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Gaean Reach
The Gray Prince
When Schaine Madduc returned to Koryphon after five years in space, her home planet was not as she left it. The several intelligent species that had lived so long in a sort of symbiotic harmony were at each other's throats. The humanoid Uldra were united in rebellion against the human land-holding community of which Schaine was part. The Uldra revolutionary leader and catalyst--the Gray Prince Jorjol--was actually an Uldra fostered in Schaine's own home, and upon whom Schaine had exerted a profound influence. An influence far more profound than Schaine would have thought possible. An influence possibly powerful enough to smash her home, her family, and her entire way of life!
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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703 people want to read
About the author
Jack Vance
777 books1,586 followersAka John Holbrook Vance, Peter Held, John Holbrook, Ellery Queen, John van See, Alan Wade.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
The author was born in 1916 and educated at the University of California, first as a mining engineer, then majoring in physics and finally in journalism. During the 1940s and 1950s, he contributed widely to science fiction and fantasy magazines. His first novel, The Dying Earth , was published in 1950 to great acclaim. He won both of science fiction's most coveted trophies, the Hugo and Nebula awards. He also won an Edgar Award for his mystery novel The Man in the Cage . He lived in Oakland, California in a house he designed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 21, 2016
The Gray Prince – the novel – is reserved, dry, sly, a streamlined adventure, a mystery box full of more mystery boxes, a meditation on manifest destiny, a critical contemplation on colonialism that left me a little disturbed. The Gray Prince – the character – is a fool, a clown, an object of exploitation, an embittered revolutionary, a supporting character of more importance as an object of critical contemplation than as an actual supporting character. I don’t know why the book is titled “The Gray Prince”. I think it should be called “Might Is Right”. It is a very enjoyable novel with some unnerving things to say about who can take what and why. Because it is written by the masterful Jack Vance, these ideas are slowly, sardonically unspooled with wit, subtlety, and a quiet, slowly building forcefulness. I don’t agree with the points he is making but damn he knows how to drive a point home.
Schaine Madduc returns to the world of Koryphon after a stay abroad. She’s the child of a maverick ranching family – one of many such families on the planet – whose ancestors seized their land on the continent Uaia from the nomadic human-offshoots who once held it. She’s lightly liberal and hates the idea that others may suffer from her family’s actions; she also really loves her land and has no interest in leaving it. The Gray Prince is madly in love with her. Surprisingly, she is not the protagonist. Erris Sammatzen is a decent man and gentle progressive from the cosmopolitan continent of Szintarre, which also functions as the de facto capital of Koryphon. He is an activist for the independence of the colonized natives; despite this, he is falling in love with the land-owner Schaine. Following her back to Uaia, he gets tossed into adventure after adventure; each time he rises to the occasion and each time his progressive viewpoint gets shaken a wee bit more. Surprisingly, he is not the protagonist. Gerd Jemasze has many mysteries to solve… Who are the true – and sentient - citizens of Koryphon? What are their plans for the humans and human off-shoots who hold their planet? Who killed Schaine’s father? And what was that last ‘joke’ that so impressed that taciturn land baron? Gerd is a smart and sardonic land owner, a quietly humane man of few words who doesn’t think much on ideological matters and who is excellent under pressure and in a fight. He is a classic Vance protagonist. Surprisingly, he is not the protagonist of this novel.
The diversity of perspective is one of the many pleasing things about this novel. The brisk and deadpan tone, the high adventure done with a minimum of fuss, the elegant prose and the expert word choice and sentence structure, the overall humorous intelligence on display, the ingenious ability to define multiple cultures and species, the lingering ambiguity, the tart and cynical commentary on human nature… all Vance trademarks and all fully present. This is a lot of fun, definitely, but it is a rather deflating experience as well. Vance doesn’t truck in wish fulfillment. This one was a bit more deflating than usual. Why you wanna punch me in the gut, Vance?
this review is a part of a longer piece reviewing 3 books by Jack Vance, posted on Shelf Inflicted.
"Except for a few special cases, title to every parcel of real property derives from an act of violence, more or less remote, and ownership is only as valid as the strength and will required to maintain it. This is the lesson of history, whether you like it or not.”Well, okay then.
“The mourning of defeated peoples, while pathetic and tragic, is usually futile,” said Kelse.
Schaine Madduc returns to the world of Koryphon after a stay abroad. She’s the child of a maverick ranching family – one of many such families on the planet – whose ancestors seized their land on the continent Uaia from the nomadic human-offshoots who once held it. She’s lightly liberal and hates the idea that others may suffer from her family’s actions; she also really loves her land and has no interest in leaving it. The Gray Prince is madly in love with her. Surprisingly, she is not the protagonist. Erris Sammatzen is a decent man and gentle progressive from the cosmopolitan continent of Szintarre, which also functions as the de facto capital of Koryphon. He is an activist for the independence of the colonized natives; despite this, he is falling in love with the land-owner Schaine. Following her back to Uaia, he gets tossed into adventure after adventure; each time he rises to the occasion and each time his progressive viewpoint gets shaken a wee bit more. Surprisingly, he is not the protagonist. Gerd Jemasze has many mysteries to solve… Who are the true – and sentient - citizens of Koryphon? What are their plans for the humans and human off-shoots who hold their planet? Who killed Schaine’s father? And what was that last ‘joke’ that so impressed that taciturn land baron? Gerd is a smart and sardonic land owner, a quietly humane man of few words who doesn’t think much on ideological matters and who is excellent under pressure and in a fight. He is a classic Vance protagonist. Surprisingly, he is not the protagonist of this novel.
The diversity of perspective is one of the many pleasing things about this novel. The brisk and deadpan tone, the high adventure done with a minimum of fuss, the elegant prose and the expert word choice and sentence structure, the overall humorous intelligence on display, the ingenious ability to define multiple cultures and species, the lingering ambiguity, the tart and cynical commentary on human nature… all Vance trademarks and all fully present. This is a lot of fun, definitely, but it is a rather deflating experience as well. Vance doesn’t truck in wish fulfillment. This one was a bit more deflating than usual. Why you wanna punch me in the gut, Vance?
Erris Sammatzen approached Jemasze. “And this is Uther Madduc’s ‘wonderful joke’?”Indeed.
“So I believe.”
“But what’s so funny?”
“The magnificent ability of the human race to delude itself.”
“That’s bathos, not humor,” said Sammatzen shortly.
this review is a part of a longer piece reviewing 3 books by Jack Vance, posted on Shelf Inflicted.
June 23, 2019
The Gray Prince may be one of Jack Vance’s greatest stories.
First of all Vance provides a prologue that explains the Gaean Reach storyline and how the events described in the novel fit into that extended world creation. Like Robert A. Heinlein and Poul Anderson’s future history timelines, there is a continuity of shared world building in Vance’s Gaean Reach novels, of which The Gray Prince is one.
The prologue begins: “The space age is thirty thousand years old. Men have moved from star to star in search of wealth and glory; the Gaean Reach encompasses a perceptible fraction of the galaxy. Trade routes thread space like capillaries in living tissue; thousands of worlds have been colonized, each different from every other, each working its specific change upon men who live there. Never has the human race been less homogenous.”
On the planet Koryphon, men in two distinct groups have existed as nomads for centuries. A third group of men arrived much later, and keeping intact their space age technology have ousted the other two and set up patriarchal and aristocratic institutions. Most interestingly, there also exist two races of alien life and here, in this group dynamic, lies the crux and the narrative conflict of the novel.
Vance, demonstrating a ubiquitous theme in his writing, shows how humanity can be at once altruistic and hypocritical, deluding itself to an nth degree.
This novel can be seen as an allegory for slavery or for paternalistic welfare policy that, in practical application, actually negatively affects its erstwhile-protected classes and emboldens condescension and even aristocratic disaffection. The Uldras, one of the earlier colonizing human groups, could be seen as analogous to Native Americans or indigenous Africans.
Published in 1973, after the tumultuous 1960s, this could also be a message from Vance about the ineffectiveness of protest, or of government rhetoric that has no foothold in actuality but too far removed into abstraction and idealism, loosing connection with harsh realities.
The great thing about Vance, in most or all of his works, is that his narrative seems like a loose translation from another language, an obscure dialect to which the translator must make frequent footnotes of explanation. And really, that’s what Vance is doing, providing us a guided tour into the universe of his great imagination.
