A Son of the Rock

Pan, 1982. 286 p

On VanderZande’s World, also known as Kamelios, strange storms called fiersig can disturb moods and change personality. In addition, a peculiar valley is intermittently altered by winds which seem to project objects and locations through time. If engulfed by these time winds, people disappear. Worse, if caught up in the edge of a time eddy, only a part of you may be swept away. Human search parties scour the valley for artefacts revealed by the winds. The strange atmosphere of the planet has imbued their members with odd superstitions. A phantom human figure, which may or may not be a figment of the imagination, haunts the valley.

The first two sections of the book deal with the environment of this strange rift and the human society which has evolved there but in part three, after the inevitable happens, we are suddenly wrenched away to a totally different part of the planet in order for the author to indulge in philosophising through the medium of viewpoint character Leo Faulcon and to set up what is, to me, an unsatisfying ending.

The prose is occasionally Ballardian in tone but I found it too distanced. As a consequence I didn’t feel involved enough with the characters.

There is a “span” count of 2 (though one instance of “spun”) plus two cases of flaunting the rules.

Where Time Winds Blow rather confirms my previously held opinion of Holdstock’s work. I’m afraid there is something about his style which does not engage me.