The Killing Machine

Kirth Gersen, having won his conflict with the Star King now turns to the next of the Demon Princes who participated in the destruction of Gersen's entire home world - Kokor Hekkus. Or rather, happenstance (a series of kidnappings) leads Gersen to a kidnapping plot by which Hekkus is gathering a huge sum of money. Investigation brings Gersen to Interchange, an institution created solely to facilitate the collection of ransoms and the comfort of the victims - for a fee, of course. In a way, this is Hekkus' storehouse, not just of his victims while they await redemption but also of the ideas, which drive his dark fantasies.At Interchange, finds an engineer who failed to satisfy Hekkus' need for an imitation giant centipede, and gains some insight into Hekkus's motivation. By playing on the Demon Prince's list for this mechanical device, Gersen discovers more and more, until, by a series of fortuitous events finds himself flying with the beautiful and mysterious Alusz Iphigenia in search of her home, the mythical world of Thamber. And on Thamber, Gersen confronts a world out of a romantic's fervid daydream. Somehow, he must penetrate to the nest of the spider that hides behind the fairy tale in order to quiet one of the voices from his own past.This is the second of the Demon Prince novels, and over all, I think it is probably the weakest. The story relies heavily on the mechanism of coincidence or 'luck.' And that weakens its overall impact. Vance has always had a tendency towards baroque story lines, which, to be honest, is one of the reasons I like him. The strange cultural architecture of Thamber is a little too fragile and conflicts with what we have been told about Hekkus' character. Vance moves this complex plot through a volume of only 160 pages, so even the major characters are noticeably two-dimensional. For all my grumbling, 'The Killing Machine' still is a wonderful piece of invention, introducing many of the mechanisms that Vance will go onto use in the volumes to come. I cannot imagine a reader of vintage science fiction who will not love its countless twists and turns. Quite successful in its time, it has gone on to become a monument on the science fiction landscape.

"Many fine things your father had planned for you: learning and useful work; a life of satisfaction and peace. All this is gone now, do you understand? But the learning you shall have - the use of your hands and mind. And useful work: the elimination of evil men. What work is more useful than this? Finally, I cannot give you peace, but I promise you ample satisfaction, for I shall teach you to crave the blood of these men more than the flesh of a woman."These are the words uttered by Kirth Gersen's (sometimes called Keith Gersen) grandfather after a raid on their homeworld by 5 super-criminals (known as the 5 Demon Princes) leaves everyone but these two either dead or enslaved. True to his word, the old man forges his grandson into an unstoppable instrument of vengeance. In fact, Gersen often seems more a force a nature than a human being, more machine than man in his single-minded quest for revenge. His fighting prowess and physical abilities are without peer; likewise, his mind is sharp and focused. This book, the second in the series, concerns Gersen's hunt for the second Demon Prince - Kokor Hekkus, also called "The Killing Machine." Like the first book in the series, "The Star King," this book again reveals Gersen to be an interpid man of action. Here, however, I feel there was more emphasis on Gersen's resourcefulness and mental acumen, which I found to be absolutely delightful. It gives Gersen the feel of being more than simply a one-dimensional character; he overcomes the formidable obstacles in his path with cunning and guile as often - or even more often - than he does with physical prowess. Also, like the first book, Gersen again travels far beyond the Gaean Reach (the area of space inhabited by man) in his quest for vengeance.As usual, Vance's has created a rich and vibrant epic in which social mores, morals and manners vary from ours in extreme measure, yet this new world - so different from our own - is both convincing and credible.

I count this (the second book of the 5 book Demon Princes series) as one of Jack Vance's best works and one of the all time best space operas. I think it is better than the first book of the series, "The Star King", for which he won the Hugo. The Introduction of the heroine is a wondrous conceit, the hero's adventures have a thoroughly satisfying taste, and there is stunning boldness to the plot. And, as is usual with Vance, you are treated to imaginative cultures and a rich linquistic taste. This read is a wonderful memory.