Customer Reviews

The Last Castle

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'The Last Castle' is a remarkable work of science fantasy by a modern master of the genre. In the far future, all of the strongholds (save one) of an effete remnant of humanity have fallen to an alien race that has thrown off the shackles of slavery. This book, while loaded with ironic humor, is a thought-provoking study of the human condition. A deceptively short and simple book that you will reread to find subleties that you missed in previous readings. Vance is a genius!

"The Last Castle," by Jack Vance, is set on Earth thousands of years in the future. The planet is populated with the native human stock that has continuously been there, and also with a culture of humans who have returned to Earth after living elsewhere. The returnees live a luxurious, aristocratic lifestyle in gigantic castle strongholds. The castle dwellers are accompanied by "specialized andromorphs"--that is, various biologically altered slave species. Adding to the complexity of the landscape is a human faction that has broken off from the "gentlefolk" and lives outside of the castle walls. At the start of the book we learn that one of the slave species, the Meks, has begun to violently revolt against its human masters. This sets in motion a complex story of both military and cultural conflict.

This short novel is clearly a science fiction tale, but with its castles, noblemen, and talking "Birds," the book has a flavor of fantasy. Vance also brings a strong element of social and political satire to the mix. The whole book is only 115 pages long, but in a brief space Vance masterfully creates a complete and compelling portrait of this alternate Earth. Among other things he explores the food, entertainment, architecture, sexuality, transportation technology, and biology of this colorful world. Particularly rich are his descriptions of the diverse slave species.

At times Vance's style and themes remind me of the work of such other skilled science fiction craftsmen as Gordon Dickson (in "Dorsai!") and Clifford Simak (in "City"). His prose is overall very straightforward, but he keeps it lively with some ornate flourishes and lovely phrases. I found his prose very enjoyable to read. The book's copyright information notes that an Ace edition was published in 1966. Because of this, it may be tempting to read the narrative as an allegory for the upheavals in American culture in the 1960s. But due to Vance's insight and writerly skill, the satire still strikes me as fresh and relevant for our post-9/11 era.