Lurulu (2004)

 
 Publisher: Tor Books
Pub. Date: December1, 2004
 Format: Hardcover, 208pp
 ISBN: 0312867271

Rejoin the adventures of Myron Tany, rebellious scion of a wealthy family, as he tours the Galaxy on a very questionable interstellar freighter, in a crew of actors, musicians, thieves and other ne'er-do-wells.

Publisher's Weekly
The sequel to SFWA Grand Master Vance's Ports of Call (1998) continues the adventures of Myron Tany in a headlong rush of droll vignettes in the spirit, if not with the depth, of Gulliver's Travels. Abandoned by his great-aunt for dawdling while piloting her space-yacht toward the distant world of Naharius, Myron now handles cargo aboard the interstellar freighter Glicca for Capt. Adair Maloof and his slightly shady crew and its passengers. The freighter wanders wherever its cargo may take it, guided by the frequently incorrect Handbook of the Planets. Along the way Myron learns about "lurulu," "a special word from the language of myth," which may best be translated as the achievement of your heart's desire. Myron has ample time to consider his own lurulu as he helps Captain Maloof find the man who seduced his foolish mother and killed his father, and assists with the sly wheeling and dealing necessitated by each planet's obscure customs to turn a proper profit. A subplot about the ups and downs of a traveling troupe of actors adds amusement but little else to the plot. Myron's travels feel largely aimless, but Vance's humorous takes on culture and morality are likely to keep readers entertained to the end of this short, old-fashioned SF novel. Agent, Ralph M. Vicinanza. (Dec. 1)

Belated sequel or, better, the missing last section of Ports of Call (1998), a picaresque travel-adventure from the master storyteller and stylist. We rejoin the battered old tramp cargo ship Glicca and its colorful crew: ex-policeman Captain Maloof, Chief Engineer Schwatzendale, Chief Steward Wingo, and supercargo Myron Tany, as they continue their erratic course from planet to planet, acquiring and discharging peculiar cargoes, dealing with the equally bizarre inhabitants. Each of the four pursues an individual quest, philosophically and without great urgency. On a planet of spectacular natural beauty and prudish social climate, Maloof searches for his mother, who's beguiled by an infernally handsome rogue who merely wants the old woman's money. Wingo ponders joining a band of pilgrims as they face appalling hardships while seeking enlightenment. Gambler Schwatzendale sets about relieving the passengers of their valuables, while Myron hopes for news of his great-aunt Hester (and her marvelous space-yacht), who has gone to look for the fountain of youth-again accompanied by a despicable rogue. On some worlds the four friends merely require a glass of good beer, being sometimes gratified, sometimes frustrated. Languorous, occasionally repetitive-but this is quintessential Vance: rich, eccentric, nourished from roots deep in the human psyche. 

            
"Lurulu" est paru  en allemand, édité par les éditions Andreas Irle, disponible pour le prix de 50€.
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