Book Review – Tuf Voyaging
Author: George R.R. Martin
Cover Artist: Michael Komarck
Interior Illustrations: Janet Aulisio
Publisher: Meisha Merlin Publishing
Binding: Hardcover
Publication Date: September 2003
I’ve been looking for a copy of this book for a while now. Apart from the Wild Cards stuff I have read most of what Martin has written by now. Tuf Voyaging is out of print but fortunately the author had a few brand new copies for sale on his website. My girlfriend got me a signed copy of my birthday. It’s a lovely hardcover edition with lots of interior illustrations by Janet Aulisio. Tuf Voyaging consists of a number of short stories, some would call it a fix up, with self-proclaimed ecological engineer Haviland Tuf as the main character. It appears to be set in the same universe as some of Martin’s earlier short fiction and his novel The Dying of the Light although this is only apparent in minor details in the stories. The first Tuf story appeared in shorter form in 1976, the last was published in 1985, just before the first edition of the collection.
After a brief introduction that introduces us to the setting of the first story we are introduced to Haviland Tuf in The Plague Star. Tuf is an eccentric figure. Very tall, overweight pale and hairless. He’s also quite verbose (making reading this book something of a challenge for second language speakers of English) and has a fondness for cats. Once every three generations the inhabited planet in the system of the Plagues Star is submitted to a series of terrible epidemics. The survivors barely have time to get their society back on it’s feet before the next round of plagues visit them. They see it as something supernatural but some people realize just what it is that is causing these plagues, an abandoned Ecological Engineering Corps seed ship, a treasure trove of genetic material and lost technology. It has been drifting in space for nearly a thousand years when a party of adventurers united by greed sets out to claim it. They need someone to get them out there and Tuf’s humble trade vessel is their unfortunate choice.
When Tuf is firmly in control of the vessel he takes it to the planet of S’uthlam, a place renowned for it’s expertise in repairing and reprogramming space vessels. There are three stories in the book related to the planet of S’uthlam, making is something of the backbone of the series. Loaves and Fishes describes the deal Tuf makes with the inhabitants of his planet. They are perpetually on the brink a Malthusian crisis (S’uthlam is an anagram) due to their firm and religiously inspired belief in unrestricted population growth. Tuf’s vessel offers many opportunities to boost agricultural production on the overpopulated planet, the authorities quickly decide they must relief Tuf of his treasure. By persuading him to sell preferably but by other means if necessary. The pragmatic portmaster Tolly Mune is sent over to negotiate with him.
“Since you solicit my opinion, Portmaster, I shall venture to say that while the world above us seems formidably large, I cannot but wonder if it is indeed large enough. Without intending any censure of your mores, culture, and civilization, the thought does occur to me that a population of thirty-nine billion persons might be considered, on the whole, to be a trifle excessive.”
Loaves and Fishes – Tuf’s reaction upon learning the size of S’uthlam’s population.
In Guardians Tuf, who is visiting a six planet agricultural exhibition to expand his trade, learns of the plight of the world of Namor. All sorts of nasty things have risen from the oceans of this world mostly covered by water. Tuf, smelling business, takes his ship to the planet to assess the situation. He makes a deal with the locals to combat the plagues and releases a number of engineered organisms into the biosphere to subdue the oceans. When none of it seems to work he is forced to consider other options.
Second Helpings takes us back to the planet of S’uthlam. Five year’s after the events in Loaves and Fishes Tuf returns to deliver the first payment for the repairs to his ship. Although he has helped the planet become more productive, this also seems to have boosted population growth. Mass famine seems more likely than ever, Suthlam needs another ecological miracle. Another attempt to buy the ship follows but Tuf still won’t sell. And he is not in need of repairs either. His help comes at a price this time, but whether the planet’s populations is ready for Tuf’s message remains to be seen.
The next story, A Beast for Norn, is an ecological arms race. On Lyronica the twelve major houses of the planet have been battling each other with beasts in the arena. Each of the houses has it’s own vicious predator, depending on the ecology of the region they rule. Tuf is approached by the beastmaster of one of the houses. He wishes to acquire a species from Tuf to raise the standing of his house. After attending a match, and being thoroughly revolted by it, Tuf agrees to help. He sells the man a creature that will rule the arena, and a prey species to go with it. Soon, other houses make uses of Tuf’s expertise. The result is not quite what they expected though.
Tuf’s fame has outpaced even his spacecraft with faster than light capabilities. In Call Him Moses a man named Jaime Kreen attacks Tuf without provocation. It turns out Kreen holds Tuf responsible for the demise of his community at the hands of a man named Moses. Like the biblical figure Moses rained plagues upon Kreen’s people to force them to accept his back-to-nature way of life. This of course, Tuf cannot allow. He sets out to Kreen’s planet. It is time God had a word with this wayward prophet.
The final story of the collection is Manna From Heaven. Five years after the events in Second Helpings Tuf is back in the S’uthlam system to repay the remainder of his debt. He finds the planet in worse shape than ever. It’s neighbours fear that S’uthlam will once again try to export it’s population to the surrounding systems. Something that has lead to war in the past. When Tuf arrives he finds a S’uthlamese battle fleet capable of destroying even his mighty ship. Solving this problem will be Tuf most challenging job yet.
As I mentioned in my previous review’s of Martin’s works, he is a very versatile writer. With Tuf Voyaging he has created something that is nothing like A Song of Ice and Fire, or Fevre Dream, or The Dying of the Light, or The Armageddon Rag. This must be something of a publicist’s nightmare. If you like any of the aforementioned books there is still no telling if you will like this one. I did like the book though. Because of my education in environmental sciences the ecological theme of the book of course appealed to me. There is not actually that much ecology in the book, but Tuf’s assessment that most of the troubles he faces are due to humanity’s inexhaustible capacity for greed and stupidity certainly seems astute.
Another thing I liked a lot about the novel, or rather admire, it the fact that Martin managed to put a gradual change into the main character. The stories were written out of chronological order. A Beast for Norn was actually the first published, while the S’uthlam stories were written last. Yet the development of Tuf character is gradual enough. From the somewhat comical, marginally successful and easy to underestimate trader we meet in The Plague Star to the cynical, experienced and ruthless ecological engineer in Manna From Heaven. Tuf is not your average science fiction hero, that’s for sure. The change in Tuf is somewhat unsettling in a way. Not everybody will like it. I did however. Martin never shied from darker themes in his work, he certainly doesn’t here.
In the introduction to the Taste of Tuf section in his career spanning collection Dreamsongs, Martin mentions there were plans for a second Tuf novel but it was never written. There are quite a few unfinished projects in Martin’s archives, most of which seem to have been firmly abandoned. He indicates he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of writing more on Tuf again in the future however. Should he decide to annoy some of the more vocal “fans” of his A Song of Ice and Fire series by writing more Tuf stories he certainly has my blessing. Tuf Voyaging is an excellent read.
About Rob: 
Recent Comments