Review of "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" and "The Fabulous Riverboat"

So, I took the chance to review the first two books in the Riverworld series, this is my opinion and assessment of it. I decided to wait a couple weeks to watch the series and review that, as I'm getting a little overdone on the subject matter. Check back here in a week and I should have the television series of The Riverworld posted. And with that here is my review of the first two books.

The first two books of the Riverworld series “To Your Scattered Bodies Go” and “The Fabulous Riverboat” by Philip Jose Farmer, are an interesting combination of Science fiction fantasy, philosophy and alternate historical accounts.



The fascinating part of these books is the idea that the whole of humanity has been resurrected and is forced to interact with each other. It seems to be a natural step to follow famous and fascinating people from history, and Farmer is no exception to utilze famous people as characters in his book. I was impressed with the amount of insight and research that Farmer put into constructing each character. After reading the Riverworld series, I was inclined to search out the book “The Devil Drives” by Fawn Brodie, which is mentioned as the best biography of the main character Sir Richard Francis Burton. Little touches such as these give “To Your Scattered Bodies Go” a realism despite its lofty and fantastic premise. The choice of Burton as the main character at first seems a little strange, as he is not very well known today. Yet Burton comes out as a strong and charismatic character; his drive to reach the headwaters of the river is felt. Farmer further puts the reader in the story by inserting a 20th century character to give the book a bit of a modern feel, despite the timelessness of the scenario. The immensity of the concept of resurrecting all of humanity is a tremendous undertaking. Yet Farmer takes it on with the fastidiousness of a science fiction writer, taking care of all the details such as how they would eat and how would people who lost limbs in their terrestrial life be restored. He explains away most of these concerns with scientific speculation, yet leaves some of the mystery there, partly because of the adventure of discovery and partly because you don't need to explain everything in science fiction. This book is all about the adventure, the yearning for answers in a strange new world still haunted by the demons of the last; it is simply exciting.



The second book makes the daring choice to change the main characters. After you've invested all this time identifying with Burton, he's nowhere to be found in the second book. Instead, you're treated to another literary giant, Samuel Clemens also known as the father of American literature Mark Twain. This is a very interesting choice, as most Americans are familiar with his works “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn”. Most people wouldn't find it difficult to imagine the author of these works to be drifting down the large river lazily searching for adventure. Yet, what is interesting to someone who has read beyond the public school required reading and enjoyed some of Twain's short stories and posthumously published works, there was a definite dark side to this author. Tormented in his time by both his own success and fame, and by personal demons regarding the death of his infant son, Clemens becomes just as interesting character as Burton. He is driven by the same invisible force to discover the truth of the resurrection. The second book acts as an anchor, as most of the book takes place in the same location and lacks the traveling adventuring aspect of the first book. It is apparent that the book was intended to explore more the drive behind why the characters are so interested in finding the truth. It establishes the rebel Ethical and the chosen twelve, which can't help but remind someone of Christian mythology. The hints to mythology and mystery lays the foundation of the mystery of the books. But the second book goes further in exploring how the inhabitants of the Riverworld deal with their beliefs being discredited and the creation of a new religion or cult called the Second Chancers. While most people on the planet adapt to their new circumstances, some revive their ways on Earth, while still others find themselves seeking this as an opportunity to atone for their terrestrial sins. The most interesting of these is Hermann Goring, best known as Hitler's right-hand man; possibly one of the most despicable human beings in the 20th century. Its interesting how in the course of two books, Farmer depicts him as the slime of humanity who starts to find goodness in this new world. He is of almost saintly proportions by the second book. Overall the second book really deals with the dark-side of humanity and the aspirations that drive us to do what we do and offers a introspective look at who we are as a people. The book is an inescapable middle to this great series, not as exciting as the first book, but a necessary philosophical center to this ambitious collection.

Overall, it's difficult to review or assess either “To Your Scattered Bodies Go” or “The Fabulous Riverboat” without taking into account the other books in the series. They are separate but part of a whole that has to be appreciated in its entirety. They represent a fantastic look into the social, political and religious philosophies of humanity. You can't help but put yourself in this situation and think, what would I do if I were suddenly resurrected at the physical age of 25 (something that means more as I get older), didn't have to work for food, booze and cigarettes, and had complete freedom and health. On the surface it seems like paradise. The weather is controlled, people are not capable of reproducing so there's no threat of over-population; but what is it that makes us humans? Is it what we do to survive, or are we driven by more. As technology makes it possible for us to go beyond having to tilling the land everyday, what is it that drives us? I don't know that the books really answer these questions, but it gets one thinking about an answer as you see one mans vision of what could happen. That is the true nature behind these books, that is what takes the story beyond the science fiction of entertainment media, and that is the reason I re-read them.