Bron - Rik Raven

In October I reviewed De Achtste Rune, the latest novel by Dutch author Adrian Stone, which turned out to be an enjoyable read. I ended that review with the conclusion that I really should read more Fantasy originally written in Dutch. This is something I tell myself every year but somehow I never manage to do it. After posting a link to the Stone review on the Pure Fantasy forum, a place where a lot of fantasy writers, aspiring writers and fans hang out, I was promptly offered a review copy of Bron (literally: source, but in this case wellspring is a more fitting translation) by Rik Raven. After mailing back and forth with the author for a bit, I decided to put my money where my mouth was an accept the review copy.

Rolf Dorint is in serious trouble. His writing career has ground to a halt and he is struggling with writers block. His last publishable material has been delivered two years ago and his publisher is getting impatient. Trying to find inspiration in the bottle doesn't help either and puts a serious strain on the already stormy relationship with his wife Harriëtte. Rolf is desperately looking for a new story. Discarded manuscripts litter the shelves in this office and the feeling that there is a new story waiting to be written practically tortures him. If only he could get that first line written. When he does, the story he is about to embark on, will change his life forever.

Bron is clearly influenced by the work of Stephen King. From very early on in the novel it is clear that Raven is an admirer of his novels. A writer as the main character is something that shows up in King's novels frequently. The author has made the writing process central to the plot, supporting the plot with two central issues. The first is the question successful authors have been asked ad nauseam: where do you get your inspiration/ideas form? Rolf's source of inspiration has dried up and his attempt to get it flowing again turns from a quest of personal salvation to one that will decide the fate of worlds.

The second is the axiom that all characters in a novel are the writer. As with the wellspring of inspiration, Raven takes this quite literally, intertwining the writing of Dorint, in which he describes the adventures of his alter ego Baxan Kanter in a real metaphysically linked to our own world. As Dorint struggles to get Kanter's story written, it becomes clear that events in Kanter's world influence our own. It gets to the point where other people are dragged into the tale, with portions of the story being written by the neighbour's son Luuk.

Conceptually it is not a bad idea. It leans on King's Dark Tower considerably though. Besides the connection between the two worlds, there is Kanter, who is the Gunslinger on steroids basically. The novel includes a scene reminiscent of the challenge faced by Roland in the town of Tull, and the climax of the novel made me think of Roland's relationship with Jake as well. It's been a while since I read The Dark Tower series. There are probably more connections between the two works that I've missed.

Where Raven runs into trouble is the execution of these ideas really. In her way she is her own worst critic:

"Nee, serieus, Rolf, als je denkt hiermee weg te komen... Het is de natte droom van een meisje van dertien en een bijna volmaakte kopie van die, je weet wel, die van die serie boeken waarvan ik alleen het eerste deel van heb gelezen, die premiejager, scherpschutter of zoiets."

My translation:

"No, seriously Rolf, if you think you can get away with this... It is the wet dream of a thirteen year old girl, and an almost perfect copy of that, you know, that guy from the series I only read the first book of, that bounty hunter, gunslinger, something like that."

Harriëtte's criticism of Dorint's writing - chapter 1

Apart from the rambling prose, Raven struggles with a character that is something of a caricature. The man barely shows emotion, intimidates everyone he meets and if that doesn't work, simply shoots the the person foolish enough to be uncooperative. The temptation to make yourself larger than life must be there for Dorint but Raven has made him portray Kanter in a way that makes him less than human. No emotion is not the same as, say, the iron self control and determination of the Gunslinger.

Besides being unnecessarily heavy on violence, I wasn't too impressed with Raven's prose either. It is uneven I guess. Most of it is fairly direct but once in a while Raven overreaches and uses vocabulary that doesn't fit (when is the last time you used 'inborst' (disposition) in a heated conversation?) or end up writing rambling sentences. She also relies quite heavily on rhetorical questions in some sections. My issues with Raven's style aren't helped by the impressive number of typos and other errors that have slipped through during the final copy edit. A few are to be expected but this many strikes me as sloppy work. It doesn't do the novel any favours.

