Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Star (1982), Paperback, 256 pages
Description
Vornan-19 fell from the sky and landed, naked, on the Spanish Steps in Rome on the afternoon of Christmas Day toward the end of the millennium. And that, for Leo Garfield began an extraordinary and eventful year. For Garfield is an acknowledged expert in the time-reversal of sub-atomic particles and Vornan-19 claims to come from far in the future, a claim that has to be investigated. But the world is in a strange, edgy state as it prepares to move into the next millennium and is ready and willing to see the charming and magnetically charismatic Vornan as some kind of messiah. Even Garfield and his fellow scientists come under Vornan's spell. But can he really be from the future? Or is he just a charlatan and a fraud?
User reviews
LibraryThing member clark.hallman
Silverberg has been one of my favorite science-fiction authors for more than 30 years, but I haven’t read him for awhile. I've had this book on my shelves for a long time and recently came across it. I have always been fascinated by the concept of time travel so I decided it was time to read it.
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The book takes place in 1999 and Silverberg accurately predicts the widespread paranoia and doomsday expectations that many people embraced as the new millennium approached. In his story the Apocalyptists are creating havoc through demonstrations of all kinds all over the world. The story is told through the memoir of Leo Garfield, a physicist at the University of California, Irvine, who is frustrated by his less than successful research, which focuses on moving objects backward in time. On Christmas day 1999, Vornan-19 appears stark naked and apparently floating from the sky in Rome. He claims to be visiting from the year 2999. Although many people are skeptical, they are mystified by his strangeness and inexplicable powers. Dr. Garfield is persuaded by the US Military to join a group of scientists that are recruited to accompany and study Vornan-19 as he travels around the US, the World, and even the moon colony. During his travels Vornan-19 quickly becomes a celebrity, but also creates chaos, which includes both property damage and violence wherever he goes, despite the efforts of the military and the scientists to keep the situation under control. Vornan-19 does not seem to understand how he could have contributed to these disturbances accepts no responsibility for them, although at times he seems to be amused by them. His charisma enables him to continue and increase without be criticized. Unfortunately, he also will not share any useful information about his world with the scientists. The story becomes ominous when the masses begin worshiping Vornan-19. As always Silverberg tells an interesting and well-written story, but it is steeped in the milieu of the 1960s. It reveals overly optimistic expectations about the advancement of science in 1999, although it does foretell computer modeling and some other technological advancements. The story really emphasizes the relationships between Garfield, two of his friends, the other scientists in the group, Vornan-19, and his followers. It kept me interested, but not enthralled. Show Less
LibraryThing member pgiunta
On Christmas Day in 1998, a charismatic being in the form of a nude man materializes from a shimmering electrical field in the middle of Rome. Calling himself Vornan-19, he claims to have traveled back in time 1,000 years to observe the cultures of primitive Earth.
Soon after, the United States
Rather, Vornan admits to being little more than a bored dilettante from the future seeking to amuse himself by partaking in the sexual customs of “underdeveloped” humans. He reveals only that he hails from a land known as the Centrality and that poverty, starvation, even death have been eliminated, somehow, during the 1,000 years between our time and his.
Among Vornan’s cadre of guardians is Leo Garfield, a middle-aged physicist stymied in his current academic career and in need of a distraction. It is his through Garfield’s point of view that we experience the escapades of Vornan-19, for it is with Garfield that Vornan forms the closest bond.
Vornan’s habitual venery not only extends to the female scientists of the group, but almost any random woman, or man, he happens to encounter in his travels. Despite Garfield’s attempts to keep him in check, Vornan manages to leave chaos and frustration in his wake wherever he goes. Whether that is intentional or a merely the result of being a stranger in a strange land is anyone’s guess.
His popularity in the media rapidly escalates, to the chagrin of a cult known as the Apocalyptists, who believe that the world will end on January 1, 2000. Their public protests and orgies become more fervent as they rail against Vornan, even while he amasses a rabid following of his own. To desperate millions around the world, this prophet from the future brings hope and wisdom. He becomes their new messiah.
