Reviews for When the five moons rise

The average rating for When the five moons rise based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-04-19 00:00:00 Jason Jankowski When the Five Moons Rise 1992 collection hardcover This is a 1992 hardcover issue of a collection of shorter works by Jack Vance. It was issued by Underground Books and includes twelve stories consisting of five short stories, six novelettes and one novella. It appears to be out of prin,t but used and new copies are available on Amazon and from other book sellers. Each story is listed alphabetically below with a brief description. Devil on Salvation Bluff "The Devil on Salvation Bluff," a short story of 21 pages was published initially in 1955. Two missionaries, a married couple, live outside the main city on a planet called "Glory" where their ancestors from Earth crash landed 500 years ago. They maintain a huge clock (which is very symbolic) and adhere to Earth time (and customs) even though it does not apply to this planet which has a number of suns that seem to rise unpredictably. The two missionaries are responsible for "civilizing" the local natives, who live in the wild, by teaching them about manners, social behavior, adherence to schedules, and the importance of time and clocks. The locals raise goats, run around half naked, live in filthy conditions, refuse to live in the houses that the missionaries built for them, copulate in public and destroy the canals the missionaries make. The chief of the tribe is the only one who speaks their language, but he won't cooperate and calls the giant clock the devil, threatening to roll boulders down on it. The couple are concerned how an upcoming inspection will reflect on them and think the chief must be mentally ill to be so uncivilized, so they decide to take him to one of their hospitals for mental health treatment. Things do not work out as they expect, however. This is very easy to read, rather fun and fairly interesting. I rated it a 3.5: "Liked it +" Dodkin's Job "Dodkin's Job" is a 40 page novelette that was first published in 1959 in the magazine Amazing Science Fiction. This is not really science fiction, fantasy or mystery but more of an ironic dystopian story with hints of Kafka and even Monty Python. I loved this story and thought it was hilarious. If you have ever worked in a big bureaucracy or have had to deal with one, you will probably identify with the main character who lives in a "big brother" like society where, "The population ordered their lives by schedule, classification and precedent." Luke Grogatch is too rational for such a society so he keeps losing jobs and has now been demoted to the rating of "Flunky/ClassD/Unskilled." If he gets demoted again he could end up being sent to the "Disorganized House" where he would be nonclassified and isolated with "criminals, idiots, children and proved Nonconformists." He decides to "submit slavishly to witless regulations" and begins his new job shoveling debris in a sewage system by hand using a shovel. All of his suggestions for improving the job are rejected, and the work seems meaningless. One day a new directive is announced ordering all employees to turn in their tools at a central warehouse at the end of the day and pick them up again each morning. This applies to Luke's shovel. He asks if he can purchase his own shovel and not have to turn it in each day but is told that the directive says "all tools" so that even a self purchased tool would not be exempt. Luke complies at first. But after the lengthy trip to turn in the shovel, he has to wait in a long line with the whole process taking an hour and a half. This means he will have to spend three hours each day dropping off and picking up his shovel. Luke decides to object by appealing to those who issued the directive but each supervisor claims he was simply following orders from above. Luke continues appealing to those higher up in administration, assuming that he will finally encounter the person who is responsible for the directive. His encounters with ineffective, irresponsible, uncaring bureaucratic officials develop into one of the funniest stories I've read in a long time. Dodkin, by the way, is a person Luke meets later who has what Luke considers to be the ideal job. I rated this one a 5. Dust of Far Suns "Dust of Far Suns" is a 29 page novelette that was first published in 1962 in the magazine Amazing Stories. It has also been known as "Gateway to Strangers" and "Sail 25." Henry Bent is an irritable, unpleasant, overly sensitive, dictatorial character who seems to be "a man of a different species." He teaches pilots to operate spaceships, in this instance it is one that has a huge sail (thus the alternative title "Sail 25"). Bent tells his cadet crew that he does not expect to be liked and that if they do like him then he has failed because, "I haven't pushed you hard enough." All pilots know Bent and respect his skills, but they also invariably dislike him. He has trained almost every well known pilot and is about to train a new crew. During the training flight when Bent is not drunk or hiding from