Araminta Station and Cadwal Chronicles

[Connavar]

Anyone read Araminta Station ?

I made this thread cause i felt the need to talk about somethings in the book and i didnt want to spoil the other Vance fans in the general Vance thread.

 

[GOLLUM]

Sorry Conn, I just checked my Vance books and I wish I could say I've read or even heard of that title but I can't.

Any chance of giving us a brief introduction to what the book is about without spoilers? Maybe it will refresh the ageing brain cells...

 

[dask]

I have it in my collection but haven't read it yet. Going to keep my eye on this thread for a while to see what happens 'cause I'm snoopy.

 

[Connavar]

Sorry Conn, I just checked my Vance books and I wish I could say I've read or even heard of that title but I can't.

Any chance of giving us a brief introduction to what the book is about without spoilers? Maybe it will refresh the ageing brain cells...

Travel out along the galaxy's Perseid Arm. Branch off to follow the ten thousand stars of Mircea's Wisp. Eventually you will come to the Purple Rose System - three stars, Lorca, Sing and Syrene, that seem about to drift away into the void. Three planets circle Syrene. On one, Cadwal, there is Life. Long ago the Naturalist Society of Earth had listed Cadwal as a natural preserve. An administration centre had been set up and staffed to protect the planet from all exploitation. Araminta Station. Now, centuries later, the young Glawen Clattuc is beginning to wonder what the future may hold for him in the hierarchic, carefully ordered hereditary society that is life on Cadwal.


The main themes are class systems,political intriuge,a struggle for the supremacy over a one of a kind planet by the people in Araminta Station that have been there for over a Thousand years to protect the world and other people in other continent.

There is also elements of mystery, the book is somewhat cross genre of Mystery and SF. Not all the times but sometimes.

What makes it so interesting is the world JV paints up with human issues in a far future, a world far from earth,filled of wierd animals,elements.

 

[Ian Whates]

Hi, Conn, as mentioned in another thread, I've read this (if some year's ago) and loved it.

I'm curious, what do you need to talk about?

 

[Connavar]

Hi, Conn, as mentioned in another thread, I've read this (if some year's ago) and loved it.

I'm curious, what do you need to talk about?

There were somethings that just raised my emotions that i felt the need to put down in words. Like for example if you remember Arles the other Clattuc young man who is a rapist,killer or really a big suspect of those crime. Why they didnt do anything to him after he attacked Wayness Tamm.


The fear of Spancetta is too much too. Also their laws are very wierd in Araminta Station, you can almost kill,rape someone and go free. Atleast it seems so to me so far in my 160-170 pages of the story.

Plus i wanted to see more talk about Vance novels other than his famous fantasy ones.

 

[Ian Whates]

As mentioned, I read this some time ago. From what I remember, the sense that crimes are acceptable is very much a class thing -- the rich and pampered feeling that they can get away with anything because of who they are, an attitude which repels Glawen Clattuc, the central character -- but I seem to think that most of the wrong-doers get their come-uppance by the end.

Yes. laws on Araminta Station are a little skewed, due to its somewhat unique status as a 'Preserve' (I think that was the term), a status which becomes central to the plot as the series progresses and goes beyond Araminta itself.

It's interesting that you talk about Vance's fantasy books as being famous. I've read all the Dying Earth books and the Lyonnesse trilogy and enjoyed them thoroughly, but I still tend to think of Vance as primarily an SF writer, having read 20-odd of his science fiction books, many of them (including the Cadwal Chronicles) set in that strange sector of space known as the Gaean Reach.

Must confess, I don't recall being troubled by the sort of issues you raise when I read Araminta Station, I just remember revelling in Vance's glorious use of language and marvelling at the strange and vivid world his words create.

 

[Connavar]

As mentioned, I read this some time ago. From what I remember, the sense that crimes are acceptable is very much a class thing -- the rich and pampered feeling that they can get away with anything because of who they are, an attitude which repels Glawen Clattuc, the central character -- but I seem to think that most of the wrong-doers get their come-uppance by the end.

Yes. laws on Araminta Station are a little skewed, due to its somewhat unique status as a 'Preserve' (I think that was the term), a status which becomes central to the plot as the series progresses and goes beyond Araminta itself.

It's interesting that you talk about Vance's fantasy books as being famous. I've read all the Dying Earth books and the Lyonnesse trilogy and enjoyed them thoroughly, but I still tend to think of Vance as primarily an SF writer, having read 20-odd of his science fiction books, many of them (including the Cadwal Chronicles) set in that strange sector of space known as the Gaean Reach.

Must confess, I don't recall being troubled by the sort of issues you raise when I read Araminta Station, I just remember revelling in Vance's glorious use of language and marvelling at the strange and vivid world his words create.

The class system i understood until how a big crime was accepted as something small the rich,powerful can do. I must say i was disgusted as Clawen was. I was only really troubled cause where i am in the story Clawen and Bureau B are involved in the crimes and the book reads like a mystery at times at this point of the story. The hole scandel of the murder of Sessily Veder.

I think people today see Vance as Fantasy writer generally atleast among the fans i have seen who read him, because of his World fantasy award, World Fantasy lifetime achievement award,hugo,Nebula wins for Science Fantasy book,stories.

I see him as fantasy writer first and mos because of Dying Earth tales and i think his prose is much more lyrical,beautiful in the fantasy stories i have read of him. I adore the SF of his i have read like Emphyrio,first Demon Princes book etc but the prose there is less stylised. Its doesnt flow as beautiful to me as fantasy Vance. Of course im not sure since i have read 1% of his many SF books,stories.

The reason he has risen in my eyes to become my favorite author of all is when he does langauge,prose,worlds like Dying Earth tales,Emphyrio he is unbeatlable. One of my Vance cover blurbs say he is the premier stylised in SF but thats true for both SF and fantasy.

I enjoy the langauge,prose of Araminta too, it is more like fantasy Vance. The world is amazing, with the wierd animal life he creates. Sometimes i even wish we saw more of the world and less political intriuge. Like Star King(Demon Prince book 1) who was my last Jack Vance book.