Robert Silverberg's Belzagor

by Robert Silverberg

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Robert Silverberg's Belzagor is a graphic novel adaptation and reformatting of Silverberg's original Down to the Earth (from 1970) reinterpreted by Philippe Thirault. Released 7th May 2024, it's 208 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is an adaptation (with a previously unpublished sequel) of a 54 year old Heart of Darkness pastiche. It's about 30% colonist diatribe, 40% unironic misogyny, and 30% sexscapade/soap opera. The original source material is quite dated and modern readers should probably be prepared to read it as a product of the time period. (Just the sexism alone wouldn't fly in a modern tale). The ending of the first part also differs from the original in some ways.

The art, by Laura Zuccheri, is finely detailed and full of movement. Despite the artist's expertise, the adaptation to graphic format isn't entirely successful and there are some gaps with long passages of character dialogue which doesn't suit the medium. 

Three stars. Worth a look (especially for the previously unpublished sequel). Potentially a good choice for public library acquisition (but be aware, there is *adult* content), or for gifting to a particularly keen Silverberg fan. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.