the others, he is sneaking around the ship, spying on the cadets, keeping track of their behavior by making comments in his notebooks where he records demerits. These demerits will determine who passes and who gets axed from the program. Bent also says that he is retiring, that this will be his last flight and hints that he wants to die in space. Is he suicidal? Has he become an incompetent drunk? Or is this the finest training the cadets will ever receive? Each member of his crew reacts differently to Bent's behavior and the challenges of the training. It is all done with humor with a memorable character who is as difficult as any boot camp sergeant. My rating: 3.5 Ecological Onslaught "The Ecological Onslaught" is a 29 page novelette written in 1953. It is also known as "The World Between." A potentially habitable planet is discovered by beings from Blue Star who are in direct competition with residents of another planet called Kay. When the Blue Star explorers try to introduce organisms to the planet to eventually make it habitable, the Kay citizens, who want the planet for themselves, decide to release diseases and predators to disrupt things. This quickly becomes an ecological battle between two planets. It is an interesting story and easy to read. I rated it a 4. The Masquerade on Dicantropus "The Masquerade on Dicantropus" is a 15 page short story that is an early work, originally published in 1951 in Startling Stories magazine. A couple named Jim and Barbara Root live on the planet Dicantropus where he is studying the planet's archeology and she is deeply bored and unhappy. Jim agrees to return to Earth in three months when the next supply ship arrives and suggests that they might engage in more swimming and badminton in the until then. There is an unusual pyramid on the planet that intrigues Jim but is afraid to explore it because he thinks it is guarded by the alien creatures who live on the planet. One day one of the resident creatures, a Dicantropus, swims up to them wearing a diamond necklace. They converse with the Dicantropus but it will only say that it found the necklace but not where. The Roots suspect it came from the pyramid and Barbara wants Jim to explore the pyramid in case there are more jewels there. Jim refuses because of the dangers involved but when another man crash lands on the planet, Barbara convinces the new visitor to explore the pyramid. They will soon find out what the pyramid is and who the Dicantropus are. The story is enjoyable and I rated it a 3 "Liked it" Men of the Ten Books "Men of the Ten Books" is also known as "The Ten Books" and was first published in Startling Stories in 1951. It is a 29 page novelette. A couple, Ralph and Betty Welstead from Earth, are exploring other planets in their spaceship and discover a planet about the size and temperature of Earth. When they land they find a thriving society that greets them as long awaited heroes or rescuers. The planet called Haven is inhabited by humans who are the descendants of those who crash landed there 271 years previously. Other than a few verbal stories passed on from their predecessors, the only thing they know about Earth is from some books they have, the ten volume edition of "The Encyclopedia of Human Achievement." These books adulate human achievement on Earth and do not mention poverty, crime or any social or cultural problems. Although Haven society runs in perfect harmony and is almost a paradise, the people from Haven idolize Earth and have glorified it into something that is far grander than their own planet. Now that a ship from Earth has arrived, many of them want to visit Earth, a planet they think is magnificent beyond their imagination. The Welstead's have to decide whether or not to tell them the truth about Earth, that it is not the idealized paradise the books depict. They are concerned about what will happen to the people of Haven because they have been eagerly awaiting rescue for nearly three centuries. I found the story fairly interesting and rated it a 3 "Liked it." The New Prime "The New Prime" is also known as "Brain of the Galaxy." It was first published in Startling Stories in 1952 and is a 25 page novelette. It consists of five vignettes with different characters and settings. In the first vignette a man with no memory finds himself naked at a 19th century Boston coming out party and has to decide what to do. In the second a different character is in the midst of a losing battle with insect like creatures and decides to order his men to attack the main hive of the creatures he is fighting. In the third a man is in an ancient city of ruins seeking a parchment that can save his lords life. In the fourth a person finds himself in competition to mentally project imaginative images on a screen. In the final scene our main character is captured and tortured by his enemy. It is unclear how these vignettes are related until toward the end of the story where it all comes together. I rated it a 2: "Okay" Noise "Noise" was published initially in 1952 by Startling Stories magazine. It is a 13 page short story. A man crash lands on a distant