Instead, the story is about the Different Cultures of Man that have grown over the centuries on different worlds. Each one different. Each one strange. But they all have one thing in common-- Man is Alone. Until they find a world where a Creature who is NOT Man is found. How would the People and their disparate Cultures actually cope with this discovery? A Team of Scholars is sent to this world to determine whether this Creature is a Man or Other. . .or just an animal. The Technology in this book is fantastically Timeless-- and all subordinated to the dictates of Desire and Culture. This story was a slow, not very interesting slog for me when I was a kid-- but as an Adult, it was deep scrolling of inter-personal philosophy and cultural What-If's. This one is Adult Science Fiction.

[Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been on an old trade-pub reading kick ths past couple of years...and when I came across this title and read the backstory and the reviews...well, let's just say that I'm very happy to have picked it up and read it. It is a pretty quick read, and the characters may not be fully fleshed out in some senses (I kept trying to remember who was who based on the names and job attributes).

And in the end, I never did fully comprehend what made the Kin special or separate...but I think that might be the point to the story.

In the end, I'm going to recommend this book if you want to move away from general modern writing.

[James]

In its eagerness to expand, the Empire was often too willing to look the other way while entire alien races were destroyed. When the Kin were discovered living on the beautiful planet that men called Belthannis, scholar Emrys headed the team brought in to judge the aliens' right to survive. The Kin looked human, so at first the verdict was clear But the Kin were not human and Embrys had a plan to protect them from the Empire.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've owned a copy of this book and its sequel since they were originally published. I finally got around to reading it after the author (or at least someone with the same unlikely name) purchased a Jack Vance novel from me on ebay. Very apropos now that I have read The Alchemists. It does not ape the style of Vance by any means, but Gravel takes the idea of an ornate and highly textured future society to new levels. The plot involves a planet where life has been discovered. The beings look human but appear to be completely mindless. However, something is controlling their bizarre an inexplicable behavior. A group of academics come to the planet to unravel the mystery even if it involves an elaborate deception to save the world from the colonial efforts of the Worlds of the Human Community. Gravel's cast of characters are strange and engaging, with the semi-volitional machine intelligence that maintains their shelter named the Hut being particularly memorable. At times, the novel reminds me of Vance, Delany, Wolfe, and even more recent authors like Peter Watts. I believe it is not better remembered because it is a first novel that strains for effect at times. In addition, it was a paperback original from Del Rey books, a publisher best known for SF adventure and fantasy. This book is much more serious. I plan on reading the sequel soon.