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Loading... Space Opera (1965)by Jack Vance
   Opera in fiction (14) No current Talk conversations about this book. Aardig verhaal, maar geen topper. (  ) EdwinKort | Oct 18, 2019 |  HanJie | Apr 28, 2016 | A minor Vance novel, especially considering it was written during the same period as The Demon Princes series, The Dragon Masters, The Last Castle, and The Eyes of the Overworld, all of which would be better choices for anyone wanting to try Jack Vance’s mid-1960s work, which is when his writing really came into its own on a consistent basis. Still, it's worth a read for anyone who appreciates Vance's ability to create alien cultures and settings--an ability he indulges here by sending a touring opera company across the galaxy to bring cultural enlightenment to the natives, inspired by an alien music/dance troupe that had made a splash in Earth's artistic community. The eventual goal is to return the favor by performing classic operas for the people of Rlaru, the home of the alien music company, while also trying to explain the mystery of their abrupt disappearance from Earth at the height of their popularity. Each stop on the tour results in a different form of cultural misunderstanding, and most of the novel's pleasure comes from these chapters' combination of comedy with Vance's usual lush descriptions of the settings. The mystery dplot is less satisfying, and a side-plot about a stowaway who tries to force the tour to bring her to her ancestral planet doesn't have much of a point, except to expose the company to another odd planetary setting and culture. Very funny at times, episodic with mostly stereotypical characters, Vance's attempt to create a literal space opera is not the best place to start with Vance, but will likely be appreciated by those already familiar with this great author. (  ) ScottLaz | Oct 21, 2015 | dubbel = Space Opera in nieuwe vertaling  Marjoles | Jun 22, 2015 | dubbel = de wonderlijke reis van de Phoebus Marjoles | Jun 22, 2015 | no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Publisher SeriesBastei Science Fiction-Action (21159) DAW Book Collectors (336) Folio SF (136)
Roger Wool is an amiable young gentleman whose wealthy, high-minded aunt, Dame Isabel Grayce, is Secretary-Treasurer of the Opera League on Earth. Dame Isabel is tantalized by the inscrutable stage performances of the Ninth Company of Rlaru, a band of mysterious extraterrestrials visiting Earth under obscure circumstances. Convinced that classical earthly opera could span the intellectual divide with alien races, Dame Isabel assembles her own company-at great expense-to travel the galaxy promoting cultural exchange.Her quest has entertainingly unpredictable results. Meanwhile, Roger woos the bewitching stowaway, Madoc Roswyn.An homage to P.G. Wodehouse, Space Opera is an amusing speculation upon the limits of cultural comprehension.Space Opera is Volume 32 of the Spatterlight Press Signature Series.Released in the centenary of the author's birth, this handsome new collectionis based upon the prestigious Vance Integral Edition. Select volumes enjoyup-to-date maps, and many are graced with freshly-written forewords contributedby a distinguished group of authors. Each book bears a facsimile of theauthor's signature and a previously-unpublished photograph, chosen from family archives for the period the book was written. These uniquefeatures will be appreciated by all, from seasoned Vance collector to new reader sampling the spectrum of this author's influential work forthe first time. - John Vance II No library descriptions found. |
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