Slan is an odd, sad book, apparently intending to show how the human race is evil and depraved and will be superseded by the better-evolved "slans." I found that it shows its age (written in 1940). Sorry, folks, we're what we've got, and we have to figure out how to make it work. ( )

What a peculiar book. The characters have no individual voices. Their dialog is written like dry expository prose. Occasional bursts of poetic expression fail to transform the overall mood of grim hopelessness. Van Vogt's drab rationalism endows his main character, Jommy Cross, with a distant, mechanical intellect that expands into a sort of megalomania as he matures into an ubermensch. The happy ending - when love rises up from the ashes - is described in the summary style of an appliance manual. Yet, it races along with admirable speed, cleverly indulging our desires for super-strength and super-smarts. Van Vogt's mind conjures up intriguing forays into atomic physics, metallurgy, and nuclear weaponry. Best of all, we see here the introduction of Van Vogt's lifelong obsession with one mind inhabiting multiple bodies, or one body with multiple minds, or variations on the theme. That's when the story gets dizzily fascinating. ( )

Brilliant book I've just reread after many years. Can still hold me spellbound for hours. ( )

Important Work that Falls Victim to the Conventions of the Period: Centuries in the future, a new mutation has appeared in the human species. Known as the slans, this mutant group is physically stronger, smarter, and telekinetic via the tendrils that grow out of their hair. They are also hunted down and killed on sight by the dictatorship of Keir Gray. It seems, in the deep murky past, that the slans attempted to conquer the human race, and war began. But slans still live among humans, hiding in plain sight. One such slan is John Thomas "Jommy" Cross, who, after watching his parents' murder as a boy, is taken in by a greedy old woman, as he bides his time until he such time when he claim the inherited knowledge left by his father. Another slan is Kathleen Layton, a ostensible science project in the custody of Keir Gray himself, but in fact a pawn in the chess game of the Gray dictatorship.

A.E. Van Vogt's "Slan" is a historical piece of science fiction. It's easy to trace numerous concepts back to "Slan" (e.g. Marvel Comics "X-Men"). It is also an interesting allegory on human nature and the theme of "Man's inhumanity to man." It's probably no coincidence that this book was published in 1946, when WW II was over, and the genocide that it entailed was known. However, much like its contemporaries, "Slan" frequently falls victim to the conventions of science fiction of the time, and so a reader will almost certainly feel star-crossed.

Initially, Van Vogt starts his novel on a thrill, as Jommy is on the run from the humans. Images of a boy of nine running for his life, surrounded by hatred and greed and fear are chilling and gripping. Alternatively, Kathleen's observations of an attempted coup against Gray, and Gray's violent response, while perhaps not so frenzied as a chase, are however just as engrossing.

However, after initial rush, the pace slackens considerably, as Jommy lives a life as a thief, biding his time. While Van Vogt piques our curiosity with the revelation of slans who are not telekinetic, he spends a good deal of time with a contemplative Jommy, spectacularly loquacious secondary characters, and progressively neglected and underdeveloped Kathleen.

It certainly doesn't help that Van Vogt injects several dozen mysteries into his book without ever satisfactorily dealing with any of them. Are the slans really evil? How did the come to be, and how did that cause the war? What's the deal with the non-telekinetic slans? Why does Keir Gray seem so intent on holding on to Kathleen? What will Jommy do about any of it? With so many plot lines to juggle, Van Vogt never seems to give any one of them satisfactory time to develop. The end result is something of a disappointment.

While there is plenty to like about this book, I never felt completely satisfied with it. It tantalizes, but only rarely gratifies. It's historical value in the science-fiction is inarguable, and it's allegorical aspect is always important. Unfortunately, it's aesthetic is never quite able to live up to its potential. However, that doesn't diminish its value. It's absolutely worth reading.

http://www.wowio.com/users/product.as...

A race of people, or an offshoot of humanity, depending on how you want to look at it, are living among the normal humans. Mutant superhumans, in other words. Because they have psionic abilities they are hunted and feared.

The Slans were created to help humans, but are now hated. Jommy, a younger Slan, is tasked by an elder relative to try and help their cause.

He gets caught up in a plot and must try and help out humans sympathetic to his cause, for the good of everyone.

http://freesf.blogspot.com/2008/08/sl... ( )