Is Vornan-19 merely a simple observer from the future seeking an escape from ennui and indolence, or is he a sham taking advantage of a gullible and “underdeveloped” humanity?
The Masks of Time was published in 1968, during the Vietnam War and a period of violent civil unrest in the United States. People sought hope, equality, peace, but most of all meaning, and many of them looked to various new-age religions and cults to find it. Robert Silverberg deftly adopted all of these elements into the tale of Vornan-19.
While the story opens with the amusing and engaging arrival of Vornan in Rome, the second chapter is loaded down with exposition during Garfield’s initial visit with his friends Jack and Shirley in Arizona. From there, the pacing remains uneven, but the story held my attention to the end.
Soon after, the United States
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government assembles a motley team of five scientists to escort Vornan across the nation, around the globe, even to the moon colonies, all the while studying him in an attempt to determine or debunk his authenticity. Yet, Vornan offers little more than nebulous scraps of information about the future and evades direct questions about the mechanics of time travel, asserting ignorance about all matters scientific and technical.Rather, Vornan admits to being little more than a bored dilettante from the future seeking to amuse himself by partaking in the sexual customs of “underdeveloped” humans. He reveals only that he hails from a land known as the Centrality and that poverty, starvation, even death have been eliminated, somehow, during the 1,000 years between our time and his.
Among Vornan’s cadre of guardians is Leo Garfield, a middle-aged physicist stymied in his current academic career and in need of a distraction. It is his through Garfield’s point of view that we experience the escapades of Vornan-19, for it is with Garfield that Vornan forms the closest bond.
Vornan’s habitual venery not only extends to the female scientists of the group, but almost any random woman, or man, he happens to encounter in his travels. Despite Garfield’s attempts to keep him in check, Vornan manages to leave chaos and frustration in his wake wherever he goes. Whether that is intentional or a merely the result of being a stranger in a strange land is anyone’s guess.
His popularity in the media rapidly escalates, to the chagrin of a cult known as the Apocalyptists, who believe that the world will end on January 1, 2000. Their public protests and orgies become more fervent as they rail against Vornan, even while he amasses a rabid following of his own. To desperate millions around the world, this prophet from the future brings hope and wisdom. He becomes their new messiah.
Is Vornan-19 merely a simple observer from the future seeking an escape from ennui and indolence, or is he a sham taking advantage of a gullible and “underdeveloped” humanity?
The Masks of Time was published in 1968, during the Vietnam War and a period of violent civil unrest in the United States. People sought hope, equality, peace, but most of all meaning, and many of them looked to various new-age religions and cults to find it. Robert Silverberg deftly adopted all of these elements into the tale of Vornan-19.
While the story opens with the amusing and engaging arrival of Vornan in Rome, the second chapter is loaded down with exposition during Garfield’s initial visit with his friends Jack and Shirley in Arizona. From there, the pacing remains uneven, but the story held my attention to the end.
Show Less
LibraryThing member RBeffa
Read in August 2021
I have read and own a large number of Silverberg's stories since the late 60's. I would guess I have read over a hundred of Silverberg's stories, long ones and short ones, over the past half century. I consider him one of my favorite science fiction writers. He also writes some
I found this book to be bizarre and strangely unsatisfying. Silverberg tries to write a serious work here, looking forward from his time to 30 years in the future and apocalyptic cults of 1999 and the appearance of what seems to be a 5 foot tall man from the future who has traveled 1000 years back in time. The man from 2999 seems to be an aphrodisiac and a cult instantly springs up around him. In a way this is a second cousin to something like "Stranger in a Strange Land". The first chapter starts off very well. One must remember that when this was written it was 60's sexual revolution time. Everything in here is sexualized whether it is a power cord "He set his grip on thick cables and massaged them in frank obscenity." or a woman dictating into a small hidden recorder at a party: "Helen McIlwain was dictating notes into the amulet at her throat, a task that required her to give a good imitation of the fellative act, while Lloyd Kolff was enjoying the act itself not far away ..."
