- The Anome
Infobox Book |
name = The Anome
title_orig =
translator =
image_caption = first edition of the "The Anome"
author =Jack Vance
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country =United States
language = English
series =Durdane series
genre =Science fiction novel
publisher =Dell Publishing
release_date = 1973
media_type = Print (Paperback )
pages = 224 pp
isbn = ISBN 0-440-00441-1
preceded_by =
followed_by = The Brave Free Men"The Anome" is a
science fiction novel byJack Vance published in1973 . It is also subtitled as "The Faceless Man" and is the first book in theDurdane series of novels.Plot summary
It tells the story of a boy growing to manhood in the land of Shant, a society composed of many different, and wildly individual cantons, some of which are run by
cult s. Each adult wears anexplosive device around their neck — a "torc" — which can be exploded by remote command, bringing about instantdeath bydecapitation . The torcs are controlled by an anonymous dictator,The Faceless Man , whose identity is literally unknown. Because those whose heads are exploded are selected primarily by the cantonal leaders, for violations of local law, the Anome is able to operate with only a handful of assistants, or '"Benevolences"', who themselves do not know his identity.Major themes and possible influences
The concept of a society ruled by explosive collars appears to have earlier featured in the
1964 novel "The Reefs of Space " byJack Williamson andFrederik Pohl , although with a very different storyline and setting from "The Anome". The films "Wedlock" (1991) and "Battle Royale" (2000) later employed a very similar explosive collar motif.Literary significance & criticism
"The Anome" contains fascinating discourses about social structures, and the story of how this bizarre form of government evolved in Shant.
References
*cite book | last=Underwood | first=Tim | coauthors =Chuck Miller | title=Jack Vance | location=New York | publisher=Taplinger Publishing Company | pages=227 | date=1980 | isbn=0-8008-4295-2
External links
* [http://www.jackvance.com/dbase/viewimage.php?lang=1&title=Anome+(The) Cover illustrations]
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