Book Review: The Texts of Festival by Mick Farren

Book Review: 'The Texts of Festival' by Mick Farren

5 / 5 Stars

'The Texts of Festival' first was published in 1973; this Avon Books paperback edition was issued in November, 1975, with the cover artist uncredited.

 

This was the first published novel for Farren (1943 - 2013) and reflects his background as a rock musician.

 

'Texts' is set in a near-future, post-apocalyptic UK (the eponymous, ramshackle city of Festival presumably once was London). Technology is at a 19th century level, save for some decaying amplifiers and record players whose public playing of the 'texts' (i.e., LPs) from such classic rock artists as the Doors and Bob Dylan serve a quasi-religious purpose in the cultural life of Festival.

 

In the novel's opening pages we are introduced to a number of characters, some of whom come to rather abrupt endings in terms of life expectancy. Farren uses these passages to emphasize that in this post-apocalyptic UK, life is nasty, brutal, and short. 

 

The main premise of 'Texts' is that a large force of raiders has been assembled through the machinations of one Iggy, a meth addict gifted with a touch of military genius. Iggy has persuaded Oltha, the leader of the Tribals, to join forces with Iggy's band of methheads, and attack Festival. Iggy is industrious in gathering firearms, including automatic rifles, no small task in the wasteland. With this firepower, and the liberal use of meth, Iggy is confident of success. For their part, Oltha and the Tribals are looking forward to a booty of liquor and women.

 

Joe Starkweather, an older man of considerable standing in Festival due to his role in leading the people to victory in past wars against wasteland factions, gets word of the raider army. He tries to gather the communities of Festival into a joint defense, but the Merchant Quarter refuses to donate their considerable stores of arms and ammunition to any communal effort. Further complicating Starkweather's efforts is the ruler of Festival, a dissipated sybarite named Valentine. In his drug-fueled egomania, Valentine believes he alone is best qualified to lead the defense of the city, leaving Starkweather with no choice but to plan for expediencies.

 

As the raider army sets off on its march to conquest, sides will be drawn, desperate plans put into motion, and the survival of the city dependent on a brutal, no-quarter combat between the raiders, and Joe Starkweather, Frankie Lee, Mac the Smith, Harry Krishna, Claudette, and the rest of Festival's defenders......

 

At 174 pages in length, 'Texts' delivers a stripped-down narrative, with little space for the authorial indulgences of most New Wave Era sci-fi. Indeed, the novel reads more as a Western than sci-fi. There are plentiful scenes of action and violence, with the latter content quite explicit by the standards of early 70s sci-fi. Farren is good at composing his fight sequences, and the final confrontation between the raiders and the city is suspenseful, while keeping the reader uncertain as to the outcome. 

 

In closing, 'The Texts of Festival' belongs to that sub-genre of post-apocalyptic, wasteland-centered sci-fi that began with 'Damnation Alley' (1969) and continued with Charles W. Runyon's 'Pig World' (1971), and Suzy McKee Charnas's 'Walk to the End of the World' (1974). With these novels it shares a downbeat, nihilistic tenor that paved the way for the gleefully transgressive attitudes of contemporary properties like the Fallout video games. 

 

I'm comfortable with giving 'Texts' a Five Star Rating, but readers are directed to the 'Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations' blog for a different opinion of the novel's worthiness.