This is also very much like the writing of Robert Silverberg (and not because it contains pages of vividly described alien orgies), especially his 1971 novel A Time of Changes.
Finally, this also reveals an unusual, and unfortunate, trend in the naming of Vance’s books. The novel’s original title - The Domains of Koryphon – as a two-part serialization in Amazing Science Fiction in 1974, was changed when it was published in hardback. Fans of Vance will notice that many of his original titles (or preferred titles) were changed by publishers.
A very well written and thought provoking book and a MUST read for Vance fans.
First of all Vance provides a prologue that explains the Gaean Reach storyline and how the events described in the novel fit into that extended world creation. Like Robert A. Heinlein and Poul Anderson’s future history timelines, there is a continuity of shared world building in Vance’s Gaean Reach novels, of which The Gray Prince is one.
The prologue begins: “The space age is thirty thousand years old. Men have moved from star to star in search of wealth and glory; the Gaean Reach encompasses a perceptible fraction of the galaxy. Trade routes thread space like capillaries in living tissue; thousands of worlds have been colonized, each different from every other, each working its specific change upon men who live there. Never has the human race been less homogenous.”
On the planet Koryphon, men in two distinct groups have existed as nomads for centuries. A third group of men arrived much later, and keeping intact their space age technology have ousted the other two and set up patriarchal and aristocratic institutions. Most interestingly, there also exist two races of alien life and here, in this group dynamic, lies the crux and the narrative conflict of the novel.
Vance, demonstrating a ubiquitous theme in his writing, shows how humanity can be at once altruistic and hypocritical, deluding itself to an nth degree.
This novel can be seen as an allegory for slavery or for paternalistic welfare policy that, in practical application, actually negatively affects its erstwhile-protected classes and emboldens condescension and even aristocratic disaffection. The Uldras, one of the earlier colonizing human groups, could be seen as analogous to Native Americans or indigenous Africans.
Published in 1973, after the tumultuous 1960s, this could also be a message from Vance about the ineffectiveness of protest, or of government rhetoric that has no foothold in actuality but too far removed into abstraction and idealism, loosing connection with harsh realities.
The great thing about Vance, in most or all of his works, is that his narrative seems like a loose translation from another language, an obscure dialect to which the translator must make frequent footnotes of explanation. And really, that’s what Vance is doing, providing us a guided tour into the universe of his great imagination.
This is also very much like the writing of Robert Silverberg (and not because it contains pages of vividly described alien orgies), especially his 1971 novel A Time of Changes.
Finally, this also reveals an unusual, and unfortunate, trend in the naming of Vance’s books. The novel’s original title - The Domains of Koryphon – as a two-part serialization in Amazing Science Fiction in 1974, was changed when it was published in hardback. Fans of Vance will notice that many of his original titles (or preferred titles) were changed by publishers.
A very well written and thought provoking book and a MUST read for Vance fans.
May 15, 2020
The Gray Prince is not advanced Vance, but it fulfills many of the checklist items one comes to expect from the GM of fantasy: weird creatures, oddball characters, absurd names, made-up vocabulary, un-subtle satire, hilarious high jinx, and luscious alien scenery. One of the most inventive pulp writers around, Vance's slim space novels leave many of his competitors in the astral dust.
Witty dialogue, unexpected, quirky vehicles, and little to no sciency explanation for technology are all par for the course. Where this iteration lacks in plot or depth, it makes it up with gorgeous imagery and action-packed adventure. Its characters speak our language, and live lifestyles not remote from our own with the conveniences of futuristic luxury, but still hold onto the backward morality of imperialism. A few surprises are in store for the uninitiated reader, but Vance has reworked these themes elsewhere. One or another of his books are not necessary to start with. Even his series can be digested in isolated parts. Being in the company of this writer is always a singular pleasure. His concern is usually entertainment, and if he added a few political undercurrents here and there, it was only to lend his work relevance. He might have survived as a purist writer, consumed with mere aesthetic, but he triumphs as a storyteller and left behind a massive oeuvre of gemlike dream-worlds.
Witty dialogue, unexpected, quirky vehicles, and little to no sciency explanation for technology are all par for the course. Where this iteration lacks in plot or depth, it makes it up with gorgeous imagery and action-packed adventure. Its characters speak our language, and live lifestyles not remote from our own with the conveniences of futuristic luxury, but still hold onto the backward morality of imperialism. A few surprises are in store for the uninitiated reader, but Vance has reworked these themes elsewhere. One or another of his books are not necessary to start with. Even his series can be digested in isolated parts. Being in the company of this writer is always a singular pleasure. His concern is usually entertainment, and if he added a few political undercurrents here and there, it was only to lend his work relevance. He might have survived as a purist writer, consumed with mere aesthetic, but he triumphs as a storyteller and left behind a massive oeuvre of gemlike dream-worlds.
December 8, 2020
An excellent, lesser known work by Vance in which he excoriates colonialism (particularly IMO the European colonization of Africa) and the resulting repression of indigenous cultures, despite the sometimes benevolent approach and feckless rationalizations of the colonizers. It's a complex subject, filled with moral compromise and hypocritical attitudes, which Vance navigates tactfully. He also introduces two semi-intelligent non-human native species, the exploitation of which is also the subject of controversy and hypocrisy.
“And this is Uther Madduc’s ‘wonderful joke’?” “So I believe.” “But what’s funny?” “The magnificent ability of the human race to delude itself.”
The story takes the form of an adventure, a treacherous trek through vast "uncivilized" regions of the outback. As always, Vance magnificently depicts luscious alien landscapes in his evocative yet economical style. Curiously, as this is one of his sci-fi writings, he blends in some elements of magic as employed by the indigenous peoples in defense of their ancestral lands.
“And this is Uther Madduc’s ‘wonderful joke’?” “So I believe.” “But what’s funny?” “The magnificent ability of the human race to delude itself.”
The story takes the form of an adventure, a treacherous trek through vast "uncivilized" regions of the outback. As always, Vance magnificently depicts luscious alien landscapes in his evocative yet economical style. Curiously, as this is one of his sci-fi writings, he blends in some elements of magic as employed by the indigenous peoples in defense of their ancestral lands.
July 29, 2023
Set in Vance's Gaean Reach universe, The Gray Prince gives us a complicated morality tale concerning imperialism and colonization. Humanity has colonized the stars for over 30,000 years, and many unique and even bizarre human societies have evolved on the planets in the Gaean Reach. The world Koryphon contains a rather unique mix nonetheless. Who knows how long ago, Koryphon was colonized by humanity, but that humanity devolved if you will into two nomadic groups; one, the Wind-runners, sail across the land on wheeled schooners while the other, the Uldras, live more like Kalahari bushmen in a vast desert.
Some two hundred years ago, new colonists conquered the lands where the Uldras live, carving out vast estates and erecting manor houses like castles. The various Uldra tribes became associated with the new land barons and often work as house servants, etc.; definitely second class citizens! Across an ocean lies a settlement of Outkers, or contemporary citizens/tourists of the Gaean Reach, who nominally rule the planet. Finally, we have two semi-intelligent native species on Koryphon, one basically kept out by walls/fences in the south, and the other, the Erjin, 'wild' in the desert north.
Our main protagonist, Schaine Madduc, starts the novel returning to the planet after fives years of college. She is the daughter of a land baron, and at a party in the south shortly after her arrival, she learns that 'tamed' Erjin are now being sold as slaves and there is a movement to abolish the practice. Are they merely animals, or are the Erjin really intelligent? Trained animals or slaves? There is also a movement, lead in part by the Gray Prince, to return the land in the north to the Uldras and abolish the land barons. Who has the right to the land?
Great set up, and a very fun, thoughtful read. Vance has the ability to drop you into a strange land and make it seem almost more real than your own. He can also tell more story with fewer words than any other author I can think of and is the only science fiction author I know of that incorporates effortlessly footnotes into the text. While The Grey Prince has lots of action and adventure (imagine sailing across the plains on your land yacht!), the punch of the story concerns colonialism and imperialism. This reminded me a bit of Le Guin's The Word for World is Forest and both were published about the same time (early 70s). Yet, while Le Guin's book involved justice for the oppressed, Vance here seemed to side on the 'might makes right' side. Rather melancholy to say the least. Great stuff! 4 stars!!
