Edinburgh-based publishers Canongate have just printed a nice new edition of A History Maker by Alasdair Gray, a writer/artist who is surely one of Scotland’s artistic treasures (and one of my favourite writers). His magnificent Lanark: A Life in Four Books (probably the best Scottish novel of the last century in my opinion) is often considered to stray into SF&F territory, but A History Maker is most assuredly SF.
Narrated by the hero’s mother in the year 2234, it tells of Wat Dryhope, a discontented man who dislikes the modern way of life almost as much as he dislikes the way war is now a spectator sport. All humanity’s needs are supplied by the ubiquitous powerplants, which supply everything, from food to books, a combination of energy source and Star Trek-style replicator.
There are no more governments or nations – the world is ‘governed’ by the women; aunts, mothers and cousins and an advanced form of ‘gossip’. With no work or challenges the men fight in an internationally-governed war game, televised by the Public Eye. Wat’s unusual tactics at the last battle unwittingly prompt a huge change in this utopian society.
This is a small but utterly charming and very Scottish take on utopian SF, playing cleverly on assumed gender roles and the needs and desires of humans, never truly satisfied even when they want for nothing. This edition has been revised, updated and amended by Alasdair (who I am convinced never, ever sees any of his work as truly finished).
Despite its small size it raises some interesting points about the human condition and the interplay of the genders, as well as making some political observations along the way (without ever preaching I hasten to add). An utterly delightful wee novel, with a nice number of notes for the reader (complete with explanations of the occassional Scots term) and, of course, Alasdair’s own artwork throughout; an unusual book which I recommend to the SF readers who may otherwise overlook it.
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