A Fine Debut Novel from One of Speculative Fiction's Greatest Living SatiristsAdmittedly "The Wine of Violence" isn't James Morrow's best work, but even it, as a debut novel, illustrates much of the major themes present in his literary career, with an interest in exploring - and ridiculing - faith and in championing reason. "The Wine of Violence" reminds me a lot of some bizarre Philip K. Dick, with Kurt Vonnegut - before he renounced his ties to science fiction - and Harlan Ellison thrown in. It's a compelling saga in which two stranded human travelers stumble upon a society totally devoted to peace while co-existing uneasily with an almost subhuman tribe of cannibalistic savages; both societies the descendants of survivors of a long-lost Earth colony ship. Anyone who has been a fan of Morrow's work will find much to celebrate in his debut novel, while others may find themselves intrigued by the fascinating, often complex, protagonists as well as the settings, including a dark river in which those from the peaceful society have poured in all of their anger and hate. Morrow excels especially here as a superb satirist of ideas, anticipating much of his recent brilliant satire, especially in novels as stylistically different as "The Madonna and The Starship" and his latest, "Galapagos Regained".
