Line #71 Literature/Riverworld


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3	''Riverworld'' is a novel series by Creator/PhilipJoseFarmer detailing the adventures of humanity on a world covered with one long river-valley. All humans that have ever been born are mysteriously restored to life with a body in its prime, and left to live in this world. There are no ores to make tools more advanced than Paleolithic, so humans are incapable of getting to the other side of the mountains that block the sides of the river. Humans that are killed awaken the next day somewhere else on the river. The novels are told from the perspective of different characters; the first is centered around Sir Richard Francis Burton and the second on [[Creator/MarkTwain Samuel Langhorn Clemens]].
4
5	'''The books, in order, are:'''
6	* ''Owe For the Flesh'' (1952). Unpublished, due to the publisher going bankrupt. Farmer greatly expanded the novel into the first four books.
7	* "The Day of the Great Shout" (1965) (Novella)
8	* "The Suicide Express" (1966) (Novella. The novellas were later combined into the first book.)
9	* ''To Your Scattered Bodies Go'' (1971). Winner of the 1972 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
10	* ''The Fabulous Riverboat'' (1971)
11	* ''The Dark Design'' (1977)
12	* ''The Magic Labyrinth'' (1980)
13	* ''Gods of Riverworld'' (1983)
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15	There was also a short novella called "Riverworld" included in the short story collection ''Riverworld and Other Stories'' (1979), featuring cowboy movie star Tom Mix as a protagonist.
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17	The novels were followed by a pair of SharedUniverse anthologies, featuring short stories by Farmer and a variety of other authors.
18	* ''Tales of Riverworld'' (1993)
19	* ''Quest To Riverworld'' (1993)
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21	There was also a TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} setting adapting the novels (copies of it were given to the writers of the anthology stories as references), a video game and two adaptations on Creator/{{Syfy}}. Aside from the basic concepts, neither had much to do with the original.
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23	!!Tropes include:
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25	* AlienSky: characters comments on how the Riverworld night sky has far more stars than Earth, and speculate that the planet is located closer to the galactic core.
26	* ActualPacifist: Many of the Second Chancers (reformed criminals) are this, however it is a little different since they are all immortal, and therefore don't actually have any need to defend their own lives.
27	%%* AllCavemenWereNeanderthals: Played straight with Kaz, but averted with Joe.
28	* AntiHero: Burton is kind of a bastard at times.
29	%%* AndIMustScream: How Star Spoon punishes her rapists.
30	* ArmyOfTheAges: Nearly any military force in the series is this trope, by its very nature.
31	* ArtificialAfterlife: What Riverworld ultimately is. [[OurSoulsAreDifferent Souls]] themselves are the result of a {{Precursor\|s}} experiment, allowing intelligent species to develop self-awareness and persist after death, either through {{Reincarnation}} or "[[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Moving On]]". Riverworld itself is an artificial afterlife created by the Ethicals to [[HumanityOnTrial assess whether humanity could be entrusted with their legacy]].
32	* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: What the Second Chancers and Ethicals believe happens to ''[[OurSoulsAreDifferent wathans]]'' that "Go On".
33	* TheAtoner: Goering.
34	* AuthorAvatar: Recurring character ''Peter Jairus Frigate'' (note the initials), who is, of course, a writer of science fiction who was defrauded by a publisher no less. Rather than being idealised, Peter is scared of fighting and a bit of a weenie compared to the rock-ribbed Burton. [[spoiler:It's later revealed that this is a false Peter, probably his stillborn twin, raised by the Ethicals and tasked with impersonating him. (He has full knowledge of Peter's life and works, though. And the main characters later find the real Peter elsewhere in Riverworld. It's... complicated.)]]
35	%%* AxeCrazy: Star Spoon, but she has a hell of a FreudianExcuse.
36	* BambooTechnology: Due to the lack of metals on the planets, most of the construction material based on the planet's fast-growing bamboo.
37	%%* BangsianFantasy
38	* BodyBackupDrive: When someone dies in Riverworld, their ''wathan'' (soul) is collected, a new body is created for them and the ''wathan'' is released and re-attached to it.
39	* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:Loga]]. To a lesser degree, [[spoiler:most if not all of the Ethicals]].
40	* CoolShip: The ''Not For Hire'', a 19th century style steamboat modified with a mix of modern technology and {{Steampunk}}.
41	* CoversAlwaysLie: Covers of the various editions often depict the heroes as they appeared on Earth, not on Riverworld. The 1980 Phantasia Press edition of ''The Magic Labyrinth" shows all the male characters with beards, despite the previous three novels making it clear that the resurectees are unable to grow facial hair.
42	* CultureClash: Each section has a mix of people from different times and places.
43	* DeadToBeginWith: Prior to the start of the series the main cast is dead.
