This year I resolved to read more classic science fiction and fantasy, hopefully making a dent in that stack of books I really should have read by now. Mostly because they should be good books, but also to be better informed about my genre and its history. I decided that this meant reading six science fiction and six fantasy books written before 1980 by authors that were completely new to me.
Since I feel weird saying I’m “reviewing” giants like H.G. Wells and T.H. White, let’s just say these will be my reactions to books that have shaped the science fiction and fantasy genres in one way or another.
The very last classic for this year is The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip, first published in 1976.
The Riddle-Master of Hed (1999)
Written By: Patricia A. McKillip
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 195 pages (Kindle)
Series: Book One of the Riddle Master trilogy
Publisher: Ace
Why I Chose It: To be honest, I got this one off of a list of “Best Classic Fantasy” and since I’ve always wanted to read something by Patricia A. McKillip, I decided why not.
The premise:
Long ago, the wizards vanished from the world, and all knowledge was left hidden in riddles. Morgon, prince of the simple farmers of Hed, proved himself a master of such riddles when he staked his life to win a crown from the dead Lord of Aum. But now ancient, evil forces are threatening him. Shape changers begin replacing friends until no man could be trusted. So Morgon is forced to flee to hostile kingdoms, seeking the High One who rules from mysterious Erlenstar Mountain. Beside him goes Deth, the High One’s Harper. Ahead lies strange encounters and terrifying adventures. And with him always is the greatest of unsolved riddles; the nature of the three stars on his forehead that seems to drive him toward his ultimate destiny.
Spoiler-free!
Discussion: Hooray, I made it to the end of the year! Twelve classic science fiction and fantasy books, and there’s only been one that I just couldn’t finish. That definitely wasn’t this one, since I found The Riddle-Master of Hed quite a pleasant read.
This was one of those surreal fantasies where magic just sort of happens with little explanation or rules involved, where wise men apparently never die yet their age goes unremarked. Classic tropes were common, like mountain kings ruling over cities full of forges, druidic shape-changers in tune with nature, and prophesied heroes with mysterious powers. Personally, I prefer my fantasy with a few more rules that I can understand and follow, but I recognize this detached style of world-building and story-telling is a deliberate choice. So, I let myself take a step back from my normal skepticism and just enjoy the story being told. Because of this the whole thing was kind of restful, familiar, and very picturesque.
I especially loved the idea of the riddles, which weren’t really riddles as I know them, but really just questions about history, moral stories, and the world. Most had answers and some did not. But they all played into the theme that knowledge is the most powerful and dangerous thing to own. Knowledge could be used as a weapon or as an unanswered question which spurred Morgon on toward a destiny he didn’t want to accept. As a reader, I found it very compelling since that’s one of the reasons I love stories so much. I want to know the answers to the questions. I want to know what happens next and why. And in the end, those questions were what drove Morgon, who didn’t want an adventure in the first place but couldn’t leave anything unanswered.
There were only a couple things I had a problem with. Morgon’s internal struggle between wanting to know why he’d been singled out and what for and wanting to go home to the role he was born into, was poignant and real, but it also made him seem very wishy-washy. How many times in a hundred and fifty pages can a hero ride toward the answers he wants and then turn around to race home? And then turn around again? I get that “refusal of the call to adventure” is an important point in the Hero’s Journey mythos, but holy cow, make up your mind!
And then leaving the book on that cliff-hanger! Blargh. I know it makes me sound like a curmudgeon, but I really prefer my books to end. Fine, I will admit, it did make me immediately start the second one. But I don’t have to be happy about it.
In Conclusion: This was a good classic to end on. I enjoyed it; I’ll probably finish off the Riddle-Master trilogy, especially since I’ve heard the second two are the best. Looking back, I’ve really loved visiting these well-respected books in the genre I love most of all. But I will be happy to return to my own era, albeit with a better sense of its history.
What did you think of the other two? I have always loved this series. It’s actually somewhat surprising that you found Riddle Master as a on its own, as it’s usually published as a single volume with the rest of the trilogy now.