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"Prologue" handler om Rarik Hortvenzy, der har efterladt en optagelse, hvor han forbander sin partnerske Janeel fordi de blev på planeten, hvor
"The Plague Star" handler om fire personer på skattejagt, Celise Waan, Kaj Nevis, Jefri Lion og Jessamyn Caige. De har hyret handelsmanden Haviland Tuf (fordi han har et rumskib) og cyborgen Anittas til hjælp, men kæmpeskatten skal kun deles i fire dele. Lion har fundet beretningen om peststjernen og gættet sig frem til at det er et rumkrigsskib, der er programmeret til at så død og overlæggelse over planeten med jævne mellemrum selv om det nu er mange hundrede år siden krigen er slut. Kaj Nevis er ude på at snyde alle de andre, så det kommer til kamp, hvor Tuf er den eneste, der overlever. Eller rettere Tuf og hans to katte, Havoc og Chaos.
"Loaves and Fishes" handler om Tuf, der dukker op i en rumhavn ved Planeten S'uthlam med sit 1000 år gamle rumkrigsskib, Ark, og udløser en vis påstyr, for Ark er et meget slagkraftigt våben, selv om det er i dårlig stand efter 1000 år uden besætning. Planeten er voldsomt overbefolket og teknokratregeringen har regnet på at det går galt om højst 27 år. Tuf har en løsning. Tolly Mune styrer rumhavnen, men er i klemme mellem planetens regering og hensynet til at holde rumhavnen kørende. Ark er fristende at konfiskere, men hvem vil så turde benytte rumhavnen fremover? Tolly Mune hjælper Tuf med at slippe væk med Ark og de laver en aftale om at værkstedsregningen skal betales med halvdelen om 5 år og resten om 10 år. Hvis Tuf ikke finder pengene, bliver Ark S'uthlam's ejendom.
"Guardians" handler om Namor, som befolkes af nogle få millioner nybyggere, hovedsageligt fiskere. Efter ca 100 år begynder de at blive angrebet af søuhyrer, som ligner dyr fra den lokale økologi, men ikke er set de sidste 100 år. Efterkommerne af vagterne på immigrationsrumskibene er de eneste kampberedte, men de er få og under stort pres. Namor sender en forbindelsesofficer Kefira Qay til Tuf og hun tvinger ham til at gøre noget ved sagen, inden han selv er klar. Han introducerer en række nye dyr til Namor, men selv om det ser godt ud i starten, går det galt og søuhyrerne udrydder de nye dyr og angriber igen namorianerne. I mellemtiden er Tufs egen løsning klar. De 'mud pots' som namorianerne har spist med stort velbehag som lækre skaldyr er i virkeligheden en intelligent race, der kommunikerer udelukkende med psi og som kan genmanipulere deres vagtdyr, en slags brandmænd, så de matcher diverse trusler fra omgivelserne. Tuf har fremavlet en kat med psi i stort mål og kan via den snakke med mud-pot folket. Tuf's aftalte honorar var 2 millioner, men han lægger 3 millioner oveni for det arbejde, han blev tvunget til at gøre. Da Qay nægter at betale, sender han en underholdningsfilm, der viser hvad et skib som Ark kan gøre ved en planet. Den fulde regning bliver herefter betalt.
"Second Helpings" handler om Tuf, der efter 5 succesfulde år med Ark vender tilbage til S'uthlam i forklædning og med brug af et andet rumskib end Ark, for han kan godt huske at afskeden med S'uthlam skete i hast. Tuf mødes med Tolly igen, betaler halvdelen af sin regning og får yderligere et nedslag i prisen for at overveje S'uthlams fremtid. Selv om han hjalp dem med mere højtydende planter og dyr for fem år siden, er deres situation blevet værre, for deres fødselsrate gik også op. Han holder pressekonference og fortæller folk dette, hvilket ellers var holdt hemmeligt af politikerne. Han kan hjælpe dem en smule, men det kræver stort set at de overgår til monokulturer af de mest højtydende arter i hans katalog. Efter pressekonferencen tager han afsted igen.
