Cadwal Chronicles
Encyclopedia
The Cadwal Chronicles are a trilogy of science fiction novels by Jack Vance
set in his Gaean Reach
fictional universe. The three novels are called Araminta Station
, Ecce and Old Earth and Throy.
From the earliest days, the Agents recruited members of their own families to help them; but only 20 such family members were allowed, to a total planetary population of 120 (although numbers are swelled by additional non-resident personnel, known as "collaterals"). At his 21st birthday, each resident on Cadwal discovers his Agency status which hinges on an "index number" indicating his genealogical rank. A person whose index number is greater than 20 must leave Cadwal to seek his fortune elsewhere in the Gaean Reach
. Thus, the society of Cadwal is a highly stratified aristocracy, where success depends on birth as much as aptitude. The system is designed to minimise the number of residents on the planet but is highly inflexible.
Despite these restrictions an additional groups of persons reside on the planet: the "Yips", who are described as "descendants of runaway servants". Forbidden access to the hospitable continent of Deucas, the Yips are confined to the tiny Lutwen Islands; their extremely crowded settlement is informally known as Yipton.
Much of the story concerns the tensions between the Yips, who would like to colonise the continent of Deucas and have no concern for ecology, and the members of the Cadwal Conservancy who wish to uphold the Charter and keep Cadwal as a nature reserve.
Only six Agents and their staff were originally allowed to settle at Araminta Station. These agents were: Deamus Wook, Shirry Clattuc, Saul Diffin, Claude Offaw, Marvell Veder and Condit Laverty. Each Agent brought in family members, giving the initial administration "a cohesion which might otherwise have been lacking". In time, this led to an aristocracy of 120 persons – the twenty most closely related to each of the six original Agents – who are allowed permanent residence at Araminta Station.
. It forbids human settlement except in small areas with limited population allowed. The Charter grants ownership of the Cadwal to the Naturalist Society in perpetuity. The provisions of the Charter are enforced by the Conservancy, in particular by Bureau B (see next section).
Each person at Araminta Station is expected to Serve in one of the Bureaus:
Since the story revolves around police investigations, Bureau B features prominently in the books.
Politics abound at Stroma. A new and progressive party, called the Life, Peace and Freedom (LPF) party, is sympathetic to the Yips and advocates rewriting the Charter to allow Yip settlements on Deucas. This notion is strongly resisted by the conservative "Chartists" who insist the Charter must never be altered.
. Indeed, Yip girls are compelled to take part in this to gain money for the Yip State.
In Araminta Station, the Yips are confined to the small Lutwen Islands. They would dearly love to colonise the hospitable continent of Deucas but are prevented from doing so by members of the Conservancy, who, pursuant their Charter, consider Cadwal to be a nature preserve and prevent humans from forming large settlements. The Yips care nothing for the Charter and feel no kinship to the members of the Conservancy, regarding themselves as a separate nation. Only the superior weaponry of the Conservancy prevents the Yips from overtaking the planet. An uneasy stalemate exists.
Despite this, the Yips are superficially polite to the folk of Araminta Station and are willing to work for them provided money is paid. The Yips gain further money from Tourists who are allowed to visit Yipton and must pay dearly for all services they use there, including sexual services at the notorious Pussycat Palace.
The Yips are ruled with great brutality by Titus Pompo, a dictator whose word is law. Pompo extracts taxes from all Yip activity and has a considerable personal fortune. Any Yip displeasing him is subject to murder and torture: there is no rule of law
in the Yip state. Pompo uses much of his tax money plotting schemes to destroy the Conservancy and overrun Cadwal.
Glawen's first love Sessily Veder is kidnapped and brutally murdered, and Glawen attempts to bring her murderers to justice. He later wins the love of Wayness Tamm, daughter of the Conservator.
Glawen is a typical Vancian Everyman
character, similar to Glinnes Hulden
and, to a lesser extent, Adam Reith
and Kirth Gersen
.
Jack Vance
John Holbrook Vance is an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction author. Most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance. Vance has published 11 mysteries as John Holbrook Vance and 3 as Ellery Queen...
set in his Gaean Reach
Gaean Reach
The Gaean Reach is the setting of an informal grouping of a number of science fiction books by author Jack Vance ....
fictional universe. The three novels are called Araminta Station
Araminta Station
Araminta Station is a science fiction novel by Jack Vance. The story is set on the planet Cadwal which has been identified as a planet of extraordinary beauty which must be protected forever from human exploitation...
, Ecce and Old Earth and Throy.
