Critical Myth-Interpretations

In my review for the second book of the “His Dark Materials” trilogy, I made some predictions about the general point of the entire story.  From my perspective, it was about breaking down a corrupted system and replacing it with something better, through the mechanism of a new Adam and Eve.  Also from my perspective, modern Christianity was chosen as the “old system” out of a mixture of the author’s set of beliefs and the desire for relevancy of topic.

All of this came to pass, with more of an emphasis on “free will” vs. “determinism”, one of the most powerful philosophical discussions a society can tackle.  To touch on how this kind of story fits into the concept of this site overall, consider how that debate rages in the most beloved genre television series: “Babylon 5”, “Lost”, “Buffy”, “Angel”, “Battlestar Galactica”, etc.  All of them explore common ground within extreme and unusual circumstances.

Some consider this book (and the trilogy in general) to be a polemic against the Catholic Church and its teachings by an atheist (who considers himself more an agnostic, which is apparent in the work itself).  It would be more enlightening to consider the nature of the book above and beyond the personal beliefs of the author.  After all, many of the shows listed above were written or run by avowed atheists, yet in many cases, the stories speak more directly on matters of faith than most material from the faithful.

I thought it interesting that most of the venomous comments about God, Christianity, and organized religion came from very specific characters.  Those characters were speaking in a manner true to their nature.  Close examination of the story gives it a more agnostic flavor; the Creator is never denied outright but deemed unseen and unknowable.  The Church is not conceived of illusion per se, but built out of the design of a being who chose to play God.

On the other hand, the central battle is between religious Authority (“order and determinism”) and secular morality (“chaos and free will”).  Pullman echoes the central lesson of moral humanism: “if what we do doesn’t matter (doesn’t pertain to a master plan), then all that matters is what we do”.  Free will and the lack of religious control over personal morality does not equate to immorality.  It places all responsibility for one’s actions and one’s choices on one’s shoulders.

Lyra and Will bring down the Kingdom of Heaven to create, in its wake, the Republic of Heaven.  It’s about allowing people to work together to create something greater without imposition from an outside agency.  It’s about allowing people to take responsibility for making things better or worse, instead of externalizing that responsibility.  It’s equally about recognizing that an Authority that demands an immoral act in the name of control should be resisted.

Note that none of those conclusions or concepts necessitate an attack on Catholicism or any specific organized religion.  While some character do draw that connection, it is far more generalized.  Also, most of the immorality can be traced directly to an organized religion that is far more corrupt and fanatical than any modern brand of Catholicism.  That said, history demonstrates how easily religious authority (including Christianity) can become a despotic force against freedom of thought.  That the Magisterium of Lyra’s world is essentially an extension of a Catholicism than never endured the Reformation, thus continuing upon its path following the Middle Ages and Renaissance, is no mistake.

Ultimately, what Pullman has created is a kind of fantastical humanist wish fulfillment fairie tale.  He puts up a mirror to organized religion and lets the followers react, each in accordance to how closely they see themselves reflected.  As grand as the ideas might be, and as important as the concepts are in the social consciousness, I cannot say that the author communicates all of those ideas clearly.

In particular, he introduces several scientific concepts in a manner that, even to the experienced reader, generates confusion.  It can also be difficult to understand the importance of a given plot point because of Pullman’s desire to be clever or subtle.  This is a story that requires more than one read-through to understand completely, and considering how controversial some of the ideas must be to some readers, that is a daunting requirement.  Keeping the target age group for the novels in mind, clarifying some of the context might have been a good idea.

Rating: 8/10

Following the first six “Babylon 5” novels, the editors sat down with creator J. Michael Straczynski.  The goal was relatively simple.  Those first six novels struggled to find relevance within the structure of the original series; events were often too important not to be referenced on the show or too divergent from the established characterization.  The solution was something of a relaunch: three novels that would be set firmly within the continuity of the series as suggested and/or approved by J. Michael Straczynski himself.

This is the first of the three novels, and one of the few early novels to be considered mostly “canon” by Straczynski.  Two main plot threads are explored: Anna Sheridan’s fateful journey on the Icarus to Z’ha’dum and John Sheridan’s struggle to assert control over the Agamemnon while thwarting a terrorist attack on Babylon 5.