"A Beast for Norn" handler om en planet, hvor man har arrangeret dyrekampe mellem de 12 største jordbesiddere i flere hundrede år. Huset Norn er træt af at tabe og køber nogle uhyrer af Tuf. Nogle uger efter banker den nye taber på døren og sådan fortsætter det indtil det sidste hus for en meget stor sum køber en stor portion uhyrer plus at de betaler for at Tuf skal holde op med at handle med nogen af husene fremover. Men uhyrerne har alle deres særheder, så det er et godt gæt at de 12 godsejere ender med at blive næsten ruinerede og at planeten ikke har flere rovdyr tilbage, dvs deres tradition for dyrekampe vil dø. Vegetaren Tuf er ikke utilfreds med dette udfald.
"Call Him Moses" handler om Jaime Kreen, der får Tufs hjælp til at slippe af med en selvbestaltet profet, der kalder sig Moses og har fået lukket planetens eneste storby og sendt beboerne på genopdragelse med hårdt manuelt arbejde. Tuf tager sig godt betalt og adspreder sig lidt ved at genskabe bibelens ti plager, de fleste kommer heldigvis kun til det computersimulerede stadie, men der er ikke den store tvivl om at Tuf faktisk er kold nok til at slippe dem løs på fjender eller dårlige betalere. Hans tankelæsende kat Dax er til stor hjælp i forhandlingssituationer.
"Manna from Heaven" handler om at Tuf 10 år efter første besøg vender tilbage til S'uthlam og bliver modtaget af Tolly Mune. S'uthlam er på krigsfod og på randen af økologisk katastrofe. Tuf leger gud og pålægger dem at holde fred og desuden har han fundet på en ny plante, der er højtydende, men desuden spreder et støv, der nedsætter libido og frugtbarhed.
Haviland Tuf er en spøjst hovedperson, for han er høj, albino og ret Asbergeragtig i sit forhold til medmennesker. Men han kan godt lide sine katte og så kan man jo tilgive ham meget, fx at det går folk ilde, når de er onde ved kattene eller dumme eller prøver at snyde ham eller på anden vis kommer ham på tværs.
Haviland Tuf er indbegrebet af en Bastard Operator from Hell, BOFH.
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"Haviland Tuf is an honest space-trader who likes cats. So how is it that, in competition with the worst villains the universe has to offer, he's become the proud owner of the last seedship of Earth's legendary Ecological Engineering Corps? Never mind, just be thankful that the most powerful weapon in human space is in good hands--hands which now control cellular material for thousands of outlandish creatures. Armed with this unique equipment, Tuf is set to tackle the problems that human settlers have created in colonizing far-flung worlds: hosts of hostile monsters, a population hooked on procreation, a dictator who unleashes plagues to get his own way...and in every case, the only thing that stands between the colonists and disaster is Tuf's ingenuity--and his reputation as a man of integrity in a universe of rogues."--from cover, p. [4]… (more)
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The stories follow the
Tolly Mune, the steel-plated portmaster who plays the only other sustained role in the book, is much easier to sympathize with. Her passions, her foul mouth, her canny political sense; all these make her much easier to recognize as human.
Though technically an anthology, do not think that the stories in this volume are wholly independent of one another. Bound together like this they read very much like chapters in a more conventional novel, the only clue to their separate origins being occasional repetition of background information. They might have been somewhat better edited together for this version; in particular, the growing tension between Tuf and Mune might possibly have been played more consistently. But it's well done as is - and leads up to a truly superb final sentence.
If I have any reservations about this book, they arise from my reaction to it on a second reading, many years after my first encounter: the book is disquieting. The unsympathetic protagonist neatly unbalances the familiar stereotypes of SF - but that same feature also transforms what might otherwise be a forgettable book into one that sticks in the memory. And, I suppose, that's what makes really good SF: it makes us think. And sometimes, even in ways we may find uncomfortable. At that, Tuf Voyaging unquestionably succeeds.