44	* DeathIsCheap: The same advanced alien technology which resurrected everyone on Earth who had ever died remains active. Anyone who dies on the Riverworld is brought back to life the next day somewhere else. A few characters use this "Suicide Express" to deliberately, though randomly, explore the Riverworld. By ''The Dark Design'', the machinery breaks down and resurrections are halted. [[spoiler:This is corrected by ''Gods of Riverworld''.]]
45	* EarthThatWas: Obliterated by [[HumanoidAliens Humanoid]] [[AliensAreBastards Aliens]].
46	* GambitPileup: Eventually it's revealed that so much has been happening behind the scenes that it's amazing they had room for the scenes.
47	* GeniusBruiser: Joe Miller is an 800 lb prehistoric "titanthrop" who is the most fearsome warrior in the series. He is also capable of matching wits with his best friend [[Creator/MarkTwain Samuel Clemens]] and with Theatre/{{Cyrano de Bergerac}}.
48	%%* GodGuise: [[spoiler:Deliberately set up by the Ethicals.]]
49	* HeelFaceTurn: Former Nazi Hermann Goerring repents and attempts to atone for his crimes on Earth. In ''The Magic Labyrinth'', he sacrifices his life in an attempt to repair the failing machinery of the Ethicals. [[spoiler:It doesn't work]]
50	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Richard Burton and Creator/MarkTwain are just the tip of the iceberg.
51	%%* HumansAreSpecial: Why Riverworld was created.
52	* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: For those five and over, they grow to the age of 20 and then stay as they are.
53	* InThePastEveryoneWillBeFamous: The spirit of this trope is present. Every human who has ever lived is resurrected on an alien planet, upwards of 10 billion people, and yet the protagonists keep running into notable historical figures, like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Liddell Alice Liddel]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_G%C3%B6ring Hermann Göring]], and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Clemens Mark Twain]].
54	%%* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler:Loga.]]
55	* LadyOfWar: Tomoe Gozen, eventually [[Literature/AliceInWonderland Alice Pleasance Liddell]] (!) in the books.
56	* LiteraryAllusionTitle: ''To Your Scattered Bodies Go'' (from Creator/JohnDonne's "Holy Sonnet VII")
57	%%* TheMasquerade: Ethical agents.
58	* MassResurrection: Every human who ever lived is resurrected in the titular world after a cataclysm.
59	* MetalPoorPlanet: The Riverworld was designed this way to help the human race concentrate on spiritual things. [[spoiler: Until an iron-rich meteorite hits.]]
60	%%* MushroomSamba: Dreamgum.
61	* NonHumanSidekick: [[TheBigGuy Joe Miller]] belongs to a previously unknown hominid species called Titanthrops.
62	* OnlyGoodPeopleMayPass: The entrance to the Dark Tower has a barrier which prevents anyone from passing unless they are sufficiently ethically advanced.
63	* OurSoulsAreDifferent: The soul is an ''artificial construct'' implanted by AppliedPhlebotinum, recording one's life, memories, and existence to allow people to reincarnate on the eponymous Riverworld eons later, and work their way to some kind of Redemption/Ascension/Nirvana. One striking scene shows a vat holding thousands of souls: this is metaphysics meeting mass manufacture. Imagine: machinery handling souls like a billion ghostly Coke bottles on a production line. In a supreme irony there is no ''proof'' of the final afterlife: the spirit engineers infer that, since some ''wathans'' can't be observed, they have passed on. [[spoiler:In ''Gods of Riverworld'' is revealed that this is a lie and that wathans never "pass on"; the apparent evidence of this in Loga's computer was planted by him to give them some goal while they were in the Tower. The real opportunity granted to the survivors of the test is to migrate to a new world of their choice, plant wathan generators and start over there.]]
64	* PatchworkStory: As mentioned above, ''To Your Scattered Bodies Go'' started its life as a pair of novellas.
65	* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Each novel has a core group of characters, both fictional and historical, that band together to discover the mystery of the Riverworld.
66	* RateLimitedPerpetualResource: The MassResurrection onto the Riverworld leaves humanity reliant on "grails", [[LoyalPhlebotinum personal containers]] that can be activated up to three times per day to create limited quantities of food, drink, and other useful items. This leads to "grail slavery" where people are kept captive and forced to relinquish most of the yield of their grails.
67	* ResurrectionTeleportation: The story "The Suicide Express" revolves around this. When someone dies on the Riverworld, they are resurrected at a random point along the river. Richard Burton uses this method in an attempt to reach the origin point of the river, hoping that he will eventually be resurrected near enough to the origin to walk to it.
68	* SecretTestOfCharacter: [[spoiler:Riverworld's true purpose was to give all of humanity a second chance since the best of humanity proves them worthy of joining a long line of alien creators, yet the worst of humanity proves them unworthy of such an honor.]]
69	%%* SaintlyChurch: The Church of the Second Chance.
70	%%* SeaMonster: Riverdragons.
71	%%* SignificantMonogram: Peter Jairus Frigate.
72	%%* SufficientlyAdvancedAliens: The Ethicals.