The structure of the plot also shows a few problems. The connection between Dorint and Kanter is physically demanding on Dorint. Most authors would have built up these symptoms so both the reader and the character get some time to figure out what is going on and build the tension necessary later on in the novel. Dorint ends up in hospital early on in the novel and the revelation that the fates of these two worlds are linked are dumped on the reader rather ungraciously. A little more attention to foreshadowing would have done the novel a world of good. To name one example, climate change on Earth is revealed to be one of the symptoms of impending doom by the evil genius in Kantar's world. None of the characters in Dorint's reality show even the slightest hint that they are even aware of this problem. In fact, Dorint is mostly busy with his own private struggle with his source of inspiration. Raven passes up a good opportunity to raise the stakes in the story there.

Bron is a well intentioned novel, but also an ultimately unsatisfying read. What could have been an interesting story, simply collapses under the combined weight of uneven prose, problems with the plot and editing that leaves a lot to be desired. I would like to say that this novel is an uncut diamond but the truth is that the diamond hasn't even been freed of the matrix yet. This novel was simply not ready for publication.

Book Details
Title: Bron
Author: Rik Raven
Publisher: Books of Fantasy
Pages: 302
Year: 2011
Language: Dutch
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-94-608-6023-2
First published: 2011

Het sterrensnoer - Mark Laurence

As you may have guessed from the title, Het sterrensnoer is a Dutch language title. It's been a while since I've reviewed one of those. The last one was Adrain Stone's Ziel van de Duivel in April. Unfortunately interesting genre fiction titles by Dutch language authors are far from common. Het sterrensnoer is the eighth book appearing under the Books of Fantasy imprint, a published that attempts to give new talent in genre fiction a chance. I've read two others (see the Vuurproef review) and both impressed me with the quality of the writing, editing and design. Given the small print run of one of these novels a surprising amount of time and energy is devoted to publishing these books. Het Sterrensnoer is no exception.

Centuries ago a space ship was forced to make an emergency landing on the planet Barash. It soon became apparent that the survivors were not going anywhere and so efforts were shifted to long term survival. Every bit of technical know-how was used to create a new civilization, one that would be able to maintain their level of technological development. Several centuries on, this has proven to be most difficult indeed. What is left of star ship technology is rapidly wearing out and nobody is interested in, or capable of, keeping things going.

The ancient ones where thorough in storing their knowledge though. Even in a world more interested in astrology, strange religious cults and wizardry some people strive to regain what is lost. On the west coast of the continent of West-Barash a girl named Merle is born with startling blue hair. Although she doesn't know it, her hair announces her a descendant of the crashed star travellers. She is one of the few people with the power to unlock the lost knowledge of the ancient ones, knowledge much desired by the few who know about it. When Merle discovers a family heirloom, an ancient book written in a script only she can decipher containing hints of her heritage, the ruler of the city she grew up in manipulates her into starting a quest to return the lost knowledge of the star ship to the people. A quest that turns out to be more than a little dangerous.

I've been thinking about how to translate the title for you for a couple of days now and it proving to be a pain in the backside. Dutch is one of those languages where you can take two words, glue them together and make a new one. Thus we end up with words like rioolwaterzuiveringsinstallatie (sewage treatment plant) which tags together four words (I will leave it to you to figure out which). We're not quite as bad as the Germans but it is close. Sterrensnoer is one of these constructed words. Ster, plural sterren, means star(s). Snoer can mean chord, line, rope or in this case necklace. Necklace of Stars? Or from the stars as the story suggests it is? Doesn't quite have the same ring to it as in Dutch. This necklace is a very important object in the story however, somehow it ought to show up in the title.

Important this necklace may be, it is also a part of the story with which I had a problem. Merle is quite ignorant of a great many things, one of them being the origin and properties of the necklace. It is an artefact of enormous power but Merle seems to have no control over it. As she starts out on her journey, hopelessly unprepared, it saves her from certain death an number of times in deus ex machina-like fashion. Some of these scenes would have been a lot more convincing if we had know at least a little bit of the history of the necklace and what it was capable of. It's one example of a problem that shows up in a number of places in the novel. Foreshadowing is almost non-existent in this book. This lack makes the story very unpredictable but also creates the impression of reading about a series of seemingly unrelated events. It takes quite a lot of explaining in the last fifty or so pages of the book to bring it all together.

