Customer Reviews

Madness Season

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

C. S. Friedman's second novel is almost as lengthy and involved as her first, In Conquest Born (1986/7). Each is around 500 pages of fast-paced, intricate plotting in the fine tradition of good space opera. Madness Season adds to the space-journeys from an earth run by aliens to other planets, space stations and colonies, a permutation of the vampire myth. It introduces several non-human, and some non-corporeal beings as well as complex human adaptations to alien peoples and planets. Amongst all this wealth of detail, one might expect the characters to get lost. Such is not the case. The first-person narrator, named Daetrin Ungashak To-Alym Hall, tells the story of how he gradually deciphered the origins and location of earth's oppressors, the Tyr. However, he follows the path of discovery amid flash-backs to times as old as pre-Egyptian cultures, for he is a vampire from a family of vampires, the others of which have been killed in accidents over the ages. He relives some of his past alias at points in the story where he is stressed physically or mentally. Daetrin is an observant and conscientious individual who uses chemical substitutes to avoid the vampire's age-old need for blood, having found that this need is due to lack of a vital enzyme. Before he is removed from earth for being too curious, he has been trying to teach humans about their past, otherwise erased by the Tyr. After his transportation to domed research facilities off-planet, he spends his time unravelling the mystery of the Tyr-mind. The story is temporally placed in the not-too distant future after humans have been subjugated by the Tyr, who are manifested in several levels or races, the Honn-Tyr who are warriors and the Raayat-Tyr who are more intellectually curious have the most points of contact with humans. It is through one Raayat-Tyr, which he names Frederick, but also due to his ability to shapechange (yes, it turns out that vampires are werewolves too), that Daetrin is able to understand and locate the collective Tyr-mind that controls the aliens for most of their lives. Regardless of this unusual mix of earth legends, aliens and scientific discoveries, Daetrin falls within the classic SF-hero mold as a savior of humankind. But what a ride we are taken on along the way. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy human-alien contact stories, complex civilizations and circuitous plots.

Jan Bogstad

The Madness Season is an almost unbelievably good example of excellence in writing. The story is incredibly complex yet woven together with such delicacy that you become one with the story. I've read it twice and look forward to savoring it again in future years. It's in my Top Ten lists of all time favorite Science Fiction and belongs on every believers shelf. Like few books of its genre it hurts to put it down. The plot developments are logical and yet challenging. This is imagination that I will ever envy and appreciate. You cannot fail to like this fascinating chronology of an immortal from a conquered Earth facing his emminent demise at the hands of the ruling alien force who are not aware of his "secret" and how old he really is. At the core she takes an old concept which I thought I was going to hate and completely mesmerized me. I have been searching for a hardcover copy for myself . Should one buy it? It's unthinkable not too! I wish I were reading it for the first time.

I never would have thought it was possible to pull off vampires and alien invaders in one shot, but it appears I was wrong. I have also read "In Conquest Born" and the Coldfire Trilogy, and this is undoubtably my favorite. The story takes place in a future human society where our main character is a vampire far too modern and scientific to believe in such archaic fantasies as vampires. He does, however, believe in space-aliens, as Earth has been ruled by alien invaders for the past three-hundred years. Friedman's characters are, as usual, completely real, and I would love the chance to get my hands on a sequel if there were one.

Most people would pass this book up if they saw the above title (I would, if I saw it on a shelf). But then, a lot of people who bother to examine the plot of those Grade B Science Fiction movies would come to the same conclusion: those hackneyed plots are gems in capable hands. And Friedman certainly is capable! The Tyr, an alien hive-mind race, has already dominated humanity and much of the universe. Unexpectedly, they come upon a vampire who doesn't succumb to their normal soul-breaking tactics. This vampire (who, it should be noted, is never referred to as a vampire throughout the book) is humanity's salvation - he and another alien being known as a Mara fight a battle of intrigue against their captors. The Tyr undergo a dangerous and unpredictable transformation to improve their breeding chances with their queen, and the protagonist must unlock the secrets of their race if he is to survive. The ending will surprise you (and gross you out), but it's well worth the read. A rare find in science fiction and vampire novels alike.