73	* TakeThat: When Frigate settles his score with the publisher who cheated him. It's Farmer's snipe at the publishing industry.
74	* TechnologyLevels: In the first novel, the lack of iron keeps everyone at a stone age level. [[spoiler:When a large iron meteor impacts the planet in ''The Fabulous Riverboat'']], a group led by Samuel Clemens manages to leap forward into an industrialized society. It helps that Earth people from the 20th Century use their knowledge to make this leap.
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76	!!Syfy Adaptation
77	The Sci Fi Channel (later Creator/{{Syfy}}) made two pilots for a possible television series -- one in 2003, the other in 2010.
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79	* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Nero in the 2003 film is portrayed as happily greeting a Praetorian Guard who he sees there in Riverworld, along with other Romans. The real man would probably have been far more wary, since the Praetorian Guards had defected from him to a governor who rebelled against Nero, and he'd also be unaware of whether the rest would follow him (his usurper had been popular). Here, he's portrayed as undisputed Emperor whom they immediately hail as their ruler. Also, he orders a {{human sacrifice}}, which Romans by his time viewed as anathema. They even claim Nero's misrule brought down Rome itself- it actually endured over three more centuries, so this is ''ridiculously'' off.
80	* BigBad: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero Emperor Nero]] in the first adaptation, and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Pizarro Francisco Pizarro]] in the second. Given that King John is just a walk-on role in ''Myth/RobinHood'' to most Americans this isn't surprising.
81	* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Pizarro in the 2010 version has to be reminded that he killed Dan, when Deb tries to kill him.
82	%%* TheChessmaster%%Quotes aren't context.
83	%%-->'''Ellman:''' Is this another one of their chess games?
84	%%-->'''Male Ethereal:''' ''(appearing)'' Chess. One of my favourites.
85	%%-->'''Female Ethereal:''' ''(appearing)'' Mine too.
86	%%-->'''Male Ethereal:''' Your move.
87	%%-->'''Female Ethereal:''' No. ''(indicates Ellman)'' His.
88	%%* ColonyDrop: What causes TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt in 2003.
89	* CoolBoat: Averted in 2010; obviously it would be impractical to construct a huge paddle steamer/aircraft carrier with SteamPunk machine-guns, but would it kill them to mock up some armor and Gatling turrets, as opposed to a small black powder cannon and sandbags?
90	* DeathEqualsRedemption: The suicide bomber in the 2010 version, responsible for killing all of the protagonists, later redeems herself by helping Matt escape, at the cost of her own life.
91	* EvilBrit: Burton is made the villain of the 2010 movie, even though he's the ''hero'' of the novels.
92	%%* FemmeFatale: (2010) Allegra. And proud of it.
93	* GivingUpOnLogic: This is presumably why in both versions no one's particularly [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight fazed for very long]] upon discovering they're back from the dead, young again in some cases, or that the world was destroyed by aliens. Also, they have a lot to deal with before too long, giving them little time for much thought about it.
94	* GladiatorGames: (2003) Nero is captured and placed in the arena to fight to the death. Unfortunately he's in his element (not quite true as Nero entered the arena to race chariots) and not only quickly defeats his opponent, but also the local BigBad, [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt taking his throne]]. In the 2010 movie Burton thinks this is the true purpose of Riverworld.
95	* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: Burton is made the villain of the 2010 movie, even though he's the ''hero'' of the novels.
96	* MechanicalHorse: Pizarro rides a horse, an animal which didn't exist in Riverworld in the novels. But when the horse is 'killed' they see its flesh has been cut open to reveal robot parts.
97	* MindRape: In addition to the waterboarding, Matt Ellman is tortured by having visions of his beloved Jessie having sex with Burton beamed into his head.
98	%%* NietzscheWannabe: Burton.
99	%%-->"If you had seen what I'd seen, your eyes would be dead too."
100	%%* SceneryPorn
101	* StormingTheCastle: The 2010 movie has a scene involving jumping from a burning [[ZeppelinsFromAnotherWorld zeppelin]] onto the deck of the ''Not for Hire'' to battle Burton's men. The sequence is rather underwhelming.
102	* SuicideAttack: A female suicide bomber kills the protagonist in the 2010 adaptation. She is not happy when she wakes up in the afterlife and discovers it's full of infidels.
103	* TooDumbToLive: Dan in the 2010 movie, to the point where you can't really disagree with Pizarro's later comment that he finds Americans rather [[EagleLand arrogant]]. Seriously, what kind of moron walks up to a bunch of heavily armed conquistadors, hellbent on flaunting their ''law degree'' at them?
104	* WellIntentionedExtremist: Burton (perhaps unintentionally) comes across as this, since he's basically right about the [[CrapsackWorld Riverworld]] being a [[GladiatorGames giant game]] for someone else's amusement and no-one ever presents a valid counterargument to the question of why they ''should'' save it.

Context Literature / Riverworld