River of Dust

River of Dust is a prequel of sorts to Jablokov's first novel, Carve the Sky. An expansion of his novella "Syrtis," it tells the story of brothers Hektor and Breyton Passman, sons of famous Martian political figure Lon Passman. Hektor, the younger brother, is pursuing the political career Breyton abandoned. Breyton, more passionate and exuberant than Hektor, is waiting for inspiration to strike and show him his path in life. The Passmans live in Scamander, a city located underneath the hostile surface of the red planet. The subterranean populace of Mars is divided into two classes-the well-educated upper class, which includes the Passmans, and the rough and tumble working class. This centuries old caste system is experiencing upheaval, due to the radical philosophies of Rudolf Hounslow. Hounslow's followers, known as the Pure Land School, have launched a terrorist strike, assassinating a relatively harmless colonial official. The assassination triggers a series of events which eventually find the brothers on opposite sides of a civil war. Breyton joins the Pure Land School, while Hektor deals with the political fallout, eventually designing a Machiavellian plot to crush the rebels. The conflict takes its toll on the Passmans, costing the lives of friends and family, and forcing the two young men even further apart. Jablokov's characters are complex, colorful and believable, as are their relationships. The setting, the claustrophobic caverns of Mars, is intriguing, as are its effects on Martian society. Martians are a special breed, and Jablokov revels in their idiosyncrasies. Especially enjoyable is the Martian penchant for theatrical gestures, the catalyst for many memorable scenes. The book's major problems stem from the author's failure to detail the underpinnings of the societal conflict at novel's center. Rupert Hounslow's beliefs initiate momentous events, yet are never fully expounded. The aristocracy's side (i.e. preserving the status quo) is reasonably clear, but the agenda of the Pure Land School is never fully explored. Was this a sizable movement, or merely a bunch of rabble rousers who succeeded in disrupting Martian society? The reader never knows what is really at stake. However, these flaws are far from fatal. Jablokov delivers a finely crafted story with several well-drawn characters and intriguing plot twists. Having had a taste of Mars, discerning readers may hope that Jablokov will soon revisit this fertile territory.

When I first started reading this, I though dull, dull, DULL. I stuck at it, and and was amply rewarded for doing so, because the ending is superb. I can only recommend this to people with patience enough to read a slow developing story, but those who do will love it as much as I did.

I have followed Alexander Jablakov's work since his powerful short stories in Asimov's back in the 1980's. Nobody else seems to know who he is. Anyhow: River of Dust is his most powerful to date. The society is riveting, its history mysterious, and the central tale -- the tale of three siblings (one of whom we never meet) -- is tragedy as Shakespeare would have written if he had written science fiction. I only give a 10 to a novel that I want to immediately re-read, but this one makes it to my "I will re-read it when I run out of new books to read" list (the 9 list).