That being said, Het sterrensnoer has more than a few things going for it. Laurence is not afraid to mix fantasy elements into what could be considered a science fiction story. On his website he mentions Jack Vance as one of his influences and the way he blends science and magic did remind me of the atmosphere in some of the Dying Earth stories. Although not everybody appreciates broken down space ships, beam weapons and motorized vehicles in their fantasy, this novel has a certain cross-over appeal. Given the small number of science fiction works still appearing in Dutch, that is certainly not a bad thing.

Another thing I absolutely loved about this book is the author's use of the Dutch language. Many texts in modern Dutch, and translations in particular, are riddled with Anglicisms. I don't consider myself a purist when it comes to the Dutch language but I do like it when people remember which language they are writing in. Laurence's use of language is not overly flowery but he employs a wide vocabulary, using some words I don't remember seeing in any text in quite a while. His vocabulary is to an extend tailored to create a fantastic atmosphere in the story, something in which he succeeds very well. It gives him a certain freedom in his choice of words and he employs it to the fullest extend. Some may consider his vocabulary slightly old-fashioned but I am very impressed with what he shows us of his language skills. Laurence wields language like a precision instrument, without the need to resort to bluntness or crudely descriptive passages. In that respect this novel is a very enjoyable read.

Het sterrensnoer is a début novel and in places the inexperience of the author shows. That did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying most aspects of this novel. If Laurence manages to get a little more grip on his plotting his next book, he clearly leaves himself opportunities for a sequel, could be very good indeed. His début is a little short of excellent but I would certainly call it promising. Het sterrensnoer is an action-packed, fantasy-tinged science fiction story that ought to have quite a wide appeal. I for one, will be keeping an eye out for his writing from now on.

Book Details
Title: Het sterrensnoer
Author: Mark Laurence
Publisher: Books of Fantasy
Pages: 320
Year: 2009
Language: Dutch
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-94-608600-3-4
First published: 2009

A Second Fantasy Realm Review

A while ago the Dutch-language website Fantasy Realm asked me to review a book for them by author Dick Marco Stedehouder. I wasn't all that impressed with the book but I must have done something right reviewing it because last week a review copy of Mando Vidé en het Robotbevrijdingsfront by Django Mathijsen landed on the doormat. As you will have guessed from the title, Mathijsen is another local talent. His book is published by Books of Fantasy, a small publisher seeking out original Dutch-language Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror. Not too long ago I reviewed another of their books: Vuurproef by Bianca Mastenbroek (this review is in English).

Books of Fantasy seems to have spotted another talented author, I quite liked Mathijsen's first novel. I think he could have shown off his knowledge of robotics a bit more but despite that he delivered a very exciting, fast paced techno-thriller. A full review of Mando Vidé en het Robotbevrijdingsfront can be found here. The review is in Dutch I'm afraid but should you be interested, Google translate doesn't entirely butcher it beyond recognition ;)

Vuurproef - Bianca Mastenbroek

In my ongoing search to find speculative fiction of quality written in Dutch I recently came across the small publisher Books of Fantasy, it appears to be an offshoot of Pure Fantasy Magazine, one of the few magazines in the Netherlands dedicated to short form science fiction, fantasy and horror. Their catalogue offers a number of interesting titles. I picked Bianca Mastenbroek's début novel Vuurproef based on a short story by Mastenbroek I read a while ago in the collection Time Out. Her story Versteend Verlangen was one of the stories that impressed me in that collection. Vuurproef turns out to be something of an odd duck in the Books of Fantasy collection. It is a historical novel dealing with a witchcraft trial, without any fantasy elements added to is.The title of the novel translates as "Ordeal by Fire", one of the methods used to determine someone's guilt. By the time this story is set the practice had been abolished but it does make an effective title.

