To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José Farmer

Hello, Stranger.

Let's talk about Philip José Farmer's To Your Scattered Bodies Go.

The Short of It

Plot: After his resurrection in the distant future alongside a significant slice of humanity, Richard Francis Burton sets out to explore their curious new world.

Page Count: 220

Award: 1972 Hugo

Worth a read: No
Primary Driver: (Plot, World, or Character)
Bechdel Test: Fail
Technobabble: Moderate to high.
Review: Starts strong, good hook, interesting world setup. But a lot of potential is squandered; we don't really get everything the world could offer. Also a lot of exposition via monologue and characterization via info dump. Not sure if it would help or hurt to know more about some of the more obscure historical figures going into this. Also, trying to make Hermann Göring a character we care about is a bold strategy that does not pay off.

The Medium of It

Spoiler Free!*

*Minor spoilers related to the existence of certain historical figures, nothing of the plot.

This book is odd.  There are a number of actual historical figures, including our protagonist, Richard Francis Burton, who was a British explorer who died in 1890. I had to look him up; it is unclear if you are supposed to know much about him, because knowing more explains his facility with languages and survival skills more broadly. On the other hand, everyone else seems to be aware of Burton, so we just get fun facts about him at random times.

"You're Burton, the explorer, and linguist? The discoverer of Lake Tanganyika? The one who made a pilgrimage to Mecca while disguised as a Moslem? The translator of The Thousand and One Nights?"

You know, how people do. Or, upon encountering others, Burton thinks to himself:

Could he actually be the legendary king of ancient Rome? Of Rome when it was a small village threatened by the other Italic tribes, the Sabines, Aequi, and Volsci? Who, in turn, were being pressed by the Umbrians, themselves pushed by the powerful Etruscans? Was this really Tullius Hostilius, warlike successor to the peaceful Numa Pompilius?

Dang, Fellow Normal Human, you sure do get an award for conveying thoughts real normal-human-like.

I don't mean to overdo this bit, but this is the pace of the story. Actual plot movement followed by unnatural information dump, strung together with sexism. Some parts of this book are truly engaging; I actually like the idea of Burton as a protagonist. Having read through his Wiki, the fellow was incredible. And the world itself - a mix of languages and cultures and peoples and times, all placed together - that's great. We barely explore that, though. There's so much potential! But no. Instead we hear a lot about Alice's bust. Here's one description of Alice:

She was the product of her society—like all women, she was what men had made her...

Characters frequently have facts instead of traits, and none have nuance. Women are pretty much purely objects; to be protected or slept with. We've even got an alien and cavemen here - and other than ridiculous names (Kaxzintuitruuabemss... -200 points) - it is easy to forget which ones are not normal people. There is nothing that sets them apart. Except for cannibalism, but we get over that right quick.

And then there's Göring. Over the course of the story we're supposed to gain sympathy for him. He's tortured by bad dreams. Hermann Göring. Founder of the Gestapo. Head of the Luftwaffe. Convicted of war crimes. Hermann Göring. Bad dreams. He feels bad about the whole "Being a powerful Nazi" thing. So he's kinda okay now, I guess. I would love to pick Farmer's brain on this one. It's just such a bizarre choice. He had literally all of human history to look for someone for a redemption arc. And he picked Göring. A guy who marched with Hitler at the Beer Hall Putsch (and was shot in the groin). A guy who had Hitler at his wedding as his Best Man. Hermann Göring. I can't get over this. 

Yet I must.

Seriously though, Göring?

Underneath the sexism, the stilted writing, the awkward exposition, the bizarre choices, and Hermann Göring, underneath it all is a fascinating world. It is just a shame that one must dig to find it. There are some great parts sprinkled throughout, the hints of interesting interaction.

More's the pity that the payoff at the end lands with a wet flop as well; wildly unsatisfying.

It's an interesting book in its own way, both for and despite its flaws, but I can't really recommend it.

If, however, you decide that you'd like to read it, consider using the link below! I'll get a few cents at no additional cost to you.

I'm the link for Kindle and Paperback!

I'm the link for the Audiobook and other editions!

The Long of It

Spoilers Ahead

This one started off very strong. I was hooked by the bizarre Matrix-type room with all the bodies, thrown by the resurrection, wondered at the mix of languages. I enjoyed the early formation of the group - it seemed like an interesting spread. Then slowly but surely the dichotomy between Farmer's aspirations and his writing ability became clear. 

I think I could have forgiven many of the writing sins committed here if he had stuck the landing. But...

"You could make up for some of it by telling me why I, why all the human beings that ever lived, have been resurrected. And how you did it.'

Loga talked, with occasional interruptions from some of the others. The yellow-haired woman broke in most often, and after a while Burton deduced from her attitude and Loga's that she was either his wife or she held a high position.

Another man interrupted at times. When he did, there was a concentration and respect from the others that led Burton to believe he was the head of this group. Once he turned his head so that the light sparkled off one eye. Burton stared, because he had not noticed before that the left eye was a jewel.

Burton thought that it probably was a device, which gave him a sense, or senses, of perception denied the others. From then on, Burton felt uncomfortable whenever the faceted and gleaming eye was turned on him. What did that many-angled prism see? At the end of the explanation, Burton did not know much more than he had before. The Ethicals could see back into the past with a sort of chronoscope; with this they had been able to record whatever physical beings they wished to. Using these records as models, they had then performed the resurrection with energy-matter converters.

And then Burton notes:

"I think you're lying to me. Or telling me half-truths..." 

So we have the unparalleled joy of sitting through a delightful technobabble information dump, and then of learning that it might all be a lie. Not a great ending. 

There are sequels; there seems to be general consensus that this one is rough (though some love it) and that they go downhill from here. I don't feel the need to read the rest of the series.

The pacing of this story, as noted earlier, is bizarre. It slowly gets rolling, then stays slow... until it jumps seven years. Seven years of exploration, which have the potential to actually show us the world, and instead are summarized as another block of information. The method of travel - suicide and resurrection - is great. Otherwise, wasted potential. Farmer wishes us to understand that he is smart and well read, and thus summarizes Burton's findings:

The River...

It was not an amphisbaena, a snake with two heads, headwaters at the north pole and mouth at the south pole. It was a Midgard Serpent, with the tail at the north pole, the body coiled around and around the planet and the tail in the serpent's mouth. 

If you knew about the Ancient Greek amphisbaena, that's awesome. Seems unnecessary to drop two different flavors of mythological serpent in two sentences - especially when the first sentence is to say that it isn't something. Though I do love the idea of a book that adds a sentence before everything to note some of things that it is not. "No, it was not a ukulele, nor a slice of blueberry pie. It was the 2000 Sydney Olympics."

This one was a bit of a let-down.

See you on the other side, Stranger.

And don't forget to read a book!