Electronic OtherRealms #19 Winter, 1987 Part 3 The Jehovah Contract Victor Koman Franklin Watts, 256pp, $16.95 Reviewed by Rick Holzgrafe Copyright 1987 by Rick Holzgrafe Koman has brought off a difficult feat. Few authors can write a novel that functions well on more than one or two levels. The Jehovah Contract can be read in at least four ways: as a gentle pastiche of the "tough private eye" genre of pulp fiction; as a straight action-adventure SF yarn; as social satire; and as a philosophical treatise. All of these efforts are successful, and they don't interfere with each other. In fact, they blend. The meat of the book is the philosophy. Koman has a bone to pick with established religion (all established religions). This is one of the "tough questions": the issue is complex, deep, and emotionally charged. The cheapest kind of attack is to write a fiction in which all the antagonists (in this case, priests, ministers, rabbis, ayatollahs, et al) are either hypocritical bad guys, or naive and misled dupes. Koman's are: but that doesn't prove anything, and he knows it. The next stage of attack is satire, holding the antagonist up to ridicule. This is more difficult, and approaches the matter more closely. To ridicule well, there must be chinks in the opponent's armor. Koman's satire is pointed, effective, and funny, but satire still doesn't prove anything. Koman wants a clean kill and goes after it the hard way, with a rigorous philosophical attack. Philosophy is not merely a collection of personal opinions, vague aphorisms, and warm feelings. It is a mental discipline relying on clear recognition of basic values, precise definition of terms, and careful logic. Koman understands this, and it is with a merciless vision and sharp logic that he carries his attack. He is not satisfied with making you feel that he is right; he wants to prove it to you. More: he wants to make you think it through for yourself, for this issue is too big to polish off in one book, even were it all philosophy. (In fact, hundreds of years of books which are all philosophy have failed to polish this one off.) Koman makes his point as sharply and rigorously as he can... and then leaves you to ponder further on your own. A book like this can bog down in learned dissertation, but here Koman's skill at blending carries the day. The deep discussions are lightened by the first person's flippant, Bogart-tough-guy conversational style. Exciting action alternates with serious logic-chopping. Solemn treatises are relieved by witty satire. These contrasting elements could be jarring, but Koman rarely overdoes any of them. They work together. The Jehovah Contract is not perfect, and may not be to everyone's taste. But no book can be all things to all people; you can't fit enough words between the covers to do that. This book excited me, surprised me, made me laugh and made me think. I could (and do) ask for more, but I don't often get it. In a nutshell, I thought The Jehovah Contract was a good book. (If that seems like faint praise, I mean a "good" book as opposed to a "lousy" book, a "so-so" book, or a "great" book. Damn few books make it onto my "great" list.) In some ways, it is a rough diamond. Koman is not a great wordsmith, though in places his prose is lyrical. He is not the master storyteller that Heinlein is (few of us are!), but for every place where the storyline dragged, there were two where you couldn't have paid me to close the book. Character development could have been stronger, but it wasn't absent. Marooned in Real Time Vernor Vinge Baen Books, $3.50, 312pps. Reviewed by Wayne Throop Copyright 1987 by Wayne Throop mcnc!throopw [****+] I finally got to read it. I like it a lot. Basically, the story is a murder mystery, the victim being a person deliberately left outside of an area of time-stasis (called a "bobble") as a group of people jump futureward. Naturally, this person is "marooned in real time", and dies of old age before the travelers' bobble bursts. The whole background of why this group of people are jumping futureward, how they come to have the resources to do what they do, and so on and on, form a large and very interesting part of the book. But basically, we have W.W. Brierson, detective extrordinare, trying to understand which of the people in the group of time-travelers has done the deed. In one of the most moving scenes, Brierson reads the extensive diary left by the marooned Marta Korolev. I got the impression from earlier passages that Brierson didn't think the crime was all that horrible... after all, Marta had lived more than fourty years before dying of old age. True, she could have lived quite a lot longer with adequate medical attention, but her life was not a lot more brutal, and certainly not a lot shorter, than that many have had to deal with. As he reads the diary, he realizes that in some ways the exile was worse than murder, even worse than his own predicament (which he already considered in some ways worse than murder). He thinks: Someone had done this to Marta. W.W.Brierson had been shanghaied, separated from his family and his world, thrown into a new one. But [the crime against him] was a peccadillo, laughable, hardly worth Wil's attention. Compared to what was done to Marta. Someone had taken her from her friends, her love, and then squeezed the life from her, year by year, drop by drop. Someone must die for this. The murder mystery itself would make a fine book. But a larger speculation underlies the whole story: the story of how the travelers came to be jumping