The Annals of Klepsis

Having been treated unfairly, Brannagan had sworn that, as soon as he acquired a billion thalers, he would set up a fund whereby any one-legged Irishman anywhere in the universe could receive free transportation to Klepsis and also could receive any help he needed upon arriving at that blessed place. "How will we define 'Irish'?" the first adminstrator of the fund asked Brannagan. "If they have Irish names, they are Irsh altogether," Brannagan laid it down. "Few of the other breeds would be caught dead with an Irish name." Of the three peg-legs on the flight from Apateon Planet to Klepsis, one was clearly Black, one was probably Gaea-Earth Eurasian, and one was plainly Latino; their names were Andrew "Gold Coast" O'Mally, Long John Tong Tyrone, and Conchita O'Brian. Gold Coast and Long John had their left legs missing, Conchita her right. "When are you going to have your leg cut off, Terps?" Conchita sked Terpsichore Callagy. "There's several people getting amputated right now down by the ship's handball courts. You get a rebate on your passage after you get your leg cut off. you'd better go get it done now." - page 3 of "The Annals of Klepsis". That is classic Lafferty, as, indeed, is the entire book. The man is hilarious. Beyond hilarious, uproarious. Not just in little chunks, but constantly from start to finish, every page delivers the laughs. Indeed, almost every paragraph. However, R. A. Lafferty was never about being funny. The humor, despite being possibly the best ever written, is only a clever cover and distraction device to get you off balance. You're laughing so hard that it may be thirty pages or more before you realize that what you're laughing at is murder, torture, mutilation and so forth. So now, what is "Annals of Klepsis" about? Buggered if I know, but it has something to with a lawless planet called Klepsis. Two identical twin princes, Franco and Henry, are vying for control. Meanwhile, we also have some ghosts, buried treasures, slave auctions, interplanetary jumping in canoes and all the other good stuff. Of course, no one can truly summarize a Lafferty book and only a fool would try. No one can even explain his tone or even categorize his books by genre. But as has been said before, he certainly was extremely good at what he did, whatever it was.

Annals of Klepsis is one of Lafferty's most satisfying books, but differs quite a bit from his better-known works. It's not a profound, brain-frying novel like Fourth Mansions, but it's not as airily light as The Reefs of Earth. It doesn't bog down like his most unreadable books--number one being Apocalypses, or stall in spots like The Devil is Dead. It doesn't crumble under the weight of some big idea, as do some of the short stories. It differs from obvious horror books in not relying on shock value,and from obvious sci-fi in not relying on neat plot tie-ups.It's Lafferty's most visual book, which is to say it conjures up unforgettable pictures. I wish this had been the beginning of a trilogy, because the book drops off right when it gets going. Some of Lafferty's books end up in a very satisfying way, like Fourth Mansions, or Past Master. This book opens up at the climax more than it ends. Like the Star Wars films, you wait for the next one--only there aren't any more. The idea of this book, of pirates who leap through space to plunder worlds, is strong and substantial, and the lightly comic tone seems made for movies or video games or some larger realm than just one book. Maybe some other writer can take up with Lafferty's characters and worlds, as with the novels based on Isaac Asimov's robots--with, of course, a suitable deal cut with Lafferty's estate. It's odd that Lafferty is such an untapped source, because he's simply a better writer than most of those behind films and TV today.This is an easy going science fiction yarn that you don't have to be a Lafferterian to devour. But it's better than some of the Keith Laumer and even Phillip Dick I've read, even though those were all pretty good. Lafferty's strong suite is story; but he also evokes some very visual settings; I can't watch Disney's Treasure Planet--Treasure Island in space--without wishing it were Annals of Klepsis.

Annals of Klepsis is one of Lafferty's most satisfying books, but differs quite a bit from his better-known works. It's not a profound, brain-frying novel like Fourth Mansions, but it's not as airily light as The Reefs of Earth. It doesn't bog down like his most unreadable books--number one being Apocalypses, or stall in spots like The Devil is Dead. It doesn't crumble under the weight of some big idea, as do some of the short stories. It differs from obvious horror books in not relying on shock value, and from obvious sci-fi in not relying on neat plot tie-ups.It's Lafferty's most visual book, which is to say it conjures up unforgettable pictures. I wish this had been the beginning of a trilogy, because the book drops off right when it gets going. Some of Lafferty's books end up in a very satisfying way, like Fourth Mansions, or Past Master. This book opens up at the climax more than it ends. Like the Star Wars films, you wait for the next one--only there aren't any more. The idea of this book, of pirates who leap through space to plunder worlds, is strong and substantial, and the lightly comic tone seems made for movies or video games or some larger realm than just one book. Maybe some other writer can take up with Lafferty's characters and worlds, as with the novels based on Isaac Asimov's robots--with, of course, a suitable deal cut with Lafferty's estate. It's odd that Lafferty is such an untapped source, because he's simply a better writer than most of those behind films and TV today.This is an easy going science fiction yarn that you don't have to be a Lafferterian to devour.

Amazing mind-bending story that will make you question your values. As all Lafferty, difficult to describe.