The Night Face

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant, genuine, dagger-sharp SF tragedy
Review: At it's worst, SF can be cheap schlock insulting the reader's intelligence or poorly-thought out boring drivel. At it's best, SF is lucky to come close to Poul Anderson's _The Night Face_. A short, intense page-turner, it has a rich cast of compelling characters, and the narrative is as lush as the thick greenery on the world of Gwydion - the planet where the action (and mystery) is set.

Three characters form the story's center, whirling through the book in a race of misinterpretations and incorrect assumptions. Of them, one is a Gwydiona, and two are of the visiting space travellers: one is Raven, leader of the expedition's military branch and of warrior-race ancestry; the other is Miguel Tolteca, a more peaceful republican seeking commercial and scientific rewards.

These three intersect - collide - thorought the story, their misaprehensions framed in the gorgeous natural scenery of Gwydion. The other characters are fleshed out as well, the dialogue is sharp, and the story is fluid, unencumbered, and hypnotizing. It is definitely the work of a master.

As both Anderson says in his Introduction and (in my 1978-edition copy) noted SF critic Sandra Miesel notes in her Afterward, _The Night Face_ can fit in Anderson's Technic Civilization series, but it stands brilliantly alone. It is evocative and chilling; its brevity not an obstacle to a well-detailed and satisfying story.

Originally titled _Let The Spacemen Beware!_ (and based on a novellete called "A Twelvemonth and a Day"), my only gripe with _The Night Face_ is the blurb on the back, which gave away the story's chief hook: the mystery surrounding the too-peaceful life of Gwydion's inhabitants, rooted in their extensive myths and legends.

My recommendation for this book is in two parts: read it as soon as you can get a copy, and do not read any blurbs anywhere on it (even Larry Niven's short, glowing review, inside the book). They will ruin the suspense. But definitely hunt down a copy of _The Night Face_ - it is powerful, unforgettable, and the only thing more tragic than its sad, gripping story would be a missed opportunity to read it.