What Entropy Means to Me

Can I really be the first reviewer of this funny, sometimes infuriating, always enjoyable & satiric science-fiction novel, the first in George Alec Effinger's all too short career? Don't mistake "satiric" for glib snarkiness, though. This is definitely a young man's novel, particularly a young man who came of age in the late 1960s/early 1970s, influenced by the times & the New Wave in science-fiction. It merrily plays with the tropes of the Quest, while exploring the nature of stories & storytelling -- and with the young author's erudition in full flower. But it's never annoying. You can feel Effinger's enthusiasm & delight as he spins his tale (within a tale). We quickly meet the two protagonists: the brothers Dore & Seyt. Dore has been sent forth on a quest up the River, in search of his lost Father. Seyt remains at Home, chronicling his older brother's adventures by simply making them up, chapter by chapter, even as he deals with his many siblings -- particularly the smarmy, detestable Tere. And he keeps us informed of each new chapter's reception by his Family, and the resulting political dynamic, always in flux. Dore is something of a Candide, a noble & trusting young man ... or is that simply the Dore that Seyt has created in his chronicle? The Romance of the Quest gets a thorough & often hilarious examination -- after all, we're reading chapters entitled "The Radishes of Doom" & "The Hall of the Mountain Thing," and meeting heroic sidekicks named Bucky. Yet even at its most ridiculous, we remain enthralled, wanting to know what happens next -- both to Dore & to Seyt. Truthfully, it's a rich & wonderfully absurd coming of age novel -- not just for the characters, but for the author as well. Luckily it's been reprinted recently, so it's easily available once more. Science-fiction fan or not, if you're looking for something a little different, a little challenging, and a lot of fun, then you're in for a treat. Most highly recommended!