Malacia Tapestry

By Brian W. Aldiss

Book Overview

In a grand medieval city where all change has been outlawed, a roguish young actor tempts fate and dinosaurs, all in the name of love

By law, nothing can change in Malacia--a teeming, eternal city of dukes, players, wizards, merchants, beggars, ape-men, lizard-boys, and courtesans--but that is of no great consequence to Perian de Chirolo. An out-of-work actor and unabashed rogue, he is well satisfied with his lot as long as there's coin, eager young women to bed, and the occasional adventure. Perhaps it is this thrill-seeking spirit--or simply the lure of noble beauty--that makes Perian imprudently agree to take part in a mad inventor's illegal experiments, since such foolishness will never be tolerated in Malacia. But Perian's rash actions will only lead him on to further indiscretions, winning him first fame and then notoriety, causing him to be hunted, hounded, martyred, and trapped in a fight to the death with a razor-toothed Ancestral Beast on the outskirts of the city. And perhaps most frightening of all, Perian de Chirolo will find himself in love.

Grand Master Brian W. Aldiss performs a truly astonishing feat of alternate-world building, immersing the listener in an unforgettable medieval fantasy realm rich in color, incident, invention, and peril--and of course, giant lizards. Welcome to Malacia.

• Format: MP3 CD
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DD1V7ZVF
• ISBN13: 9798228005969
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Tantor Audio
• Length: 1 Pages

Customer Reviews

A masterpice by Aldiss

After reading the exhausting but wonderful Helliconian trilogy I sought out more by this author and found this odd novel I had never heard of by Aldiss. It sat on my bookshelf for a couple of years. I finally read it and was enthralled by the vivid imaginative story set in a parallel midieval universe where things are nearly the same but with a few odd evolutionary twists. (like dinasours being still around) Its kind of a Tom Jones in a fantastic world. It works well!! 5 stars.

Memorable

It's been years since I read this, so it says something that when I ran across it I was motivated to give a brief review. It's odd as much as dark, but it's definitely not your typical fantasy story. Fifteen years after first reading it (and probably 7 or 8 since the last time I read it), it still stands out. Recommended.

Malacia moulders in timelessness

Aldiss has writen a variety of novels in different genres. This one is a strange fantasy with some fabulous scenery and ideas. It is a dark gritty fantasy if you want something light and breazy go elsewhere. Malacia moulders in timelessness a bit like Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast and its visions make one thoughtful and don't set you free. It's art though and strongly rooted in the past with Byzantium just around the corner, a genuinely unique book.

Break From the Old Routine

Being a real lover of Brian's SF, I was a bit dubious about readint this, the plot really didn't sound like my kinda thing. The book follows the 'journey' of Perian, a free spirit and his life in the trouble city of Malacia. Magic, war, lust, destiny and life has created this cracker of a novel! It's definately worth a look!