''Master of Paxwax'' is a novel by Phillip Mann published in 1986. ''Master of Paxwax'' is a novel in which aliens are oppressed by human empires, but they plot vengeance using the unwitting aid of Pawl Paxwax of the galactic Families. The book ran as a serial on

Radio New Zealand Radio New Zealand ( mi, Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa), commonly known as Radio NZ or simply RNZ, is a New Zealand public-service radio broadcaster and Crown entity that was established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news and c ...

in the early 2000s

Plot summary

The story of Master of Paxwax, Mann's second book, centers around the life of Pawl Paxwax. Pawl – and his name is significant – is the second son of the Fifth Family in a galaxy-wide empire ruled by Eleven Great Families. These Families have for centuries enslaved non-human life forms by a policy of alien genocide. Now things are changing. Beneath the surface of the seemingly dead world of Sanctum, surviving intelligent aliens are gathering, united in their desire to strike back at the barbarous society that had laid waste their civilisations. When Pawl's father and brother die in quick succession, Pawl finds himself thrust into a position of supreme power, unaware that the alien races have decided to revolt and intend to use him and his lover, Laurel Beltane, as pawns to defeat the other ruling families. Pawl is a poet, and non-political in nature, but his enmity, once roused, is to be feared. "Wonderfully imaginative" said Locus. "High-class space opera with a welter of convincing aliens," sang White Dwarf. The sequel, '' The Fall of the Families'', brings this saga to its conclusion.

Reception

Dave Langford David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most ...

reviewed ''Master of Paxwax'' for ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...

'' #82, and stated that "high-class space opera with a welter of convincing aliens."

Reviews

*Review by Dan Chow (1986) in ''Locus'', #308 September 1986 *Review by Barbara Davies (1986) in ''Vector'', #134 *Review by Chris Amies (1993) in ''Vector'', #175

References

{{reflist 1986 science fiction novels British science fiction novels Space opera novels Victor Gollancz Ltd books