The novel “A Time of Changes” by Robert Silverberg was published for the first time in 1971. It won the Nebula Award for best science fiction novel of the year.
When the Prime Septarch of the province of Salla dies, his second son, Kinnall Darival, knows it’s best for him to move somewhere else. His older brother Stirron is the legitimate successor and ascends the throne, but in such cases, the new Prime Septarch often arrests a younger brother to prevent him from threatening his power.
Leaving his homeland represents a significant change for Kinnall Darival, but it’s only the first in a series of changes that are sometimes profound, including inner changes. In particular, his encounter with the Earthman Schweiz upends his life to the point of leading him to break the Covenant.
“A Time of Changes” belongs to what could be called Robert Silverberg’s golden age, because it was during those years that he wrote his most memorable novels. After spending the first part of his career writing space operas of a less than stellar standard, he started devoting himself to much more profound and introspective stories.
At the heart of the setting on the planet Borthan is the Covenant that imposes the denial of the self, to the point that the use of the first person in language is considered the top of vulgarity. For this reason, the novel’s being written as Kinnall Darival’s autobiography is scandalous for the culture of that planet, and the fact that he writes it in the first person makes it even more of a banned book.
Kinnall Darival’s tale, with the ups and downs of his life and the changes he has experienced, offers remarkable insight into the protagonist and includes commentary and reflections on the society in which he grew up. The denial of self imposed by the Covenant is central, with various social and psychological ramifications. The paradox is that it’s supposed to be a denial of individuality, but actually only succeeds in causing a person’s isolation.
The religious subtext is developed by Robert Silverberg going well beyond the Covenant itself, through symbolism and various levels of interpretation. The society in which Kinnall Darival lives was founded by a religious group that migrated to the planet Borthan specifically to live in observance of the Covenant, with all the consequences that entail.
The poet John Keats wrote, “Fanatics have their dreams, wherewith they weave A paradise for a sect;” in his poem “The Fall of Hyperion,” a phrase that fits the context of this novel. Actually, most of the characters don’t appear to be fanatics, but simply the type of person who conforms to the social conventions in which they grew up. However, breaking the Covenant can provoke very strong reactions even in people who aren’t particularly devout.
In essence, the people who suffer from the isolation caused by the Covenant, such as Kinnall Darival, are imprisoned by mental chains, and the moment they manage to break them, they’re considered dangerous criminals seeking to destroy society with their subversive ideas. The protagonist pays a very high personal price, and for this reason, his story can leave a bitter feeling.
“A Time of Changes” is a perfect example of a science fiction story that explores an inner space. Kinnall Darival’s story is deeply introspective and offers a lot of food for thought, and for this reason, I recommend it to anyone interested in these themes, regardless of genre label. You can find it on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
