March 7, 2005
Set on a low-tech world where the main industry is the manufacture of carpets of human hair, German SF author Eschbach's first novel forms a grim mosaic of stories of myriad people and cultures trapped in stagnation by one powerful man's petty anger. Intended for the emperor on a distant planet, the carpets are so finely made that each carpet maker can only finish one in his lifetime, working with hairs from the bodies of his wives, who are chosen for the quality and color of their tresses. And so life goes, generation after generation, even after rumors and, finally, ships from the new government arrive with word of the emperor's removal. The new interstellar government learns the emperor secretly maintained thousands of carpet-making planets. Why? Eventually, the reader finds out the answer, though the revelation comes almost as an afterthought. While Eschbach's vignettes do form a fragile whole, the structure lacks urgency or focus. There's bound to be extra publicity because Orson Scott Card, who provides an intro, helped discover the book, but while Card fans will enjoy the large-scale world building and historical detail, they may be disappointed by the lack of real characters or sustained plot.
Starred review from March 15, 2005
Since recorded history, the men of Yahannochia and all the other cities of the world have spent their lives making carpets using the hair of their wives, sisters, and daughters. Each carpet, the work of a lifetime, was sold to the emperor to adorn his palace beyond the stars. When rumors that the emperor has been deposed reach the people, their lives and work are called into question until finally visitors from other worlds discover the true purpose of the hair carpets. First published in Germany in 1996, this translation marks the English-language debut of a first-rate storyteller and visionary. Unique in his insights into the human heart, Eschbach creates a thoughtful and disturbing story of the conflict between tradition and change. Transcending genres to appeal to a broad readership, this highly recommended work is a priority purchase for most libraries. [This is an "Orson Scott Card Presents" Book. -Ed.]
Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 15, 2005
Enthusiastically introduced by no less than Orson Scott Card, this far-future novel does credit to everyone concerned, starting with its German author. A barren, isolated planet's whole economy turns around weaving carpets, allegedly for the emperor's palace, out of the hair of the weavers' wives. Although a weaver must have several wives to make his particular carpet, he may have only one son, who becomes his successor when he finishes his carpet and dies. Then the empire falls, creating a classic situation of a static society having to change--a theme heavily but not always well used in sf and fantasy. Eschbach records both the lead-up to it and the change from the viewpoints of many well-drawn characters, eventually affording a panorama of the rebels' becoming resistant to change themselves and revealing the secret of the carpets. Despite being broken into short episodes, the novel is one fluidly integrated story. If others of his books are as well translated in the future, Eschbach is likely to become an international phenomenon.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)