Science Fiction: Welcome to my Worlds

Disclaimer: My Science Fiction Reviews are about the BEST SF Novels... not necessarily the latest.

I want to begin by saying that if Robert Heinlein is the Grandmaster of Science Fiction then certainly Marion Zimmer Bradley is Grandmistress. Though now deceased, as is Heinlein, MZB wrote many good books during her career and the Darkover series, to me, represents the very best of her efforts. The entire series is excellent and I highly recommend reading them all. Even among the best of the best, though, there are always one or two which stand above the rest.

For me, the one that stands out most is The Forbidden Tower. I should probably mention that even though the Darkover books are technically a 'series' there is really no need to read them in any particular order. Some diehard fans will insist you should read them in order of publication, others that you should read them in the chronological timeline of the novels but, really, Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote the books so that they may be read in any order with perfect clarity. The Forbidden Tower is neither chronologically first or first published but, if you like it you should have no trouble understanding where it fits into the grand scheme of Darkover after you read a few more.

As previously mentioned, it is not my purpose in these reviews to give you a running account of the plot but, rather, to let you know why I feel the book is worth your time to read. If you would like a detailed summary, though, dig in.

Suffice it to say, for my purposes, that the world of Darkover was originally settled by Terrans, many of which had a predisposition toward psionic talents. Darkover was left alone for many years during which a feudal culture evolved and selective breeding increased these talents. Under the feudal system the psionic science they called 'laran' became clouded over with many superstitions. Eventually, laran, came to be regarded by commoners and the gifted elite (Comyn) alike as sorcery and its wielders held in awe and reverence and sometimes in fear as well.

During the period of The Forbidden Tower, superstition regarding the use of laran is still rampant. It is believed that Keepers (the most capable leaders of psionic circles) must be women and they must be virgins as well. Strict rules of laran use are enforced requiring that it only be used within the confines of a special structure, a Tower whose physical structure is reinforced by mental shields and screens to protect those who wield the enormous power of laran amplified by matrix crystals.

Damon Ridenow is a rebel who tries to bring logic and reason into a superstitious system. He builds his own Tower on the astral plane... without having built a physical tower to anchor it. His 'heretical' daring, of course, gets him into a world of trouble.

It is Damon Ridenow's struggle of light against dark, of reason against ignorance and superstition that makes this novel such a great read. As with all of Marion Zimmer Bradley's characters, Damon comes alive in the book and you feel with him his impatience with the way things are done in this feudal society. And contrasted with that is the Terran Andrew for whom Darkover has become a home and his struggles to adapt not only to the culture but to his new Darkovan lover who is bound by the traditional web of Darkovan thought.

The Forbidden Tower is Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover at it's best. Gotta love it. Do note also that, if you like Sci-Fi conventions, there is an annual Darkovercon. I attended one many years ago and enjoyed it. Perhaps I'll see you there sometime.