first glance, Star of Gypsies seems Atremote from the major social issues of recent science fiction; however, it provides a lesson in Machiavellian politics used for humanitarian and liberal purposes. The main conflict of the novel concerns a power struggle between Yak oub, the King of the Gypsies, and his son, Shandor, an ambitious and murderous egotist, who makes an ill-advised attempt to seize power over the gypsy realm.

Yakoub, the wily gypsy leader, is a master of devious political scheming, and his triumph in the novel comes from his ability to turn his captivity to his own purposes. In essence, the novel is a sophisticated hostage drama. Yakoub's knowledge of pragmatic politics also provides an intriguing contrast to the saintly idealism of Silverberg's liberal hero, Lord Valentine, especially as he is portrayed in Valentine Pontifex (1983; see entry on Lord Valentine's Castle).

Another interesting social implication...