Out of the Dead City

Like his first novel, Out of the Dead City, which is a revised version of Captives of the Flames, is set in post-nuclear war world centuries from now. The remnants of humanity are limited to a few islands and mainlands, with humans, "neo-Neanderthals," and growing social inequality in the Empire of Toromon. The current king is weak, the pace of economic and technological change is wiping out jobs, the slums are ever-growing, crime is up, and a mysterious force beyond the radiation barrier is destroying the airships of Toromon. Jon, Arkor, Duchess Petra, and others team up to prevent the war, while helping another alien being defeat a common foe (the Lord of the Flames). It is unclear whether or not our heroes succeed, but this early Delany novel actually builds a more interesting setting than Aptor. The civilization depicted here is one in which every social class is highlighted and the many ways in which society is coming apart is at the forefront. Delany also manages the transitions quite well between different characters in different parts of the Empire or in Telphar, the dead city (and presumably, the inspiration for the revised title). While it is a bit cryptic and the conclusion abrupt, as the first novel in a trilogy, it's entertaining and of sociological interest for those intrigued by the political dimensions of Delany's science fiction. It would be enlightening to see how the Empire of Toromon, the federations in Nova and the heterotopia in Triton compare.