Starmasters' Gambit

by Gérard Klein

Il avait trente-deux ans... Il se nommait Jerg Algan... Il n'avait presque rien fait sinon sillonner la Terre comme n'importe qui, sans la moindre gloire...

Et puis un jour, il a dû quitter le refuge des hommes... Il a abordé la galaxie stellaire - dans le repli le plus lointain de l'espace, dans ce lieu étrange où se trouvaient peut-être les solutions de problèmes immémoriaux...

Il y avait là de vastes citadelles noires, tels des pions gigantesques érigés sur les cases d'un échiquier interminable...

Alors Jerg Algan a entrepris la dernière phase de sa lutte : le gambit des étoiles...

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, France, Space Opera

First published January 1, 1958

About the author

Gérard Klein (born 1937), known also as Gilles , is a French science fiction writer with sociological entrenamiento.

He is the editor of the prestigious science fiction series Ailleurs et Demain published by Robert Laffont and of the Le Livre de Poche science-fiction imprint.

In his novella Les virus ne parlent pas ("The viruses do not speak"), he imagines that viruses have created all living beings in the same fashion that human beings have created computers, and for the same reason: to improve their efficiency.

Gérard Klein used the pseudonym "Gilles d'Argyre" for his novels published by Editions Fleuve Noir for their series Anticipation.

Several of his novels were published in translation by DAW Books in the United States.

Reviews

[Karl]

DAW Collectors #68

Cover Artist: Kelly Freas

Name: Klein, Gérard,Birthplace: Neuilly-sur-Seine, Seine, France, 27 May, 1937


He was thirty-two years old. His name was Jerg Algan. He had done little but kill time on Earth, with no purpose. Then, one day, he was forced to leave the cradle of humanity and travel to the furthest reaches of space, to a strange planet where lay vast black citadels, like gigantic chess pieces erected on the squares of an unimaginable board... And Jerg Algan embarked upon the final phase of his journey: the starmasters' gambit... Gerard Klein is a distinguished economist and one of France's best science fiction writers. He also edited the prestigious science fiction imprint, Ailleurs et Demain, for 40 years.

Foreword by Robert Silverberg.

002 -  Starmasters' Gambit (frontispiece) • interior artwork by Jack Gaughan.

The Starmasters series consists of:

1. "Starmasters' Gambit" (1973)
2. 'The Day Before Tomorrow' (1972)
3. 'The Mote in Time's Eye' (1975)
Starmasters (2018)

[Noémie J. Crowley]

Jerg Algan, la petite trentaine, a fait le tour du monde. Et puis, un jour, il se retrouve embarqué dans un voyage à travers les étoiles.

Bon.
C’est de la SF FR faite pour les gens qui n’ont jamais lu de SF et qui sont FR - c’est pompeux, vide, faussement philosophique, extrêmement lent, l’écriture est lourde (je sais, c’est les fifties, mais quand même), on en repart avec une profonde sensation de vide, alors que le peu de développement pouvait donner une idée intéressante - l’idée de l’échiquier, du gambit de la vie, c’est sympa.
Mais ça tombe complètement à plat.
C’est vide, c’est morne, c’est mou.
C’est SF FR quoi.

[Jenna]

A little abstract but still a good space adventure.

[Peter]

I was quite taken with this book when younger - still think it is an interesting read

[SciFiOne]

1986 grade F

Might have abandoned it.

[Tudor Antonescu]

4,5*

[Lewis Carnelian]

