Further Adventures on the Planet of Adventure: Jack Vance's Servants of the Wankh

Servants of the Wankh
Tschai:  Planet of Adventure 2
Jack Vance


In the second installment of the Planet of Adventure series, Adam Reith and his companions Traz Onmale and the Dirdirman Anacho set out to return the Flower of Cath to her homeland and while there receive help in building a spaceship to return home.  Due to a convoluted standard of shame that I'm not sure I ever completely understood, she ends up jumping overboard during the voyage.

Much of the first book was a sword and planet adventure.  It may have been because I was constantly being interrupted while reading Servants over a period of days, rather than finishing it in a single day, but it seemed to me that this was more an adventure of wit and manners.

Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of adventure.  Our hero is stranded on the Planet of Adventure, after all.  Much of the conflict was cultural rather than physical, with wit and cunning being two of the weapons employed.  That's especially true after they reach Cath. 

They Don't Write 'em Like That Anymore: Jack Vance's City of the Chasch

City of the Chasch

Tschai, Planet of Adventure:  1

Jack Vance

This is the first book in a tetralogy.  I picked it up along with books 3 and 4 when I was in high school, but couldn't find the second volume.  This was in the pre-intenet days.  I eventually did come across it, but never got around to reading it at the time.

I'm at a conference this week, and needed something to read on the plane when I had to keep the Nook turned off.  (Preparing for the conference is why I haven't posted anything here lately.)  I had only read this book in the series, and that was...a long time ago.  I couldn't remember a thing about it and decided to give it another try.

I loved it!  This is an old fashioned planet story, about an Earthman on a lost world trying to make his way home through all sorts of exotic alien races.  It's the sort of stuff that's in far too short supply these days.