Enjoyed this novella by Robert Silverberg. Really enjoyed the characters and they were well developed. Also really enjoyed the story, and the pacing was great too. Will be reading more from Robert Silverberg now. #TheSecretSharer #NetGalley

First I want to thank Net Galley and Subterranean Press for the copy of Robert Silverberg’s “The Secret Sharer” in return for an honest review.

Two things to note right off the bat:
1. This is a SF retelling of a Joseph Conrad story by the same name
2. This is an illustrated edition.

I received an ebook of the title, and the artwork is beautiful even on my android phone. So much so that I’m debating getting a physical copy.

I’ve never read Silverberg that I can remember. I’ve read all around him, having grown up reading speculative Fiction since the 1980s when I first stumbled upon stories that make my heart sing. That opened my eyes to the magic that words can transport you into another world.

I can see why Silverberg is considered a Classic. His writing is beautiful, but has a different flow to it than current pieces. Gorgeous, just different. The artwork added to the story, and as I said above is stunning.

First published in 1987; published in a limited edition by Subterranean Press on February 29, 2024

It’s been years since I read Joseph Conrad’s novella, The Secret Sharer. I recall it as the story of a stowaway who is discovered and concealed by the young ship’s captain. The captain feels an affinity with the hidden passenger. Robert Silverberg borrowed the broad outline of Conrad’s plot as well as the title for his 1987 novella. Subterranean Press is issuing the novella as a signed limited edition that might make a nice gift for Silverberg fans. Readers who don’t want to buy a limited edition can probably scour used book stores to pick up the novella in a collection of Silverberg’s best stories, but those readers will miss out on some cool illustrations.

The young captain in Silverberg’s story is named Adam. He is in charge of a starship. The ship is relatively frail, as Adam’s body will be after a long time away from planetary gravity. Neither the ship nor the captain can venture too near a planet.

The ship carries cargo and passengers to various destinations, where they are met by sturdier ships that ferry people and goods between the planet and the ship. Some passengers travel between stars in sleep chambers, while others leave their body behind and travel as a “matrix” that will be transferred to a new body.

Shortly after Adam’s first voyage begins, a matrix detaches from the grid that holds it. The matrix tries to enter a sleeping passenger but the passenger awakens and, in a panic, destroys the equipment that is keeping his body alive.

The matrix then makes contact with Adam. After telling him a sad story, she gains his permission to enter his body via a jack that allows the captain to plug into the ship. The matrix is the consciousness of a woman named Leeleaine, although she prefers the name Vox.

The other crew members are superstitious about the prospect of a loose matrix floating around the ship, particularly one who killed a passenger. They make efforts to capture it, placing Vox and the captain at risk. Can Vox return to the grid? Can she stay in Adam without being detected? Whether Vox will survive is the central question that gives the story its dramatic tension.

Silverberg has a long history of writing touching science fiction stories that are based on characterization rather than technology. Adam and Vox grow close to each other as they share a body. Both feel like outsiders who instantly understand each other. Both feel an intense loneliness when they are separated. That makes the novella something of a tragic love story. Silverberg creates sympathy for both characters and at least some measure of suspense before the story reaches a fitting resolution.

RECOMMENDED

The Secret Sharer by Robert Silverberg-This is a long novella with a dream-like aura in its telling. It is about a lone star faring ship and in particular its Captain. The main character is a new recruit, who is made Captain to see if he can sink or swim at his tasks. The Crew all test him and make him feel isolated. He happens upon a stowaway on one of his travels through the ship, and she tells him about the crew and what they are doing and what’s in store for him. This is a very different style from the Silverberg I’m familiar with, but definitely worth the read. Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

What happens when an incorporeal but deadly stowaway haunts a 10 kilometer long interstellar spaceships crewed by members of the Service who have given up planetside life to live and work in space where super high technology is common? As expected, Robert SIlverberg does an excellent job of rapidly building a very comprehensible and believable world with main characters that we can immediately identify with.

Silverberg's intro alone is worth reading. His insights into writing science fiction and acknowledgements of the influences on this story are interesting and insightful. The 18 multi-page illustrations were beautiful and enhanced the reader's impression.

I absolutely recommend this book to fans of Robert Silverberg. I also unhesitatingly recommend this to anyone who enjoys either science fiction or contemplating the core of what it is to be human.

I thank Subterranean Press and Robvert Silverberg for kindly providing an electronic review copy of the enjoyable work.