Book Review: The Hero of Downways by Michael G Coney

Book Review: The Hero of Downways by Michael G Coney

Published in 1974 by Daw Books
Cover illustration by Josh Kirby

Welcome to Downways where the Trukids live and go to school, the Oddlies lurk around the cavern and tunnel corners, maggots recycle waste food and the blackfurs are raised and herded for their fur.

This is the strange world of Trukid Shirl, who meets with John-A a Vatkid and together they battle the fierce Daggertooth, relative to the Blackfurs, a near unstoppable killer to the dwellers of Downways. Only once before has someone defeated, killed, a Daggertooth, and that hero is long dead.

John-A is a Vatkid, the only one in the novel, made from a sliver of flesh from The Hero. He enters into a world unsuited to heroes, danger, or change. Still without his assistance the Trufolk are in danger. Shirl, a Trukid cursed with curiosity or perhaps blessed, has seen the Oddlies moving on the outskirts of the tunnels where she lives at. During the long hibes (periods when either they sleep or are awake) she either sleeps and is plagued with strange dreams or wanders searching for answers. She finds some, along with many more questions along the way. One question she has deals with the reason the Trufolk can see into the Infrared when the older humans could not. Also an illustration of a blackfur, titled a dormouse, sparks her wondering as to the relative scale of things.

Touching on the themes of acceptance, evolution and change, danger and enclosed in communities, The Hero of Downways is a superb story with a decent setting and some distinct characters. The actual setting along with the reasons for their living underground differed from what this reviewer thought was going to be answer up until the end portion of the novel.

There are few novels this reviewer has read in the years since 1974 when he started seriously reading, that are set in an underground situation. The only other one that comes to mind immediately is The Sunset Warrior by Eric Van Lustbader.

Links related to Michael G Conley and The Hero of Downways
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_G._Coney
http://members.shaw.ca/mconey/