The Carpet Makers, by Andreas Eschbach

[Omphalos]

Many, many years ago, when I was but a relatively recent graduate, having but two or three years under my belt, and still full of hope for my fellow man, I encountered a story in the January, 2001 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction called The Capetmaker's Son. At that point in my life I was really starting to get into SF again, after a several year hiatus that coincided with my education. During my (long) schooling, I kept up with my favorite literature only by reading short stories; tales that I could get into and finish easily enough, with a minimum of time-drain. By 2001 I was starting to get back into full length novels, when I could. The only kind of learning I had to do was on-the-job-training, but law firm life absolutely dominated my time. I kept my subscriptions up even though by that time I had pretty much given up on the short story medium as a viable way to tell SF stories - in my opinion modern short fiction just cannot hold a candle to the old stuff. I eventually let the subscriptions that I had lapse in 2004, but even by 2001 the only stories I was reading were those by Robert Reed, Tony Daniel, Michael Swanwick and a few select other authors. Then along came Andreas Eschbach's The Carpetmaker's Son and it was literally love at first read. I don't remember ever being moved more by a short story. It was obvious from The Carpetmaker's Son that Eschbach had a lot more to say about this world. Gordon van Gelder's introduction to this story ended with these words:...Please click here, or on the book cover above, to be taken to the complete review..

 

[The Judge]

It sounds an intriguing book, and frankly worth buying for the cover picture alone - I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so beautiful yet simultaneously disturbing.

Incidentally, I want to thank you for the reviews you post. They are always very interesting and thought provoking.

J

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I read that book two or three years ago. It must have been when I was so sick, because I do not remember that cover, or where I ordered it, although I remember the story very well.

And I loved it, the concept, the characters, the details, everything ... right up to the ending. I suppose there were sound artistic reasons for that ending, but being unable to divine what those reasons were, it just felt forced, and unworthy of the rest of the book.

Well worth reading, though, for the sake of everything else that the book has to offer.

 

[AE35Unit]

Om,I clicked on the link you posted and got The Caves of Steel by Asimov!

 

[The Judge]

Om,I clicked on the link you posted and got The Caves of Steel by Asimov!

That happened to me too. Try clicking on the picture of the cover instead.

J

 

[Omphalos]

Oops! Sorry guys. Rather than recreate the wheel every time I post a review I just kind of recycle old ones for their structure. I guess I forgot to switch the lower link, and now its too late as the edit button has disappeared.

Like The Judge said, just go ahead and click on the cover photo (which by the way I absolutely loved too) and you will get to the review on my own site.

Thanks also for the kind works, Judge.

 

[Omphalos]

I read that book two or three years ago. It must have been when I was so sick, because I do not remember that cover, or where I ordered it, although I remember the story very well.

And I loved it, the concept, the characters, the details, everything ... right up to the ending. I suppose there were sound artistic reasons for that ending, but being unable to divine what those reasons were, it just felt forced, and unworthy of the rest of the book.

Well worth reading, though, for the sake of everything else that the book has to offer.

That ending was schocking, wasn't it?

I would read anything by this author now, as long as someone translated it for me.

 

[blacknorth]

Thanks for the heads up on this book, it sounds very interesting so I'll look out a copy.

Bit worried and intrigued by the end-controversy though.

 

[Pyar]

I read this book several years ago and I loved it very much. The images were both beautiful and horrifying and the buildup to the ending was shocking! When I finished it I had desperately searched for other books by Eschbach but nothing was in English unfortunately.

 

[Omphalos]

Thanks for the heads up on this book, it sounds very interesting so I'll look out a copy.

Bit worried and intrigued by the end-controversy though.

Don't be. Personally I did not think that it sounded contrived, though I have heard others echo Teresa's thoughts. I had heard that it was controversial so I had my radar up as I read it. Its shockingly mundane, but well done.

 

[The Judge]

I've now read this and for the most part loved it, but I also found the end disappointing. Not so much because of the reason for the carpet making, which I felt was appropriately horrifying in its banality, as the way it is revealed -- to be given the facts in what amounted to an extended info-dump was a terrible waste of a wonderful premise, I thought. And the pairing of characters which brings about the revelation seemed a travesty after the well-told and very truthful relationships and emotions we had seen throughout the book. With the exception of that last main chapter, though, and possibly one other which, though well-written, I felt added nothing to the story, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the epilogue was wonderful.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I think my problem with the ending was that I didn't feel shocked, just let down.

 

[The Judge]

I think perhaps because I'd had all this warning, I was mentally prepared for something... er... different -- though even then I did have a "That is it??!" moment when I got there. I'd be interested to know if that was the history for the carpet making he'd decided on from the start, though, or whether he'd painted himself into a corner. If it wasn't for the excellence of the rest of it, I'd have wondered if he'd had to finish the book to a deadline and simply ran out of inspiration!