Storyline
Cadwal is a planet of extraordinary beauty. To protect it, the "Naturalist Society" has set up a Charter which allows only limited settlement on the planet in order to enforce the laws of the Conservancy. These laws forbid extensive human habitations, mining and other exploitation activities. Only six "Agents" and their staff are allowed to reside permanently on the planet: their main function is to prevent other humans from establishing residence, although tourists are allowed in specially designed lodges, overlooking sites of natural beauty and interest.From the earliest days, the Agents recruited members of their own families to help them; but only 20 such family members were allowed, to a total planetary population of 120 (although numbers are swelled by additional non-resident personnel, known as "collaterals"). At his 21st birthday, each resident on Cadwal discovers his Agency status which hinges on an "index number" indicating his genealogical rank. A person whose index number is greater than 20 must leave Cadwal to seek his fortune elsewhere in the Gaean Reach
Gaean Reach
The Gaean Reach is the setting of an informal grouping of a number of science fiction books by author Jack Vance ....
. Thus, the society of Cadwal is a highly stratified aristocracy, where success depends on birth as much as aptitude. The system is designed to minimise the number of residents on the planet but is highly inflexible.
Despite these restrictions an additional groups of persons reside on the planet: the "Yips", who are described as "descendants of runaway servants". Forbidden access to the hospitable continent of Deucas, the Yips are confined to the tiny Lutwen Islands; their extremely crowded settlement is informally known as Yipton.
Much of the story concerns the tensions between the Yips, who would like to colonise the continent of Deucas and have no concern for ecology, and the members of the Cadwal Conservancy who wish to uphold the Charter and keep Cadwal as a nature reserve.
Geography of Cadwal
Cadwal has three major continents: Deucas, Ecce and Throy. The remainder of the planet is covered in oceans with only a few small islands. Deucas is temperate and most suited to human settlement. Ecce is dominated by jungles and swamps and is baking hot. Throy is cold, with strong arctic winds and a forbidding landscape of mountains and cliffs.The Conservancy
The Conservancy is a group of people allowed permanent residence on Cadwal. Their task is to enforce the provisions of the Charter (see below). Most are located at Araminta Station in Deucas but some, the governing politicians, live at Stroma on Throy. These latter persons include the Conservator, nominal leader of Cadwal, who resides at Riverview House.Only six Agents and their staff were originally allowed to settle at Araminta Station. These agents were: Deamus Wook, Shirry Clattuc, Saul Diffin, Claude Offaw, Marvell Veder and Condit Laverty. Each Agent brought in family members, giving the initial administration "a cohesion which might otherwise have been lacking". In time, this led to an aristocracy of 120 persons – the twenty most closely related to each of the six original Agents – who are allowed permanent residence at Araminta Station.
The Charter
The Charter is the founding document of Cadwal and serves as its constitutionConstitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
. It forbids human settlement except in small areas with limited population allowed. The Charter grants ownership of the Cadwal to the Naturalist Society in perpetuity. The provisions of the Charter are enforced by the Conservancy, in particular by Bureau B (see next section).
Araminta Station
At Araminta Station, large mansion houses have been set up to accommodate each of the six original families. Over the generations, these mansions have grown to become palaces. The Station also boasts a hotel for visiting tourists, a spaceport and a theatre: the Orpheum.Each person at Araminta Station is expected to Serve in one of the Bureaus:
- Bureau A: Records and Statistics
- Bureau B: Patrols and surveys: police and security services
- Bureau C: Taxonomy and cartography, natural sciences
- Bureau D: Domestic services
- Bureau E: Fiscal affairs: exports and imports
- Bureau F: Visitors' accommodations
Since the story revolves around police investigations, Bureau B features prominently in the books.
Stroma
Stroma is a town in Throy located at an inhospitable location on cliffs. Houses are thin and tall, designed to withstand the adverse weather. The political class at Cadwal live here, chief amongst them the Conservator, nominal planetary leader, who resides at Riverview House.Politics abound at Stroma. A new and progressive party, called the Life, Peace and Freedom (LPF) party, is sympathetic to the Yips and advocates rewriting the Charter to allow Yip settlements on Deucas. This notion is strongly resisted by the conservative "Chartists" who insist the Charter must never be altered.
The Yips
Yips have human appearance, with golden skin, and are physically highly attractive; yet they cannot breed with non-Yip humans, leading to speculation that the Yips have formed a new subspecies of humanity. They are inscrutable and have no discernible sense of humour nor any morality recognisable to ordinary Gaean people (whose morality is roughly that of 20th century North Americans). This particularly manifests itself in their sexual practices: the Yips make no emotional attachment to sexual intercourse and will all consent to sex provided a price is paid. The Yips are extremely avaricious and will do almost anything for money. Given their attractive appearance, the Yip females naturally take part in considerable prostitutionProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. Indeed, Yip girls are compelled to take part in this to gain money for the Yip State.
