Glory Road
Encyclopedia
Glory Road is a fantasy
novel
by Robert A. Heinlein
, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
(July - September 1963) and published in hardcover later the same year. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel
in 1964, losing to Way Station.
Evelyn Cyril "E.C." Gordon (also known as "Easy" and "Flash") has been recently discharged from an unnamed war in Southeast Asia
. He is pondering what to do with his future and considers spending a year traveling in France. He is presented with a dilemma: follow up on a possible winning entry in the Irish Sweepstakes or respond to a newspaper ad which asks "Are you a coward?". He settles on the latter discovering it has been placed by Star, a stunningly gorgeous woman he had previously met on Île du Levant
. Star informs him that he is the one to embark on a perilous quest
to retrieve the Egg of the Phoenix. When she asks what to call him, he wants to suggest Scarface, referring to the scar on his face, but she stops him as he is saying "Oh, Scar..." and repeats this as "Oscar", and thus gives him his new name. Along with Rufo, her assistant, who appears to be a man in his fifties, they tread the "Glory Road" in swashbuckling style, slaying minotaurs, dragons, and other creatures.
Shortly before the final quest for the Egg itself, Oscar and Star get married. The team then proceeds to enter the tower in which the Egg has been hidden, navigating a maze of illusions and optical tricks. Oscar scouts ahead and finds himself crossing swords with a fearsome foe who resembles Cyrano de Bergerac
. He then defeats the final guardian of the Egg, known only as the "Never-Born", in a mental fight, and the party escapes with the Egg. While they arrive in the universe of Star, Rufo informs Oscar that Star is actually the empress of many worlds—and Rufo's grandmother.
The Egg is a cybernetic device that contains the knowledge and experiences of most of her predecessors. Despite her youthful appearance, she is the mother of dozens of children, and has undergone special medical treatments that extend her life much longer than usual. She has Oscar unknowingly receive the same treatments.
Initially, Oscar enjoys his new-found prestige and luxurious life as the husband of the empress of worlds across the Twenty Universes. However, as time goes on, he grows bored and feels out of place and useless. When he demands Star's professional judgment, she tells him that he must leave; her world has no place or need for a hero of his stature. It will be decades before she can complete the transfer of the knowledge held in the Egg, so he must go alone. He returns to Earth, but has difficulty readjusting to his own world, despite having brought great wealth along with him. He begins to doubt his own sanity and whether the adventure even happened. The story ends as he is contacted by Rufo to set up another trip on the Glory Road, which is, by this point, revealed as an allegory for Life's Adventure.
, Glory Road is a combination of fantasy and science fiction elements. The novel contains substantially more humor and whimsy than in Heinlein's other works. These atypical approaches, however, did not prevent Heinlein from infusing his story with the usual level of technical detail. For example, in one chapter the art of fencing is thoroughly described. (Heinlein had been a member of the fencing team at the United States Naval Academy
. The novel is also notable for its detailed characterization and psychological examination unusual for such a lighthearted novel.
Heinlein claimed to be inspired by the King Arthur
stories of past generations such as T.H. White's The Once and Future King
or Hal Foster's Prince Valiant
. While their influences are apparent, many of the book's themes such as amoralistic heroes and focus on immediate action are highly reminiscent of Sword and Sorcery
fiction. The novel also shares many similarities with planetary romance
s of E. R. Eddison.
Heinlein deliberately doesn't name the war Oscar Gordon was in. It is referred to as a war in Southeast Asia
, giving some the impression it referred to the Korean War
. However, on the first page, Oscar says "a background of beeping sputniks", which means it can only be 1957 or later, too late for the Korean War, which ended in 1953. Since the book was published in 1963, the conflict could be the Vietnam War
before it was called that, when it was still sometimes referred to as a "police action
", or possibly one of a hypothesized sequence of generic SE Asian wars. Gordon actually says that they were "military advisers" in his war and that it wasn't even a "police action". Also, Oscar recounts at one point that he was living with his mother — and therefore presumably of high school age or younger — during the Korean War, a point reinforced on the second page when he says "write us all off as juvenile delinquents", a term rampant in the 1950s. On the first page, he says that it was an election year, and he "couldn't figure out which party to vote against", implying that it was a Presidential election year, i.e. 1960 or 1964 or possibly later. His father was in the Korean War.
called the novel "endlessly fascinating" and said it "maintains a delicacy, a bravura, and a joy."
and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
, took him several years and were relatively difficult.
