ashokbanker.com

“A timeless story translated for

“A timeless

story translated for today. In his retelling of the Ramayana, Ashok

K. Banker is following in a long tradition, since this story has

been retold in a multitude of versions for over 2,000 years

throughout the Indian subcontinent, in other Asian countries, and in

Western translations and reinterpretations. Here, this classic tale

is embedded in a wealth of authentic and exotic detail. Banker has

inserted his own original touches; familiar elements of

fantasy�powerful wizards, an evil stepmother, shapechangers, demons

and spells�are all present, but with hints that what is being shown

might also be the clash of two highly advanced ancient

civilizations, in keeping with Arthur C. Clarke’s dictum that any

sufficiently advanced technology will seem like magic. That Banker

uses the titles of well-known science fiction works in his section

titles only adds to this impression. Where Prince of Ayodhya

succeeds is in its drama and its air of authenticity, the sign of a

writer who has inhabited his fictional world as much as he has

imagined it. The cast of characters is large but never confusing;

Banker knows how to control the many threads in his complex story

and artfully increases the suspense by knowing exactly when to cut

away from a particular scene before returning to it in a later

chapter. He also has a gift for highly charged dramatic

confrontations and for depicting characters who are considerably

more complex than those in generic fantasies; the patient and

devoted Queen Kausalya, the conflicted demon Supanakha, Rama’s

devoted brother Lakshman, and the aging warrior Bejoo are only a few

of those who are brought to life in the pages of this novel. Readers

who are familiar with the Ramayana in one of its many previous

incarnations will be entertained by the new twists and turns Banker

brings to the story, while those coming to this classic story for

the first time should find an excellent gateway to the further

exploration of a rich and fascinating culture. By offering his

Ramayana to a new generation of readers who are more accustomed to

Western fantasy epics and video games, and making this great tale

accessible to such readers, Banker has performed a great service.”

Scifi.com

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 22nd, 2006 at 8:57 pm. It is filed under Ashok. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.