The Anome
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 first edition of the The Anome |
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| Author | Jack Vance |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Durdane series |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Dell Publishing |
| Released | 1973 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 224 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-440-00441-1 |
| Followed by | The Brave Free Men |
The Anome is a science fiction novel by Jack Vance published in 1973. It is also subtitled as The Faceless Man and is the first book in the Durdane series of novels.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
It tells the story of a boy growing to manhood in the land of Shant, a society composed of many different, and wildly individual cantons, some of which are run by cults. Each adult wears an explosive device around their neck — a "torc" — which can be exploded by remote command, bringing about instant death by decapitation. The torcs are controlled by an anonymous dictator, The Faceless Man, whose identity is literally unknown. Because those whose heads are exploded are selected primarily by the cantonal leaders, for violations of local law, the Anome is able to operate with only a handful of assistants, or '"Benevolences"', who themselves do not know his identity.
[edit] Major themes and possible influences
The concept of a society ruled by explosive collars appears to have earlier featured in the 1964 novel The Reefs of Space by Jack Williamson and Frederik Pohl, although with a very different storyline and setting from The Anome. The films Wedlock (1991) and Battle Royale (2000) later employed a very similar explosive collar motif.
[edit] Literary significance & criticism
"The Anome" contains fascinating discourses about social structures, and the story of how this bizarre form of government evolved in Shant.
[edit] References
- Underwood, Tim; Chuck Miller (1980). Jack Vance. New York: Taplinger Publishing Company, 227. ISBN 0-8008-4295-2.
