"The Folding Knife" by K.J. Parker (Orbit)

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The Folding Knife
K.J. Parker
464 pp. Orbit. $14.99
Pub. Date: 2/22/2010
ISBN-13: 978-0316038447

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My esteemed countrymen. Honourable citizens of the great Vesani Republic. Free men and labourers, everywhere. Your eyes—lend them to me—so I can make friends with your ears. Fear not my intentions; we shall speak warmly as lovers do. Come, let us make intimacy. Heed my voice and embrace my words. For Enlightenment and Revelation stands before you in the form of this humble Oracle.

You, honourable citizen—good day to you—tarry a while; no greater truth will you hear this afternoon than that which shall pass my lips. And you—friend eunuch—give pause, your master can wait. Turn away from that produce vendor and heed my message; no cucumber can replace that which has been taken from you, seek solace in my speech. Over there—you, on the Academy steps with that wistful look—young scholar heavenly wisdom does not reside within; look not to the sky for answers, but to the Earth below. Look to me, young friend. For philosophers are but men; old brooks babbling. But I shall speak of something greater, something magnificent.

Citizens, a momentous time is upon each. A time, unprecedented, in the history of our glorious Republic. Choice is upon us; it now resides in the breast of each and every one of you, my friends. We stand on the precipice, unsure, searching for guidance in these terrible times. War looms to the north, its wicked breath hot on our necks. Already our soldiers march for foreign lands, preparing to die. To the South, plague ravages; citizens are perishing, horribly, their insides turned to liquid. Clearly these are dire times in which we live. Terror has become our bedmate, fear our friend.

And what succour does the First Citizen and Senate offer us? Why, nothing. There is only stagnation. Endless deliberation. Or as our barbarous neighbors say, verbal masturbation. Laugh not, you know in your heart I speak true. Our leaders prosper, their bellies warm and full, while we suffer, while children starve. Even as elections near, they ignore our cries and pleas, our collective screams silenced by their marble towers. Neglect. That is what we are left with friends. But you cannot feed your children with neglect.

But wait. Feel that? Across your cheek, through your hair. It is a strong Vesani wind. A wind of change; a wind of hope. For a new candidate emerges for First Citizen; a candidate once the prodigy of sage Antigonus himself. The benevolent banker, the inestimable genius behind the Bank of Charity & Social Justice. Our Light in these times of darkness. Our savior.

Citizens, hear the truth, I can only speak of one man. The honourable Bassianus Severus. Remember the name, my friends. Remember it when you cast your voice for First Citizen. Remember. Basso. The Wise. The Great. The Magnificent. It is the name of Change. It is the name of Hope. Raise your voices with me now, high towards the heavens; let your voices shake the marble towers of our esteemed leaders down to their foundations. Vote for Basso for First Citizen. Because a vote for Basso is a vote for a better Vesani Republic.

[The following political advertisement was paid for by the Vesani Citizens for Basso.]

Endless political machinations abound in K.J. Parker’s The Folding Knife, an excellent mixture of introspective biography and Roman-inspired alternate world fantasy. Think Machiavelli’s The Prince, fictionalized, if Niccolo Machiavelli had been more of a schemer. And was on speed. That’s right. Parker’s protagonist Basso makes Machiavelli look like an utter political neophyte, a bumpkin, and about as shrewd as a member of the U.S. Congress. And it’s this smirking intelligence and introspection which makes The Folding Knife so intriguing. It’s a political manifesto with enough K-Street maneuvers to get you elected Student Body President at your high school. Without even trying. (Which is impressive considering those high school elections are dogfights. Not that I’m bitter.)

The Folding Knife is more than an account of Basso’s life; it’s Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole and taking tea with his cerebullum. Filled with Basso’s thought processes and reasoning laid bare, the novel brings the reader close enough to see the brain synapses firing and to smell the neurotransmitters. (Which smell similar to roasted pumpkin seeds.) It’s the motives behind his actions, and an accounting of his extraordinary luck. And though brilliant and shrewd, Basso is lucky more than anything else. (Granted, he makes most of his luck himself. See, there can be truth in a cliché.) But even his incredible luck cannot save him from his one, and only, mistake.

And most of the book’s intrigue comes from the anticipation of Basso finally making his one mistake. It’s like watching a VH1 Behind the Music special where some silly little character flaw brings down the entire band. Figuring out what Basso’s mistake is becomes a game, like Pin-the-Screw-Up-On-the-Vesani-First-Citizen, ultimately turning into addictive fun.

Parker’s novels have always been detailed character studies, moved more by thought than physical action. Less walk, more talk. Like a bitter geek who plots his revenge on everyone in his parent’s basement—between World of Warcraft sessions—for 18 years. This is Scheming with a capital S. The Folding Knife might be Parker’s most detailed character study yet. Describing the narrative is difficult because it is so fluid, so stream of consciousness; it’s impossible to separate into parts. There are only a few action scenes, and the battles are only described third hand. Utterly unlike typical sword-and-sorcery fantasy, The Folding Knife requires a reader who is looking for a more cerebral experience, who appreciates an academic thought exercise. Who appreciates a political science course in a fantasy book. It’s potentially a divisive work because of this; I can imagine readers either loving it or hating it. Fans of Parker should love it without question though; it’s arguably the best novel she’s written.

One word to summarize The Folding Knife. Unique. Another word: DaAwesome. There’s likely not another fantasy novel out there quite like it. So if you have time, and find yourself near a ballot box, cast a vote for Basso. He truly is Magnificent.

Final Grade: 80 out of 100