Big Planet and Showboat World

First published:Big Planet (1957; full text restored 1978; serial form, Startling Stories, September, 1952) and Showboat World (1975)

Type of work: Novels

Type of plot: Science fiction—interplanetary romance

Time of work: The late twenty-sixth century

Locale: Various locations on Big Planet

The Plot

Location is everything in these two novels. Big Planet is enormous, and all of Earth’s splinter cultures seem to have migrated there, each convinced that its way of life is the only true way. There is no central government. Murder, torture, and intolerance are rife, and Earth is unable to exercise any real control over the planet. The magazine story of Big Planet was cut drastically and edited egregiously in its first book publication, one of the few instances in which a book became shorter than the original magazine story. The full original text was not restored until 1978. Showboat World was conceived retroactively as a sequel.

In Big Planet, a new ruler—the Bajarnum of Beaujolais, otherwise known as Charley Lysidder—has begun expanding his empire through various nefarious means, including assassination, child slavery, and other atrocities. A commission has been sent from Earth to investigate and take action to put an end to the threat. The commission’s spaceship, sabotaged by Lysidder’s agent, crashes near the edge of Lysidder’s territory, killing all but the commission members and a very few others. When Claude Glystra, commission chairman, returns to consciousness a few days later, the radio operator, Abbigens, having proved to be Lysidder’s agent, has escaped. Glystra has been nursed since the crash by a local girl named Nancy.

Because Lysidder obviously will send troops to capture the commission, Glystra decides that their only hope is to avoid Lysidder entirely and get to Earth Enclave, forty thousand miles away. Nancy begs to join the trek, but Glystra refuses at first.

Shortly after the journey begins, Abbigens is discovered leading troops to capture the commission. In the ensuing melee, Abbigens is killed and Nancy assists in defeating the troops. The trek resumes, and as the group encounters one new culture after another, it begins to shrink as members are killed or, in one case, defect to the local culture. This is the most interesting portion of the book because the various cultures are both original and fascinating.

After traveling for some time on foot and via native beast, boat, and highline, the party is reduced to four: Glystra, Nancy, commission member Bishop, and Corbus, the chief engineer of the spaceship. The highline has been cut, the party has been attacked by raiders from which they manage to escape, and they have arrived outside the site of Myrtlesee Fountain, reputed site of a renowned oracle. During the trip, Glystra and Nancy have developed an attraction for each other, although inconsistencies in Nancy’s speech and behavior make Glystra suspect that she is not what she seems.

During the night, Bishop is killed and Nancy is kidnapped. Glystra and Corbus sneak into the city and bribe a local merchant to help them find Nancy. During the search, Glystra discovers the secret of the oracle: Material extracted from the brains of corpses and mixed with a local drug is injected into the brain of a living man, who then becomes superintelligent for a few moments before dying. Glystra also finds Nancy, not as a prisoner but as a now reluctant agent and consort of Lysidder.

Glystra is captured and scheduled to be injected for Lysidder’s use as an oracle, but Corbus smuggles in a large supply of vitamins and amino acids that they believe will counteract the effect of the brain serum. During his session as oracle, Glystra gives confusing answers and feigns death, then is thrown into an abattoir, from which he escapes with the help of Corbus. They lay a trap for Lysidder, steal his airboat, reconcile with Nancy, and fly to Earth Enclave and safety.

Showboat World, although also set on Big Planet, takes place in a section far distant from the earlier story and is considerably more picaresque. Showboats ply the Vissal River and its tributaries, bringing various forms of entertainment to the many cultures spread along the banks. The two most notorious showboats are owned by rivals Appolon Zamp and Garth Ashgale. Their rivalry leads to the destruction of Zamp’s boat and considerable damage to Ashgale’s. The chicanery that accomplishes this is a key element of the book and is practiced by almost every character who appears.

King Waldemar of Sylvanesse, far up the river, has decreed a festival and a competition among six showboats. Zamp has been issued an invitation to compete and has joined forces with Damsel Blanche-Aster, a mysterious girl who is to help him find another showboat and sail it to Sylvanesse.

Theodorus Gassoon, dour and frugal, owns a boat that he prefers to keep moored and use as a museum. He falls under the spell of Blanche-Aster and agrees, reluctantly, to let Zamp use his boat for the journey and the competition. The voyage is long and perilous; as in Big Planet it is made interesting by the many weird cultures encountered along the way.

It becomes apparent in Sylvanesse that Zamp’s production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is poorly matched against the fantastic stagings of the other boats. During the show, Blanche-Aster reveals herself to be a descendant of a rival ruler and is hailed as the queen, deposing Waldemar. Hers is a short rule, because Gassoon accidentally shows an emblem that causes the populace to hail him as the king.

Zamp, sailing back down the river, is overtaken by Gassoon, who is fleeing on horseback after his emblem is destroyed and he is no longer recognized as the king. The two return to their original port and make new plans.