Half a century after he started publishing, Vance showed in this story that he still had his gift. For Vance fans, the characters are familiar types, but the writing flows just as smoothly as ever.Ports of Call is a travelogue, somewhat in the mode of Big Planet (but broader) or Space Opera (but less farcical). In brief, a young man is forced to make his way as a member of a spaceship crew, visiting all manner of planets. As always, the worlds are strange, the customs bizarre, the decisions whimsical.The book has a broader range of well-developed characters than usual. Where Vance often relies on a fairly 'normal' narrator and weird, barely human companions or foils, here the crew of the spaceship are interesting and reasonable individuals in their own right.Some of the decoration is familiar. For example, Vance expands slightly on one of his favorite risks - that innocent actions can lead to unexpected - and undesired - marriage. (Since he seems to have been quite happy with his own lifelong marriage, it's best not to read into this anything but humor.) But the total is nonetheless very entertaining.So far, so good, and one of Vance's better books. Unfortunately, whether through editorial pressure, bad planning, or some other cause, the book stops at what one might feel is about the 2/3 or 3/4 mark. There's a quick epilogue (strange in a book so obviously designed for a sequel) that pretends to set up the sequel, but basically the book simply ends mid-stream. Given that the sequel, Lurulu, is so slim, it's hard to escape the conviction that it was all intended to be published as a single volume. Had that happened, I'd have been very pleased. But this book, as it stands, is incomplete and unsatisfying.Overall, the main portion of an excellent Vance work. If I end up buying all his work electronically (Spatterlight Press), I'll consider simply merging Ports of Call and Lurulu into the one volume I feel they're meant to be. I do recommend this, provided you buy Lurulu at the same time. The two together make a good story.CVIE VI
The setup is nothing new for a Jack Vance story: a man essentially alone against the world in a hostile environment and having to live by his wits alone. The description and cover copy go this far.What's odd here is that the description is deceptive. Myron immediately falls in with the crew of the starship Glicca, who for once (in a Vance story at least) appear completely trustworthy and competent. This development drains the tension and feeling of menace out of the narrative: from the moment Myron gets picked up, the reader never doubts that he would survive and likely prosper. The dangers are relatively slight and the events mundane.Instead, the reader is treated to a slower, more relaxed narrative of low-key adventures and interesting encounters with odd personalities, an episodic story with no central theme. While it's enjoyable to bask in Vance's mastery of language and his imaginative creations without the urgency of a driving plot, the situation felt washed-out and tired.
What do You think about Ports Of Call (1999)?
One of the things that are missing from goodreads is the possibility to give half star ratings. especially with this book I really miss this. This book is better than a two star book but not quite three stars.This is the story of Myron who by taking his job serious; get's stranded on some alien planet and has to enroll on a small spaceship. The whole book is filled with peculiar characters, strange situations and wierd places. And all this with a sligh humorous undertone and a beautifull archaic language.But the problem with this book is that there is no real story. It seems to be a collection of random scenes that Jack Vance thought up and did put together without a real connection besides the travels of a spaceship.
—Peter
It's always a joy to read a Jack Vance book, no matter the setting, the plot or the action. Which is good because this book is pretty low on plot and action. As for setting, we are whisked around Vance's Gaean Reach to visit a number of exotic and dangerous planets, as the hero hooks up with the crew of a space ship and they deliver stuff to a number of places. It's a cosmic episode of Postman Pat.But it's the characters and dialogue that matter in a Vance book, and we're treated to his usual cavalcade of irritable oddballs. A group of pilgrims join the ship and do nothing but moan all the journey. A crooked showman joins too: Moncrief the Mouse Rider, with his troupe of exotic women. Not much happens but we just enjoy going along on the ride.
—David Meiklejohn
J'ai été fan de Jack Vance dans ma jeunesse, je dois avoir une bonne partie de son œuvre éditée en français.Je parle au passé parce que je n'avais pas lu de ses livres depuis des années, et je me demande comment j'apprécierai ces livres maintenant. Faudra que je les relise...J'appréciais ses descriptions minutieuses de mondes exotiques, le point de vue quasi anthropologique sur des civilisations, les personnages se sortant de situations épineuses grâce à leur intelligence et prudence...Ici, ce n'est guère différent : Myron est un jeune homme rêvant de découvrir l'univers, et se trouvant à travailler sur un caboteur spatial. Il découvre diverses planètes civilisées avec des coutumes parfois étranges.Jack Vance, l'ancien marin, voit l'univers comme un vaste océan, qu'on traverse en plusieurs jours, voire mois, à bord de vaisseaux offrant tout le confort moderne.On peut être surpris par la technologie presque rétro-futuriste : il y a des ordinateurs sur lesquels on "opère" des ordres, mais les personnages compulsent des encyclopédies en papier pour se renseigner sur les planètes à visiter...Le langage est suranné, compassé, style XIXe siècle bourgeois. Cela se justifie en partie par le fait que les personnages usent souvent de grande prudence dans ce qu'ils disent, ne sachant jamais comment peut réagir l'autochtone face à eux...Un peu poussiéreux, pas vraiment palpitant, mais plaisant. Je suis en train de lire la suite, Lurulu.
—Philippe Lhoste
