num_pages: 0
description: The star Phaedra shines on Big Planet a low-density world three times the diameter of Earth. Colonized long-ago during the first expansion of stellar colonization the legions of original settlerscharacterized by cultural eccentricity extreme views and disaffection with their fellow manhave scattered over the far horizons.In the story Big Planet we meet Claude Glystra Executive Chairman of an Earth Central commission sent to investigate the activities of Charley Lysidder the notoriously cruel self-styled Bajarnum of Beaujolais. After a murderous sabotage and crash landing on Big Planet Glystra is stranded 40000 miles from refuge. He learns that Lysidder is expanding his empire and will brook no interference. Anarchy is everywhere; a panorama of oddly introverted social arrangements and outright brigandage meets Glystra on his journey to confront Lysidder.We return to Big Planet in The Magnificent Showboats of the Lower Vissel River Lune XXIII South Big Planet (original title previously published as Showboat World) to follow the picaresque adventures of shipmaster extraordinaire Apollon Zamp. Zamp's vessel Miraldras Enchantment travels the length of the river Vissel to Mornune where Zamp hopes to win a rich purse at King Waldemars Grand Festival. His competitors are many and treacherous and include arch-rival Garth Ashgalemaster of Fironzelles Conceit. Among plays musicals and farces at the many towns along the way to Mornune unfortunate misunderstandings egos and outright artistic sabotage fuel many amusing episodes; the sensibilities of dog-barbers clam-diggers and the disinterested in general are often offended by Zamps attempts to present the classics. The vastness of Big Planet provides Vance unlimited scope to exercise his talent for storytelling.
language: English
title: Big Planet Omnibus
publisher: Spatterlight Press, LLC