Robert Silverberg’s Majipoor series is an important if not underrated addition to the
world of science fiction and fantasy literature. The eponymous planet, an immense sphere
settled by a wide variety of alien species, is a world fecund with the
possibility of story. Having published Lord Valentine’s Castle after a four
year hiatus from writing, an overflow of creative effort revealed itself in the
following year’s publication of Majipoor Chronicles. Both breaking
new ground and filling in gaps left by Lord Valentine’s Castle, Chronicles is
an above average collection of shorts that leans more toward the literary than
fantastic.
The collection is framed by the idea of
the Registry of Souls. Hissune, now a
government administrator, is bored at his position. Breaking into the Registry one day, he
re-lives the life of a young woman named Thesme. Not caught, he repeats the experience, and
eventually re-lives the experiences of ten people in total, including Valentine
himself. But for all of his sneaking,
Hissune is ill prepared for the gravity of the lessons contained in the
individuals’ tales.
“Thesme and the Ghayrog” – Somehow both a
touching and bizarre story, a young woman who feels cast out of her small
village leaves to live in the jungle alone.
The life she finds with a Ghayrog is not what she expected, but goes a
long way toward giving her a new perspective on life.
“The Time of the Burning” – More
historical in context, the story describes how humans took control of Majipoor,
for better or worse.
“In the Fifth Year of the Voyage” – An
ocean going vessel leaves port on a lengthy—if five years can thus be so simply
denoted—voyage. Not a typical story arc,
the result is very personal for one of the voyagers.
“Calintane Explains” – This is the story
of Calintane, future coronal, and his slightly comedic story of the “Lady of
the Isle”.
“The Desert of Stolen Dreams” – One of
the best in the collection, Dekkeret heads on a perilous cross-desert trip with
a rather shady group that test his trust every step of the way. The strange dreams he experiences, don’t
help.
“The Soul-Painter and the Shapeshifter”
– Another great story, an artist living in semi-seclusion in the forest
encounters one of the native shapeshifters.
The ethnic conflict which results is superb.
“Crime and Punishment” – A short homage
to Dostoevsky, the story does more to explain how justice is done on Majipoor
than tell a gripping or touching story.
“Among the Dream Speakers” – Another
explanatory story, this time via the life of Tisana, readers learn of the value
and function of dreamspeakers, not to mention the harrowing test they must pass
to become one.
“A Thief in Ni-moya” – When a simple
shopkeeper learns she has inherited wealth in the luxurious city of Ni-moya,
her world is turned upside down. Decadence abound, she learns of the lives of
the nobility and gains a new perspective on life.
“Voriax and Valentine” – Largely filling
in background to Lord Valentine’s Castle,
this story is best appreciated having read the novel (unlike most of the other
stories in the collection). Featuring
Valentine as a young man, the impossible prophecy that he and his brother Voriax
will both become coronal must be decided.
In the end, Majipoor Chronicles is a good collection of short stories that
shows Silverberg’s ability to dig at the softer, more subtle side of a fantasy
setting. Action and entertainment light,
character development, emotional exploration, and poignant scenes are instead
the calling cards to the collection.
Though the stories are best appreciated after having read Lord Valentine’s Castle, it’s not
absolutely necessary. Most stand alone
and can be appreciated as such. If
fantastical, literary shorts are your thing, then by all means give the
collection a try, but I do recommend Lord Valentine’s Castle first.
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