The Carpet Makers [Anglais] [Relié]

This work is a striking science-fiction examination of absolute power on an inter-galactic scale. The translation from the German is excellent and the ideas presented are profound. Mr. Eschbach is obviously a student of Orson Scott Card and the book is rife with references to such Card stories as Unaccompanied Sonata, Kingsmeat, Fat Farm and others. In fact, the feeling of reading this work took me back to my discovery of Card in the pages of OMNI magazine.

Suffice it to say that the story revolves around the "hair carpet" a breathtakingly intricate work built up of individually knotted strands of human hair. Only men can be a carpet maker and they, of necessity, spend their entire life on one carpet. Ultimately, the work consumes the life of the maker only to finance the next generation's toil. As only one son can inherit, the household must consist of several wives and a house full of daughters to produce a requisite variety of hair colors. Extra sons aren't given a job out in the fields...

The work is less a novel and more of an expanded short story; the author paints a broad picture by the use of inter-related episodes that roughly tie together. The underlying theme and story provide a framework strong enough to carry the work without the need for one fully-developed character. In fact, spending more time on characterization would have detracted from the impact of this work.

I honestly could not put the book down until it was over. The ending is that killer-twist so reminiscent of early Card stories. The themes are profoundly German; there is a distrust of power in all its varieties, whether derived from religion, government, family or social expectations. Regardless of how you approach the work be prepared to think about the ideas presented for days.

Mr. Eschbach is on my must purchase list. TOR would do well to start translating his work as fast as possible.

There was a time when I would routinely devour several volumes of science fiction and fantasy a day, but these days there is little time for such luxuries, so I'm careful to ration my fiction reading list. I got lucky with this one. I was a bit worried by all the hype surrounding the book, but a powerful endorsement from Orson Scott Card, in my view one of the finest writers in the genre, persuaded me to read it. And I am delighted that I did. This extraordinary book fully deserves the praise that has been lavished upon it.

The writing is simple but deeply evocative. I am often disappointed by translations that fail to capture the nuances of the original, but the translator of this book - Doryl Jensen - has done an outstanding job.

The book is actually a series of inter-related short stories woven around a central theme. Thus there is little in the way of character development. Surprisingly, this is one of the few books where that does not detract from the power of the tales.

The answer to the central puzzle of the book is astonishing, and I hope that no one publishes any spoilers, because it is worth waiting for! Suffice to say that this is an extraordinary meditation on blind obedience, freedom, vengeance and the arrogance of power.

Highly recommended.

Eschbach's debut work (in English), this isn't really a novel per se, but more a collection of related tales set around a central theme: the hair carpets. While other reviewers see profound similarities to Orson Scott Card, I also saw a connection to Philip K. Dick, and his bleak view of humanity.

The book doesn't rush through things; as a result, the full nature of the situation, which is revealed only in the final chapter, becomes all the more shocking; the individual tragedies that befall many of the characters in this book are only a prelude to it.

Yet it is in that final chapter--and not the epilogue, which seems almost inevitable--that the book almost falls apart. I have trouble fathoming *how* the "present" state of affairs could have developed as it did, although I can believe Eschbach's explanation as to *why* it might happen (I would be interested to see what German readers had to say about it).

In short: this is "literary" SF in the grand tradition. It's not action-packed, but it will stay with you long after you finish the book.