Some two hundred years ago, new colonists conquered the lands where the Uldras live, carving out vast estates and erecting manor houses like castles. The various Uldra tribes became associated with the new land barons and often work as house servants, etc.; definitely second class citizens! Across an ocean lies a settlement of Outkers, or contemporary citizens/tourists of the Gaean Reach, who nominally rule the planet. Finally, we have two semi-intelligent native species on Koryphon, one basically kept out by walls/fences in the south, and the other, the Erjin, 'wild' in the desert north.
Our main protagonist, Schaine Madduc, starts the novel returning to the planet after fives years of college. She is the daughter of a land baron, and at a party in the south shortly after her arrival, she learns that 'tamed' Erjin are now being sold as slaves and there is a movement to abolish the practice. Are they merely animals, or are the Erjin really intelligent? Trained animals or slaves? There is also a movement, lead in part by the Gray Prince, to return the land in the north to the Uldras and abolish the land barons. Who has the right to the land?
Great set up, and a very fun, thoughtful read. Vance has the ability to drop you into a strange land and make it seem almost more real than your own. He can also tell more story with fewer words than any other author I can think of and is the only science fiction author I know of that incorporates effortlessly footnotes into the text. While The Grey Prince has lots of action and adventure (imagine sailing across the plains on your land yacht!), the punch of the story concerns colonialism and imperialism. This reminded me a bit of Le Guin's The Word for World is Forest and both were published about the same time (early 70s). Yet, while Le Guin's book involved justice for the oppressed, Vance here seemed to side on the 'might makes right' side. Rather melancholy to say the least. Great stuff! 4 stars!!
April 26, 2020
-Ni el Vance más serio ni el más divertido, sino algo intermedio.-
Género. Ciencia ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro El Príncipe Gris (publicación original: The Gray Prince, 1974) nos lleva hasta el planeta Koryfon donde, tras cinco años de ausencia, regresa la joven Shaine Madduc. El particular equilibrio de razas y especies en su superficie, donde una estructura de carácter casi medieval es la imperante lejos de las urbes, está en entredicho por las ideas de algunos grupos y de el Príncipe Gris, el líder de los uldras, amigo de Shaine y su hermano desde la infancia.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
Género. Ciencia ficción.
Lo que nos cuenta. El libro El Príncipe Gris (publicación original: The Gray Prince, 1974) nos lleva hasta el planeta Koryfon donde, tras cinco años de ausencia, regresa la joven Shaine Madduc. El particular equilibrio de razas y especies en su superficie, donde una estructura de carácter casi medieval es la imperante lejos de las urbes, está en entredicho por las ideas de algunos grupos y de el Príncipe Gris, el líder de los uldras, amigo de Shaine y su hermano desde la infancia.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
April 26, 2016
The book:
This is a solid entry into Vance's canon. It compares well with many of his upper second-tier novesls, such as Blue World, Maske: Thaery, Languages of Pao, etc. The characters are memorable and interesting, the setting is complex and fascinating, the plot moves quickly, and a feeling of suspense hangs over the entire work. In fact, there would be no controversy if it wasn't such compelling reading- a boring book would be forgotten and no one would argue about it.
The controversy:
First published as "The Gray Prince," this is by far Vance's most controversial work. It portrays a colonial race of aliens who displace an indigenous group of aliens in a manner which reminds most reviewers of European/American Indian clashes but reminds me more of South African history. The colonial race is depicted as being not altogether evil and unjustified, while the indigenous race is depicted as being not altogether innocent and unjustly oppressed. This book has been accused of pro-colonialism, and one reviewer notoriously went so far as to call it "racist filth." That's going overboard, but it would be fair to say that Vance addresses a sensitive situation with little regard for the conventions of political correctness.
I do not feel compelled to bend over backward defending this book. However, I ask you to consider it against the overall themes of Vance's work. All cultures in his novels are portrayed as being flawed, with taboos and blind spots that leave them open to manipulation by rogues and outsiders. In addition, his writing displays a decided prejudice against conventional wisdom. Finally, his characters- even the heroes- are consistently out for their own profit rather than fighting for a lofty ideal. These trends may help explain the skeptical manner in which the cultures of this novel are addressed.
(I wrote this review on Amazon years ago and copied it over to GR when I saw some of my friends and acquaintances reading the novel.)
This is a solid entry into Vance's canon. It compares well with many of his upper second-tier novesls, such as Blue World, Maske: Thaery, Languages of Pao, etc. The characters are memorable and interesting, the setting is complex and fascinating, the plot moves quickly, and a feeling of suspense hangs over the entire work. In fact, there would be no controversy if it wasn't such compelling reading- a boring book would be forgotten and no one would argue about it.
The controversy:
First published as "The Gray Prince," this is by far Vance's most controversial work. It portrays a colonial race of aliens who displace an indigenous group of aliens in a manner which reminds most reviewers of European/American Indian clashes but reminds me more of South African history. The colonial race is depicted as being not altogether evil and unjustified, while the indigenous race is depicted as being not altogether innocent and unjustly oppressed. This book has been accused of pro-colonialism, and one reviewer notoriously went so far as to call it "racist filth." That's going overboard, but it would be fair to say that Vance addresses a sensitive situation with little regard for the conventions of political correctness.
I do not feel compelled to bend over backward defending this book. However, I ask you to consider it against the overall themes of Vance's work. All cultures in his novels are portrayed as being flawed, with taboos and blind spots that leave them open to manipulation by rogues and outsiders. In addition, his writing displays a decided prejudice against conventional wisdom. Finally, his characters- even the heroes- are consistently out for their own profit rather than fighting for a lofty ideal. These trends may help explain the skeptical manner in which the cultures of this novel are addressed.
(I wrote this review on Amazon years ago and copied it over to GR when I saw some of my friends and acquaintances reading the novel.)
July 5, 2021
An exceptional mid-period Vance, and even better than I recalled. Part of his extensive Gaean Reach series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaean_R... -- which includes many of my favorite Vance works. This one could be considered a science-fantasy or planetary romance, both favorite forms for Vance. It's been awhile since my last Vance reread, and it was a real pleasure to settle into his unique style of story-telling. As always, you should read the publisher's blurb (above) first.
As in most of Vance's best work, his descriptions of the landscape are breathtaking. Here I was reminded of of Vance's boyhood home in central California, and also of the island continent of Australia. The main characters' baronial ranch, tended and modified by each succeeding land-baron for 200 years, sounds wonderful, a child's dream to grow up in. Plenty of conflict, human and alien folly and glory, a romance, a tense land-yacht voyage, and a wonderful set-piece of a finish, described by the late Baron Madduc as his "wonderful joke" -- it's a remarkable story to pack into a mere 170 pages. There aren't many books that hold up so well almost a half-century on. 4.5 stars: highly recommended.
As in most of Vance's best work, his descriptions of the landscape are breathtaking. Here I was reminded of of Vance's boyhood home in central California, and also of the island continent of Australia. The main characters' baronial ranch, tended and modified by each succeeding land-baron for 200 years, sounds wonderful, a child's dream to grow up in. Plenty of conflict, human and alien folly and glory, a romance, a tense land-yacht voyage, and a wonderful set-piece of a finish, described by the late Baron Madduc as his "wonderful joke" -- it's a remarkable story to pack into a mere 170 pages. There aren't many books that hold up so well almost a half-century on. 4.5 stars: highly recommended.
February 13, 2013
I'm going to start by quoting the review by Spider Robinson in Galaxy, August 1975:
That bit about "moral questions" seems like Spider being nice, because as I read the book it was in large part Enid Blyton in the Wild West of Rhodesia. The Grey Prince is not just "a very minor character" - he also comes from the planet's subjugated native culture, while the white protagonists are privileged rich kids living on enormous family ranches on occupied tribal land.
This could have been a good story, if Vance had stuck with the unfair treatment - the Prince grew up with the protagonists, yet has to enter the mansion by the servant's door and eat in the kitchen while the others dine in a sumptuous salon. But Vance veers off on this immensely awkward tangent, turning the Prince into a savage brute who is overcome by lust at sight of the nubile white virgin, tries to break into her boudouir, etc. It's really the literary equivalent to Tintin in the Congo.
Jack Vance’s The Gray Prince bothers the hell out of me. It has an excellent theme, with a tomato-surprise ending that defies guessing, and involves some moral questions that are more and more relevant these days. But you have to wade through some god-awful stuff to get there.
