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In this
issue:
Books
Laura Haywood reviews
the reissue of a cult favorite: in Islandia, Austin Tappen
Wright has created a completely imaginary locale, one with customs
that are alien to both his own fictional character and the reader.
And
Consider This
Two websites, one that
focuses on the genre of alternate histories and 'what ifs,' as in
"What if the Confederacy won the American Civil War"
and Stephen Sondheim's theatrical site.
Books
Islandia
Austin Tappen Wright
Overlook Press
When his children were
little, attorney Austin Tappen Wright used to tell them bedtime
stories about a fictional country called Islandia. When Wright died,
his family discovered that he hadn't just told them the stories;
he'd written them down. There were thousands of pages of manuscript,
along with papers on such things as the geography, the history,
the language, and the myths of Islandia. Wright's wife and daughter
edited the papers, producing a thousand-plus-page novel that became
something of a cult favorite.
For some years, the novel
was out of print and, if you could find a copy in a used-book store,
it was likely to be priced in the $100-plus range. But now Overlook
Press has reissued the book for $24.05, and Amazon is selling it
for $15.37.
In most fiction, the
author creates people and events that transpire in a world familiar
to the reader. Wright opens his book in a more-or-less familiar
setting: Harvard in 1901. There, John Lang, a freshman, meets Dorn,
another freshman, who is from Islandia. The two young men become
friends and, in the course of that friendship, Dorn teaches John
Islandian. When, a few years later, Islandia abandons enough of
its pure isolationist principles to accept consuls from other countries,
John is one of the few Americans who can speak the language. With
the help of some well-placed family members, John is appointed consul
and goes to Islandia. It is then that Wright shows the range of
his creativity; in Islandia, he has created a completely fictional
locale, one with customs that are alien to John Lang and the reader.
Immediately, Lang is
thrown into conflict. The
Mora party, in power when he arrives, is seeking to bring Islandia
into the world community. The Dorn party prefers to retain the old
ways, which include a deep suspicion of foreigners. If John Lang
is to remain as consul, he should support the Mora party, but his
friendship with Dorn makes that a difficult choice. In the course
of this sprawling but engrossing novel, several plot lines emerge.
The first is Lang's career in Islandia and the politics of the country.
But there is also a love story – Lang falls in love with his friend's
sister, Dorna, and there's a secret-mission thread relating to border
raids by citizens of Islandia's closest neighbor.
There are elements in
the book that will disturb the modern reader, especially racism
– the raiding parties are from a black race – and the structure
of the society, which is feudal – one is born into a position one
can't readily escape. But the characters are beautifully drawn –
particularly the women. It is fascinating to watch Wright, who died
in 1931, portraying strong, independent women.
And you will encounter
more than a few ideas in Islandia that are worth considering.
Islandia is perfect for
readers who like to settle into a book that takes more than a few
days to read. It
will take you to a place you've never visited and can never see
any other way than by reading the book.
And
Consider This>>
Laura W. Haywood is a
graduate of Finch College. Her career includes representing newspapers
for national advertising when she was the only woman repping papers
in New York at the time. Stints in public relations and development
followed at Jacksonville and Princeton Universities as well as one
in public relations for a major corporation. Laura's fiction and
poetry has won a number of prizes and has appeared in The New York
Times ("Metropolitan Diary"), Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Galaxy,
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, and a number of other magazines
and anthologies. She edited or co-edited (with Isaac Asimov) two
science fiction and one mystery anthology. Laura is the author of
the recently published novel "The Honor of the Ken."
Laura can be reached
by email: lwhaywood@aol.com
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