Vuurproef is set in Heezop, a (fictional) town in what is today the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant, in the year 1595. A new Lord by the name of Vaillant has recently taken over control of the region. Influenced by his new legal advisor Master Fabri, Vaillant has placed the extermination of witchcraft high on his agenda. His campaign is not without results, at the opening of the book Anna van Asten, the main character of the book, is forced to witness the burning at the stake of Heezop's first witch. A poor old woman named Jenneke de Grauw. Generally disliked, the village is glad to be rid of her. Anna argues that this does not make her a witch but Vaillant and Fabri claim to have obtained a confession.

Anna's sharp tongue and her questioning of Lord Vaillant's actions soon turn against her. Women are not supposed to be that outspoken. Anna has learned to think for herself, she can even read and write, hardly the image of an obedient and god fearing wife. In short, in Lord Vaillant's eyes she is a prime suspect. Anna finds herself accused of witchcraft and arrested by Vaillant's men. To her astonishment and that of her husband Henck, the village is willing to testify against her. While Anna faces Vaillant's questioning, Henck embarks on a mission to save his wife from a fiery death at the stake.

The events Mastenbroek describes are based on a series of witch trails held in 1595 in the town of Asten (note the main characters last name). Names and places have been changed though. The town of Heezop, as far as I know, does not exist. The name appears to be a combination of Heeze and Geldrop, two towns in the region. Lord Vaillant is not a historical figure either but it does not take too much imagination to figure out who he is based on. The process of a witch trail is described in detail in this book and that is probably where the most historical material is added. It clashes violently with our own sense of justice but many involved in such trails back then probably genuinely believed what they were involved in was justice and not a lynching. Many but not all, the author does hint at possible ulterior motives in several chapters. This view into the trail itself was one of the most interesting aspects of the book for me.

Part of the procedure is of course the interrogation of the witness. In particular the painful examination. Mastenbroek gives a number of detailed descriptions of how one went about obtaining a confession in those days. She does not go to the extremes we sometimes encounter in fantasy (I'm thinking Goodkind here for one), but the degrading and excruciatingly painful scenes can be pretty horrific nonetheless. She manages to evoke this reaction without resorting to gory details but focusses on the successive phases of desperation, determination and hope of the main character instead. A very fine piece of writing.

The author alternates chapters seen from the point of view of various characters in the story with brief glances at the life of Anna's daughter Jutta. She is torn between fear and disbelief as the evidence mounts against her mother. Brief snippets of Jutta's writing add a very distinct and at times touching perspective to the overall story. She writes this in a (psuedo?) old fashioned spelling of Dutch. I'm not sure if this is entirely necessary but it does have a nice effect. Unfortunately she drops the style in a letter Anna has written to her husband towards the end of the book. It would have been a pain to write the entire letter in the style she uses for Jutta but it would have been consistent.

There are two things I would like to have seen in this novel that would have lifted it from very good to excellent in my opinion. The first is a bit more insight into the motivation of the main villain in the book Valliant. He is mostly portrayed as sexist, impatient, cruel and perhaps a bit perverted. Mastenbroek hints at a failed relationship with a woman that fires his current rage. We never find out exactly how or why this woman angered him enough to take it out on the local population. As a result Lord Vaillant remains a bit one dimensional. He is clearly the villain of the tale without any redeeming characteristics. Another question that remains is how he came under the influence of Master Fabri. He's quite a shady figure, the dynamics of his relationship with Vaillant could have been interesting.

The second point is somewhat related and has to do with the point at which Mastenbroek opens the story. Right at the beginning of the we witness the execution of the first witch in Heezop. At this point a lot must already have happened inside this relatively small community. These people have known and tolerated each other their entire life yet they choose to execute one of their own. The question of how a community gets caught up in mass hysteria is one that the author does not explore at all. We get to see how they, in all practical terms, ostracise the van Asten family but at that point the process is well under way.

Vuurproef is a dark book, given the theme it could hardly be otherwise. The author is taken a piece of local history and turned it into a tale of desperation, hope and love. As with the previous short story I was impressed with Mastenbroek's writing (just go easy on the exclamation mark) and characterization. There is room for improvement but Vuurproef is a very good first novel by a promising author. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work, short for or long, in the future.

Book Details
Title: Vuurproef
Author: Bianca Mastenbroek
Publisher: Books of Fantasy
Pages: 207
Year: 2008
Language: Dutch
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-90-808244-9-2
First published: 2008