on Apr 9th, 2008The Real Story: The Gap Into Conflict
Author: Stephen R. Donaldson
Pages: 229
Year Published: 1991
In Stephen R. Donaldson’s The Real Story, we are introduced to a trio of main characters that are the heart of “The Gap Cycle,” his science fiction pentalogy: Morn Hyland, an officer with the United Mining Companies Police; Angus Thermopyle, a smuggler and pirate known for his hatred of everything; and Nick Succorso, another pirate, but from the Errol Flynn school of piracy with charisma to match his martial skills.
The Real Story is the introductory volume for a five book novel. We’re given the characters and a set of events which ends up with “hero” and “damsel” together while the “villain” rots in jail. However, in its original form, the story is very simple, taking only a few pages. As it gets re-examined, details emerge which make it more complicated and subtle. Not everyone fits into the little pigeonhole as nicely as people would like to believe.
Donaldson, as he explains in the book’s afterword, is attempting to set up a character study. Over the course of the novels, if he’s done his job, we should see all three begin to shift to another role as the events of the story play out. In other words, we should have drama instead of melodrama as the characters change. All of this while he re-tells a version of the story behind Wagner’s opera Der Ring des Nibelungen.
It’s a short read and accomplishes its main goal: establishing the milieu and characters for the later books. While reading it I couldn’t help think it was the opening act. The main action comes later while we learn who’s who and what’s what. Donaldson is a good enough writer that the rest of the series will definitely go into the queue. However, the caveat is still there. If you’re expecting a lot, buy the first two books and read them together.
Other participants in the “52 in 52″ meme who reviewed books recently include:
- Heliologue reviews Richard K. Morgan’’s Broken Angels.
-K