The Anna Sheridan plot thread is the clear highlight, delving into the connections hinted at in “Messages from Earth”, “In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum”, and, of course, “Z’ha’dum”.  The anticipated intrigue regarding the Psi Corps, IPX, and EarthGov is well done, filling in some of the blanks, and it’s clear that Anna was the victim of circumstance.  The best element is the exploration of Morden.  His reasons for accepting service to the Shadows are far more understandable and tragic.

John Sheridan’s plot thread is a bit more conventional, though it does mesh well with the activities of Homeguard in the first season.  The investigation itself, and the handling of the weapons crew, is strong material.  However, the connection to Babylon 5 seems gratuitous, especially in the final chapters of the book.

For that matter, Delenn’s efforts to stop the Icarus, especially the supposed threat of war communicated to Sinclair, seem over the top and hard to reconcile.  Wouldn’t that sort of tension be mentioned in the first season, given the relationship between Delenn and Sinclair?  The Delenn and Kosh moments were a nice additional layer, but it caused more problems than it solved.

Ultimately, the main compliant is that the novel feels remarkably short.  Anna’s experiences could have been fleshed out more, especially in the beginning, and John’s struggles with the crew seemed to be resolved too easily.  That said, it is still the best novel up to that point in the sequence, and it is definitely worth the read.

Rating: 7/10

The relaunch of the “Next Generation” novels has seen mixed results.  The initial book, “Death in Winter”, was ultimately a forgettable disappointment.  “Resistance” was a horrible attempt to revisit the Borg.  In contrast, the Titan novels, though somewhat independent, were quite well done and “Q&A” was a nice way to bring the “Q” saga into perspective.

This novel is meant to come after “Q&A”, but in many respects, it completely ignores that novel in favor of presenting a direct sequel to “Resistance”.  This was apparently due to an editorial oversight; the author was never given information about “Q&A” to endure continuity of characterization, especially the characters introduced in “Resistance”.  That leaves the relaunch looking rather slapdash in the end.

Worse, “Before Dishonor” follows the trend of “Resistance”, taking the Borg threat to a new and frankly unbelievable level.  The Borg were already overused; returning to the well was a decidedly foolish endeavor.  By the end of the book, high profile characters are dead, an inexplicable mutiny has occurred, and at least one chunk of the solar system is gone (along with a massive percentage of Starfleet).

Had the scenario been supported with a strong and mostly serious narrative, the story might have worked.  Instead, the author’s penchant for sarcasm and wry humor is present throughout, often exhibiting itself in moments that contextually make no sense.  The end result is a story that is impossible to take seriously, thus undermining the idea of the relaunch completely.

This is profoundly unfortunate, because the author has been capable of much better material, as seen in the “New Frontier” series of novels.  Had this been a less apocalyptic story, the tone might have worked; it would have been a minor diversion from the rest of the relaunch arc and easily dismissed as such.  Instead, the events are so profound that the end result undermines the current novels and just about any future attempt to bring things back under control.

Rating: 4/10

Of all the side stories to come out of the Riftwar Saga to date, the “Empire” trilogy was by far the most successful.  Set during the Riftwar and in the generation thereafter, these books explore the rise of Mara of the Acoma, a young and inexperienced noble within the Tsurani culture.  This is the beginning of the story, detailing Mara’s earliest struggle to overcome the odds, defeat her political rivals, and take control of her family’s destiny.

The writing style is definitively different from Feist’s usual fare, suggesting that Wurts was the primary author, but the story is deeply rooted in the pseudo-Asian influences of the Tsurani culture, originally presented by Feist in his earlier works.  In fact, one might be forgiven if they thought entire passages of “Shogun” had been used as source material for several chapters.

The final product is far from perfect; the characters tend to be two-dimensional, and Mara’s success is a combination of incredible coincidence and incredible luck.  Mara often manages to tackle new and dangerous gambits with little or no time for preparation yet enormous success.  Granted, this is the story of an improbable rise to power against great adversity, but Mara’s strength often seems assumed rather than supported.

Despite those shortcomings, the authors weave a tale that quickly sucks you in, anticipating the next challenge and the clever solution that will be needed to survive it.  This is a relatively dense book, but that density is rewarding, and fans of the Riftwar and Feist’s work will be pleased with this journey into a different perspective.

Rating: 8/10