The Last Castle

The Last Castle is a science fiction novella by American writer Jack Vance published in 1966. It won the 1966 Nebula Award for Best Novella and the 1967 Hugo Award for Best Novelette. It is about a future civilization of wealthy nobles who live in high-tech castles, which are maintained by an enslaved alien race, the Meks. After centuries of slavery, the Meks revolt, destroying the castles and slaughtering their elite inhabitants, until only one castle is left. Plot summary In the far future, a small elite group of humans have returned from Altair (over 16 light years away) to Earth, their mother planet, to live in nine elaborate, high-tech castles as idle aristocrats. They are primarily concerned with theoretical discussions of aesthetics, past times and questions of honor and etiquette. Their time is spent drinking fine wines, socializing at formal dinners, and striving to rise in their political standing. Various enslaved alien races provide technicians ("Meks"), transportation ("birds", "power wagons"), household service ("Peasants"), and amusement ("Phanes"). Only a small minority of humans live a free life outside of the castles, and are considered barbaric by the castle inhabitants because they perform manual labor to serve their own needs. After seven centuries during which the noble humans develop an increasingly refined society, the Meks revolt. The inhabitants of some castles without defenses are immediately killed, while the inhabitants of the best defended castles consider the revolt only a nuisance. Complacently the humans consider their high-tech castles unchallengeable. To take action themselves rather than only planning and commanding is seen as a vulgar loss of dignity. Gentlemen in this society only do intellectual activity; all technical work or labour is seen as beneath them. However, without the Meks, the technology of the castles cannot be maintained. Furthermore, the Meks use their inside knowledge of the operation of the castles to successfully besiege the remaining castles until only Castle Hagedorn is left. While most castle citizens value their traditions and social customs and standing higher than their own survival, one gentleman however, Xanten, takes it upon himself to research the situation and search for allies outside of the castle. He eventually accepts that he can learn from the "barbaric" free-living outsiders and tribes.