Nopalgarth

Nopalgarth, or the Brains of Earth, will probably always evoke divided reactions because it is a basically comic story about something which people find terribly disturbing, namely, mind control. Although superficially seeming to be a realistic science fiction story, the plot and characterizations never quite fit in the genre and as one reviewer's reaction here shows, can appear to be slightly silly in that frame of reference. Nevertheless it is unforgettable once read which to me is the mark of a classic (albeit it is a minor one).

I've read almost all of Vance's published works, and I highly recommend this as one of his best shorter works, along with "The Dragon Masters" and "The Moon Moth". Unlike most Vance stories, this novella is mostly set on present-day Earth, and contains significant elements of suspense and horror. But there are also unusual aliens (in this case, creatures whose brains must construct an internal physical model of something in order to imagine it), a mordant sense of humor (almost descending to farce), and some interesting philosophical speculations. There's no characterization to speak of, but that's not the point of this story. I don't want to say too much about the plot, so as not to give away the twists, but think along the lines of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", Heinlein's "The Puppet Masters", or Sturgeon's "Rule of Three", but with Vance's unique flair. The edition I have (from DAW Books) also contains two less memorable short stories, "The Houses of Iszm" and "Son of the Tree". Note also that in some editions, "Nopalgarth" is called "The Brains of Earth".