The Pnume

Last updated
The Pnume
Pnume.jpg
First edition
Author Jack Vance
Cover artist Jeff Jones
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Planet of Adventure
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Ace Books
Publication date
1970
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages156
ISBN 0-441-66902-6
Preceded by The Dirdir  

The Pnume is a science fiction adventure novel by American writer Jack Vance. The last book in the tetralogy of Planet of Adventure , it tells of the efforts to return to Earth by the sole survivor of a human starship destroyed while investigating a mysterious signal from the distant planet Tschai.

Plot summary

After many false starts and real tribulations, Adam Reith has nearly finished building a spaceship to take him home. He and his two trusted companions had been betrayed by Aila Woudiver, the underworld kingpin who had provided the necessary men and equipment in return for an extortionate amount of money. However, Reith was able to turn the tables and take Woudiver captive (as described in The Dirdir ).

Even as a prisoner though, Woudiver is a dangerous enemy. Somehow, he manages to interest the Pnume in Reith. The Pnume are the sentient native race of Tschai. Driven underground by three separate alien invasions (by the Chasch, Wankh and Dirdir), they view the other species as welcome additions to the pageantry unfolding on their world stage. In the same light, they are intrigued by the Earthman, abducting him to become a specimen in their museum.

Reith is lowered into the vast Pnume underground. He manages to free himself and hide before he can be taken by human Pnumekin, servants of the Pnume, to the Museum of Foreverness. Perplexed at finding an empty bag, they summon a Pnume Sector Warden, who consults its Master Charts, detailing all the various tunnels and hidden adits. Determining that there is one possible escape route, they leave to check it. Before it departs, the Sector Warden hides its maps in a secret compartment, but Reith is a witness. He steals them, but is unable to decipher their contents.

He kidnaps a young Pnumekin woman to interpret for him. Once Reith forces her to look at the Master Charts, she realizes her life is now forfeit if she is captured, so she cooperates. Upon questioning, Reith learns that she has no name; she simply belongs to the Zith group in the Athan area of the Pagaz zone, with a rank of 210, so he names her Zap 210.

After a journey of indeterminate length, mostly spent on a barge, they finally escape to the surface. They make their way toward the city of Sivishe, where the spaceship is being built. As their trek continues, Zap 210's colorless personality begins to change, free of the peculiar constraints of Pnumekin society and the diko she had been fed to keep her body from developing normally. Eventually, she and Reith become lovers.

When they reach the city, Reith finds Anacho waiting for him. He learns that, shortly after Reith's abduction, Woudiver had been taken to be prey for a Dirdir hunt. The ship had been seen, so Traz moved it to a location known only to Reith. However, when they prepare to leave, they find Zap 210 missing, captured by the Pnume.

Despite Anacho's protestations, Reith gives himself up to the Pnume (after making certain preparations). He bargains with them, threatening to give copies of the Master Charts to the Dirdir unless they release Zap 210. He also demands that they free all the Pnumekin from their freakish existence. The Pnume have no choice; they agree to his terms. Reith and Zap 210 return to the surface, link up with Anacho and Traz, and finally depart for Earth.

Related Research Articles

<i>Ricky Ricottas Mighty Robot</i> Novel series by Dav Pilkey

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot is a series of children's graphic novels written by Dav Pilkey and first seven books illustrated by Martin Ontiveros and all nine books, including two long-awaited sequels, illustrated by Dan Santat. In each book, Ricky Ricotta, a mouse, with the help of his mighty robot, saves the world from an evil villain. Also, the books each have an alien creature from a different planet in order from closest-to-sun to farthest-from-sun including Earth, as the villain of the first book is from Earth. The reader could see the villains being jailed in each series and later notice the familiar villains from previous books.

<i>Planet of Adventure</i> Series of science fiction novels by Jack Vance

Planet of Adventure is a series of four science fiction novels by Jack Vance, published between 1968 and 1970. The novels relate the adventures of the scout Adam Reith, the sole survivor of an Earth ship investigating a signal from the distant planet Tschai.

Planetary romance Subgenre of science fiction focussing on adventures on alien planets

Planetary romance is a subgenre of science fiction in which the bulk of the action consists of adventures on one or more exotic alien planets, characterized by distinctive physical and cultural backgrounds. Some planetary romances take place against the background of a future culture where travel between worlds by spaceship is commonplace; others, particularly the earliest examples of the genre, do not, and invoke flying carpets, astral projection, or other methods of getting between planets. In either case, it is the planetside adventures which are the focus of the story, not the mode of travel.

Negation was a comic book series published from CrossGen. Tony Bedard was the writer for the entire run. Paul Pelletier was the artist for most of the issues, with an occasional fill-in artist on some issues.

<i>Barlowes Guide to Extraterrestrials</i> 1979 book by Wayne Barlowe

Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials is a science fiction book by artist Wayne Barlowe, with Ian Summers and Beth Meacham. It contains Barlowe's visualizations of different extraterrestrial life forms from various works of science fiction, with information on their planetary location or range, biology, and behaviors, in the style of a real field guide for animals. It was nominated for an American Book Award and for the 1980 Hugo Award for Best Related Work.

<i>Doraemon: Nobita Drifts in the Universe</i> 1999 film by Tsutomu Shibayama

Doraemon: Nobita Drifts in the Universe is the 1999 Japanese animated epic space opera film. It is the second Doraemon film released after Hiroshi Fujimoto's departure, based on the 19 volume of the same name of the Doraemon Long Stories series. This is the third movie solely produced by Fujiko Production following The Record of Nobita's Parallel Visit to the West (1988) and Nobita's Great Adventure in the South Seas (1998). This movie commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Doraemon film series. It was released on March 6, 1999, together with Doraemon: Nobita's the Night Before a Wedding and Funny Candy of Okashinana!?. It is the 20th Doraemon film.