Various editions of the novel have been published:
Star is one of several characters Heinlein included in his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
. Star is also mentioned in The Number of the Beast
.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is a digest-size American fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House and then by Fantasy House. Both were subsidiaries of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Publications, which took over as publisher in 1958. Spilogale, Inc...
(July - September 1963) and published in hardcover later the same year. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel
Hugo Award for Best Novel
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
in 1964, losing to Way Station.
Plot summary
Evelyn Cyril "E.C." Gordon (also known as "Easy" and "Flash") has been recently discharged from an unnamed war in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. He is pondering what to do with his future and considers spending a year traveling in France. He is presented with a dilemma: follow up on a possible winning entry in the Irish Sweepstakes or respond to a newspaper ad which asks "Are you a coward?". He settles on the latter discovering it has been placed by Star, a stunningly gorgeous woman he had previously met on Île du Levant
Île du Levant
Île du Levant , sometimes referred to as Le Levant, is a Mediterranean French island off the coast of the Riviera, near Toulon. It is one of the three that constitute the Îles d'Hyères of France. The island is 8 km long, 2 km wide, and located in the Gulf of Lion...
. Star informs him that he is the one to embark on a perilous quest
Monomyth
Joseph Campbell's term monomyth, also referred to as the hero's journey, is a basic pattern that its proponents argue is found in many narratives from around the world. This widely distributed pattern was described by Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces...
to retrieve the Egg of the Phoenix. When she asks what to call him, he wants to suggest Scarface, referring to the scar on his face, but she stops him as he is saying "Oh, Scar..." and repeats this as "Oscar", and thus gives him his new name. Along with Rufo, her assistant, who appears to be a man in his fifties, they tread the "Glory Road" in swashbuckling style, slaying minotaurs, dragons, and other creatures.
Shortly before the final quest for the Egg itself, Oscar and Star get married. The team then proceeds to enter the tower in which the Egg has been hidden, navigating a maze of illusions and optical tricks. Oscar scouts ahead and finds himself crossing swords with a fearsome foe who resembles Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano de Bergerac
Hercule-Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French dramatist and duelist. He is now best remembered for the works of fiction which have been woven, often very loosely, around his life story, most notably the 1897 play by Edmond Rostand...
. He then defeats the final guardian of the Egg, known only as the "Never-Born", in a mental fight, and the party escapes with the Egg. While they arrive in the universe of Star, Rufo informs Oscar that Star is actually the empress of many worlds—and Rufo's grandmother.
The Egg is a cybernetic device that contains the knowledge and experiences of most of her predecessors. Despite her youthful appearance, she is the mother of dozens of children, and has undergone special medical treatments that extend her life much longer than usual. She has Oscar unknowingly receive the same treatments.
Initially, Oscar enjoys his new-found prestige and luxurious life as the husband of the empress of worlds across the Twenty Universes. However, as time goes on, he grows bored and feels out of place and useless. When he demands Star's professional judgment, she tells him that he must leave; her world has no place or need for a hero of his stature. It will be decades before she can complete the transfer of the knowledge held in the Egg, so he must go alone. He returns to Earth, but has difficulty readjusting to his own world, despite having brought great wealth along with him. He begins to doubt his own sanity and whether the adventure even happened. The story ends as he is contacted by Rufo to set up another trip on the Glory Road, which is, by this point, revealed as an allegory for Life's Adventure.
Genre and setting
Although the majority of Heinlein's work is generally classified as hard science fictionHard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
, Glory Road is a combination of fantasy and science fiction elements. The novel contains substantially more humor and whimsy than in Heinlein's other works. These atypical approaches, however, did not prevent Heinlein from infusing his story with the usual level of technical detail. For example, in one chapter the art of fencing is thoroughly described. (Heinlein had been a member of the fencing team at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. The novel is also notable for its detailed characterization and psychological examination unusual for such a lighthearted novel.
Heinlein claimed to be inspired by the King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
stories of past generations such as T.H. White's The Once and Future King
The Once and Future King
The Once and Future King is an Arthurian fantasy novel written by T. H. White. It was first published in 1958 and is mostly a composite of earlier works written in a period between 1938 and 1941....
or Hal Foster's Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur, or simply Prince Valiant, is a long-run comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretch of that story now totals more than 3700 Sunday strips...