The writing style is of a pedantic, top-heavy sort which the dust-jacket calls “evocative” and I call Byzantine — it kept me thumbing my dictionary and increased my vocabulary immensely, but it didn’t arouse my interest: even the fight scenes were stately. I pressed on, and discovered that there seem to be four or five protagonists, with whom Vance plays Musical Viewpoints at random and without warning — and none of them is The Grey Prince, who turns out to be a very minor character and a humbug in the bargain. Finally, I was horribly annoyed by Vance’s heavy use of footnotes to explain plot essentials rather than working them into the story [footnote: actually I just hate footnotes on principle.] — and worse, by the fact that non-essential footnotes often held more potential interest than the text, and were invariably abandoned. When the interruptions are more interesting than the matter at hand, something is badly wrong.
All in all, Prince reads like a history professor’s dry and academic account of what one can dimly see must have been a rousing era. But if you read only the prologue and the last two chapters, you’ll find some thoughtful and stimulating moral philosophy. It’s the middle hundred and sixty-four pages that hung me up.
That bit about "moral questions" seems like Spider being nice, because as I read the book it was in large part Enid Blyton in the Wild West of Rhodesia. The Grey Prince is not just "a very minor character" - he also comes from the planet's subjugated native culture, while the white protagonists are privileged rich kids living on enormous family ranches on occupied tribal land.
This could have been a good story, if Vance had stuck with the unfair treatment - the Prince grew up with the protagonists, yet has to enter the mansion by the servant's door and eat in the kitchen while the others dine in a sumptuous salon. But Vance veers off on this immensely awkward tangent, turning the Prince into a savage brute who is overcome by lust at sight of the nubile white virgin, tries to break into her boudouir, etc. It's really the literary equivalent to Tintin in the Congo.
December 15, 2018
One thing is very true about Vance, he can create worlds!
Civilisations with lore, history, flaws, arrogances strengths and weaknesses. In Domains of Koryphon, incredibly its all done in 150 pages. It means that occasionally, at the beginning of of the narrative it can be slightly demanding getting everything, cultures, races and people into ones head. Once it is though, yippee - it's a cracking tale.
This is an adventure with philosophical questions running throughout. So many times I thought of real life parallels. Out-world settlers have pushed out indigenous tribes. Land Barons with their huge farm settlements buying land but bringing education running water are at odds with 'soft, libertine' city dwellers who are concerned with the morals of this and want to allow the tribes back their ancestral homes. Meanwhile, the indigenous aliens may not be all they seem! And the Grey Price one such alien is mobilising for a rebellion.
As much fantasy as Scfi I loved it!
Excellent!
Civilisations with lore, history, flaws, arrogances strengths and weaknesses. In Domains of Koryphon, incredibly its all done in 150 pages. It means that occasionally, at the beginning of of the narrative it can be slightly demanding getting everything, cultures, races and people into ones head. Once it is though, yippee - it's a cracking tale.
This is an adventure with philosophical questions running throughout. So many times I thought of real life parallels. Out-world settlers have pushed out indigenous tribes. Land Barons with their huge farm settlements buying land but bringing education running water are at odds with 'soft, libertine' city dwellers who are concerned with the morals of this and want to allow the tribes back their ancestral homes. Meanwhile, the indigenous aliens may not be all they seem! And the Grey Price one such alien is mobilising for a rebellion.
As much fantasy as Scfi I loved it!
Excellent!
April 12, 2012
This book is the weakest Vance novel i have read.
A bitter story about humans colonizing a world where intelligent alien species live, it lacks the heart,wit you expect from Vance. Not to mention his prose isnt as strong,crisp as usual.The story was too slow,not interesting enough for Vance.
It is a decent book but cant compare to the other novels of his i have read. I could have rated it 3 stars if i didnt expect more from him such as better prose,more intellegent and emotional deeper story.
I cant rate it emotionally just because the author is a big favourite, if you analyze it critially it has many flaws.
A bitter story about humans colonizing a world where intelligent alien species live, it lacks the heart,wit you expect from Vance. Not to mention his prose isnt as strong,crisp as usual.The story was too slow,not interesting enough for Vance.
It is a decent book but cant compare to the other novels of his i have read. I could have rated it 3 stars if i didnt expect more from him such as better prose,more intellegent and emotional deeper story.
I cant rate it emotionally just because the author is a big favourite, if you analyze it critially it has many flaws.
December 22, 2020
Jack Vance is one of my favourite sci-fi riters, so I was over the moon when I unearthed this little novel in the 1 euro box of a second-hand book shop. And I wasn't disappointed. A fun, adventure-packed read in a world swarming with original races and creatures, and a very relevant moral dilemma as a main theme to the story. The only problem is that it was too short! Would've loved to read more about this world.
July 27, 2015
The Domains of Koryphon is unusual for Vance in containing a fairly explicit political message - in this case about property ownership, conquest, and prior possession. There's also a leavening of Vance's more standard self-reliance, and a more evident than usual criticism of effete urbanites in favor of taciturn, outdoorsy, cowboy types.
That said, there's also the usual Vance inventiveness and language. Erjins and morphotes share land with Uldras, Wind-runners, land-barons, and Outkers. Tragedies and mystery take our protagonists across the planet to encounter weird, beautiful landscapes and strange, unpredictable creatures as we learn surprising things that get to the heart of the planet's history.
Vance cheats a bit in this case, leading us towards a crucial mystery, which is then presented in a strangely understated way. He also withholds key information in order to surprise us with it later. It's not the most satisfying of resolutions, and feels at times a bit pro forma. At the same time, the environment, while not developed to the level of some Vance books, is intriguing and fun to explore.
While most Vance books feel as if the author is exploring right along with us, this one feels like he had a message and created a story to carry it through. Overall, the book is good, but most recommended for existing Vance fans.
That said, there's also the usual Vance inventiveness and language. Erjins and morphotes share land with Uldras, Wind-runners, land-barons, and Outkers. Tragedies and mystery take our protagonists across the planet to encounter weird, beautiful landscapes and strange, unpredictable creatures as we learn surprising things that get to the heart of the planet's history.
Vance cheats a bit in this case, leading us towards a crucial mystery, which is then presented in a strangely understated way. He also withholds key information in order to surprise us with it later. It's not the most satisfying of resolutions, and feels at times a bit pro forma. At the same time, the environment, while not developed to the level of some Vance books, is intriguing and fun to explore.
While most Vance books feel as if the author is exploring right along with us, this one feels like he had a message and created a story to carry it through. Overall, the book is good, but most recommended for existing Vance fans.
March 30, 2017
You can only read this with American history in the background - we have a planet in the faraway future, mankind has colonised the stars and quickly split up into several sub-species, most of their inter-species contact long forgotten (though it's implied not too much has changed physically).
It's mostly settled around one of the rich big houses, colonists on the planets, who've taken their land from the natives (think Native Americans, on horses-not-named-horses carrying rifles). Here's the first chance for Vance to play with American history and he just throws it away - the new owners are really nice, no-one goes into slavery, it's actually better for the natives etc. pp., you've heard it before.
More chances appear - not even "cross-species" sexuality happens (except a little bit with the titular character), what a nice coincidence that the native women look appalling to the new owners. Similarly, the end twist
People are described in long lists of adjectives, even while talking to others people are assigned a triumvirate of adjectives. The female side-character realises her love for a man out of the blue and for no reason. The group trying to take the land from the new owners to give it back to the natives sees the error of their foolish ways. Most of the status quo is preserved and that's a good thing. Everything's just too convenient.
In short: forgettable
It's mostly settled around one of the rich big houses, colonists on the planets, who've taken their land from the natives (think Native Americans, on horses-not-named-horses carrying rifles). Here's the first chance for Vance to play with American history and he just throws it away - the new owners are really nice, no-one goes into slavery, it's actually better for the natives etc. pp., you've heard it before.
More chances appear - not even "cross-species" sexuality happens (except a little bit with the titular character), what a nice coincidence that the native women look appalling to the new owners. Similarly, the end twist
People are described in long lists of adjectives, even while talking to others people are assigned a triumvirate of adjectives. The female side-character realises her love for a man out of the blue and for no reason. The group trying to take the land from the new owners to give it back to the natives sees the error of their foolish ways. Most of the status quo is preserved and that's a good thing. Everything's just too convenient.
In short: forgettable
March 5, 2021
Vance as a brilliant world builder, discusses the human condition in a far future where humans left Earth and created the Gaen Reach. Koryphon is a world populated by humans who landed at this planet many centuries ago and conquered its lands creating a nomadic society.
