he year is 1575 A.D., and Dr. John Dee (courtier and subject of Queen Elizabeth, diplomat, astrologer, spy, alchemist, philosopher, cabalist, mathematician, assassin--the list goes on), having given much offense to a daughter of the powerful Medici clan, finds himself locked in a prison tower in Venice. He's been badly beaten and left to die.
Just as the diminutive Dee (he's less than five feet tall) is about to take his last breath, he's rescued by what would appear to be, to all human eyes, a demon. This "demon"--Dee discovers after being awakened from suspended animation in the year 2099--is actually an alien being named Dyckon, a member of a wise and ancient race known as the Roc. They have been studying Earth and its human inhabitants for a very long time.
And, although Dyckon has grown fond of Dee over the years, he informs the little man that he has awakened him only to kill him. The Roc is on the verge of ascending in rank in the Collegium of Worlds, and Dee is the only remaining evidence of an astoundingly imprudent act that, if discovered, could ruin Dyckon. The alien goes on to explain that he's actually doing Dee a favor, though, as the planet Earth is on its way to a horrific end in two years' time, anyway.
The embodiment of craftiness, Dee convinces the alien to let him live, to plant him back on Earth and to give him a shot at saving the planet. Dee, in turn, will provide Dyckon with his own particular brand of Machiavellian advice as the Roc navigates the treacherous waters of an upward-moving political career.
The doctor then finds himself in perhaps the most bizarre place he's ever encountered in all his adventures--L.A. at the end of the 21st century. And he's going to need some allies to help him save the world, which merely involves taking out its richest and most powerful man, the despotic Royal Newton. Dee's got faith, though. He explains to Dyckon, "I am many things ... but first and foremost, I am a survivor."
A book as variegated as its hero
Co-authored by Armin Shimerman (best known for his roles as Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Principal Snyder on Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Michael Scott (the acclaimed Irish fantasy writer), The Merchant Prince is an intriguing and entertaining mix of various science fiction genres. Part alien invasion scenario, part alternate history, part cyberpunk thriller, the book finds its protagonist in a brilliant and mysterious historical figure from the Elizabethan age.
Among the more colorful culture shocks the book explores is Dee's terribly antiquated attitude toward women, as manifested in the relationship he forms with Kelly Edwards, a woman he hires to lead the economic prong of his attack on Newton. She reminds the doctor of his now long-dead Irish servant and faithful sidekick, Edward Kelly. Fortunately, The Merchant Prince contains a good amount of self-aware humor. Sometimes, however, the story tends toward the simply unbelievable. This goofiness doesn't always jibe well with the hardcore science fiction elements.
The writing in The Merchant Prince is a bit rough around the edges--not exactly a seamless fusion of both authors' input. While the Elizabethan and cyberpunk aspects of the novel are interesting and exciting, those parts relating to Dyckon and the Collegium of Worlds leave a bit to be desired, offering no terribly new takes on the notion of alien races interacting with humankind. For the most part, the aliens act very much like humans.
Perhaps this is intentional on the part of the authors, though, as they spend a good deal of the story exploring a number of timeless, universal themes, such as the value of knowledge, greed, violence, pride and--most of all--power.
