The Jagged Orbit

infobox Book |
name = The Jagged Orbit
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Cover of first edition (paperback)
author = John Brunner
illustrator =
cover_artist = Leo and Diane Dillon
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Ace Books
release_date = 1969
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
pages = 400 pp
isbn = ISBN 0-020-38120-4
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"The Jagged Orbit" is a science fiction novel written by John Brunner. It was first published in 1969, in the Ace Science Fiction Specials line issued by Ace Books, and is similar to his earlier novel, "Stand on Zanzibar" in its narrative style and dystopic outlook. It has exactly 100 titled chapters, which vary from several pages to part of one word.

"The Jagged Orbit" was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1969, and won the BSFA Award for 1971.

Terminology

For those reading the book, it helps to know (in advance of the book disclosing it some 300 pages in) the meaning of "Blank", "Kneeblank" and "Knee", as used when referring to individuals within the text.
They are derived (By the author?) from the Afrikaans word "nieblanke"="not white" derived thus:
"Nie", meaning not, mispronounced as "knee".
"Blanke" meaning white, pronounced "blank" (as in a blank space).
This gives:
"Knee": An abbreviated form of "Kneeblank".
"Kneeblank": a person who is not white/Caucasian.
"Blank": a person who is white/Caucasian.
It is possible that the author chose to invent terms to avoid the possibility of using existing words that in the future might become offensive, as was the case with the "n" word as used by Agatha Cristie as the title for her book And Then There Were None originally published with the title "10 Little Niggers", a title which is now no longer acceptable.

Plot summary

The novel is set in the United States of America in 2014, when interracial tensions have passed the breaking point. A Mafia-like cartel, the Gottschalks, are exploiting this situation to sell weapons to anyone able to buy them. A split develops within the cartel, between the conservative old men and ambitious underlings prepared to use new computer technology to pull off some spectacular coups.

There are several separate strands of narrative following particular characters. James Reedeth is a young psychologist at New York's major mental health institution who is disenchanted with his job and his employer, the revered Elias Mogshack. Lyla Clay is a "pythoness," a young woman capable of metabolising certain psychedelic drugs to enter a trance in which she makes unconscious predictions. Matthew Flamen, a "spoolpigeon" (a variety of investigative journalist), is struggling to hold onto his job, and by his obsessive behaviour has driven his wife into Mogshack's asylum.

The plot is contrived to bring the strands together and resolve matters by a lengthy discussion between Flamen, Reedeth, Lyla Clay, Pedro Diablo (Flamen's African-American counterpart), Xavier Conroy (a long-time critic of Mogshack), and Harry Madison (a former patient at Mogshack's asylum).

External links

* [http://www.sfreviews.net/jaggedorbit.html Review at SF Reviews]
* [http://www.sfsite.com/11b/jo93.htm Review at SF Site]