That 60's revolution seems to mean we also talk about breasts and their shape and see through clothes incessantly and who wants to do what with who on just about every female in the book. Relentlessly. We even have a young woman pissing on someone's face. A little bit of sexual patter can be titillating but this was really absurd. How bad is it? Well, let me give you one more example here, the assessment of a fiftysomething physicist evaluating who I think is a fortysomething anthropologist who just had the front of her garment ripped open: "One bare breast jutted into view, surprisingly firm for a woman her age, surprisingly well developed for a woman of her lean, lanky build."
The novel does have some interesting parts but honestly I was rather bored with it much of the time and could not get past the dreadful package the story presented. I couldn't wait for it to be over. This one goes down as the worst Silverberg I ever read. I did lightly skim through a few bits. I'm surprised I didn't throw this in the trash. Hey, good idea!
This is simply poorly written and I'm surprised that when my copy was reissued in 1988 that a glaring time zone error wasn't fixed. And it really is glaring.
I have read and own a large number of Silverberg's stories since the late 60's. I would guess I have read over a hundred of Silverberg's stories, long ones and short ones, over the past half century. I consider him one of my favorite science fiction writers. He also writes some
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fantasy and historical fiction as well as non-fiction, but he is primarily a science fiction writer. However, even though I have read a lot he has written a lot more and many of his novels and stories I have never read or even known about. This is one of the unread ones coming from a time when a younger version of myself was discovering his writing and enjoying many of his tales.I found this book to be bizarre and strangely unsatisfying. Silverberg tries to write a serious work here, looking forward from his time to 30 years in the future and apocalyptic cults of 1999 and the appearance of what seems to be a 5 foot tall man from the future who has traveled 1000 years back in time. The man from 2999 seems to be an aphrodisiac and a cult instantly springs up around him. In a way this is a second cousin to something like "Stranger in a Strange Land". The first chapter starts off very well. One must remember that when this was written it was 60's sexual revolution time. Everything in here is sexualized whether it is a power cord "He set his grip on thick cables and massaged them in frank obscenity." or a woman dictating into a small hidden recorder at a party: "Helen McIlwain was dictating notes into the amulet at her throat, a task that required her to give a good imitation of the fellative act, while Lloyd Kolff was enjoying the act itself not far away ..."
That 60's revolution seems to mean we also talk about breasts and their shape and see through clothes incessantly and who wants to do what with who on just about every female in the book. Relentlessly. We even have a young woman pissing on someone's face. A little bit of sexual patter can be titillating but this was really absurd. How bad is it? Well, let me give you one more example here, the assessment of a fiftysomething physicist evaluating who I think is a fortysomething anthropologist who just had the front of her garment ripped open: "One bare breast jutted into view, surprisingly firm for a woman her age, surprisingly well developed for a woman of her lean, lanky build."
The novel does have some interesting parts but honestly I was rather bored with it much of the time and could not get past the dreadful package the story presented. I couldn't wait for it to be over. This one goes down as the worst Silverberg I ever read. I did lightly skim through a few bits. I'm surprised I didn't throw this in the trash. Hey, good idea!
This is simply poorly written and I'm surprised that when my copy was reissued in 1988 that a glaring time zone error wasn't fixed. And it really is glaring.
Show Less
Awards
Nebula Award (Nominee — Novel — 1968)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1968-05
Physical description
256 p.; 17.7 cm
ISBN
035231091X / 9780352310910
Local notes
Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser en person i en orange kappe, der taler til en stor mængde af folk tæt på en storby
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Omslaget viser en person i en orange kappe, der taler til en stor mængde af folk tæt på en storby
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
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Pages
256
DDC/MDS
| 813 |