Novel focuses on future ‘human’ struggles
Mutant society explored
By Bryan Peterson
Staff Reporter__
The Mutant Season
Karen Haber and Robert Silver
berg
Bantam Books
"The mutant is science fiction's
metaphor for the outsider, the loner,
the alienated super-creature. The
theme of mutation is one of the most
valuable tools science fiction has
for examining the nature of human
society, the relation of one human
being to another, and the ultimate
destiny of our species."
-Robert Silverberg
“The Mutant Season” is a col
laboration between wife-husband
duo Karen Haber and Robert
Silverberg and is the first in a
projected four-volume series.
The work is set in 2017, when
mutants — people with slight
genetic variations as gifts — are
struggling to exist as equals with
the rest of humanity.
Mutants are not the disfigured
grotesques one often associates with
the word; aside from enhancing
gifts like telekinesis or the ability to
levitate, they look, think and live
“normal” in every way in a sort of
parallel culture within our own.
It is these gifts that bring trouble
to the mutants, who often have
abilities misunderstood and feared
by “normals.”
Silverberg tells us in the book’s
introduction that the mutants have
i- «i
Whether one thinks of
i racism or homophobia,
this story of the future
can clearly tell us
things about the world
today.
-99 -
always been with us, and that their
special “gifts” have brought perse
cution upon them through the ages.
By 2017, the mutants have or
ganized themselves into clans and
emerged from secrecy. Their
position in society is equivocal: A
mutant senator has been elected to
Congress (and later assassinated),
yet the mutants face discrimination
and suspicion in all areas of life.
Haber and Silverberg balance the
efforts of the mutants toward
political recognition with the
personal struggles of the characters
and thus capture the human clement
which is so often left out of science
fiction.
The book’s only serious flaw is
its treatment of Melanie, a “null”
mutant with no gift despite the tell
tale golden eyes possessed by all
mutants.
Melanie is given much attention
in the first half of the novel, then
fades away for the remainder with
only a brief final appearance.
“The Mutant Season” is the title
of a short story written in 1973 by
Silverberg, now an established
science fiction writer with one
Nebula award to his name.
Siiverberg and his wife collabo
rated on this volume, her first full
length work. The next volume of
the series, “The Mutant Prime,” is
authored by Haber alone and is now
available in hardback and paper
back, with a third volume already ir
the works.
As a team, Haber and Siiverberg
have presented a fine science fictior
novel that often serves as a meta
phor for our own world, another
sign of good science fiction.
The reader might pay particular
attention to passages like that
below, which occurs between two
non-mutant parents whose daughter,
also a “normal,” is seeing a mutant
man, much to the chagrin of the
woman’s father.
“But don’t you see that the mu
tants seem to draw this kind of vio
lence? And they have, ever since
they came out in the nineties. I
don’t want our daughter mixed up
in it. Do you?”
Whether one thinks of racism or
homophobia, this story of the future
can clearly tell us things about the
world today.
Yet Haber and Siiverberg are not
preaching to the reader; the above
passage was the most blatant in the
book, and other, similar passages
are more subtle in their presenta
tion.
Mixing together elements of sus
pense and mystery with themes of
political activism, family turmoil
and group coherence, Haber and
Siiverberg have begun a promising
scries with a fine seminal novel.
Courtesy of Bantam
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Solid ‘Bullet Proof’ album
proves impervious to shots
By Jim Hanna
Senior Reporter
Nick Robertson
“Bullet Proof Boy"
Charisma Records
Rating: 4
Ratings are 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent).
The world of ratty-haired, Birkenstock
weanng, Guatemalan bag-toting, coffee-shop
playing, acoustic guitar-strumming alternative
singers rarely sec; much commercial success.
Tracy Chapman, The Indigo Girls and their ilk
are the exception, as most guitar folk artists
live their professional lives in smoke-filled
hippie bars.
That s too bad. Acoustic singer/songwriters
lend to produce some of the most sincere, well
written and just plain good music around
Nick Robertson is the latest folksy entry
onto the commercial music scene. If there’s
any justice in the world, he will live to produce
a follow-up to his debut album “Bullet Proof
Boy.”
While Robertson’s first album doesn’t con
tain any sure-fire chartbustcrs, it is consistently
strong from the first track to the last.
“Bullet Proof Boy” was produced by Pal
Moran, who is best known for his work with
Edic Brickcll and Iggy Pop. In that alternative
tolk vein, RoberLson, a native of Edinburgh,
Scotland, warbles cool songs and plays even
cooler guitar.
All of the songs on the album are simple and
non-inflammalory and devoid of the heavy
handed political messages that have bogged
down alternative groups like 10,000 Maniacs.
The most message he ever tries to cram into
a song is on “She’s Looking Tired,” a bleak
tunc about a woman beaten down by life. It’s
somewhat dark but beautiful enough to stay out
of the black abyss of the socially conscious
dirge.
The best songs on “Bullet Proof Boy” are
those without tons of instrumentation. Robertson
is most successful when he is accompanied by
his guitar, a piano and a little bit of percussion.
Pride and Joy” is good example of his simpler
songs and is the best track on the album.
On the few occasions when Robertson goes
wild and picks up the pace on a song, he still
manages to make good music. “Slice of Heaven”
goes way beyond the mellow tone of many of
his songs but is still pretty hot.
The low point on the album is the title track,
Bullet Proof Boy,” which is really just kind of
gross. Still, the worst song on the album is not
too bad at all.
Robertson s voice is not exceedingly beau
tiful but is still what makes the album distinc
tive. He gets a little carried away with overly
funky vocal dips and glottal stops but never
does lose control. His voice sounds a little like
Tom Waits’ without the nodes.
Bullet Proof Boy” is a solid first effort for
a musician who will hopefully move to the
front of the alternative folk scene.
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