Originally written in French in 1958, Klein fits easily in as a contemporary of English-language writers like Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke, although I dare say there is a sense of the French élan here, comparatively. It is very Clarke-like, or, in fact, anticipates some Clarke, with its grand designs of the Universe with such ideas as the Masters—think Clarke's monolith in 2001 (1968) or ancient spaceship in Rendezvous With Rama (1973). Also, the main protagonist, Jerg Algan, very much resembles the kind of protagonist Alfred Bester favored with such classics as The Demolished Man (1953) and The Stars My Destination (1956), probably the most immediate influences on this. Algan comes from the Old Earth, an anachronism in a time of disorienting, long-time space colonization, pressed into service by a near (if not, total) totalitarian Human Empire. As a result, he represents a rebellious, transgressive sub-messianic individual like Bester's.
While the conceit that drives the moment of transforming humanity is a little trite (think the cover art plus drugs), the best parts of this pulpy delight are the extreme sense of ennui (another French word for you) that covers the whole narrative. There is Algan's both sense of having lost a kind of childhood from his Old Earth days and his weariness of endless space travel; there is the sense of stagnation and alienation of the Empire's ideology itself; and there is a wonderfully depressing characterization of the long term effects of deep space time isolating not only people but whole planets and societies from one another. This reaches its apex when Algan, on a mission to find the titular "Starmasters", voyages to an extreme outpost of the known Empire. The planet itself is worthy of the kind of baroque fashioning that Clark Ashton Smith and his later inheritor, Jack Vance, were so great at depicting. All in all, the climax and concept may be charmingly quaint and very much of its time, but the vibe is a delight.

[peterclo]

J'ai relu ce livre qui m'avait tant marqué quand j'avais une dizaine d'années et je comprends pourquoi il m'avait tellement fasciné. Les thèmes du pouvoir central brutal, de la politique, des voyages dans l'espace , la téléportation d'un bout à l'autre de la galaxie, la stagnation de l'humanité et la drogue m'ont sans aucun doute énormément influencé et préparé à lire Dune quelques années plus tard.

Le rythme est lent, il se passe rarement quelque chose de très physique et on passe pas mal de temps dans les pensées du personnage principal. Ce n'est malgré tout pas à un problème et le livre se dévore rapidement, d'autant plus que la fin est assez abrupte et expédiée en quelques pages.

Le fait que l'auteur ait eu 18 ans quand il a écrit ce livre est assez impressionnant. C'est assez drôle de découvrir des forteresses noires qui permettent de voyager à travers l'espace des années avant la sortie de la première nouvelle de Clarke qui inspirera ensuite 2001 l'Odyssée de l'Espace.

Le livre est tout au passé simple et la lecture me semble un peu dure pour un Livre de Poche Jeunesse par comparaison avec d'autres titres.

[Zuzia ✨]

Idea was simple but very interesting. A man who loves his planet and his life not seeking for something more in the stars but forced to explore signing a contract by a trick getting him high. I found fascinating him being driven by a pure hate to people above him and always asking questions no one else did. It makes his character being real. I enjoyed his travel through the space and concept of it being a chessboard reavling itself throug the story. Approach  of time being depending on where he traveled was amazing and I also found the the feeling of being claustrophobic and trapped in the big space of universe being fascinating. I was surprised when Nogaro turned to be one of the people who rule the galaxy and whole concept of being immortal. And also the end was great the master being stars and describing how lonely they are and humans being robots.
Thoughts of the main character were philosophical and made me think about existing and how small we are in the big organism that universe is.

[Esteryn]

Un des premiers livres que j'ai lu enfant, j'avais adoré à l'époque, retrouvé d'occasion et relu de suite. Alors avec le recul, je le trouve toujours aussi intéressant mais un peu court: on aimerait plus de développement des idées qui sont fascinantes mais tombent de manière un peu abrupte. Egalement surprenant, je n'avais pas remarqué enfant, mais il n'y a pas UN seul personnage féminin dans le livre, même pas en arrière-plan: bizarre. Ceci dit, la lecture est agréable, l'histoire originale (surtout à l'époque), bien menée et réfléchie, et les illustrations superbes.

[Edward Woeful]

Повествование начинается как простенький космический боевик, а заканчивается как философский анализ социального устройства и будущего человечества.
Конечно, сейчас то, что было написано в 1958 году, кажется немного наивным. Но если учесть, что автор буквально предвосхитил многие сцены из «Гипериона» и «Матрицы», а также дал исчерпывающее, хоть и завуалированное, описание работы спецслужб, книга даже сейчас читается с большим интересом.
Также в очередной раз хотелось бы отметить, насколько сильно французская фантастика в массе своей отличается об более привычной англо-американской.