We follow Haviland Tuf -- a bit of an intentional cypher to all the people he encounters, but not that difficult to understand (and, at least for me, like) for the reader. Tuf ends up in possession of a vastly powerful antique cloning chip, with which he decides to travel through space (joined only by his beloved cats) and offer biological engineering services to any planet that might need it. Tuf's disaffected manner, verbose patterns of speech, odd looks and particular combination of obvious misanthropy and deep empathy all serve to make him a highly unusual protagonist, but, I think, a very enjoyable one. It is (intentionally, I think) unclear to what extent he's prepared for every eventuality (though he's certainly prepared for many) and to what extent he trusts his mind to figure things out as he goes along, but in every story in this book, Tuf's little schemes bear satisfying fruit. And as they do, Tuf himself slowly might be changing -- subtly, considering his intentionally hard-to-read personality -- as Martin explores what ultimate power does to a person, even one as collected and self-assured as Tuf. Or perhaps he does not change at all. And both conclusions, whichever way I chose to interpret it, were equally powerful in my read.
'Tuf Voyaging' is an easy read, soft science fiction with an obvious satirical angle on the various societies and communities Tuf visits (and, in his own mind at least, helps), and what depth and realism there is might suffer slightly from the frequently convenient facts that tend to play to Tuf's advantage. But Martin is pretty good at making these palatable. And should he somehow ever find the time in his career to revisit Tuf (as I know he has mentioned over the years wishing to do), I will happily buy and read it.
(Long silence)
I can think of no more words to say. Janeel knew many words and many names, but I buried her this morning.
(Long silence)
If my voice is ever found . . .
(Short pause)
If this is found after the plague star has waned, as the night-hunters say it will, do not be deceived. This is no fair world, no world for life. Here is death, and plagues beyond numbering. The plague star will shine again.
(Long silence)
My wine is gone.
(End of recording)”
In “Tuf Voyaging” by George R. R. Martin
I sometimes need to learn to relax a bit and don't think of reading as always something that always has to be deep and meaningful. I try to think of genres in the same way one may think of food. One day I might go to the trouble or expense of a chateaubriand, and the next day I really, really fancy cheese on toast. Some days I want to be moved, the next have my head twisted inside out only to follow that with a bit of Jeeves. My advice: (1) don’t get your knickers in a twist about it. The authors all have different intentions and audiences, or maybe that should be audiences in a particular mood and frame of mind that day. For me, SF is my escape from the feeling I really should appreciate, analyse and be critical, and instead just float along happily in a haze of sun, sea and alcohol, or cold medicine, whatever the case may be. Like a secret stash of chocolates to relax with on my own; (2) Don't make reading into a chore. You don't always have to learn something. Sometimes it's just pure fun and recreation. SF allows you to make your own rules and set them in your own invented history. You can place it all in a universe where up is down if you wish and certainly on a world where they have a pink sky and two cooperating suns at one time. The author is truly omnipotent. But the prose doesn't need to be creaky. There are master craftsmen writing in this genre, for instance the-George-R-R-Martin-that-also-wrote-stuff-other-than-the-famigerated-GoT. I'm thinking about this particular little gem called "Tuf Voyaging". Who would have thought Martin had it in him to write stuff like this? As for all this stuff re genres and validity at literature, all genres have dross and have gems. Not seeing that also applies to SF is as dumb as not seeing in this in historical novels or biographies. I accept that for some genre of SF may not be their cup of tea, though maybe this often because they have not been exposed to gems from the genre and have seen some prejudice affirmed from what they have read. Which is a shame, for them. Creaky prose, preposterous characterisation, racist attitudes and all? In fact, if the dilemmas of impoverished middle-class young women in Regency England, or idealistic bootleggers in 1920s New York or ambitious young Irish politicians in late nineteenth century England are not necessarily escapist now, then nor are those of noblemen in an island torn by civil war with the prospect of others crossing the Wall and rumours of dragons overseas. This is as fine a set of science fiction stories as I have ever read, dealing with the problems and relationships of humanity and their technology, bound up with fascinating characters and plots. It also deals in a cautionary way with the problems of unrestrained population growth. Finally, it explores the consequences that result when a single human being gains the ultimate power of life and death. This George-R-R-Martin-that-also-wrote-stuff-other-than-the-famigerated-GoT is as fine a set of SF stories as I have ever read, dealing with the problems and relationships of humanity and their technology, bound up with fascinating characters and plots. It also deals in a cautionary way with the problems of unrestrained population growth. Finally, it explores the consequences that result when a single human being gains the ultimate power of life and death. Go and read “Tuf Voyaging”. It’s that good.
