It was a society in which the lawbreaker was king a society in which crimes were not only condoned but were admired and even rewarded a society in which deviation from the rules was judged solely on its degree of success.Īnd this resulted in the paradox of a criminal society with absolute laws which were meant to be broken.”
“It was a society which, in the final analysis, stressed individual endeavor. The Status Civilization is light, entertaining, and short - just the thing for an easy read in between two meatier works. Not every book has to be a catalyst for deep reflection, or an award winner, or a pillar of its genre. Despite all this (and a not entirely satisfying conclusion) it's an enjoyable read and the book flows from one action-packed encounter to the next. Perhaps in part due to it's brevity the story sometimes relies on implausible coincidences to flog itself along, and gave me the impression that Sheckley was racing to try and fit his many interesting ideas into the narrative. The Status Civilization was written in 1960, and occasionally the book’s age peeks through, a wrinkle here, a saggy bit there (computers in the future being programmed via punch cards was a LOL moment) but for the most part it’s pretty spry for its age, leading the reader on a pacy dash through the twisted world of Omega and beyond. These doubts lead him to begin exploring his missing memories and testing the limits of Omegan society, with some violent results. Barrent, while very successful in this criminal milieu, is no killer at heart and comes to doubt that he is the murderer the system says he is. This is no Escape From Absalom or Lord of the Flies style scenario though, the prisoner society on Omega is an interesting hodge-podge of ancient societies and dystopic ideas, with a brutal ranking system, regular 'hunts' of lower ranking citizens, a Roman-style colosseum and a culture that enshrines criminality as the highest legal and religious good. The starship is soon revealed to be a prisoner transport and he is abandoned on the prison world of Omega, home to a twisted society run by deported criminals. Will Barrent, a convicted murderer, awakens on a starship with no memory of his life or crimes. This is meat-and-two-veg, steak-and-eggs SF, solid, inoffensive, and fine for what it is.
No alternate viewpoints, unreliable narrators, or odd time/perspective shifts. The Status Civilization is not a SF aficionado must-read, but it's a fairly enjoyable romp through an interesting world. You aren't going to wistfully stare at its cover a year from now, remembering the great times you had together. You won't be harassing your friends to read it, or spamming recommendations for it here on Goodreads. This is not a book that will rock your world.
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