How to describe this book? Perhaps as Sci-Fi? How about Occult? Aliens take over the world? Psychological exploration? Romance? All of those (and more) apply. This is a wonderful book that has you *scratching* your head trying to figure out what's going on for the first 75 pages and then has you *slapping* your head over the feeling that you should have known. And from there, it keeps on getting better. One of my favorite books.

I have read this book several times, most recently last week. Before I read it the first time, I would have bet money that it was impossible to have a story that successfully combined a vampire with space aliens. I was wrong. This book does it in an imaginative and entertaining way.

While this book at times feels a little awkward, in that it is non-linear with many flashbacks, and some important things are hinted at that aren't fully explained until later, in general it flows well. I don't object to non-linear stories, but this one was a big challenge and sometimes the transitions are strange. It was for this reason I gave it four stars instead of five.

The book's great strength is the character of Daetrin, and he makes the story worth reading. I thought his pain at watching the conquest of his beloved planet, his shame at not being able to prevent it, and his confusion about his own nature, gave him great complexity. He was well-thought-out and sympathetic.

Enthusiasts of vampire and werewolf fiction (and yes, I am one) may find it disappointing, since Daetrin's story isn't about being a vampire or werewolf. His story is about being a human, even if he has lived for over a thousand years. Whatever his ability or dietary needs, he is a human who will do anything to restore Earth's independence. So a reader looking for sexy scenes with lots of blood-drinking won't find it here. Instead, Daetrin is a scientist and teacher, rather shy and tense, who is more interested in databases and chemistry than in being dark and mysterious. (In fact, he has sandy blonde hair and is quite average-looking.)

Daetrin is not a vampire just to add in an unusual element to a science fiction story. The story as told needed a protagonist with a centuries-long perspective, as well as certain abilities and weaknesses. If Daetrin weren't a vampire, the story couldn't be told. Because of this, the whole thing hangs together into a coherent and complete narrative.

Finally, as a huge fan of Michael Whelan, I found it very enjoyable to contemplate the beautiful cover art.

The Madness Season is a beautifully original book.

If you have found this little-known book by chance, do not throw it away! Do not let the thickness of the book faze you or the thought of "vampires" lead you astray, because this is undoubtedly one of the best mixes of Sci-fi and Fantasy the world has seen.

The most important part of this book is not the sub-plot of "Oh no! Earth is Doomed, and has been taken over by Aliens!" In fact, this is not even a major part of the story of The Madness Season. The name of the book is a clear indicator of this (although the reader wont realize the significance until the very end.)

The most important part of C. S. Friedman's story is the psychology and sociology of the different races that have come to live under the Tyr invasion, and of the Tyr themselves.

Species 1: The humans of earth have been brought to heel by the Tyr and are mostly docile, their scientist and thinkers receiving the "privilege" of isolation in excellent facilities on a poisonous Jupiter-type planet. Earth has been so long under the Tyr that most of the population accepts the Tyr overlords, and those who don't are carted away. Which brings us to the story of the main character, who is not all he seems:

Species2: Daetrin, the main character, is haunted by vivid flashbacks from his past. Exactly how long his past is, he longs to forget. In fact, Daetrin is not even strictly human, though he tries to forget this too. The mystery of Daetrin's nature is unfolded skillfully in the book.

Species 3: The Tyr. No one knows where the Tyr came from, or what motivates them; but what makes them invincible to all subversion is their hive mind.

Species 4: The Tech are human servants aboard the Tyrs' galaxy jumping Long Ships.

Species 5: The Mara are perfect mass changers. They "live" for centuries but are sentient without any tie to organic matter. They are the ultimate ambassadors because they can shape-change their bodies, and even personalities, to fit in with the species they are encountering. The Mara can never die, but they have a curse that when they are not around other sentient beings they begin to forget their past.

