‘High Couch of Silistra’ (246 pp) first was published by Bantam Books in May 1977; this January, 1981 edition features cover art by Lou Feck. Succeeding volumes in the ‘Silistra’ series include ‘The Golden Sword’ (1977), ‘Wind from the Abyss’ (1978), and ‘The Carnelian Throne’ (1979).
'High Couch' was the debut novel from Morris (b. 1946), who went on to become a prolific contributor to the 'Heroes in Hell' and Thieves' World' franchises, as well as original novels co-written with her husband, Chris Morris, and veteran sci-fi writer David Drake.
‘High Couch’ is a planetary romance in the vein of the ‘Gor’ novels of John Norman, which, by 1977, were very successful books, and undoubtedly paved the way for the Silistra franchise. I do remember seeing the Silistra novels on the bookshelves during the late 70s and early 80s, but never picked any of the novels up, as they looked to be even cheesier than the Gor books…….
Estri Estrazi, the heroine of ‘High Couch’, is – quite simply – a Ho (or, if you prefer, a Sex Worker). Blessed with the body and looks of a swimsuit model, Estri accepts only the highest-paying of those customers who come to the planet of Silistra in search of sensual delights from its renowned brothels.
As the novel opens, Estri comes into the possession of artifacts from her late mother, and learns that her father was a man named Estrazi, from the mysterious planet of Zredori. Estri is enjoined by her mother to find her father, but to do so will require consultations with oracles and sacred shrines. Accordingly, Estri sets aside her meretricious duties and embarks on a quest that will take her through the wild lands of Silistra – where lurk bands of brigands and predatory animals.
Should she survive that portion of her quest, Estri then will have to negotiate the complex political and social mores of the city of Arlet; its mercenaries, the Slayers; and its enigmatic holy men, the Day Keepers. But waiting at the end of her journey is the biggest mystery of all: what is the secret of the Shapers, the godlike beings said to have created the universe ? And how does her parentage relate to the Shapers and their designs upon not just Silistra, but the entire galaxy ?
‘High Couch’ is a better-written novel than the Gor books. But the fact that 23 of its 246 pages are reserved for a Glossary means that the narrative expends considerable effort on world-building, and this can be taxing to the reader. For example, here’s an exposition on the Silistran calendar:
…….it was Detarsa first first, that is, the first day of the first seven-day set, or of the pass of Detarsa, our fifth month from winter solstice. Yesterday had been Macara fourth seventh, that is, the last day of the of last set of the pass Macara. We have on Silistra a fourteen-month revolution, each month containing twenty-eight days. Our year is eight days less than the standard B. F. year of four hundred days. Our day is forty minutes shy of the Bipedal Federate Standard day of thirty hours, but we divide it into twenty-eight “enths,” or “bells.” Each enth, or bell, contains seventy-five iths.
The persistent reader will find the novel becomes a little more engaging past its midpoint, and concludes with a denouement that avoids being contrived or underwhelming.
Summing up, it would be unfair to criticize ‘High Couch’ for being exploitative and un-Woke, as it was written in the era in which such concepts didn’t exist, and marketing to Gor Fanboys was a self-obvious endeavor. And while I can’t say I was sufficiently intrigued by ‘High Couch’ to move immediately to the sequels, those with a fondness for late 70s sci-fi / fantasy adventure novels will find it stands the test of time, and thus earns a solid three-star review.
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