. While their influences are apparent, many of the book's themes such as amoralistic heroes and focus on immediate action are highly reminiscent of Sword and Sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
fiction. The novel also shares many similarities with planetary romance
Planetary romance
Planetary romance is a type of science fiction or science fantasy story in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds...
s of E. R. Eddison.
Heinlein deliberately doesn't name the war Oscar Gordon was in. It is referred to as a war in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, giving some the impression it referred to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. However, on the first page, Oscar says "a background of beeping sputniks", which means it can only be 1957 or later, too late for the Korean War, which ended in 1953. Since the book was published in 1963, the conflict could be the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
before it was called that, when it was still sometimes referred to as a "police action
Police action
Police action in military/security studies and international relations is a euphemism for a military action undertaken without a formal declaration of war.Since World War II, formal declarations of war have been rare...
", or possibly one of a hypothesized sequence of generic SE Asian wars. Gordon actually says that they were "military advisers" in his war and that it wasn't even a "police action". Also, Oscar recounts at one point that he was living with his mother — and therefore presumably of high school age or younger — during the Korean War, a point reinforced on the second page when he says "write us all off as juvenile delinquents", a term rampant in the 1950s. On the first page, he says that it was an election year, and he "couldn't figure out which party to vote against", implying that it was a Presidential election year, i.e. 1960 or 1964 or possibly later. His father was in the Korean War.
Reception
Samuel R. DelanySamuel R. Delany
Samuel Ray Delany, Jr., also known as "Chip" is an American author, professor and literary critic. His work includes a number of novels, many in the science fiction genre, as well as memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society.His science fiction novels include Babel-17, The Einstein...
called the novel "endlessly fascinating" and said it "maintains a delicacy, a bravura, and a joy."
History
According to the author, the book was completed in several weeks and was fun to write. Some of his other works, such as Stranger in a Strange LandStranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land is a 1961 science fiction novel by American author Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who comes to Earth in early adulthood after being born on the planet Mars and raised by Martians. The novel explores his interaction with—and...
and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress is a 1966 science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, about a lunar colony's revolt against rule from Earth....
, took him several years and were relatively difficult.
Various editions of the novel have been published:
- 1963, G. P. Putnam's SonsG. P. Putnam's SonsG. P. Putnam's Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.-History:...
, hardcover - January 1976, Berkley Publishing Group, paperback, ISBN 0-425-02834-8
- January 1976, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-03134-9
- November 1977, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-03783-5
- October 1979, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-04349-5
- April 1982, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-04865-9
- May 1983, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-06438-7
- February 1984, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-07311-4
- December 1984, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-08156-7
- August 1985, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-08898-7
- August 1986, Berkley Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0-425-09666-1
- August 1, 1991, Ace BooksAce BooksAce Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
, paperback, ISBN 0-441-29401-4 - May 1, 1993, Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, hardcover, 304 pages, ISBN 0-671-72167-4 - January 1, 1996, Baen, paperback, 304 pages, ISBN 0-671-87704-6
- October 1, 1999, SagebrushSagebrush CorporationSagebrush Corporation is the former name for Tandem Library Group, an American company based in Topeka, Kansas. While known as Sagebrush Corporation, the company produced library automation software, sold books under the "Sagebrush Education Resources" name, and provided data services, including...
, library binding, ISBN 0-7857-1328-X - October 1, 2004, Tor BooksTor BooksTor Books is one of two imprints of Tom Doherty Associates LLC, based in New York City. It is noted for its science fiction and fantasy titles. Tom Doherty Associates also publishes mainstream fiction, mystery, and occasional military history titles under its Forge imprint. The company was founded...
, hardcover, 320 pages, ISBN 0-7653-1221-2
Star is one of several characters Heinlein included in his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls: A Comedy of Manners is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1985. Like many of his later novels, it features Lazarus Long and Jubal Harshaw as supporting characters.-Plot summary:...
. Star is also mentioned in The Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast (novel)
The Number of the Beast is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1980. The first edition featured a cover and interior illustrations by Richard M. Powers...
.
External links
- A Heinlein Concordance: Glory Road from the Heinlein SocietyHeinlein SocietyThe Heinlein Society was founded by Virginia Heinlein on behalf of her husband, science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, to "pay forward" the legacy of the writer to future generations of "Heinlein's Children."-External links:*...
- Glory Road at Worlds Without End