The Dirdir: Volume 3 (Inglese) Copertina flessibile – 4 mag 2016

For an overview of the four-book Tschai series, see my review of the first book, 'The Chasch.'

'The Dirdir' is the third volume describing Adam Reith's adventures as an Earthman stranded on the planet Tschai. Attempting to either re-outfit his downed space craft or build a new one from local parts, Reith has need of money, so he and his two companions decide to risk the Dirdir hunting preserve. The Dirdir, the most violent and predatory of Tschai's alien species, indulge their compulsion to hunt by allowing humans to search for '"sequins" (the local unit of currency) on their hunting grounds, where apparently money grows naturally. The humans may keep any sequins they find, but the catch is that they will themselves be hunted by the avid Dirdir until they can escape from the preserve. When the Dirdir hunt down and kill the humans, they keep the sequins, allowing them to indulge their predatory natures while at the same time adding to their personal fortunes. Humans greedy or desperate for cash often accept this devil's bargain. Reith, lacking the slave mentality of the other humans on Tschai, has a different idea: he reasons that the best place to obtain sequins would be from the Dirdir themselves, who will have collected them from all the humans they have managed to catch. Reith's plan is that he and his companions will go into the preserve posing as normal prey, but then they will attempt to ambush and rob the Dirdir, thus building up their cache of sequins very quickly.

All of this is presented in Vance's usual subtle and elegant prose. Once again, the story is exciting and imaginative. There are no weak links in this series.

If you like science fiction you will like this book. The imagination of Jack Vance is amazing. He creates whole worlds and civilizations that are completely unlike anything I could imagine, but which are totally believeable. I think he is the most creative writer I have ever read. He is able to draw you completely into these worlds he has created and his books are difficult to put down. There are four books in this series and I could not wait to get to the next book. Jack Vance is probably the most undervalued science fiction writer who ever lived, but I find his books far superior to any other science fiction. His plots are so intricate and characters are so quirky you cannot guess what might happen next.

Read it.

The Dirdir (1969) is the third SF novel in the Tschai series, following Servants of the Wankh. The initial volume in this sequence is City of the Chasch.

In the previous volume, Adam and his associates were flying toward Cath in a sky-raft. It was an old raft and having some problems. Anacho expected it to break down just short of Cath.

A group of Green Chasch pursued them to a high mesa. The Chasch camped below the sheer walls and watched Adam and the others. A Phung heaved a boulder in a high arc and smashed one of the Chasch flat. Then he flung another boulder at the Chasch and they detected his presense behind them.

The Chasch attacked the Phung. He lunged at them and took a sword away from one of them. He swung the sword randomly and killed several of the Chasch. Yet they closed with him and cut off his head. The Chasch broke camp and departed the area.

Anacho worked on the raft engine over the night and managed to correct some of the problems. The next morning, they headed south toward Coad. The raft was not capable of obtaining any altitude and the rear was sagging.

In this novel, Adam Reith was the senior scout onboard the Explorator IV. Now he is stranded on the planet Tschai.

Traz was the chief of a barbarian tribe. Now he accompanies Adam in his journeys.

Anacho is a Dirdirman. He is accompanying Adam and Traz.

Zarfo Detwiler is an old Lokhad. He had become rich by serving Reith.

In this story, the Great Fair has begun at Smargash. All around the Lokhar Highlands and the surrounding areas, feuds and hostilities are suspended during the Fair. People gather from far away to mingle, trade and collect information.

As Reith is wandering through the crowds, he begins sense someone observing him. He keeps looking behind him and finally finds a stalker. Joing his two companions, he reports this to Anacho and Traz. Anacho thinks that he is imaging things, but Traz agrees with Reith.

The man has black skin lile a Lokhar male, but he is watching Reith. Adam asks them to remain at the table while he departs. If the suspect follows him, then they should follow the man. It the suspect stays, then one should fetch Reith while the other stays behind.

Reith leaves the inn and wanders around the bazaar. He sees Ancho and continues his window shopping. A Dugbo girl propositions him, but he claims to have another engagement. He meets with Anacho outside the fairgrounds.

The Lokhar colored man had not followed Reith. Yet Anacho had noticed a Dugbo girl shadowing him. Then he finds a Dirdir tracker button on Adam's jacket. Apparently the Dirdir are looking for him.

Reith notices a Dirdir sky-car coming toward the inn. Anacho attaches the button to a Niss man leaving the inn. Then they go search for Zarfo.

Adam tells him about the Dirdir. He says that he is still determined to find a small spaceship. They discuss various options for obtaining a spaceship. Stealing a spaceship is not likely, even though it worked with the Wankh.

It seem to Adam that building it from parts is the best option. It would reguire a great deal of money to buy the components at the Sivishe spaceport. So the discussion turns to sources on money.

Anacho mentions Carabas withing the hunting grounds of the Dirdir. Desperate men hunt sequins within Carabas. Yet many of them are killed by the Dirdir.

This tale takes Reith, Anacho and Traz out of Smargash fleeing the Dirdir. The sky-car follows them after they leave the city. Then it tracks them across the desert. The Dirdir meet a Phung and lose interest in Reith.

Adam and his friends head toward Carabas in the Dirdir sky-car.. The next installment in this sequence is The Pnume. This novel and the other three in this series are also available in an omnibus edition Planet of Adventure.

Highly recommended for Vance fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of strange planets, alien cultures, and a persevering Terran. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

The Dirdir is an examination of one of the three intelligent life forms that has come to the planet Tschai joining in an ancient conflict. Each of the three invading species has imported Earth humans to serve as underlings to be uplifted in their masters' image. One of Adam Reith's new-found allies is such a modified "Dirdirman", who acquaints him with the intricacies of Dirdir hunting behavior.

This edition is an example of the work of the Vance Integral Edition, making it the most authentic representation of Vance's intent before editors and publishing houses 'helped' make his work more mainstream. You should read The Chasch (Tschai) and The Wannek (Tschai) (also available from Vance's e-publishing site jackvance_dot_com) before stepping into the middle of the series with this book. The Tschai books form one of the best intelligent adventure series in science fiction.