The Jewels of Aptor

Samuel R. Delany's first novel shows much promise. Although clunky in dialogue and occasionally prose, the novel successfully tells a quest/adventure story in which lost, ancient technology and fantasy-styled swords and belief in magic coexist. Set over 1000 years after a nuclear holocaust, the remnants of humanity have shifted into two separate camps on two lands, Aptor and Leptar. Those on the latter have remained devotees of the white goddess, Argo, and rejected ancient advanced technology. The followers of the dark god, Hama, however, have retained much of the ancient technology and, 500 years before the story takes place, destroyed Aptor's City of New Hope through the titular jewels. 

Much of the novel's symbolism and themes relies on the duality of chaos and order, black and white, and that eternal symbiosis as the way of the world. Nothing is black and white, despite the central duality of the gods Argo and Hama. Indeed, the novel posits a holistic view inspired by things such as yin and yang, rejecting a Manichaean  view that would lead to humanity's destruction a second time around. Needless to say, this novel, published in 1962, reflects much of the era in its anti-nuclear war stance and rejection of a simplistic Cold War dichotomy of the USSR versus the US. 

Since this is Delany's first novel we're talking about, the characters here resemble some of the later characters of his subsequent work. For example, the poet/university-educated character, Geo, bears a strong resemblance to the academic in The Ballad of Beta-2. Both must unravel the mystery of ancient poems and texts while embarking on a quest with existential consequences. Iimmi, the sole black character, also resembles some of the fully-fleshed nonwhite protagonists of Delany's other novel. Iimmi is a central character in the plot, with an eidetic memory and a university education that makes him just as important as Geo for his intellectual and navigational skills. 

Last but certainly not least, Little Argo, the daughter of the Argo onboard the ship which instigated the entire quest, is not a damsel in distress but plays a central role in the text when her and four-armed Snake retrieve the last jewel. She also represents a promise of the return of some lost technology, as she illustrates an understanding of electric engineering. The characters here are a bit more engaging than those in Ballad of Beta-2, Delany's second standalone work.