planet and begins sending out distress signals, hoping to get rescued. He gradually begins to see and hear strange seductive things and is not sure if his senses have become more responsive or if he is hallucinating. It is a bizarre and interesting story which I rated as a 3. Telek Telek is a 58 page novella that was first published in 1952 in Astounding Science Fiction magazine. It is set in the future where the world is controlled by Teleks who are humans who have learned telekinetic powers. These Teleks live apart from regular humans but interact with them and manage much of the industry and finances of the world. Although vastly outnumbered by humans, Teleks have immense power to do damage and to control society. If a Telek is attacked or killed by ordinary humans, there is terrible retribution against them so they are usually treated with deference. In our story a Telek is suddenly killed by an angry worker and the other workers decide to cover this up to avoid retaliation. But Teleks have bug like spying devices that fly around keeping surveillance, making such cover ups extremely difficult. One human, Shorn, who joins a group that is conspiring against the Teleks, offers the Teleks some vital information in exchange for their teaching him telekinesis so he can be a Telek. He hopes to teach other ordinary people this power so they are not dominated and terrorized by the Teleks. The alternative plan is to try to kill all of the Teleks. But if they do not kill every one of them, if even one is left alive, there will be terrible retaliation. This story was likeable enough but not top drawer Vance and I rated it a 3 "Liked it." Ullward's Retreat "Ullward's Retreat" was written by Vance in 1957 and published initially in 1958 in Galaxy Magazine. It is a 25 page novelette. Bruham Ullward is a wealthy man who lives in a futuristic society where real estate is incredibly expensive and conditions very crowded. He has the rare luxury of having a real tree and moss on his property. Sometimes he offers the rare gift of a real leaf to visitors. Electronic "illusion-panes" simulate three dimensional electronic scenes of beautiful views by generating mountains, valleys, skies and moons. Ullward wants to expand his property by purchasing small parcels even at their outrageously high prices, but other owners won't sell. He is delighted when he encounters an opportunity to lease half a planet where he will have plenty of room. Ullward builds his new retreat on this planet and moves. The owner lives on the other half of the planet, and there is a strict contract rule forbidding trespass on the other's property. Ironically when visitors arrive at his new home, they compare his beautiful natural views to illusion-panes, claim the natural rocks do not look real, are fearful of the waves on a real beach, and even object to Ullward's new privacy stating, "I love the privacy and solitude--but I thought there'd be more people to be private from." Ullward also begins having privacy issues with the owner even though each of them has half of the planet to himself. Was he better off back on his crowded home planet where nature, scenic views and many other things were synthetic or simulated? It is a fun and interesting story that Vance himself continued to like. I rated it a 4. When the Five Moons Rise "When the Five Moons Rise" was first published in 1954 in Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine. It is a 14 page short story. The setting is a lighthouse where two persons work. One of them tells the other not to believe anything when five moons rise at once. Strange things happen when the moons do rise, including the disappearance of one of the men. Some readers seem to like this one but I thought the story was of minimal interest and a rather weak work and rated it a 3. Where Hesperus Falls "Where Hesperus Falls" is the third work, a short eight page short story that was published first in 1956 in Fantastic Universe magazine. Henry Revere is a man who lives in a very technologically advanced society where he is told, "you are not your own property. You are a ward of the race." Henry, you see, is over 96,000 years old and is kept living even though, "life long ago lost that freshness and anticipation which makes it enjoyable." Bored with life, Henry keeps trying to kill himself but is thwarted each time by the intense surveillance and advanced medical skills of those who watch over him as his "servants." He is not really a prisoner, but he is not allowed to die. Thousands of years ago Henry had been a bio-chemist and offered himself as the subject of an experiment. But this resulted in "an incalculable error had distorted the experiment, with my immortality as the perverse result." He now finds himself being, "a living fossil, a curio among curious, a public ward, a creature denied the option of life or death." Henry's only interest other than suicide is writing his great "History of Man." What Henry does about his dilemma and how he does it are the basis of the story. I rated it a 3 "Liked it."

Review # 2 was written on 2015-10-24 00:00:00 Ryan Lepore Audiobook