The back cover of this books reads These are (at least some of) the ways you can read Nova: as a fast-action farflung interstellar adventure; as archetypical mystical/mythical allegory (in which he Tarot and the Grail both figure prominently); as modern myth told in the S-F idiom &hellip
. I’m glad I can read it as an interstellar adventure, because I know jack shit about the Tarot and the Grail, and could care less. Unfortunately as a space opera style adventure, I thought it was pretty boring. If you are into the Tarot or the Grail thing, inscrutable allegory, or other things, you might get more out of Nova than I did.
Synopsis: Childhood playmates Lorq Von Ray and Prince Red are actually progeny of two great families at odds. The Von Rays come from the Pleiades which became independent of Draco centuries earlier. Draco is the home of the Reds, and is the older arm of the galaxy which contains Earth. Their past rivalry now puts the two arms at odds again. If Von Ray and his crew can find a source of Illyrion, the substance that powers interstellar travel as well as just about everything else, they will break the control that Draco has over the galaxy. Prince Red tries to stop him.
Less than thrilled with this. Plot was boring. The prose was pretty choppy with occasional as you know Bob
. I was fairly fond of a couple of the characters, notably Mouse and Katin Crawford, two of Lorq Von Ray’s crew members. Mouse lives in the now, as well as plays a syrinx, which in this book is a musical kind of instrument. More than musical, it plays light and scent too. Katin’s life goal is to write a novel, something that isn’t done much anymore in the year 3166. Psychoramas are the thing. Full sense television of a sort. However, Katin hasn’t written a word of his novel. Instead, he’s taken some 12 thousand notes in preparation, but still hasn’t found a subject. The futility of his analysis paralysis was actually kind of endearing.
The rest of it didn’t impress me. In particular, I really get irritated when fantasy is mixed in with my science fiction. I’m okay with science fiction getting mixed into fantasy, but not the other way around. A lot of science fiction has science-like fantasy elements. Impossible or very improbable things made possible with a little bit of hand-waving. I’m fine with that; mundane SF is not my mission. But when you put Tarot cards in science fiction, and write of them as if not believing in them is the insane thing to do, I take issue. What’s next, some phrenology? Don’t like it one bit.
Some other blogged reviews:
Title: Nova
Author: Samuel R. Delany
Imprint / publisher: Bantam
Format: Mass market paperback
Length: 215 p.
Publication date: June 1975 (originally August 1968)
ISBN-10: 0-553-02243-1
Subject: Interplanetary voyages — Fiction
Interesting. I must have Nova somewhere around, but never tried it. I’ve had trouble with Delaney, because he’s so noir and because often I can’t figure out what’s going on! Thanks for the review!