SF = Speculative Fiction.
NB: Peter Tillman brought this book to my attention. I'm glad he did.
The one collection of short stories I would suggest may be worth trying - and I think it's been reprinted recently in a 'Game of Thrones' tie-in edition - is "Tuf Voyaging". It's a series of linked stories about one Havilland Tuf, who comes into possession of an Imperial seed-ship from the Old Empire. He then travels the galaxy, dispensing ecological fixes to a range of different environmentally-challenged planets (for an appropriate fee, of course). It's a lot lighter than a lot of his other work, even though the named character does dispense what you might call "Tuf justice" (sorry about that) to clients whose demands don't appear on Tuf's moral compass. On the other hand, Havilland Tuf does like cats....
This book was a lot of fun, and almost deceptively fun, given that the main characters are forced into some pretty chilling decisions. I'm not quite sure why it ended up feeling more like a 3-star book than a 4-star book for me -- possibly because of the structure. I've seen it described as a "fix-up novel," i.e. one made up of previously published short stories; while the individual stories work really well together, and there ultimately is an arc, the tempo still comes out a bit staccato.
If you're a Song of Ice and Fire fan... this might not be your thing. If you're a fan of fun yet thinky space opera, give it a try.
In the first story, Tuf is the captain of a trading spaceship he calls the Cornucopia of Excellent Goods at Low Prices. He’s not a great trader, but he’s earnest. He takes on four people that hire him for transport to a “plague star”, which contains a planet that has been ravaged by disease. The cause of the disease is found when Cornucopia of Excellent Goods at Low Prices is damaged after triggering a seedship’s defenses: a seedship of the Ecological Engineering Corp from the Federal Empire, an ancient polity that has since faded into myth.
Through a crazy series of events that involve a Tyrannosaurus rex, Tuf ends up in sole possession of the massive seedship he calls the Ark. He parks the Cornucopia of Excellent Goods at Low Prices in one of the bays and starts using the ship’s stunning biological capabilities to make a living as an Ecological Engineer. With his cats, Tuf flies from world to world solving ecological problems.
Things, of course, are not that simple.
The major appeal of Tuf Voyaging is the character of Haviland Tuf. He’s a man of many words, delivered in a dry yet eloquent way that never gets old. At times the reader thinks Tuf may not be perceiving what is happening around him. It’s always a delight to find out that he understands perfectly.
The book is also thoughtful. Many of the ecological problems that Tuf is called on to solve have a human element to them. On a planet called S’uthlam, for example, Tuf argues that overpopulation is going to prevent any solutions, which spurs a debate about religious beliefs vs. ecology. On another world, treatment of animals is a topic. Martin brings these things up in this book without being preachy.
This book contains the following stories:
“The Plague Star” (1985)
“Loaves and Fishes” (1985)
“Guardians” (1981)
“Second Helpings” (1985)
“A Beast for Norn” (1976)
“Call Him Moses” (1978)
“Manna From Heaven” (1985)
Tuf Voyaging is not new however: the publishers
Set in the far distant future, the loosely connected tales relate to adventures and quandaries of Tuf, a giant, bald albino, who has acquired a giant space ship devoted to genetic engineering, and travels the universe as a profiteering problem solver.
Tuf may not be a very sympathetic hero but he is a very engaging character, wry, dry and probably autistic, who gives moral complexities short shrift – and would probably be quite at home in the Kingdom of Westeros.
Rereading these (I have read most from original magazine publications) several years later was a nice experience. Martin can write very interesting stories. However, this is very different book than his fantasies, which have more full bodied protagonists.
Sometimes he helps, sometimes he hinders, but the moral of the story is - as one person pointed out - that in most cases it is the colonies own fault that they have brought about ecological ruin or other disasters upon themselves, and perhaps if they thought about the problem with as much consideration as Tuf, they would not be in the situation in the first place.
