The Gray Prince

Vance, Jack. The Gray Prince. 1974. iBooks, 2004.
Three-time Hugo-winner Jack Vance is one of those writers whose name on the cover could always sell me a magazine. Sadly, I have not read as many of his novels as I should have. The Gray Prince, first published as a magazine serial under the title “The Domains of Koryphon,” a title that Vance preferred, is a gem. It is usually called a planetary romance. It is set in the far future on a colony that is meant, I think, to remind us of colonial Australia. It is a romance, not so much because of its tragicomic love story, but because its world of genetically diverse human cultures and its multiple sentient or semi-sentient species is so exotic.
It is not just the planet that is exotic but show more also the style in which it is described. Consider this description of the planet’s first human settlers, the Uldra: “In point of fact, while the Uldra men, with their tall nervous physiques, gray skins dyed ultramarine blue and aquiline features, were in general personable, the same could not be said for the women. The girls, squat and fat, with their scalps shaved bald against the onslaught of vermin, lacked charm.” The satiric edge is subtle enough that even some perceptive reviewers either miss it or consider it a bug rather than a feature. The faux-academic style slyly covers up all the ugly truths the characters are unwilling to face. The several groups of genetically distinct humans each consider themselves superior to all the others, and all the humans consider themselves superior to the planet’s indigenous thought-to-be semi-sentient race. The indigenous race itself considers itself superior to the invaders. Everyone in the novel is guilty of self-deception that justifies vengefulness. I wonder if Vance may be suggesting that self-deception and vengefulness always accompany sentience. Nicely noir. A strong four stars. show less

The Gray Prince by Jack Vance is the first of the Gaean Reach series. It's sometimes also published as The Grey Prince or The Domains of Koryphon. The multiple title confusion is just the start of this mess.

The description sounds so promising. A woman returns to her home after years in space to find her home planet vastly changed and under the threat of a race riot, lead by a man nicknamed the Gray Prince.

The problem is that Schaine Madduc is from the conquering aristocracy. Her family own a huge ranch. Along with the ranch, they own slaves. Much of the book is overheard conversations about how uppity the natives are becoming, when they used to be such nice, simple children.

The leader of the rebellion was a ward of the ranch, given a show more proper education and now he's expected to work for his family and appreciate all they done for him. What they've done is betray his trust and love! No wonder he's leading the civil rights movement. Duh! But they are too set in their privilege to see things from his side or to truly want to help to make things better for everyone. Because that would mean they would have to do actual work.

The Gray Prince was like reading a Zane Grey novel but in space. It has the same racist overtones. The same white privilege — just in space. show less

It started out as an interesting look at colonialism in the Gaean Reach. Two hundred years ago, the Outkers descended from space to claim ownership of one of Koryphon's continents, forcing the Uldras, the nomadic inhabitants into the 'Treaty of Submission'. The story focuses on the inhabitants of one of these 200 year old 'domains', Morningswake, now under pressure from the 'Redemptionists' who want to give the domains back to the native people. Schaine Madduc and her brother Kelse find their father murdered by wild Uldra, after discovering a great 'joke' connected with one of the planet's indigenous life forms, the Ervin. Much of the book is taken up with a quest to find this joke by Schaine's would-be lover Elvo Glissam; a native show more called Kurgech with good instincts; and the ultimately laconic and self-assured Gerd Jamasze -- a kind of Crocodile Dundee of Koryphon.
The book was a bit disjointed. The first part is from Schaine's point of view but then kind of loses interest in her and moves to Elvo Glissam, then loses interest in him too as it moves to a conclusion. That conclusion was disappointing in its response to the colonial premise of the book, but resolving decolonisation is probably too much to expect. show less

The Domains of Koryphon is unusual for Vance in containing a fairly explicit political message - in this case about property ownership, conquest, and prior possession. There's also a leavening of Vance's more standard self-reliance, and a more evident than usual criticism of effete urbanites in favor of taciturn, outdoorsy, cowboy types.

That said, there's also the usual Vance inventiveness and language. Erjins and morphotes share land with Uldras, Wind-runners, land-barons, and Outkers. Tragedies and mystery take our protagonists across the planet to encounter weird, beautiful landscapes and strange, unpredictable creatures as we learn surprising things that get to the heart of the planet's history.

Vance cheats a bit in this case, show more leading us towards a crucial mystery, which is then presented in a strangely understated way. He also withholds key information in order to surprise us with it later. It's not the most satisfying of resolutions, and feels at times a bit pro forma. At the same time, the environment, while not developed to the level of some Vance books, is intriguing and fun to explore.

While most Vance books feel as if the author is exploring right along with us, this one feels like he had a message and created a story to carry it through. Overall, the book is good, but most recommended for existing Vance fans. show less

The Domains of Koryphon is unusual for Vance in containing a fairly explicit political message - in this case about property ownership, conquest, and prior possession. There's also a leavening of Vance's more standard self-reliance, and a more evident than usual criticism of effete urbanites in favor of taciturn, outdoorsy, cowboy types.

That said, there's also the usual Vance inventiveness and language. Erjins and morphotes share land with Uldras, Wind-runners, land-barons, and Outkers. Tragedies and mystery take our protagonists across the planet to encounter weird, beautiful landscapes and strange, unpredictable creatures as we learn surprising things that get to the heart of the planet's history.

Vance cheats a bit in this case, show more leading us towards a crucial mystery, which is then presented in a strangely understated way. He also withholds key information in order to surprise us with it later. It's not the most satisfying of resolutions, and feels at times a bit pro forma. At the same time, the environment, while not developed to the level of some Vance books, is intriguing and fun to explore.

While most Vance books feel as if the author is exploring right along with us, this one feels like he had a message and created a story to carry it through. Overall, the book is good, but most recommended for existing Vance fans. show less

One of Vance's more serious novels, addressing the racial and political tensions on a colonized planet. Builds a fair amount of tension and suspense.