Void Captain's Tale

by Thomas M. Disch

A love story of sorts set in a distant future. The narrator of the novel is captain of an interstellar ship ferrying passengers from a complex sybaritic culture. He writes in an elegant farrago of various European languages, though Spinrad makes sure an English monoglot will have no trouble. The other main character is the ship's pilot, who is in love with the void. A difficult, in parts unsuccessful, but overall brilliant, tragic, funny novel about sex, love, and transcendence. Nominated for the Nebula and Locus awards.

More by Thomas M. Disch

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?