futureward, and what they hope to accomplish. In the far past (and our relatively near future), humanity had vanished from the earth, in what some of the travelers call the Extinction, and others call the Singularity. Some of the travelers hold that humanity was murdered. Some think it comitted suicide. Most don't pretend to know. But their aim is to save enough of the people who inadvertently survived the event (by skipping past it in time-stasis) to have a viable starting point from which to restart a technical civilization, so that humankind will survive. The possible murder of an entire civilization and the tremendous power of that civilization as revealed by the capabilities of the "hi-tech" futureward-traveling survivors, brings back definite echoes of the good (or bad) old space-opera days of E.E. "Doc" Smith, and John Campbell. And yet, in Vinge's hands, it is definitely not corny or hackneyed. We are slowly let in on just how powerful humanity had gotten before the Singularity when W.W. Brierson interviews the person who was "embobbled" the shortest time before the dissapearance of humanity in an industrial accident. Tunc describes the project he was working on when a matter-antimatter blast caused automated safety devices to embobble his spacecraft: "Such a fine idea it was. Our parent company liked big construction projects. Originally, they wanted to stellate Jupiter, but they couldn't buy the necessary options. Then we came along with a much bigger project. We were going to *implode* the Dark Companion, fashion of it a small Tipler cylinder." He noticed Wil's blank expression. "A naked black hole, Wil! A space warp! A gate for faster-than-light travel! Of course, the Dark Companion is so small that the aperture would be only a few meters wide, and have tidal strains above 1E13g's per meter -- but with bobbles it might be usable. If not, there were plans to probe through it to the galactic core, and siphon back the power to widen it." And in talking about why there was matter-antimatter stored where it could cause his accident: "We were running a matter/antimatter distillery. But look at the numbers. Yelen's stations can distill perhaps a kilo per day -- enough to power a small business. We were in a different class entirely. My partners and I specialized in close solar work, less than five radii out. We had easements on most of the sun's southern hemisphere. When I ... left, we were distilling one hundred thousand *tonnes* of matter and antimatter every *second*. That's enough to dim the sun, though we arranged things so the effect wasn't perceptible from the ecliptic. An absolute condition of our insurance was that we move it out promptly and without leakage. A few days production would be enough to damage an unprotected solar system." So much for physical power. Tunc now lives separated from much of the mentally-linked computing power he was used to. Even so, his personal, portable computing resources, what you might think of as a pocket calculator, are greater than those of all the other saved resources combined. He allows others to use his personal interface computer in his headband as a mainframe to run compute-intensive problems. He is left with such a pittance of the computing power that he is used to, however, that Brierson is prompted to ask him: "I've never experienced direct-connect -- much less the mind links you talk about. But I know how much it hurts a high-tech to go without a headband. [...] If I understand what you say about your time, you've lost much more. How can you be so *cool*?" The faintest shadow crossed Tunc's face. "It's not a mystery really. I was nineteen when I left civilization. I've lived fifty years since. I don't remember much of the time right after my rescue. Yelen says I was in a coma for months. They couldn't find anything wrong with my body; just no one was home. [...] We spent every spare gAu on our processor system and the interfaces. When we were linked up, we were something ... wonderful. But now that's all memories of memories -- no more meaningful to me than to you." His voice was soft. "You know, we had a mascot: a poor, sweet girl, close to anencephalic. Even with prosthesis she was scarcely brighter than you or I. Most of the time she was happy." The expression on his face was wistful, puzzled. "And most of the time, I am happy, too." So we see that even with more computing power than any of the other travelers, he considers himself crippled, almost brain-dead. Personally, I think this is the best book I've read in a few years. The technological speculation is fascinating, and handled well, so it doesn't become a space opera, or a ridiculous mish-mash (even if you disagree with it, as I do). And anybody who can read the first and last scenes above in context and remain unmoved has all the empathy of a stone. Read it. I think you'll like it. PS: Even the cover is well done, showing one of the high-tech probes observing the Peacer bobble floating on a sea of magma. Nice. Interview Jack Chalker September 20, 1986 This interview was held on the Delphi timesharing system by Ralph Roberts and other Delphi members. If you are interested in joining the Delphi Science Fiction group, the local access number can be located byt calling 800-544-4005. Log onto Delphi with account JOINFICTION and password URANUS, which will qualify you for a special discount] Albatross> One thing I've always admired about your writing style are the beginnings, especially the first few paragraphs. When I started writing, I sometimes referred to