Species 6: The hraas are perfect killers. Ruthless, efficient, and intelligent. They wander the Tyrs' ships and slaughter any living thing that is not Tyr or Tech.

All of these characters make an engrossing universe to explore in Freidman's story. No character is flat, no world is without its surprises. In The Madness Season the psychology of the species are all so polarized, but Freidman weaves the characters and their different points-of-view together seamlessly. Freidman even takes an ages old tenant of Fantasy, the vampire, and explains it in science fiction's world.

I love books that are exiting while still being profound and thought provoking. C. S. Freidman has it all.

As usual I came a way impressed by a C.S. Friedman book as she again does a very good job of exploring characters that have consume the lives of others in order to maintain their own. I'm amazed that she was able to get the plot resolved in one book as it could easily have been set up for a series. I'm glad she did as the story does bog down at times(the one weak point of the book as far as I am concerned) but that is offset by the large cast of characters and sub-plots that the book finally manages to weave together at the end. The most interesting part I thought came with the dillemma of the scientists who slowed down their work to fool the Tir. I am convinced that there was a lot more potential for debate to be had out of the scientist's plight but I guess at some point it's really more about telling a story and letting the readers think on the issues that have been introduced. Overall the use of heroes and heroines that can easily be made into villains is one of Friedman's stronger points and I think her books are a definite must read for adult sci-fi/fantasy fans.

Because others have already written great reviews on the contents of this book, I won't even try. Instead I'd just like to share my excitement and enjoyment over this, a wonderful C.S. Friedman book that possibly (POSSIBLY) tops her amazing Coldfire Trilogy. I'm not really into SciFi, which is why I was really disappointed with This Alien Shore and In Conquest Born (more of the author's work) after I discovered the incredible semifantasy trilogy. Because of my early disappointments I didn't even try to get hold of - and read - The Madness Season, which I thought would be just another SciFi let-down. Big mistake. One day, just months after acquiring the coldfire trilogy forever and ever, and in this way optimistic and full of hope towards Ms. Friedman's other works, I saw it sitting on the shelves and thought I should finally give it a chance. I'm glad I did. Yes, this is hard science fiction, but there are other elements interwoven, such as vampires & shapechanging. This is what immediately drew me in, thinking "Neat-o! Is this guy a kind of pre-Tarrant?" He wasn't, but the concepts of vampires in the hands of Ms. Friedman are endlessly fascinating. I liked Daetrin. His humor reminded me of Damien and his pasts and present were pretty fascinating. But to my great surprise, it was the SciFi aspects of the story that was most involving. I was drawn in by the alien races, fell in love with the un-embodied Marra species (even Kost, who has some really funny scenes with Daetrin; especially Kirri, who makes this the first almost "happily-ever-after" ending I've ever read from Friedman; and really that "priest"-Marra, he was adorable in the last scenes.) The Tyr, the enemy alien race that had subjugated Earth, was terrifying and a fascinating mystery. The Raayat-Tyr that Daetrin dubs Frederick, thus teaching him something of individuality, was intriguingly bizarre and somewhat endearing, while always just a little frigthening. The originality and creativity in the whole book, not to mention the quickening pace and sense of approaching climax, made this book a real must-read. I found it extremely hard to put it down and my mom complained that I was totally out of it when I was reading, responding automatically but without conscious thought, and really too busy chuckling over occasional moments of humor in the book. The best thing about this book to me is that it's the first Friedman book I've loved and felt a connection to with the Coldfire Trilogy, surpassing it in areas such as plotting and pace. And because of this I'm suddenly sure that if I reread This Alien Shore I'll really like it - that this excellent scifi will have somehow shown me how (and that sounds pretty dumb, but it's true). So now I get to look forward to whatever new books Ms. Friedman decides to write, whether SF or Fantasy, and have every expectation of loving it!

I'm just finishing this book. Like her other SF, The Madness Season is space opera with sophisticated concepts underlying the action. I like the way she's rationalized folk beliefs about vampires and shape shifters in an sf context instead of fantasy. The strength of this book lies in the complexity of Friedman's ideas.