In the far distant future, the Khosalikh have conquered humanity and subsequently lost a war of rebellion to them as well. Now co-existing with aliens, though sometimes with rancor, humans don’t exactly remember their heritage very clearly. Elvis is now a church, for instance, with Graceland as its Mecca. Myths put him together with Billy the Kid.
At first, I didn’t like the story. But it quickly grew on me. Under it’s light-hearted tone, Walter Jon Williams manages to observe some of humanities quirks and extrapolate where they will lead. The main character is Drake Maijstral. He’s an Allowed Burglar. He can steal things under certain conditions, but he can also be arrested and prosecuted as well. All for the television cameras (or the equivalent). His father is legally dead, yet kept thinking in a cryogenic container (which has made him just a little batty). The culture is all about image, appearance, and celebrity.
The basic plot is this: Maijstral is on vacation on Earth. However, someone doesn’t like him and frames him for a theft from the Louvre. Since he’s currently the number one ranked Allowed Burglar, no one will believe that it wasn’t him. Shortly afterward, an antique gun is stolen from the house in which Maijstral is a guest, and the gun is found in his quarters. Additional thefts work much the same way. The outraged hosts challenge Maijstral to duels. He has to find out who is framing him as well as survive his duels. For while he is a formidable Allowed Burglar, he’s a lousy fighter and a coward to boot.
It’s not deep, but it was fun and it definitely compares well to the best of Resnick’s light-hearted adventure tales.
Title: Rock of ages
Author: Walter Jon Williams
Cover Artist: Romas Kukalis
Series: Drake Maijstral book 3
Publisher: Tor
Format: Hardcover
Length: 287 p.
Publication date: September 1995
ISBN-10: 0-312-85963-5
Subject: Maijstral, Drake (Fictitious character) — Fiction
Subject: Burglars — Fiction
LC classification: PS3573.I456213 R63 1995