[George Manuel]

Acțiunea se petrece când oamenii pot naviga prin spațiu cu viteze apropiate de cele ale luminii. Pământul este aproape nelocuibil și "centrul omenirii" este pe Betelgeuse.
Un om, care nu a părăsit niciodată Pământul, este "ales" pentru o misiune despre care încă nu știe. Cei care l-au ales speră ca el să dezlege unul din cele mai vechi mistere: există oare o entitate superioară omului?
Jocul de șah face si el parte din povestire.

[Jon]

Picked a used paperback copy of this up on a whim a few years ago but only just now getting around to reading it. It's pretty solid classic sci-fi, one that centers around one Earthling cracking the code of the true masters of the universe and space travel via drugs, chess and time travel. It's pretty inspired and a quick read.

[Tarash_bulba]

A bit rushed. A bit lacking in the characterization department, Maybe even a bit naïve.
But, as many Gerard Klein books, it's full of interesting locations, ideas and hope. This makes me give it a "really liked it" rating ;)

[Bruce Sawyer]

Just my opinion. Jumped too much into philosophy and maybe the translation wasn’t well done? Good premise I thought, but kept going into side roads that were confusing.

[Myriac Acia]

its story is pretty shallow. the author had hastened the events, as if eager to finish the book as soon as possible. complete disappointment

[Funda Guzer]

Çeviri de çok iyi kitap en iyi bilim kurgu kitaplarından . Keşke yazarım diğer kitapları da çevrilmiş olsa idi .

[Petremann Michel]

Idée originale, bonne gestion du paradoxe de l écoulement du temps des voyages, j ai été porté et l ai lu d une traite.

[magical thing]

🧐🤔🐾

[Socrate]

Avea treizeci şi doi de ani şi se numea Jerg Algan. Îşi petrecuse aproape toată viaţa pe Terra, într‑un colţ neînsemnat al planetei; brăzdase mările pe glisoare dubioase, survolase continentele la bordul unor avioane demodate, vestigii ale secolului trecut; se bronzase pe plajele Australiei; înainte ca platoul deşertic să basculeze în ocean, vânase ultimul leu din Africa.
Nu făcuse nimic. Nu părăsise niciodată Pământul. Niciodată nu depăşise atmosfera. Între două hoinăreli, trăia la Dark, din meserii bizare, cum nu poţi s‑o faci decât în cel mai mare oraş – singurul, la drept vorbind – al Terrei.
Dark, un târguşor de treizeci de milioane de locuitori, era pentru aceşti oameni unicul refugiu din toată Galaxia. Dacă‑şi vedeau de treabă, puteau scăpa de poliţia psihologică. Poziţia şi vechimea Dark‑ului fac din el, în pofida micimii oraşului, unul dintre cele mai importante porturi din acest sector al Galaxiei, unde afacerile de orice fel au cale liberă. Poţi cumpăra aici toate lucrurile cunoscute, plus alte câteva, chiar şi pe acelea al căror import este interzis pentru că se presupune că sunt periculoase. La Dark poţi gusta din toate drogurile preparate pentru oameni şi pentru alte câteva rase. Unii pretind că poţi găsi aici şi sclavi. Dark este scandalul permanent al Galaxiei.
Algan cunoscuse în viaţă şi momente bune, şi momente rele. Nu‑şi amintea să fi rămas mai mult de trei luni într‑o slujbă, nici să fi vândut de două ori acelaşi lucru. Nu avusese până atunci dificultăţi reale cu poliţia psihologică, dar asta nu se petrecuse numai din vina lui.
Căuta acum o nouă ocazie de a descoperi un colţ al Pământului pe care să nu-l fi explorat încă. Există, în preajma vechiului port stelar, care nu mai asigură decât traficul cu planetele apropiate, locuri unde poţi da peste un prilej nesperat. Fie că întâlneşti un bătrân nebun coborât pentru prima dată pe Vechea Planetă, doritor să viziteze nişte ruine străvechi; fie că pescuieşti un vânător înrăit, nutrind ambiţia de a‑şi adăuga un iepure terestru la colecţia de trofee; fie că, în cazul cel mai fericit, descoperi cine ştie ce membru rătăcit al unei expediţii ştiinţifice, care te angajează, între două pahare, pentru cunoştinţele tale în domeniul moravurilor pământene.

[Kaan]

bol bol akıyor, belki de çeviri mi kötü bilemedim ama edebi olarak çok zayıf.