Two native alien races share the planet lands and are slaved by humans. One of them is considered devoid of intelligence thus being blessed by serving as slaves while the other one seems to have intelligence but mostly uses it to capricious plays against humans, so they believe.
The outkers manage to tame the old colonizers - now turned into nomad societies - and subjugate them making them low level workers. Other outkers live in a more technological city which claims to be the administrator of this whole mess, some of them are altruists who think the nomads should have their lands given back to them while others think the alien race that serve as slaves should be freed.
The plot deals with the self proclaimed civilized city of Uaia trying to remove the outkers from their lands, large portions of land like 17th century plantations in South America or Africa at the same time a mysterious murderer of a landlord seems to indicate something wrong in the stability of this society.
Rich in prose, fantastic in contextualization, world building, this is a marvelous reading.
Two native alien races share the planet lands and are slaved by humans. One of them is considered devoid of intelligence thus being blessed by serving as slaves while the other one seems to have intelligence but mostly uses it to capricious plays against humans, so they believe.
The outkers manage to tame the old colonizers - now turned into nomad societies - and subjugate them making them low level workers. Other outkers live in a more technological city which claims to be the administrator of this whole mess, some of them are altruists who think the nomads should have their lands given back to them while others think the alien race that serve as slaves should be freed.
The plot deals with the self proclaimed civilized city of Uaia trying to remove the outkers from their lands, large portions of land like 17th century plantations in South America or Africa at the same time a mysterious murderer of a landlord seems to indicate something wrong in the stability of this society.
Rich in prose, fantastic in contextualization, world building, this is a marvelous reading.
October 6, 2025
The Gray Prince was first published as a two-part serialization titled The Domains of Koryphon in Amazing Science Fiction in 1974 in the August and October issues. As a novel it was first published in hardback with the new title The Gray Prince by Bobbs-Merrill in February 1975. I have the December 1975 Avon 164 page paperback (plus a 4 page prologue) that is available used from Amazon and other used book sellers. This is my third reading of the novel and I liked it slightly better the second and third time. As with many Vance writings, repeated readings reveal more of the irony, humor and complexity of the work.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Schaine Madduc returns to Koryphon (in the Gaean Reach) after a five year absence and finds her home planet much changed. The humanoid Uldras are in rebellion against the settlers who are large land owners called Land Barons or Outkers. Some Outkers seem to view themselves as superior to the Uldras. On the other hand the Outkers have brought clean water, healthcare, education and other benefits to everyone. Some readers might be reminded of ancient Rome, Rhodesia or other countries on Earth. The so-called Gray Prince is an Uldra leader named Jorjol who was raised by Schaine's. Schaine and Jorjol had a relationship that was beyond sister and foster brother, however, and Jorjol wants to resurrect the romance and include Schaine in a revolution against her own people.
Ironically the Uldras, who claim original ownership of the Outker land, were not the first inhabitants of the planet, however, but themselves were invaders from long ago. Other inhabitants in addition to the Outkers and Uldras are the Wind Runners who practice magic that appears to be real in the novel, the Erjins (who may or may not be intelligent creatures) some of whom are wild and some domesticated, and another mysterious species called morphotes who have fossil remains that seem to predate all other settlers.
Vance fleshes out the different groups and species with his usual flair, includes a number of colorful characters who learn and grow with experience, and presents a love story while bringing up many political, cultural and ethical issues. The interrelationship and interdependence of different cultural groups is presented along with concerns for the rights of indigenous people or intelligent species. As usual Vance presents many ideas and much action in just a few pages. A great deal of adventure, intrigue, mystery and information are packed into this short novel. It is fast paced and entertaining and benefits from a slower more careful reading because of the complexity of the novel and the density of the information. I rated it a 4 the first time and a 4+ upon second and third reading.
For the most recent review and other Vance reviews please see:
https://vancealotjackvanceinreview.bl...
Schaine Madduc returns to Koryphon (in the Gaean Reach) after a five year absence and finds her home planet much changed. The humanoid Uldras are in rebellion against the settlers who are large land owners called Land Barons or Outkers. Some Outkers seem to view themselves as superior to the Uldras. On the other hand the Outkers have brought clean water, healthcare, education and other benefits to everyone. Some readers might be reminded of ancient Rome, Rhodesia or other countries on Earth. The so-called Gray Prince is an Uldra leader named Jorjol who was raised by Schaine's. Schaine and Jorjol had a relationship that was beyond sister and foster brother, however, and Jorjol wants to resurrect the romance and include Schaine in a revolution against her own people.
Ironically the Uldras, who claim original ownership of the Outker land, were not the first inhabitants of the planet, however, but themselves were invaders from long ago. Other inhabitants in addition to the Outkers and Uldras are the Wind Runners who practice magic that appears to be real in the novel, the Erjins (who may or may not be intelligent creatures) some of whom are wild and some domesticated, and another mysterious species called morphotes who have fossil remains that seem to predate all other settlers.
Vance fleshes out the different groups and species with his usual flair, includes a number of colorful characters who learn and grow with experience, and presents a love story while bringing up many political, cultural and ethical issues. The interrelationship and interdependence of different cultural groups is presented along with concerns for the rights of indigenous people or intelligent species. As usual Vance presents many ideas and much action in just a few pages. A great deal of adventure, intrigue, mystery and information are packed into this short novel. It is fast paced and entertaining and benefits from a slower more careful reading because of the complexity of the novel and the density of the information. I rated it a 4 the first time and a 4+ upon second and third reading.
July 11, 2021
Vance, Jack. The Gray Prince. 1974. iBooks, 2004.
Three-time Hugo-winner Jack Vance is one of those writers whose name on the cover could always sell me a magazine. Sadly, I have not read as many of his novels as I should have. The Gray Prince, first published as a magazine serial under the title “The Domains of Koryphon,” a title that Vance preferred, is a gem. It is usually called a planetary romance. It is set in the far future on a colony that is meant, I think, to remind us of colonial Australia. It is a romance, not so much because of its tragicomic love story, but because its world of genetically diverse human cultures and its multiple sentient or semi-sentient species is so exotic.
It is not just the planet that is exotic but also the style in which it is described. Consider this description of the planet’s first human settlers, the Uldra: “In point of fact, while the Uldra men, with their tall nervous physiques, gray skins dyed ultramarine blue and aquiline features, were in general personable, the same could not be said for the women. The girls, squat and fat, with their scalps shaved bald against the onslaught of vermin, lacked charm.” The satiric edge is subtle enough that even some perceptive reviewers either miss it or consider it a bug rather than a feature. The faux-academic style slyly covers up all the ugly truths the characters are unwilling to face. The several groups of genetically distinct humans each consider themselves superior to all the others, and all the humans consider themselves superior to the planet’s indigenous thought-to-be semi-sentient race. The indigenous race itself considers itself superior to the invaders. Everyone in the novel is guilty of self-deception that justifies vengefulness. I wonder if Vance may be suggesting that self-deception and vengefulness always accompany sentience. Nicely noir. A strong four stars.
Three-time Hugo-winner Jack Vance is one of those writers whose name on the cover could always sell me a magazine. Sadly, I have not read as many of his novels as I should have. The Gray Prince, first published as a magazine serial under the title “The Domains of Koryphon,” a title that Vance preferred, is a gem. It is usually called a planetary romance. It is set in the far future on a colony that is meant, I think, to remind us of colonial Australia. It is a romance, not so much because of its tragicomic love story, but because its world of genetically diverse human cultures and its multiple sentient or semi-sentient species is so exotic.
It is not just the planet that is exotic but also the style in which it is described. Consider this description of the planet’s first human settlers, the Uldra: “In point of fact, while the Uldra men, with their tall nervous physiques, gray skins dyed ultramarine blue and aquiline features, were in general personable, the same could not be said for the women. The girls, squat and fat, with their scalps shaved bald against the onslaught of vermin, lacked charm.” The satiric edge is subtle enough that even some perceptive reviewers either miss it or consider it a bug rather than a feature. The faux-academic style slyly covers up all the ugly truths the characters are unwilling to face. The several groups of genetically distinct humans each consider themselves superior to all the others, and all the humans consider themselves superior to the planet’s indigenous thought-to-be semi-sentient race. The indigenous race itself considers itself superior to the invaders. Everyone in the novel is guilty of self-deception that justifies vengefulness. I wonder if Vance may be suggesting that self-deception and vengefulness always accompany sentience. Nicely noir. A strong four stars.
