| Article: 390
From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews
Subject: REPOST: Belated Reviews PS#6: Randall Garrett and Lord Darcy
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: 05 Oct 93 14:28:49 GMT
Belated Reviews PS#6: Randall Garrett and Lord Darcy
For someone whose writing career stretched from the fifties (forties,
technically) to the eighties, Randall Garrett's output was surprisingly
small. (Okay, so he also published stuff under half a dozen pseudonymns.
I haven't read any of it, so it doesn't count.) His outstanding creation,
and the one that makes him worth the reviewing, is the universe of Lord Darcy.
This universe differs from our own because of two key historical turning-
points. The first, and the harder to believe, is that after Richard the
Lion-Hearted survived the siege of Chaluz, he settled down to become a
good king. As a result, in the twentieth century, the Plantagenets still
rule a powerful Anglo-French empire. (One of the historical domino effects
is that their chief rival to the east is the mighty *Polish* empire.) Oh
yes, the other point of divergence is the one that led to the systematic
development of magical instead of physical science.
Lord Darcy himself is the Chief Criminal Investigator of Normandy. (Any
similarities between the detectives in these works and those in the works
of other authors is purely coincidental, of course...) At his side, we
typically find Master Sean O Lochlainn, his forensic sorcerer. Garrett's
stories are well-told detective stories, in which these two are called
upon to solve serious crimes such as murder and necromancy. If you think
the combination of fantasy (the sort where the magic is made as scientific
as possible) and detective fiction would appeal to you, you should try
these stories.
"Murder and Magic" (***+), a collection of four of the early Lord Darcy
stories, is probably the best place to begin. The first story, "The Eyes
Have It", is not atypical: A Count is found dead of a bullet wound, but
forensic tests reveal that the Count has been the target of a black magic
attack *inconsistent* with the apparent cause of death. Further, although
the assailant must have come from within the castle, another forensic spell
produces a picture of a suspect which nobody in the castle recognizes. Later
Lord Darcy stories appear in the collection "Lord Darcy Investigates" (***).
If you liked the earlier ones, you'll probably like these. They tend
further from detective fiction and more towards the cloak and dagger, and
I thought them the weaker for it.
There is also a complete novel set in this universe, "Too Many Magicians"
(***+). It's a locked-room murder mystery. Now, common sense will tell
you that if a murdered man is found alone in a locked room, there is
probably a magician involved -- and the evidence in this case falls on the
side of logic. The problem is, the murder has taken place at a magicians'
convention, providing an embarrassment of suspects.
"The first -- and most important -- part is built into this
device here." He pointed toward the golden-gleaming brass
intrument. "The symbolism built into this...er...'gadget' I
think you called it, Lord Bontriomphe -- is most important.
Within this brass cylinder are the invariables -- what we
call the 'hardware' of the spell. But this, by itself, is
of no use. It can only be used by a sorcerer who can use the
proper verbal spells to activate it. These spells we call
the 'sofware' -- if you follow me, my lord."
Also noteworthy is "The Shrouded Planet" (***), by "Robert Randall".
(Robert Randall is the name Robert Silverberg and Randall Garrett used for
their collaborations.) The Shrouded Planet is the cloud-covered planet of
Nidor, home to a stable, low-tech culture -- and the only other intelligent
beings discovered by Earth. For reasons of its own, Earth decides to set
Nidor, willy nilly, on the road to science and technology. Playing the
emissaries-from-above gambit, they open a school. Of theology. With a
bit of science and engineering thrown in. The novel, and its sequel, "The
Dawning Light" (***) follow several generations of one Nidorian family, as
this intervention causes cracks to appear in the previously untroubled
social fabric. (As is typical of fifties-sf, and the ethics of this
intervention are never seriously questioned.)
"Takeoff!" (***+) is a collection of pastiches and parodies (the distinction
is based on whether you're trying to capture a writer's style or to
exaggerate it), and one which I recommend to those who have read and
enjoyed their targets -- earlier luminaries such as E.R. Burroughs, I.
Asimov, E.F. Russell, and E.E. Smith. The best known of these is his
parody of Smith's Lensmen series, "Backstage Lensman" (probably because
it's such an easy target). I was particularly impressed by "The Horror
Out of Time", a well-honed Lovecraft pastiche, and "Despoilers of the
Golden Empire", which (to say too much would be a spoiler) carries a
telling message about the subgenre. The book ends with a collection of
book reviews in rhyme, and a set of Feghoots (short sf shaggy dog stories
ending in awful puns) under the title "Through Time and Space With
Benedict Breadfruit." The collection has a sequel, titled "Takeoff Too!"
It is a lenticular structure of hundreds of thousands of
tiny crystalloids, and each is built and tuned to match
the ego of one individual entity. It is not, strictly
speaking, alive, but its pseudolife is such that when it
is in circuit with the living entity to whom it is syn-
chronized, it gives off a strong, changing, characteristically
polychromatic light. It is a telepathic communicator of
astounding power and range, and kills any being besides
its owner who attempts to wear it.
Thus, it is both pretty and useful.
Manufactured and issued by the mysterious beings of dread
and dreaded Arisia, it cannot be counterfeited, and is given
only to those entities of the highest honor, integrity, honesty,
and intelligence. That knowledge made the Starborad Admiral,
as, indeed, it did all Lensmen, feel smug.
The last work with Garrett's name on it was the seven-book "Gandalara
Cycle" (**), mostly written by Vicki Ann Heydron (his wife) to his outline.
It's competent fantasy/adventure fiction, but nothing special. If you've
never read Garrett's work, I'd recommend reading "Murder and Magic" (if the
subgenre appeals to you), and deciding whether to seek out the rest. And
if you know and enjoy the older sf classics, you could do worse than seek
out his humorous "Takeoff!" on those works. By which time you'll know
whether or not you're a Garrett fan.
%A Garrett, Randall
%O the Lord Darcy books
%T Murder and Magic
%T Lord Darcy Investigates
%T Too Many Magicians
%T The Shrouded Planet
%T The Dawning Light
%O coauthored with Robert Silverberg under the name Robert Randall
%T Takeoff!
=============================================================================
The postscripts to Belated Reviews cover authors of earlier decades who
didn't fit into the original format -- whether because the author seemed
an inappropriate subject, or because I was unfamiliar with too much of the
author's work, or whatever -- or sometimes just isolated works of such
authors. The emphasis will continue to be on guiding newer readers
towards books or authors worth trying out, rather than on discussing them
comprehensively or in depth. I'll retain the rating scheme of ****
(recommended), *** (an old favorite that hasn't aged well), ** (a solid
lesser work), and * (nothing special).
-----
Dani Zweig
dani@netcom.com
Watership Down:
You've read the book. You've seen the movie. Now eat the stew!
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