If Tuf were to switch to an evil mastermind, then all the universes would find themselves in grave peril.
This book was a lot of fun, and almost deceptively fun, given that the main characters are forced into some pretty chilling decisions. I'm not quite sure why it ended up feeling more like a 3-star book than a 4-star book for me -- possibly because of the structure. I've seen it described as a "fix-up novel," i.e. one made up of previously published short stories; while the individual stories work really well together, and there ultimately is an arc, the tempo still comes out a bit staccato.
If you're a Song of Ice and Fire fan... this might not be your thing. If you're a fan of fun yet thinky space opera, give it a try.
The obese, resourceful, brilliant, loner
The
The first section is a classic "subtraction" story. Tuf, a minor space trader, owner of the ship 'Cornucopia Of Excellent Goods At Low Prices', is hired by a diverse group of disreputable types who suspect they know where to find untold booty - an intact 'seedship' of a defunct Empire, more powerful than anything now known to the galaxy. Unfortunately, disreputable characters tend to behave disreputably, and soon infighting and plots occur. Due to a combination of ingenuity and luck, Tuf ends up the sole owner of the ship, and sets himself up as an Ecological Engineer, available for hire to fix any sort of planetary problem.
Although he has a variety of comissions and adventures, he keeps getting called back to the planet of S'uthlam, a place (over)populated by a 'nice' but religious people who believe it is their manifest destiny to breed as much as possible. In the past, this has caused major problems with their planetary neighbors, who don't care to be overrun by S'uthlam. Now they are confined to their own planet - but they are running out of food and resources.
Tuf helps with improved agricultural strains and methods - but this just enables the S'uthlam to breed more rapidly. The hard-headed, tough Portmaster, Tully Mune, who knows her people have an even more serious problem than they realize, has to keep calling Tuf back... and drastic problems may call for drastic measures.
This book is clever, funny, entertaining - and also deals deftly with some of the most serious problems that we here on earth have, much like the S'uthlam, refused to engage. More than anything else I've read lately, I keep finding myself talking about this book to other people.
Haviland Tuf & his ship are hired to take a group of misfits to a planet that suffers incurable plagues every 3 generations from a remnant war ship cum super-biological weapon left over from the last galactic war--several thousand years ago. The plot theme is filled with potential, but dumbed
• Tuf evokes no sympathy, the story indulges in too many deus ex machina endings and the story plots, of what little I read, avoid any gripping action; ignoring Tuf the other characters—who aren’t outright idiots/evil—usually have more depth.
• The story lines are easy to read/understand, Tuf is just obnoxious enough to titillate the average teenager and the action tends to be short and sweet.
In general, I’m giving this book 3-stars for the YA readers who, I believe, will really enjoy it. If you want a more mature read (i.e. with “more meat”), this is not it.
As a side note, something that really bothers me about Martin is his penchant for finding extremely gruesome ways to kill people. In fact, the primary reason I read this book was to see what other “tools” he had in his workshop—but this one hearkens back to the first story I read by him, ‘Sandkings’. The only saving grace these stories have is that these deaths, while fairly gory, are not dwelled on so dramatically and tediously as in ‘Sandkings’.
They undid the delight and adventure of the first five tales.
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Omslaget viser et våbenskjold med en rumhjelm på toppen og indskriften Ecological Engineering Corps
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Side 203: Haviland Tuf sat back and toyed with the kitten. 'I shall name you Suspicion,' he said to it, 'to commemorate my reception here. Your siblings shall be Doubt, Hostility, Ingratitude and Foolishness.'
Side 223: Must I tolerate not only hostility and impatience, but slurs on my intelligence as well?
Side 241: Even in our moment of victory, we are mocked and insulted.
Side 376: I cannot make such fine distinctions. I would point out, however, that all of the firstborn are dead, in these scenes that never were, even as the lastborn. I am a gross and clumsy god in that; in my awkwardness, I must need kill all.
Side 376: Moses was pale and broken, but within him was still a strong and stubborn man.
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813.54 |