January 18, 2016
*Disclaimer: I'm not an English speaker. I'll continue updating spelling and grammar on this article as I learn.
The Gray Prince review or why some man fall in love with the wrong woman.
I've read this one when I was 17 or so.
I just remember one point from this book due to a discussion about beauty standards and such.
The Gray Prince's story goes on a context where -at least- two species coexists in a perpetual conflict of the "Civilization vs Savagery" type: the Uldras (gray prince's specie) and Humans, which happens to be the rule class.
The Gray Prince is in love with a human, daughter of a big deal man. During the book, some one tells about how gross is that Uldra males fell in love with human females.
I know anything about Jack Vance or any other book he wrote, but by remembering that, we kind notice how this behavior is reproduced every-time when a social group is oppressed by another one. Females of the ruling class are -were?- usually used to determine beauty standards, and men -and women- from the oppressed side, disrespect them selves because they don’t look as the others.
Was kind of funny to think that what could also be happening is that females from the oppressive group are the ones who fell in love with males of the oppressed group, because usually any man from a dominant class carries a lot of bullshittery thinking of himself as a superior close-to-god being, leaving females aside.
The Gray Prince review or why some man fall in love with the wrong woman.
I've read this one when I was 17 or so.
I just remember one point from this book due to a discussion about beauty standards and such.
The Gray Prince's story goes on a context where -at least- two species coexists in a perpetual conflict of the "Civilization vs Savagery" type: the Uldras (gray prince's specie) and Humans, which happens to be the rule class.
The Gray Prince is in love with a human, daughter of a big deal man. During the book, some one tells about how gross is that Uldra males fell in love with human females.
I know anything about Jack Vance or any other book he wrote, but by remembering that, we kind notice how this behavior is reproduced every-time when a social group is oppressed by another one. Females of the ruling class are -were?- usually used to determine beauty standards, and men -and women- from the oppressed side, disrespect them selves because they don’t look as the others.
Was kind of funny to think that what could also be happening is that females from the oppressive group are the ones who fell in love with males of the oppressed group, because usually any man from a dominant class carries a lot of bullshittery thinking of himself as a superior close-to-god being, leaving females aside.
May 19, 2022
Until this week I was convinced that my favorite Vancean planetary setting for a one off novel was that of Blue World, but Koryphon won me over. There are multiple layers of culture and history here and a surprisingly deep-history nuanced point buried within what on the surface appears to be a comedic soap opera with adventure yarn surface.
June 25, 2015
Zane Grey IN SPACE. (Not a good thing)
http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...
http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...
December 19, 2018
What started as another of Vance's weird but endearing fantasy tales evolves into an exposition on race relations, colonization, and cultural appropriation. Of the Vance books I've read, this one wasn't the most interesting as a narrative, but was definitely the most surprising.
January 21, 2019
Originally entitled (wrongly, IMO) The Gray Prince – the titular character is a harsh criticism of the "noble savage" the would-be Moses of a colonized people who is revealed to be an embittered hypocrite and buffoon.
And that's what makes this book interesting. Situated on a frontier planet that is designed to evoke both the American West (or at times, Australia) and the Antebellum South at the eve of the Civil War, replete with abolitionist and reparationist movements, this adventure novel becomes a meditation and critique on manifest destiny, colonialism and post-colonialism against the thrust of history. Considering its date of composition, I suspect both the Civil Rights era and the Palestinian Conflict may have loomed large in Vance's mind -- topics still relevant.
Mild spoilers (of theme, not plot) follow
....
.....
.....
.....
The story has characters who see themselves as "emancipators" and do-gooders who, when confronted with the native "Blues" on their own terms, are angered when some of the "noble savages" dress like them and have a better command of technology, because it doesn't fit their parochial view of themselves as rescuers, instead bringing home that they really know little about what actually happens out in the Domains.
OTOH, it is easy to read the book as a harsh critique on the idea that history can be reversed, or the liberal idea that you somehow can (or should) make reparations. It's easiest to let Vance say it:
"Reach. Except for a few special cases title to every parcel of real property derives from an act of violence, more or less remote, and ownership is only as valid as the strength and will required to maintain it. This is the lesson of history, whether you like it or not. “The mourning of defeated peoples, while pathetic and tragic, is usually futile,” said Kelse.
And this is the hard truth Vance wants us to understand: We took the Americas from the various native tribes, who had warred and taken territory from each other, and earlier tribes from them. The Ottomans took Constantinople from the Greeks, who might have held it for 1000 years, but were themselves not the original Luwians or Hittites, who in turn... You get the idea. Yet in time, the conquerors are indeed the natives, as much as any who came before -- they know no other life. Three generations in, modern Israelis are just as "native" as the Palestinians, whether you believe the latter got a raw deal in 1948 or not. Three hundred years later, all of us born in North America are "native" Americans. History only moves forward.
So the plantationists are the "good guys"? No, not so fast... As is said about the Grey Prince, only half a page later:
"“How he hates us!” mused Schaine. “And think! We nurtured this hate by our own deeds. We were so vain and proud that we refused to admit an Uldra waif into our Great Hall; think of the tragedy it brought to all of us! I wonder: have we learned our lesson?”
Much as Vance clearly find liberal hand-wringing over reparations to be a sort of naive, privileged parochialism, he is very clear about the evils inherent == hardwired == into colonialism, as well. The challenging part of the novel is that NONE of the characters are entirely likable, and are decidedly rigid. Even the heroine, Schaine, quoted above, is basically fickle, besides deciding in the end that her loyalties are to her brother and a fellow rancher because they represent the life she knew and loved.
I think the point is that there are no easy answers. There is nothing celebratory or laudable about colonialism, but it remains inevitable. You cannot reverse the past, only continue to make the same mistakes, begetting more or the same sins. The sad thing, of course, is that decades after its writing, the meditation is just as relevant.
As a NOVEL, once again, Vance manages to create several new cultures in the space of a few pages, and to pack quite a bit into a 250 pp novel. So why not five stars? It all wraps a bit neatly, it is hard to like any of the characters in their rigidity (the female lead, particularly, is somewhere between a 1950s film heroine and...well, she may have read better thirty years ago), and although the real purpose of the Grey Prince as a character is revealed at the end, so much of his story as well as the abolitionists, seems like build-up that just fades away into the novel's resolution. It's a good read, and has things worth saying, but here brevity may have been its undoing -- 30 more pages would have done a lot.
And that's what makes this book interesting. Situated on a frontier planet that is designed to evoke both the American West (or at times, Australia) and the Antebellum South at the eve of the Civil War, replete with abolitionist and reparationist movements, this adventure novel becomes a meditation and critique on manifest destiny, colonialism and post-colonialism against the thrust of history. Considering its date of composition, I suspect both the Civil Rights era and the Palestinian Conflict may have loomed large in Vance's mind -- topics still relevant.
Mild spoilers (of theme, not plot) follow
....
.....
.....
.....
The story has characters who see themselves as "emancipators" and do-gooders who, when confronted with the native "Blues" on their own terms, are angered when some of the "noble savages" dress like them and have a better command of technology, because it doesn't fit their parochial view of themselves as rescuers, instead bringing home that they really know little about what actually happens out in the Domains.
OTOH, it is easy to read the book as a harsh critique on the idea that history can be reversed, or the liberal idea that you somehow can (or should) make reparations. It's easiest to let Vance say it:
"Reach. Except for a few special cases title to every parcel of real property derives from an act of violence, more or less remote, and ownership is only as valid as the strength and will required to maintain it. This is the lesson of history, whether you like it or not. “The mourning of defeated peoples, while pathetic and tragic, is usually futile,” said Kelse.
And this is the hard truth Vance wants us to understand: We took the Americas from the various native tribes, who had warred and taken territory from each other, and earlier tribes from them. The Ottomans took Constantinople from the Greeks, who might have held it for 1000 years, but were themselves not the original Luwians or Hittites, who in turn... You get the idea. Yet in time, the conquerors are indeed the natives, as much as any who came before -- they know no other life. Three generations in, modern Israelis are just as "native" as the Palestinians, whether you believe the latter got a raw deal in 1948 or not. Three hundred years later, all of us born in North America are "native" Americans. History only moves forward.