<i>Space Opera</i> (Vance novel) 1965 novel by Jack Vance

Space Opera is a novel by the American science fiction author Jack Vance, first published in 1965.

Sabalom Glitz is a fictional character from the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Glitz is a rogue from the planet Salostophus in the Andromeda Constellation. Glitz's first love is money, and he is often engaged in mercenary acts and profiteering. The character was created by writer Robert Holmes.

<i>The Hostage of Zir</i> 1977 novel by Lyon Sprague de Camp

The Hostage of Zir is a science fiction novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, the seventh book of his Viagens Interplanetarias series and the fifth of its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Krishna. Chronologically it is the third Krishna novel. It was first published in hardcover by Berkley/Putnam in 1977, and in paperback by Berkley Books in 1978. A new paperback edition was published by Ace Books in 1982 as part of the standard edition of the Krishna novels. An e-book edition was published by Gollancz's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form. The novel has also been translated into German and Czech.

<i>City of the Chasch</i> 1968 novel by Jack Vance

City of the Chasch is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, the first in the adventure tetralogy Planet of Adventure. It follows the attempts of a man stranded on the distant planet Tschai to return to Earth.

<i>Servants of the Wankh</i> 1969 novel by Jack Vance

Servants of the Wankh is a 1969 science fiction adventure novel by American writer Jack Vance, the second in the tetralogy Tschai, Planet of Adventure. It tells of the efforts of the sole survivor of a human starship destroyed by an unknown enemy to return to Earth from the distant planet Tschai.

<i>The Dirdir</i> 1969 novel by Jack Vance

The Dirdir is a science fiction adventure novel by American writer Jack Vance, the third in the tetralogy Tschai, Planet of Adventure. It tells of the efforts of the sole survivor of the destruction of a human starship to return to Earth from the distant planet Tschai.

In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels or shares adventures with the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as an audience surrogate. They provide the lens through which the viewer is introduced to the series. The companion character often furthers the story by asking questions and getting into trouble, or by helping, rescuing, or challenging the Doctor. This designation is applied to a character by the show's producers and appears in the BBC's promotional material and off-screen fictional terminology. The Doctor also refers to the show's other leads as their “friends" or "assistants"; the British press have also used the latter term.

<i>The Gray Prince</i> 1974 novel by Jack Vance

The Gray Prince is a science fiction novel by American writer Jack Vance, first published in two parts in Amazing Science Fiction magazine with the title The Domains of Koryphon. Given that the novel's setting, the planet Koryphon, is integral to the plot, The Gray Prince may be said to belong to the science fiction subgenre of the planetary romance. Also significant in this regard is the work's original title, The Domains of Koryphon, which gives prominence to the setting of the conflict narrated in the novel rather than to one of its many characters.

Nicklas Nygren, better known by the handle Nifflas, is an independent Swedish video game developer. He is known for his freeware Knytt series, as well as earlier releases, including Within a Deep Forest and the #ModArchive Story series. Nifflas currently lives in Umeå, Sweden.

<i>The Prisoner of Zhamanak</i> 1982 novel by Lyon Sprague de Camp

The Prisoner of Zhamanak is a science fiction novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp, the eighth book of his Viagens Interplanetarias series and the sixth of its subseries of stories set on the fictional planet Krishna. Chronologically it is the fourth Krishna novel. It was first published in hardcover by Phantasia Press in 1982, and in paperback by Ace Books in April 1983 as part of the standard edition of the Krishna novels. An E-book edition was published by Gollancz's SF Gateway imprint on September 29, 2011 as part of a general release of de Camp's works in electronic form. The novel has also been translated into German.

The Great Darkness Saga Five-issue comic story arc featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes

"The Great Darkness Saga" is a five-issue American comic book story arc featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes. It was written by Paul Levitz, with art by Keith Giffen and Larry Mahlstedt. Published by DC Comics in 1982, the arc first appears in Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2, #290–294. It is notable for featuring appearances by virtually every living past and present Legionnaire as of 1982, as well as most of the team's 30th-century allies, including the Legion of Substitute Heroes, the Wanderers, the Heroes of Lallor, and the 20th-century Kryptonian refugee Dev-Em. The heroes battle an immensely powerful being shrouded in darkness, ultimately revealed to be the ancient ruler of Apokolips, Darkseid.

Eighth Doctor Eighth incarnation of The Doctor from Doctor Who

The Eighth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Paul McGann.

<i>Lurulu</i> 2004 novel by Jack Vance

Lurulu is a science fiction adventure novel by Jack Vance. Published in 2004, it was his last novel. It is the follow up to Ports of Call and continues to follow the character Myron Tany on his picaresque journey through the Gaean Reach region of space.

Lost in Space (<i>American Dad!</i>) 18th episode of the ninth season of American Dad!

"Lost in Space" is the eighteenth episode of the ninth season of American Dad!. The episode aired on May 5, 2013, on Fox's Animation Domination lineup. The episode was written by series co-creator Mike Barker and directed by series regular Chris Bennett. "Lost in Space" was promoted as episode 150 by Fox and numerous mainstream media reports; it is actually episode 151, while the episode "The Full Cognitive Redaction of Avery Bullock by the Coward Stan Smith" is episode 150. "Lost in Space" continues a plot line established in the episode "Naked to the Limit, One More Time." In addition, several of the episodes that aired in between "Naked to the Limit, One More Time" and "Lost in Space" contribute to the plot line in question.

References