240 pages, Del Rey
Review by Hereward L.M. Proops
Philip José Farmer's second book in the “Riverworld”
series is no less inventive than the first. As I mentioned in a previous
review, the wonderful “To Your Scattered Bodies Go” served as an introduction
to Farmer's fantastic vision of an afterlife where all 37 billion members of
the human race are simultaneously reincarnated on the banks of a giant river.
Dazzlingly inventive and quite unlike anything I've ever read, no sooner had I
finished the book was I keen to make a start on the second instalment in the
series.
“The Fabulous Riverboat” is a great
continuation of the outlandish concept introduced in the first novel. Whilst
the previous book established the “rules” of Riverworld and covered the first
twenty years or so of life on the strange planet, “The Fabulous Riverboat”
details the magnificent technological advances made by the resurrectees. Those
who haven't read the previous book will find themselves somewhat adrift in a
sea of weirdness but, interestingly enough, “The Fabulous Riverboat” is not a
direct sequel to “To Your Scattered Bodies Go”. Rather, it is a separate story
with a shared setting.
Whilst the first novel followed Victorian
adventurer Richard Francis Burton's journey to discover the source of the River
(a goal he came nowhere close to reaching), the second book focuses on Samuel “Mark
Twain” Clemens and his obsession with building a riverboat with which he might
explore the vast expanse of the River. Like Burton, Clemens has been contacted
by the mysterious stranger who claims to be one of the shadowy “Ethicals”
responsible for the creation of Riverworld. He too desires to find out the
reason behind mankind's wholesale reincarnation on the River but seeks to
undertake the long journey on a luxurious vessel of his own design. Building
such a boat on the iron-poor world is no mean feat. Fortuitously, a meteorite
rich in iron-ore has struck the planet and Clemens and his companions scramble
to be the first to harvest its wealth. Such a vast undertaking is not to be
embarked upon alone and Clemens is accompanied by an eclectic host of
characters. His closest friend is the dependable, ten foot tall Titanthrope
known as Joe Miller. A monstrously strong proto-human from Earth's pre-history,
Joe is actually quite a sensitive, intelligent soul and has a fondness for
philosophy and nob-gags. Joe's massive nose and pronounced lisp make him a
comical figure but he is devoted to Clemens and the banter between the two
friends helps to bring some levity to the often heavy-going proceedings.
Clemens has spent twenty years on the River pining for his wife but when he
finally stumbles across her, she is in a relationship with Cyrano de Bergerac.
Heartbroken, Clemens tries to bury his jealousy and immerses himself in his
plans for the Riverboat.
At the start of the novel Clemens is
assisted in his quest for the iron ore by the bloodthirsty and dangerous Viking
Eric Bloodaxe. However, Riverworld is not a peaceful place and Clemens finds
himself forced to ally himself with the reincarnated (yet still tyrannical)
King John in order to guarantee a stable enough city-state to see through the
construction of the Riverboat. The tumultuous alliance between the two men is the
main focus of the novel. The two men both seek the boat to be built but have
very different views of how it should be used when completed. King John is not
interested in exploring the River using the boat. Rather, he seeks to use the
boat as a means to conquer other city-states on the River and increase his own
power. Both Clemens and the reader know that King John is not to be trusted and
the question is not so much if John
will betray him but rather how he
will do it and when the
double-crossing will occur.
“The Fabulous Riverboat” is a more focused
novel than its predecessor. As already mentioned, the rules of Riverworld have
been established and this enables Farmer to devote more time on the plot and
characterisation. Indeed, the narrower scope enables the reader to get a firmer
grip on the day-to-day realities of living on Riverworld. The technological
advances made on the River means that Farmer can play around with the dramatic
possibilities provided by gliders, basic firearms and explosive rockets. Farmer
also seems to have spent more time on his characters in this novel. Like Burton
in “To Your Scattered Bodies Go”, Clemens single-mindedly pursues his goal.
Clemens, however, is a much more likeable character. His good-natured banter
with Joe Miller and his devotion to his wife enables the reader to get a sense
of his essential humanity. Duplicitous, underhand and grotesque, King John
makes a far better antagonist than hapless Hermann Göring (who also makes an
appearance in this novel). With a stronger cast of characters and a more direct
plot, “The Fabulous Riverboat” feels more like a complete novel.
It's not all smooth-sailing though. Just
as with the first novel in the series, “The Fabulous Riverboat” is hamstrung by
the scale of its own ambition. Although Clemens does manage to get the boat
built by the end of the novel, the exploration of the River does not even get
started. Readers hoping to learn a bit more about the mysterious Ethicals will
find themselves no wiser than at the end of the previous novel. Indeed, the
main flaws of the previous novel are essentially repeated in this one. Of
course, with such epic storytelling on such a huge scale, it would be beyond
the ability of any author to get Clemens and chums to the source of the mighty
River in the space of a mere few hundred pages. Farmer wants his readers to
know that this is a long, arduous journey for all involved and that if they
want answers, they are in it for the long haul.
I will be returning to Riverworld soon...
Hereward L.M. Proops
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