certain of your books to get into the swing of things. Do those come easily to you? Chalker> Writing is hard work, just like anything else. I am a natural writer of sorts in that I have never had much trouble writing well, but it's still hard work to write fiction. As you do more of it you learn the tricks of the trade, as it were. I also entered writing this genre by the back door -- I was an editor and publisher first. Albatross> You seem to straddle the line between fantasy and SF. In the future, are you planning to keep to that line, or are you going to bend one way or the other? Chalker> Most of my books are actually hard SF, but the physics I use is apparently a bit beyond the average reader. It doesn't matter. The Dancing Gods and my new Changewinds project are fantasy Whatever best does the job. Albatross> So, what's on about the Middle Dark series? You raised a lot of questions in the first book, so I figured the second one must have already been pretty much in the bag... Chalker> Actually I've done three of them. Not even recently. I object to Del Rey's decisions to spread them out so far but what can I do? Frobotz> How long ago did you really write Jungle of Stars and Identity Matrix? Chalker>Jungle was 1975, Matrix was 1977. Albatross> Why do you use Tor books some times, and Del Rey others? Chalker> I write a lot and I write fast. Also, there are editorial restrictions on some of the matter for some publishers. Soul Rider's sex could not have been published by Del Rey, for example. I'm just finishing a book (of three) for Berkley, too. My Del Rey books will be PG and R and my Berkley R and my Tor X. Frobotz> What was the creative force behind your little purple haystack? Chalker> The haystack was Jungle. Actually, the little purple haystack that preyed on kids from the back of an ice cream truck was a very early story of mine -- written when I was 16 or so. Frobotz> Thanks for bringing out Flux and Anchor #5! Chalker> I had to. The story wasn't finished. It is now. I am putting together a collection of my short stories. Albatross> When will it be out? Chalker> When I finish. I'm doing a Harlan -- lots of intro, etc. It even has a rejection letter from John W. Campbell in it as well as the favorite of all my writing, Dance Band on the Titantic. That will also be the collection name. Probably 1988. Albatross> And you'll be doing screenplays next, and producers will curse the day you were born.... or are you forgoing the full Harlan? Chalker> I don't do screenplays. I just sell the books to Hollywood and collect when they can't afford to produce them. Albatross> War of Shadows seems like something that wouldn't be too bad to make. Frobotz> Which of your books would you like to see on the silver screen? Chalker> Midnight. And so would almost every major Hollywood producer I have a passing acquaintance with. But it would cost 70 million so it's unlikely to be done. And the Devil Will Drag You Under is most likely. War of Shadows actually got to the pre-production stage before they went broke. I don't need to write screenplays. I make more than most of them writing what I want to write -- more than Harlan according to him on just my last deal. And I don't have to live in LA. Ralph> I would love to see a movie of And the Devil Will Drag You Under. Chalker> Ralph, neither you nor I are going to like what they do with it. Remember Damnation Alley? You just take the money and run and hope it hypes the book. Albatross> My favorite was The Identity Matrix. It seemed frighteningly relevant. Chalker> More than you think. The fact is, there is a lot of research going in that field right now that is proving my nutty ideas more right than wrong. They aren't doing it my way, but I think the selective editing and rewrite of human memory is no more than 20 years away. Albatross> One of the things that disturbed me about the book was that a person is their memories... there's either nothing more, or it doesn't matter. Chalker> That's the point. Lots of critics blasted the book because they took it as a sex switch book. But the point was that it was being written in the first person by somebody who's been through the process at least three times and the character is somebody else's idea of what "she" should be. Well, most readers got it from the mail & comments I get, and the mainstream critics got it just fine. It's only the SF critics who seem to need it all spelled out. Frobotz> How many critics do you know that only skim-read? Chalker> Most critics read it all. It's their judgment and sense I question. Albatross> What are you working on now? Chalker> I am 90,000 words into When the Changewinds Blow, a new project for Berkley-Putnam. I should have it done some time around mid-October but you won't see it for a year or so. Albatross> Is Changewinds going to be another multi-volume series, agonizingly spread out over several years? Chalker> Well, I have some hope for you. When a series starts from Tor in January called God, Inc. (first title The Labyrinth of Dreams) this is not a serial but a series. Each book stands on its own They are parallel worlds private detective novels. Ralph> Jack, can you tell us why Lester turned down Judy Lynn's Hugo? a real shock to me. Chalker> I think his letter said it all. There was a campaign by Ben Bova in the fanzines to give it to her posthumously which he really detested. But if they really meant it they would have given it to her while she lived I would have the same reaction. Albatross> It seems that women prefer your Dancing Gods series to any others. Is this true? Chalker> Not from my mail. Women seem to like my stuff in general but Well World is their favorite. The more classical type of SF like Four Lords is less to their liking. I write for me, though. It's nice that so many others of both sexes like it, too. It occured to me just a couple of days ago that I have a tendency to plot like a soap opera. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Albatross> I've noticed that you leave several subplots going from one book in a series to another. Could that be the reason? Your writing based on the way the story is published? Chalker> Well, there are series and there are serials I write both. Yeah, you always are aware that you have to break the book up. That calls for some planning. Albatross> Will any characters carry over to the last Soul Rider book? (And, will we finally go to some of the other Anchors?) Chalker> Oh, sure Even Cassie makes a walk-on but it's Suzl's book. More Fluxlands, not more anchors. Anchors are dull. It's a chase that ends in the climax with a massive battle between one force and New Eden. Albatross> In the first three books, they did magic. Then in the fourth, it turns out that the hyper-intelligent computers figured all along that things would turn out like this. So what happens to the computers, anyway? Give it up for lost, and stay away? Chalker> See Chapter 16 of Children and all will be revealed. But read the first 15 chapters first. Magic is just a scientific or mathematical way of doing something we can't. Soul Rider is based on the old idea of matter transmission. If you can do THAT, then you can do what I describe. It's a lot more than beam me up, Scotty. Albatross> Maybe magic is what people do when they don't understand science. Chalker> No, magic has logic and rigid rules. It has to. The problem is, I'm cursed with a logical mind. That's why sometimes we get the sex and power and control things in my books. If A is true, then B must be. And, historically, if something is possible and logical, even if it's negative, some bright boy will find a way to do it and somebody else to misuse it. Albatross> Yes, but it never happens so fast in real life... which is why, I guess, it's real. Chalker> Our knowledge in virtually every field is doubling every ten years along with the improvement in our tools. Twenty years ago I worked at Hopkins on a mainframe with far less power and memory than this. That was state of the art. Now I have four times that on my desk. Albatross> Jack, you mentioned a couple of years ago that all the societies in your books were real, sometime, somewhere. Okay, where and when was New Eden? Chalker> New Eden is based primarily on the writings of the Ayahtollah Rafsanjani, currently Iran's real leader, and a few of the most radical thinkers of that revolution. It was coupled with some basics from lots of other cultures including some African ones and Mormonism. I'm a historian by training and I read all their stuff. I wrote a book based on the writings of some esoteric far left French and Chinese communists called Dancers in the Afterglow and their followers took power in Cambodia and put it into practice before the book even got published. Albatross> Jack, did you read Greg Bear's Blood Music? How did his view of micro-life jibe with your Dreensa? Chalker> Greg and I are old friends. I don't mind that he took one of my ideas and ran with it. I often claim to be the father of cyberpunk. Albatross> Well that's two, then for Greg Bear. I just finished Eon, and thought, "This is Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama taken to it's logical conclusion." Chalker> I think Greg is an excellent writer with a good future. He grew up in this field as I did. Would you believe he started out as a pretty good artist? He's also married to Poul Anderson's daughter. Me, I married an SF con chairwoman. We keep inbreeding. The powers that be type critics lump Bear, Gibson, Sterling, and a few others together as cyberpunk writers. Actually, it's an attempt to put them all together so critics can explain it. Albatross> I don't see a similarity. Chalker> They once called Zelazny and Delany New Wave writers -- to Zelazny's horror, at least. Albatross> Zelazny is much more zennish. If I were forced, I'd put Steven Brust as Zelazny's younger counterpart, but that's all. Chalker> No, Brust is a dedicated ideologue (Trotskyite type). Roger is not. Brust is a nice guy and a good writer and he consciously tries to imitate Roger's style in places but their interests and purposes in their books is totally different, even radically so. Albatross> Jack, is there any author you ever tried to imitate? Chalker> Imitate? No. It's pretty easy to imitate most writers, even Harlan or Bradbury. Stolen from? Sure. Eric Frank Russell most of all, Phil Farmer, too. OtherRealms #19 Winter, 1987 Copyright 1987 by Chuq Von Rospach All Rights Reserved One time rights have been acquired from the contributors. All rights are hereby assigned to the contributors. OtherRealms may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of Chuq Von Rospach. The electronic edition may be distributed or reproduced in its entirety as long as all copyrights, author and publication information remain intact. No individual article may be reprinted, reproduced or republished in any way without the express permission of the author. OtherRealms is published quarterly (March, June, September and December) by: Chuq Von Rospach 35111-F Newark Blvd. Suite 255 Newark, CA 94560. Usenet: chuq@sun.COM Delphi: CHUQ