''The True Game'' is the collective name for a series of three related
trilogies
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
of
short novels by
Sheri S. Tepper. The novels explore the Lands of the True Game, a portion of a planet explored by humanity somewhere in the future. These novels straddle the genres of both fantasy and science-fiction, although this does not become apparent until quite late in the overall story.
Each of the trilogies focuses on the
point of view
Point of view or Points of View may refer to:
Concept and technique
* Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something
* Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronou ...
of one particular character. The Peter trilogy tells the story from the point of view of Peter, a
shape-shifting
In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the a ...
youth. The Mavin series tells an earlier portion of the story from the point of view of
Mavin Manyshaped, Peter's shape-shifting mother. The Jinian series overlaps with and extends the Peter series and tells the story from the point of view of Jinian, a young
wizardly woman.
Books in series
Peter series
*''King's Blood Four'' (
Ace Books
Ace Books is a publisher of science fiction (SF) and fantasy books founded in New York City in 1952 by A. A. Wyn, Aaron A. Wyn. It began as a genre publisher of mystery fiction, mysteries and western (genre), westerns, and soon branched out int ...
, 1983) (first novel)
*''Necromancer Nine'' (Ace Books, 1983)
*''Wizard's Eleven'' (Ace Books, 1984)
The stories were subsequently collected into a one-volume edition titled ''The True Game'' (1985).
Mavin Manyshaped series
*''The Song of Mavin Manyshaped'' (Ace Books, 1985)
*''The Flight of Mavin Manyshaped'' (Ace Books, 1985)
*''The Search of Mavin Manyshaped'' (Ace Books, 1985)
The stories were subsequently collected into a one-volume edition titled ''The Chronicles of Mavin Manyshaped'' (1985).
Jinian series
*''Jinian Footseer'' (
Tor Books
Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese sci ...
, 1985)
*''Dervish Daughter'' (Tor Books, 1986)
*''Jinian Star-Eye'' (Tor Books, 1986)
The stories were subsequently collected into a one-volume edition titled ''The End of the Game'' (Nelson Doubleday, 1986).
Talents
Within the Lands of the True Game, humans have come to possess "talents".
*
Shapeshifting
In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...
(''shifters'')
* The ability to
see the future (''seers'')
*
Telekinesis
Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
(''tragamors'')
* Self-
levitation
Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact.
Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
(''armigers'')
* Self-
teleportation
Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction literature and in other popular culture. Teleportation is oft ...
(''elators'')
* The ability to
heal the sick or wounded (''healers'')
* The ability to raise the dead (''necromancers'')
*
Telepathy
Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
(''demons'')
*
Pyrokinesis
Pyrokinesis is the purported psychic ability allowing a person to create and control fire with the mind. As with other parapsychological phenomena, there is no conclusive evidence in support of the actual existence of pyrokinesis. Many alleged c ...
(''sentinels'')
* The ability to store power for use by the other talents (''sorcerers'')
* The ability to beguile others into following them (''Rulers'')
An additional group of humans known as the ''immutables'' has the ability to quench any of these talents while another group of humans, the ''wizards'', has the ability to use magic/technology to produce effective results. Wizardry is learned, rather than appearing in adolescence as a talent does. Having any other talent does not negate wizardry. The so-called "thirteenth talent" was confirmed only to be possessed by one person, and was the ability to ''link'' with others and utilise or combine their talents.
Other humans are just ordinary humans and are referred to as
pawns.
For the most part, the talented humans live in groups called
demesne
A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. The concept or ...
s and the demesnes are constantly warring with each other in great games. In the process, as usually occurs with wars, death and destruction and waste occurs, especially among the pawns. The stories examine the morality of the so-called True Game and other related issues.
As time goes on, we are introduced to the earlier history of humans on the planet and even to the creatures who occupied the planet prior to the arrival of the humans (and who are now much-diminished as a result of human colonization). Ultimately, the story deals with the question of whether life on the planet will survive at all.
Reception
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for bo ...
reported that the series came to "a powerful, illuminating conclusion that lifts this story out of the ranks of grunting blood-and-thunder adventure and into the heady realm of thoughtful, entertaining science fiction."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:True Game
Science fiction book series
Fantasy novel series
Fiction about shapeshifting