Lord Tyger
Encyclopedia
Lord Tyger is an American
novel
by Philip José Farmer
. Originally released in 1970, the book is a metafiction
al pastiche
of one of Farmer's favorite subjects, Edgar Rice Burroughs
' Tarzan
.
Eventually, however, Tyger begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. He sees strange giant birds, black and without movement aside from their spinning wings atop their heads. He sees other apes raising their young and ponders why his childhood was so different. Always receiving more questions than answers, the more Tyger explores his universe, the more it begins to deconstruct before his very eyes.
Ultimately, Tyger discovers that his entire life is a fraud, a construct. A crazed millionaire named Boygur has, in an effort to reproduce the Tarzan novels he loved as a child, purchased a young English nobleman (Tyger) and created a complex series of jungle environs for him to live within. He hires two dwarfs to act as his ape parents, and has two huge black helicopters
(Tyger's "giant birds") patrol the area to keep outsiders out, and insiders in.
Ultimately, neither Tyger nor Boygur get what they desire. Tyger cannot handle the harshness of his newfound reality, and Boygur is shocked and appalled when the jungle superman he's raised is far from innocent. At the end of the book, Boygur sadly notes that "things went their own way."
declared Lord Tyger to be "an entertaining, rich, inventive adventure novel in the best sense, with its most lyrical passages far surpassing any effect Edgar Rice Burroughs was ever able to achieve."
Farmer's handling of Tarzan has been met with different reactions. Some said that he succeeded in creating a "real" Tarzan, or that it even surpassed Burroughs' original work.
Even among those who did not enjoy the plot or deconstructionist aspects of the book, most found Farmer's writing to be of high quality.
. It was reprinted as a paperback by Signet
with cover art by Bob Pepper
, in 1972. It was first released in the United Kingdom
as a Panther
paperback in 1974, featuring cover art by Richard Clifton-Dey
. Another Signet edition, this time in 1981, was a "Signet Double Science Fiction" paired with Farmer's earlier novel Flesh
. The Richard Clifton-Dey artwork was re-used for the latest edition, a 1985 Granada paperback.
The French language
edition was entitled "Le Tigre Africain", roughly "The African Tiger".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
. Originally released in 1970, the book is a metafiction
Metafiction
Metafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
al pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
of one of Farmer's favorite subjects, Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
' Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
.
Plot summary
Ras Tyger has lived in the jungle for as long as he can remember. Raised by apes, he lives an idyllic existence as the lord of the jungle, gleefully hunting prey and feeding his prodigious sexual appetite with various female denizens of his jungle.Eventually, however, Tyger begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. He sees strange giant birds, black and without movement aside from their spinning wings atop their heads. He sees other apes raising their young and ponders why his childhood was so different. Always receiving more questions than answers, the more Tyger explores his universe, the more it begins to deconstruct before his very eyes.
Ultimately, Tyger discovers that his entire life is a fraud, a construct. A crazed millionaire named Boygur has, in an effort to reproduce the Tarzan novels he loved as a child, purchased a young English nobleman (Tyger) and created a complex series of jungle environs for him to live within. He hires two dwarfs to act as his ape parents, and has two huge black helicopters
Black helicopters
Black helicopters is a term which became popular in the United States militia movement and its associated political circles in the 1990s as a symbol and warning sign of an alleged conspiratorial military takeover of the United States, though it has also been associated with men in black and similar...
(Tyger's "giant birds") patrol the area to keep outsiders out, and insiders in.
Ultimately, neither Tyger nor Boygur get what they desire. Tyger cannot handle the harshness of his newfound reality, and Boygur is shocked and appalled when the jungle superman he's raised is far from innocent. At the end of the book, Boygur sadly notes that "things went their own way."
Reaction and analysis
Critics' reaction to the book varied wildly. While many admired the creativity of Farmer's premise and his exploration and deconstruction of Burroughs' Tarzan mythos, others condemned the book for its sometimes graphic content. Algis BudrysAlgis Budrys
Algis Budrys was a Lithuanian-American science fiction author, editor, and critic. He was also known under the pen names "Frank Mason", "Alger Rome", "John A. Sentry", "William Scarff", and "Paul Janvier."-Biography:...
declared Lord Tyger to be "an entertaining, rich, inventive adventure novel in the best sense, with its most lyrical passages far surpassing any effect Edgar Rice Burroughs was ever able to achieve."
Farmer's handling of Tarzan has been met with different reactions. Some said that he succeeded in creating a "real" Tarzan, or that it even surpassed Burroughs' original work.
Even among those who did not enjoy the plot or deconstructionist aspects of the book, most found Farmer's writing to be of high quality.
Publishing history
Lord Tyger was first released by Doubleday in 1970, as a hardcover. This edition featured cover art by Seymour ChwastSeymour Chwast
Seymour Chwast an American graphic designer, illustrator, and type designer.Chwast was born in Bronx, New York, and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cooper Union in 1951. With Milton Glaser, Edward Sorel, and Reynold Ruffins, he founded Push Pin Studios in 1954...
. It was reprinted as a paperback by Signet
New American Library
New American Library is an American publisher based in New York, founded in 1948; it produced affordable paperback reprints of classics and scholarly works, as well as popular, pulp, and "hard-boiled" fiction. Non-fiction, original, and hardcopy issues were also produced.Victor Weybright and Kurt...
with cover art by Bob Pepper
Bob Pepper
Robert Ernest Pepper was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played one game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1915.-External links:...
, in 1972. It was first released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a Panther
Panther (publisher)
Panther Books Ltd was a British publishing house especially active in the 1950s and 1960s, specialising in paperback fiction. It was established in May 1952 by Hamilton's Ltd and titles carried the line "A Panther Book" or "Panther Science Fiction" on the cover...
paperback in 1974, featuring cover art by Richard Clifton-Dey
Richard Clifton-Dey
Richard Clifton-Dey was a British artist.He started painting in the 1960s and was one of the most highly respected of British illustrators during the 1970s and into the 1980s. Much of his work was for book covers, either for science fiction, fantasy, action-adventure war books, romances, or gothic...
. Another Signet edition, this time in 1981, was a "Signet Double Science Fiction" paired with Farmer's earlier novel Flesh
Flesh (novel)
Flesh is an American science fiction novel written by Philip José Farmer. Originally released in 1960, it was Farmer's second novel-length publication, after The Green Odyssey. Flesh features many sexual themes, as is typical of Farmer's earliest work.-Overview:In Flesh, Peter Stagg and a group of...
. The Richard Clifton-Dey artwork was re-used for the latest edition, a 1985 Granada paperback.
The French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
edition was entitled "Le Tigre Africain", roughly "The African Tiger".