Riddley Walker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Bloomsbury 2002 paperback (William Webb/Jeff Cottenden) |
|
| Author | Russell Hoban |
|---|---|
| Country | Great Britain |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction, Dystopian novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Released | 1980 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-224-01851-5 |
Riddley Walker is a novel by Russell Hoban, first published in 1980. It is generally regarded as science fiction and won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best science fiction novel in 1982, as well as an Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award in 1983. It was additionally nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1981.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
Though its premise is similar to other post-apocalyptic novels such as A Canticle for Leibowitz, Riddley Walker is unusual in its style (see ergodic literature) and focus. The narrator, Riddley, speaks in a devolved form of English, the spelling of which has changed considerably and in which many modern words (especially technological and religious terms) have changed in meaning; many of the place names are puns, such as "Dog Et" for Dargate, and "Do It Over" for Dover. While the unfamiliar language is a projection of how historical linguistics might apply in the future, it also provides clues to the nature of life in Riddley's world (e.g., being "et" by wild dogs is a common fate), and creates suspense as the reader gradually comes to understand some of the references of which Riddley is unaware. Religious philosophy and the supernatural are also central to the novel, elements which are also present in Leibowitz but which Hoban treats in a more allusive, mystical sense, drawing on elements of many religious traditions. Hoban also draws on the history of his adopted country, including Celtic mythology and Punch and Judy.
Hoban began writing the novel in 1974, inspired by the medieval wall painting of the legend of Saint Eustace at Canterbury Cathedral. It is his best-known adult novel, and a unique departure from his other work although he has continued to explore some of the same themes in other settings.
[edit] Plot summary
The novel is set at an unspecified time, at least two thousand years from the present, after a nuclear war has destroyed our civilization. The novel's characters live a harsh life in a small area which is presently the English county of Kent, and know nothing of the world outside of "Inland" (England). Their level of civilization is similar to England's prehistoric Iron Age, although they do not produce their own iron but salvage it from ancient machinery. Church and state have combined into one secretive institution, whose mythology, partly based on misremembered stories of the war, is enacted in puppet shows. The main action of the story begins when the young narrator, Riddley, stumbles upon efforts to recreate a weapon of the ancient world.
[edit] References and entities from the novel
Riddley Walker is set in the far future, centuries after a nuclear war (in 1997) changed human society deeply. As such, there are cultural and political concepts and symbols within this society to which the characters continually refer. Additionally, the characters refer to events and figures from history which they themselves only dimly understand.
Since the novel is both a portrayal of this fictional society, as well as a depiction of the specific characters and events of the plot, these future concepts and symbols form a large part of its appeal. Below are some of the more important concepts, to give a sense of the novel's tone.
- Eusa - depicted as the protagonist in several folk tales and ballads which (as is obvious to the reader), depict the nuclear conflict. The evolution of this literary conept provides an insight into Hoban's technique. Hoban has stated that Eusa was meant to represent everyman, the typical mindset of modern society. Also, it refers to Saint Eustatius, as a painting in an English cathedral of St Eustatius has greatly impacted the folklore of the society in the novel. Hoban has stated that it is this painting, which actually does exist in England, which initially inspired him to write the novel.
- Other commentators have suggested that Eusa also symbolized the United States of America. Hoban says this was not his original intent. However, it is striking to note the degree to which references to Eusa are consistent if it is considered a symbol for the USA. [1]
[edit] Trivia
- The novel is referenced in the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome via a tribe of children, their language, and the "Captain Walker" they mistake the protagonist for.
- The "Sloosha's Crossing" section of David Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas is clearly influenced by Hoban's novel. Furthermore, Riddley Walker is a studied text on the University of Kent's science fiction course (partly due to the Kentish origins of the book); Mitchell studied at Kent and may have taken that course.
- Will Self's recent novel "The Book of Dave" (2006) also appears to be directly influenced by this work in imagining a post-apocalyptic England whose society is shaped by a limited interpretation of pre-apocalyptic literature (in this case a book written by a demented 21st century cabbie - the Dave of the title - taken to be a deity by the future society). A similar device of satirical linguistic corruption is used, often to comic effect - although modern English is maintained by the higher social order as 'Arpee' (i.e. R.P. = received pronunciation). (Self also wrote the foreword to the 20th anniversary edition of Riddley Walker published in 2002.)
- A Spanish translation of the novel was published in 2006 as Dudo Errante [1].
- Riddley Walker was adapted and performed for the stage at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in February 1986. The adaptation was by Hoban himself in collaboration with the director, Braham Murray. David Threlfall played Riddley Walker.
- The novel is dedicated to Russell Hoban's son, now the composer Wieland Hoban, who was born whilst the novel was being written.
- Rock band from Maryland by the name of Clutch has a song title called 'Rapture of Riddley Walker' on their album 'From Beale Street to Oblivion'.
