|
 One King's Way by Harry Harrison
reviewed by XXXXX
Original appearance: Albedo one issue ??, date?
Harry Harrison wrote a great novel last year entitled THE HAMMER AND THE CROSS. At least that was what the publicity blurb claimed. Now I've no gripe with the great novel bit, but what none of the publicity material mentioned was that a gentleman called John Holm was credited on the cover as co-author. the sequel has now arrived. It's called ONE KING'S WAY and there's only one name on the cover, that of Harry Harrison.
But, and it's a mighty big but, the title page inside the book credits authorship to Harry Harrison and (the ever self-effacing) John Holm. So, clear this up for me if you would please Legend: is John Holm co-author of the book or not? If he is, why does his name not appear on the cover? why has he allowed Harry Harrison to claim authorship? If he is not co-author then surely an acknowledgement for his help (whatever it may have been) would be more appropriate.
Anyway, back to the matter of the novel itself. As sequels go this is way, way above the average. In many ways it is better than the original as it is able to assume the background that was so painstakingly set up in the first in the series. so what we get this time is action all the way.
At the end of THE HAMMER AND THE CROSS we left Shef Sigvarthsson, risen from slave to king. At the start of ONE KING'S WAY he decides that the only way to protect his new found kingdom is to confront the Viking raiders that have despoiled Britain (and half of Europe) before they set foot on land. So he mounts some of his war machines (catapults and giant crossbows, invented in the first novel, the cause of the Northmen's defeat) onto ships and goes on the offensive.
The heavily armed ships are a success but not everything goes to Shef's plan. Outwitted by the superior seamanship of his old enemy, Sigurth Ragnarsson, the Snake Eye, Shef is shipwrecked on the Frisian coast. Sold into slavery, Shef is bought by priests of The Way, the Norse religion that is beginning to oppose Christianity. The Waymen suspect that Shef may be the one of whom the gods have foretold, the one they await to lead them to ultimate victory. Meanwhile, in Germany, a new and militant arm of the Church of Rome is taking shape. No longer will missionaries allow themselves to be pushed around. The Church is developing its own private army.
Book two in the HAMMER AND THE CROSS sequence pushed the world invented by Harrison (and Holm) ever further from the genuine history in which its roots are very firmly planted. The world they have invented (or altered) is rich with excitement, colour, intrigue and adventure. The people seem real, their feelings as well as their deeds are important. I can't wait for the third volume.
 King and Emperor by Harry Harrison
reviewed by Underview
Original appearance: Albedo one issue 12, 1996
To an awful lot of readers Harry Harrison will be thought of as a fun author. Someone who writes funny SF. To me his Stainless Steel Rat and Bill the Galactic Hero series have always provided more confirmation, if it was ever necessary, that the word funny has no place being put anywhere in close proximity with those other words, science and fiction. And I believe that anyone who thinks Harry Harrison is not a 'serious' SF author and therefore dismisses anything of his without the promise of laughter is doing themselves a serious disservice.
King and Emperor is the final part of the trilogy entitled The Hammer and the Cross - thank goodness for a writer who keeps his trilogies down to three books. How often does it happen that a planned trilogy expands into countless volumes once the cash registers start to ring. The Hammer and the Cross has the feel of a series that was always planned to be a trilogy. Each book takes the central character, Shef - the One King - through a vital stage in his life. In each book he, and the world he dominates, develop a stage further. Each volume is true to the overall trilogy and a vital, entertaining novel in its own right.
It is difficult to estimate whether the books are suitable to be read without reference to the others within the series. My advice would be to start with the first volume - The Hammer and the Cross - and take it from there. I have little doubt that once started, like Magnus Magnusson, you will finish.
The final instalment draws King Shef down into the Mediterranean where he must confront and defeat the ultimate weapon of its day, the terrible and all consuming Greek Fire, the secret of which is known to but a handful of specialists. Once again he must stand against the self appointed Holy Roman Emperor, the German knight, Bruno, who wrested the Holy Lance from Shef in the previous book.
Here, yet again, at the centre of the action is a relic of the Christian God, and one which speaks directly to Shef. It may be the Holy Grail - in truth not myth. A grail which has more in common with the gods of the way and their symbols than with the legends and beliefs of Christendom. And naturally, Shef is not the only one who seeks the grail. Bruno sees it as the final defining symbol of his power over a world that is Christian. A world which will become, under his rule, completely Christian.