So the plantationists are the "good guys"? No, not so fast... As is said about the Grey Prince, only half a page later:
"“How he hates us!” mused Schaine. “And think! We nurtured this hate by our own deeds. We were so vain and proud that we refused to admit an Uldra waif into our Great Hall; think of the tragedy it brought to all of us! I wonder: have we learned our lesson?”
Much as Vance clearly find liberal hand-wringing over reparations to be a sort of naive, privileged parochialism, he is very clear about the evils inherent == hardwired == into colonialism, as well. The challenging part of the novel is that NONE of the characters are entirely likable, and are decidedly rigid. Even the heroine, Schaine, quoted above, is basically fickle, besides deciding in the end that her loyalties are to her brother and a fellow rancher because they represent the life she knew and loved.
I think the point is that there are no easy answers. There is nothing celebratory or laudable about colonialism, but it remains inevitable. You cannot reverse the past, only continue to make the same mistakes, begetting more or the same sins. The sad thing, of course, is that decades after its writing, the meditation is just as relevant.
As a NOVEL, once again, Vance manages to create several new cultures in the space of a few pages, and to pack quite a bit into a 250 pp novel. So why not five stars? It all wraps a bit neatly, it is hard to like any of the characters in their rigidity (the female lead, particularly, is somewhere between a 1950s film heroine and...well, she may have read better thirty years ago), and although the real purpose of the Grey Prince as a character is revealed at the end, so much of his story as well as the abolitionists, seems like build-up that just fades away into the novel's resolution. It's a good read, and has things worth saying, but here brevity may have been its undoing -- 30 more pages would have done a lot.
October 7, 2014
"Except for a few special cases, title to every parcel of real property derives from an act of violence, more or less remote, and ownership is only as valid as the strength and will required to maintain it. This is the lesson of history, whether you like it or not." - Gerd Jemasze, in Jack Vance’s The Gray Prince
A classic Vance tale of interracial intrigue. The Gray Prince, Jorjol the Uldran, like the protagonist of the movie Belle, suffers as a child the indignity of prejudice even in the household that raises him. The result in the end is a bloody insurrection. The ruling council is swayed to intervene on the half of the dispossessed - or even the race of those they displaced, the erjins, in consideration of their disputed intelligence. The land barons have the last word, when Jorjol's rival uncovers the true history of the world, its original denizens, and exposes the flimsy legal standing of the council itself. Thus this tale of fantasy fulfils the role of a fiction of consequence, illustrating the real nature of power and territorial conflict on Earth.
A classic Vance tale of interracial intrigue. The Gray Prince, Jorjol the Uldran, like the protagonist of the movie Belle, suffers as a child the indignity of prejudice even in the household that raises him. The result in the end is a bloody insurrection. The ruling council is swayed to intervene on the half of the dispossessed - or even the race of those they displaced, the erjins, in consideration of their disputed intelligence. The land barons have the last word, when Jorjol's rival uncovers the true history of the world, its original denizens, and exposes the flimsy legal standing of the council itself. Thus this tale of fantasy fulfils the role of a fiction of consequence, illustrating the real nature of power and territorial conflict on Earth.
August 23, 2023
A strong stand-alone Vance novel set on one of the worlds of his Gaean Reach. The novel is both an engaging sci-fi mystery/survival story, and a vehicle for some of Vance's political ideas relating to self-reliance, the ridiculousness of modern "activism" and the layers of hypocrisy often involved in current ideological movements, both on the left and the right of the political spectrum. His characters are deftly if lightly sketched. His setting and xenobiology are engaging. For a novel written in 1974, the political issues addressed, namely colonialism, rights to self-determination, and the application of realpolitik are increasingly current, and Vance's conclusions on-point. A very worthwhile classic sci-fi read and a pleasure for Vance fans in general.
March 30, 2020
I didn't like the book. The plot is too artificial with too much background information and not enough flow. The characters are not believable and are sometimes simply dropped while the story continues. Add the predictable end and you have a novel that shouldn't have been written. Rather grab one of the other books of Jack Vance!
July 6, 2023
Another imaginative Vance world, but with unsettling and reactionary themes. The rugged rural barons save the effete urbanites. The central “moral” is that all land claims rest on a history of violence, so reparations are absurd. The sole female character is around only to choose the “correct” man to love. It’s all pretty grim. Is it satire? Irony? Reads like Nietzchean fan fiction, so maybe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2013
Classic Vance, with his favorite theme of the rugged individualist vs. the effete over-civilized society. Guess who he prefers?
December 25, 2023
Jack Vance patří k mým oblíbeným autorům… ovšem dávkuji si ho po malých porcích, protože fakt není snadný na používání. I když jeho knihy vznikaly v druhé polovině minulého století, jejich jazyk a styl vyprávění evokuje spíš dickensovskou éru. K čemuž taky patří odstup, sarkasmus, pedantismus, minimum emocí, maximum slov, na které jinde nenarazíte, brakové zápletky… a tady nejspíš i téma.
Příběh se odehrává na cizí planetě, kterou před nějakou dobou osídlili pozemští kolonizátoři. Ti nejmocnější si tam založili obrovské plantáže. Cizí planetě přinesli mnoho nového a dobrého, ale stejně nejsou u původních obyvatel zrovna oblíbení. Možná to bude i tím, že se domorodci cítí lehce uražení tím, že nedošlo na sice opovrženíhodné, ale obvyklé a tradiční znásilňování a svádění místních žen – což bylo způsobeno především tím, že ty ženy byly velmi ošklivé. A teď, po létech, dochází k organizování protestů a boji za svobodu domorodého obyvatelstva, přičemž v čele toho odboje stojí člověk, který byl právě na jedné z plantáží vychovávaný. I když byl branný téměř jako člen rodiny, stejně mu byly dáváno jasně najevo, kde je jeho místo.
Takovýchto příběhů najdete ve sci-fi spousty. Jenže u Vanceho je jeden zásadní rozdíl. U Vanceho jsou kladnými hrdiny ti plantážnici.
Jo, vážně. Snaží se přijít na to, co se stalo s hlavou rodinného klanu, jak zemřel a proč, a zároveň vzdorují snahám politických organizací o jejich vystrnadění a vrácení půdy původním vlastníkům. Což ovšem vede k (dnes celkem aktuální) diskuzi na téma toho, kdo je vlastně původní vlastník.
„Až na několik výjimek jsou nároky na jakýkoliv kus území odvozené z nějakého aktu násilí, ať už nedávného nebo prastarého. A jeho vlastnictví stojí pouze na síle a vůli těch, kteří se o něj starají. Tohle je lekce z historie, ať se vám to líbí, nebo ne.“
„Oplakávání poražených, ať je to jak chce tragické, je zcela zbytečné.“
Vance navíc ještě servíruje pár zábavných zvratů, bez varování přeskakuje mezi postavami (vlastně tam není nikdo, kdo by se dal považovat za hlavního hrdinu, postavy jen přebírají štafetu v táhnutí děje), a samozřejmě, nemohou chybět ani popisy společenských zvyklostí a kvanta oblíbených poznámek pod čarou vysvětlující různá nová slova a termíny. A samozřejmě, zdvořilé dialogy lidí, kteří se vzájemně chtějí zabít.
Ano, můžete brát knihu jako oslavu imperialismu… ale rozhodně musíte uznat, že je to něco jiného, než co přináší 99,9 % procent fantastické tvorby. Už proto to stojí za přečtení.
Nehledě na to, že mám odškrtnutý další kousek do vanceovské knihovničky! Do kompletnosti mám ještě daleko (zbývá ještě 26 knih z 62), ale pokračuji stále vpřed!
Příběh se odehrává na cizí planetě, kterou před nějakou dobou osídlili pozemští kolonizátoři. Ti nejmocnější si tam založili obrovské plantáže. Cizí planetě přinesli mnoho nového a dobrého, ale stejně nejsou u původních obyvatel zrovna oblíbení. Možná to bude i tím, že se domorodci cítí lehce uražení tím, že nedošlo na sice opovrženíhodné, ale obvyklé a tradiční znásilňování a svádění místních žen – což bylo způsobeno především tím, že ty ženy byly velmi ošklivé. A teď, po létech, dochází k organizování protestů a boji za svobodu domorodého obyvatelstva, přičemž v čele toho odboje stojí člověk, který byl právě na jedné z plantáží vychovávaný. I když byl branný téměř jako člen rodiny, stejně mu byly dáváno jasně najevo, kde je jeho místo.
