Lord Tyger (Grandmaster Series)

I just finished reading the first two Tarzan novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs when I came across Lord Tyger by Philip Jose Farmer. Wow! Edgar Rice Burroughs was a hack. As Gore Vidal says in his intro to the (I think) Signet addition - Burroughs was innocent of science and literature, his writing was uneven, and his characterizaton of women and Africans and African-Americans is nothing short of embarrasing and even outrageously offensive (by contemporary standards anyway). Burroughs also relied far too often on fantastic coincidences and deus ex machinas. All in all, a mediocre or even a bad writer with a few brilliant ideas. Farmer takes this material and writes a homage to it that is far better than the original. Now for some spoilers: The premise of this book (which is actually revealed fairly early on) is that a young boy has been kidnapped by a deranged millionair who is trying to reproduce Burrough's Tarzan by having the boy grow up in a secluded African vally, raised by people who claim they are apes. Farmer focuses on all the reasons why this scheme could not work in real life, and the reality of an adolescent being left to his own devices among gorillas and an African tribe (whose sexual mores are no more or less perverse than civilized people but simply different given that it is a stone age village of less than two score people). It is a sad, horrendous, and yet exiciting and occasionally funny tale. Every bit as exiciting as the Burrough's originals and as far as I am concerned more realistic and intriguing. It also has none of the chauvanism or racism or imperialism of the Burrough's novels. I also though it hilarious that Ras Tyger's foster parents were named Mary and Joseph (or the Arabic equivalents) and that he believed he was the Son of God because of his rather odd circumstances and strange upbringing and uniqueness in that hidden valley. As one reviewer said, this book is not for kids. It treats sexuality in far too frank and honest a way for many people to be comfortable with. It is also a pretty violent book and has some very tragic and intense scenes in it. But for anyone who like Tarzan but can't get over how unrealistic the whole idea of Tarzan is, or who finds Burrough's original tales too offensive and hackneyed to bother with - this book is the solution. I would add, however, that I enjoyed this a lot more than I would have after reading the first two of Burrough's Tarzan books.

Now that Philip Jose Farmer's wild books from the late 1960's-mid 1970's that are being reprinted, the reintroduction of "Lord Tyger" to the world appears overdue. It is the best Farmer book of this period. The title character is a Tarzan-like individual who is raised by people he doesn't believe to be human, attains mastery of the jungle and its animal denizens, and torments the local tribe of primitives (the Wantso). The descriptions of LT's encounters with the Wantso and the chieftain of a rival tribe are entertaining and frequently hilarious. No SF writer has more fun with the science of anthropology than Farmer. The entire novel is a fast read and packed with adventure. At his best, Farmer's adventures seem to contain as many ideas, plot turns and dramatic action sequences as entire series by more mediocre authors. I had the misfortune of trying to read two volumes of the "Decology" by "L Ron Hubbard" many years ago, and it's plain to me that average SF adventure writers do not have what Farmer had, especially around the time of "Lord Tyger." Farmer is a dedicated fan of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and books like "Lord Tyger" make Farmer appear to be a more informed and (much) less restrained Burroughs. This is a pastiche of what I consider to be the best of the Tarzan books (I, VI and VII), which I recommend. The idea of the "noble savage" by Rousseau gets ill treatment here, especially if one's idea of "noble" is based on civilized ideals. In fact, the presence of Tyger's insane benefactor Boygur speaks to the rather sick consequences of trying to make monsters out of men. "Lord Tyger," like all of Farmer's Tarzan-inspired fiction, is worth seeking out and buying. It is excellent, but clearly not for younger readers.

It is difficult to describe the story of this novel without spoiling it. Ras Tyger is the lord of the Jungle. His mother was an ape, his father was God. He lives a savage life in the jungle, tormenting the native warriors while seducing their women. Then events lead him to begin a seach for the truth of his origins. It's an interesting take on the Tarzan legend, but not for the easily offended. Farmer gives Burroughs a run for is money as far as action and adventure are concerned. Definitely not for children, but if you love the Tarzan character, give it a shot.

Farmer's interest in the Tarzan stories of Burroughs is well known, and he has written his own stories in the past. This is not a Tarzan story, although it does involve a "savage" growing up among various jungle tribes. This book is extremely well written, with many fascinating passages throughout. In the end, Farmer still manages to weave a connection with the classic Burroughs tales. This one is worth a read for the quality writing alone, and may be among Farmer's best.