In Araminta Station, the Yips are confined to the small Lutwen Islands. They would dearly love to colonise the hospitable continent of Deucas but are prevented from doing so by members of the Conservancy, who, pursuant their Charter, consider Cadwal to be a nature preserve and prevent humans from forming large settlements. The Yips care nothing for the Charter and feel no kinship to the members of the Conservancy, regarding themselves as a separate nation. Only the superior weaponry of the Conservancy prevents the Yips from overtaking the planet. An uneasy stalemate exists.
Despite this, the Yips are superficially polite to the folk of Araminta Station and are willing to work for them provided money is paid. The Yips gain further money from Tourists who are allowed to visit Yipton and must pay dearly for all services they use there, including sexual services at the notorious Pussycat Palace.
The Yips are ruled with great brutality by Titus Pompo, a dictator whose word is law. Pompo extracts taxes from all Yip activity and has a considerable personal fortune. Any Yip displeasing him is subject to murder and torture: there is no rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
in the Yip state. Pompo uses much of his tax money plotting schemes to destroy the Conservancy and overrun Cadwal.
Glawen Clattuc
The novels are in the third person, though they sometimes come close to an omnisicient narrator viewpoint, and are told mainly from the point of view of Glawen Clattuc (with the exception of part of the second novel, which is told from the perspective of Wayness Tamm) . He is an intelligent, capable young man and a member of the Conservancy at Araminta Station. Although his status index number is rather high, Glawen hopes for Agency status. Glawen joins Bureau B, the department responsible for enforcing the laws of the Charter, and quickly becomes embroiled in a plot to allow the Yips to take over Deucas (to the benefit – it is suspected – of several traitors at Araminta Station).Glawen's first love Sessily Veder is kidnapped and brutally murdered, and Glawen attempts to bring her murderers to justice. He later wins the love of Wayness Tamm, daughter of the Conservator.
Glawen is a typical Vancian Everyman
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
character, similar to Glinnes Hulden
Trullion: Alastor 2262
Trullion: Alastor 2262 is a science fiction novel by Jack Vance first published by Ballantine Books. It is one of three books set in the Alastor Cluster, ‘a whorl of thirty thousand stars in an irregular volume twenty to thirty light-years in diameter’...
and, to a lesser extent, Adam Reith
Planet of Adventure
Planet of Adventure is the name given to a series of four science fiction novels by Jack Vance, which relate the adventures of Adam Reith, the sole survivor of an Earth ship investigating a signal from the distant planet Tschai.-Inhabitants:...
and Kirth Gersen
Demon Princes
The Demon Princes is a five-book series of science fiction novels by Jack Vance, which cumulatively relate the story of one Kirth Gersen as he exacts his revenge on five notorious criminals, collectively known as the Demon Princes, who carried his village off into slavery during his childhood...
.
Other characters
- Scharde Clattuc: Father of Glawen, a competent policeman at Bureau B with IPCCIPCCIPCC may refer to:*Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the United Nations*Independent Police Complaints Commission, of England and Wales*Irish Peatland Conservation Council...
status. - Bodwyn Wook: Directory of Bureau B, an irascible, tough leader often compared in appearance to an orangutang (though not to his face). Determined to protect the Conservancy.
- Sessily Veder: Glawen's first love interest, beautiful, intelligent, rather vain. She was kidnapped and brutally murdered by persons unknown.
- Egon Tamm: The Conservator of Cadwal, father to Wayness and Milo.
- Wayness Tamm: Glawen's second love interest. Originally had an "understanding" with Sir Julian Bohost, but spurned him for Glawen.
- Milo Tamm: Brother to Wayness, strongly pro-Conservancy. Killed as a result of sabotage while visiting Mad Mountain.
- Arles Clattuc: Indolent relative of Glawen and member of the Bold Lions. A sexual predator eventually punished by chemical castrationChemical castrationChemical castration is the administration of medication designed to reduce libido and sexual activity, usually in the hope of preventing rapists, child molesters and other sex offenders from repeating their crimes...
. He loved Sessily and hated Glawen for winning her affection. - Kirdy Wook: A member of the Bold Lions. Studious, considered dull and unattractive to ladies, dislikes Glawen for his romantic success. Captured and tortured by the Yips at Yipton and later appears to be insane, with a pathological hatred of Glawen. Despite this, he is ordered to accompany Glawen on an important mission. Unmasked at the end of the first novel as the murderer of Sessily Veder.
- Sir Julian Bohost: A high-ranking young politician at Stroma. He expected to marry Wayness, with the support of her mother, until she fell in love with Glawen, to Julian's disgust. May have been involved in sabotage resulting in Milo's death (however, Julian was seriously injured also). A fervent LPFer, Julian is rather pompous, hoity-toity, and impractical.
- Titus Pompo: Dictatorial ruler, or Oomphaw, of the Yips. Pompo's identity is shrouded in secrecy as he does not show his face and disguises his voice using electronics. Pompo is locked in a battle of wits with Bodwyn Wook for control of Cadwal.