Takovýchto příběhů najdete ve sci-fi spousty. Jenže u Vanceho je jeden zásadní rozdíl. U Vanceho jsou kladnými hrdiny ti plantážnici.
Jo, vážně. Snaží se přijít na to, co se stalo s hlavou rodinného klanu, jak zemřel a proč, a zároveň vzdorují snahám politických organizací o jejich vystrnadění a vrácení půdy původním vlastníkům. Což ovšem vede k (dnes celkem aktuální) diskuzi na téma toho, kdo je vlastně původní vlastník.
„Až na několik výjimek jsou nároky na jakýkoliv kus území odvozené z nějakého aktu násilí, ať už nedávného nebo prastarého. A jeho vlastnictví stojí pouze na síle a vůli těch, kteří se o něj starají. Tohle je lekce z historie, ať se vám to líbí, nebo ne.“
„Oplakávání poražených, ať je to jak chce tragické, je zcela zbytečné.“
Vance navíc ještě servíruje pár zábavných zvratů, bez varování přeskakuje mezi postavami (vlastně tam není nikdo, kdo by se dal považovat za hlavního hrdinu, postavy jen přebírají štafetu v táhnutí děje), a samozřejmě, nemohou chybět ani popisy společenských zvyklostí a kvanta oblíbených poznámek pod čarou vysvětlující různá nová slova a termíny. A samozřejmě, zdvořilé dialogy lidí, kteří se vzájemně chtějí zabít.
Ano, můžete brát knihu jako oslavu imperialismu… ale rozhodně musíte uznat, že je to něco jiného, než co přináší 99,9 % procent fantastické tvorby. Už proto to stojí za přečtení.
Nehledě na to, že mám odškrtnutý další kousek do vanceovské knihovničky! Do kompletnosti mám ještě daleko (zbývá ještě 26 knih z 62), ale pokračuji stále vpřed!
April 10, 2025
The Gray Prince is the first book in Jack Vance's Gaean Reach super-series. Originally published in two parts in 1974 in Amazing Science Fiction, it was reissued as a standalone book in 1975. I hadn't read any Jack Vance for a long time, and wasn't planning to. However, I discovered this volume in a used book store while flipping through science fiction paperbacks to look for interesting covers. The wraparound artwork by Patrick Woodroffe is superb, and the book was worth buying for this alone—though it does turn out as a bonus to be a pretty good story. The front cover shows the Gray Prince himself, a.k.a. Jorjol, a.k.a "Muffin."
The tale is set on the planet Koryphon, somewhere in the Gaean Reach. Vance writes in the prologue,
And, of course, aliens of all sorts abound. Here and there throughout The Gray Prince, Vance hints at a political structure for the Gaean Reach. What a perfect premise for space opera of the classic kind!
You might say that Vance was inspired in The Gray Prince by European colonization of South Africa, say, and the ensuing suppression of the indigenous population. Perhaps this is the case, but I don't think Vance is trying to make any special political point. We ought to read the book simply as an adventure tale in a fabulous alien setting.
Three kinds of humans are present in The Gray Prince. The Uldras and the Wind-runners are the "indigenous" peoples, who perhaps have been on Koryphon for thousands of years and have evolved to be oddly different from humans of the standard kind. These latter standard humans are newcomers, who have subdued the original human colonists and stolen their lands. In addition to this mix of human types, there are two intelligent native species, the erjins and the morphotes. The scene is set for revolution on multiple levels, in which the Gray Prince himself is a populist leader of the Uldras.
Vance concocts excellent descriptions of the various peoples and the spectacular alien landscapes through which they move. The Gray Prince is very good. I'm inspired to read more about the worlds of the Gaean Reach.
The tale is set on the planet Koryphon, somewhere in the Gaean Reach. Vance writes in the prologue,
The space age is thirty thousand years old. Men have moved from star to star in search of wealth and glory; the Gaean Reach encompasses a perceptible fraction of the galaxy. Trade routes thread space like capillaries in living tissue; thousands of worlds have been colonized, each different from every other, each working its specific change upon those men who live there. Never has the human race been less homogeneous. (p. 5)
And, of course, aliens of all sorts abound. Here and there throughout The Gray Prince, Vance hints at a political structure for the Gaean Reach. What a perfect premise for space opera of the classic kind!
You might say that Vance was inspired in The Gray Prince by European colonization of South Africa, say, and the ensuing suppression of the indigenous population. Perhaps this is the case, but I don't think Vance is trying to make any special political point. We ought to read the book simply as an adventure tale in a fabulous alien setting.
Three kinds of humans are present in The Gray Prince. The Uldras and the Wind-runners are the "indigenous" peoples, who perhaps have been on Koryphon for thousands of years and have evolved to be oddly different from humans of the standard kind. These latter standard humans are newcomers, who have subdued the original human colonists and stolen their lands. In addition to this mix of human types, there are two intelligent native species, the erjins and the morphotes. The scene is set for revolution on multiple levels, in which the Gray Prince himself is a populist leader of the Uldras.
Vance concocts excellent descriptions of the various peoples and the spectacular alien landscapes through which they move. The Gray Prince is very good. I'm inspired to read more about the worlds of the Gaean Reach.
May 26, 2025
La joven Shaine Madduc regresa a su planeta después de cinco años y descubre que todo ha cambiado: los uldras, salvajes sobre los que se ejerce un dominio benévolo, caminan hacia la rebelión dirigidos por el Príncipe Gris, un amigo de la infancia de Shaine.
Este libro es definitivamente un libro. Ya empieza mal. Por un lado, la sinopsis desvela el giro final. Por otro, sigue un infodump en forma de prólogo en el que nos informa de que el planeta estaba poblado por humanos salvajes (uldras y mensajeros del viento), hasta que llegaron otros grupos humanos (outkaros) e impusieron grandes dominios terrestres. En este prólogo, por cierto, se nos informa de que los uldras se sienten resentidos hacia los outkaros no por dominarlos, sino por no violar a sus mujeres, ya que no las encuentran atractivas. Encantador.
Después de eso empieza una historieta insulsa poblada por personajes de cartón piedra, que quiere ser una novela de aventuras y politiqueo pero que no es más que un pasaojos cuya única virtud es que se lee rápido. Es, en esencia, una novela del Oeste, con unos rancheros muy buenos que ejercen un dominio benévolo sobre unos indios (perdón, unos uldras) que generalmente lo aceptan con alegría, salvo algunas tribus irredentas que son obviamente estúpidas y salvajes. Después los personajes se montan en unos barcos con ruedas que van por la llanura y el libro se transforma brevemente en una historia de marineros y piratas. Y luego se bajan y volvemos al tema de los rancheros que luchan contra el Príncipe Gris, que, como buen indio (perdón, uldra), es traicionero y taimado.
Le iba a dar tres estrellas porque es un "meh" como una casa, pero el tufillo colonialista que permea todo el libro me lo baja a dos.
Este libro es definitivamente un libro. Ya empieza mal. Por un lado, la sinopsis desvela el giro final. Por otro, sigue un infodump en forma de prólogo en el que nos informa de que el planeta estaba poblado por humanos salvajes (uldras y mensajeros del viento), hasta que llegaron otros grupos humanos (outkaros) e impusieron grandes dominios terrestres. En este prólogo, por cierto, se nos informa de que los uldras se sienten resentidos hacia los outkaros no por dominarlos, sino por no violar a sus mujeres, ya que no las encuentran atractivas. Encantador.
Después de eso empieza una historieta insulsa poblada por personajes de cartón piedra, que quiere ser una novela de aventuras y politiqueo pero que no es más que un pasaojos cuya única virtud es que se lee rápido. Es, en esencia, una novela del Oeste, con unos rancheros muy buenos que ejercen un dominio benévolo sobre unos indios (perdón, unos uldras) que generalmente lo aceptan con alegría, salvo algunas tribus irredentas que son obviamente estúpidas y salvajes. Después los personajes se montan en unos barcos con ruedas que van por la llanura y el libro se transforma brevemente en una historia de marineros y piratas. Y luego se bajan y volvemos al tema de los rancheros que luchan contra el Príncipe Gris, que, como buen indio (perdón, uldra), es traicionero y taimado.
Le iba a dar tres estrellas porque es un "meh" como una casa, pero el tufillo colonialista que permea todo el libro me lo baja a dos.
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