The Hammer and the Cross trilogy is one of the few series in the past five years which maintained its sheer inventive, storytelling qualities through three substantial volumes. Few trilogies have satisfied on so many levels, so consistently. If you haven't read the previous volumes, do so now. If you have, then you don't need me to tell you to rush out and buy King and Emperor.
This is in no way comparable to Tolkien at his best, except that, like The Lord of the Rings, it is a trilogy. And it is fantasy. And it is bloody good. Or better.
Galactic Dreams by Harry Harrison
reviewed by XXXXX
Original appearance: Albedo one issue ??, date?
Harry Harrison hasn't been away. In fact he seems to be around more than just about anybody at present. His latest offering is GALACTIC DREAMS, a collection of short stories spanning most phases of his career. And for most of that career he has been a force to be reckoned with.
This collection features eleven stories most of which have been collected elsewhere at one time or another and which will probably be collected several times more before their time is up. On first glance the older stories might appear a little dated but at the core they are still relevant and still have something to say about the human condition - not something many more modern short stories can be accused of.
However Harry has let himself down badly with a couple of the items included. To wit SPACE RATS OF THE CCC and BILL, THE GALACTIC HERO'S HAPPY HOLIDAY. At least Space Rats can claim the excuse that it was written in a more innocent age, one in which schoolboy humour tinged with irony could pass for satire. I think. But the BILL story is previously unpublished and one assumes written specifically for GALACTIC DREAMS.
I must firstly state that what follows is only my personal opinion and not that of the editors of this fine publication and that the sentiments if not the words themselves should carry an 18s certificate. BILL, THE GALACTIC HERO'S HAPPY HOLIDAY has all the style and grace of a limerick written on a toilet wall. I hope for Harry Harrison's sake it is the most worthless piece of crap he has ever penned because if there is worse in his catalogue I for one have absolutely no desire to see it. Nor would I wish to be subjected to anything less than five times as good. Space Rats is maybe twice as good. Maybe.
Still, the rest of the collection is excellent and it would be hard to pick out a story that stands out above the rest, even with such classics as I ALWAYS DO WHAT TEDDY SAYS in the lineup. In a funny way GALACTIC DREAMS is worthwhile for the BILL story alone. It could be the foundation of an essential party game which all the family could play. Write a better story than this. Which could be part of that other great game, spot the lobotomy. Or Fido the Lobotomy for all you surrealists.
 The Stainless Steel rate Sings the Blues by Harry Harrison
reviewed by Underview
Original appearance: Albedo one issue 5, 1994
THE STAINLESS STEEL RAT SINGS THE BLUES by HARRY HARRISON is at least the eighth in the series according to a count of the titles featured on the inside covers of other works by him in my collection. I do feel a bit miffed that because some of the RAT books were published by other imprints Bantam have not seen fit to provide a full list of the rest of the series.
However, this is a minor quibble and an unimportant one, as reference to the previous stories is not required. TSSRST Blues stands alone though I'm sure that legions of H. Harrison fans will advise you to rush out and get the lot. I like Mr. Harrison's work, don't get me wrong, and I have a great respect for it, but I could not recommend his entire RAT series on the basis of TSSRST Blues.
Not that it's a bad book. It's not, it merely shows all the signs of being number umpteen in the series. There is a minimum of characterisation. Really, all you've got to do is take a look at the loveable rogue's smile on the front cover then turn the page and check the (sorry folks, it's that word again) blurb to find out - if you didn't already know - 'He is incorrigible. He is conniving. And he is the greatest antihero ever to go rip-roaring through the future. He is Slippery Jim diGriz, thief, conman... the Stainless Steel Rat.'
Is there any more you need to know? Oh yeah! I almost forgot. He is captured in the commission of a daring robbery, the sort of thing other, less adventurous, less audacious criminals would not even consider. Then he's sentenced to death. But the forces of law and order need his unique talents. He is the one person in the galaxy (get the idea yet?) capable of recovering from a prison planet, the only evidence of alien life forms ever found. And to ensure his co-operation they give him (guessed it yet?)... a slow acting poison to which he will be given the antidote only if he succeeds in his mission.
But what the hey, he's got a whole thirty days. So what does he decide to do? He invents a rock band from a list of commando-types that play musical instruments and hypes them into mega-stardom then has them arrested and sent to the prison planet where they will sing their way into the hearts of the locals while Jim steals back the artefact. And all this is accomplished in only eight days leaving him a comparatively enormous twenty-two days before the poison kills him.
Am I a killjoy or what? (Are there too many questions being asked in this review?) I could not help think that given his effortless success in the rock world - superstardom with a pickup band in under eight days - surely Jim will now give up crime and go into showbusiness.
|
