Notes on Mr. Justice.

1. What's up with the title? The title character is spelled "Mr." throughout the book. DP referred to him as "Mr." in our interview. The "Mister" is cute and quaint and probably more memorable than "Mr.," but it's wrong. Note to future editor: correct title.

2. The book depicts a "wilderness of mirrors" straight out of a Cold War spy story. Two time-traveling supermen (Justice and Bingle) are the rival superpowers. Both have "armies" operating outside the law. Both have daughters they cherish and are covertly grooming sons-in-law. SPAC, the school for gifted "freaks," appears to be run by both sides (or is so infiltrated by both that there's no distinction). It's like The Village in the Prisoner TV series. Who's really in charge?

3. In our interview I said there was no sex in the novels, relative to the short stories. Apologies to Doris. This book has a female sexual predator named Godiva who snaps one victim's neck after having sex with him, and an4lly r4pes another. Also there is a horrible scene of child r4pe. (I have to put in the 4s to keep ghouls off the page.) Daniel's relationship with the barely pubescent Pala, although chaste, would probably raise a few eyebrows with the God Squad.

4. I added a passage to the Excerpts Page: It's where Daniel looks at the seven photographers' work, trying to nail Mr. Justice through the style of photos MJ takes of his "accuseds." This is a great example of Piserchia transcending genre: using a purely subjective, poetic act of art criticism to catch a perp. Later, there's a passage where Daniel talks to a "doll" (supercomputer), trying to reason his way to Justice, that's also very poetic.

5. Throughout the book, characters keep asking, "Is he [MJ] Superman?" Many of the concerns of the story--about vigilantism, morality, power, personal obsession--surfaced ten years later in Alan Moore's brilliant comic book series Watchmen. I wonder if Moore knew this novel?

6. I assume it's Mr. Justice who puts up the red sign, flapping in the breeze between skyscrapers, announcing that he "has a daughter." But if Pala is his daughter, why announce it this late? She's almost 20! Is it because her job as a mole in Bingle's organization is done, and she's safely out of harm's way? Or is because she herself has had a daughter (with Daniel)? Wouldn't that be Justice's granddaughter? Or is the baby "his" daughter because she, not Pala, will inherit his powers?

7. Why does Pala first appear to Eric Fortney naked, stuffed into a trashcan? Does she, like Bingle's daughter Leona, have incomplete or unpredictable powers? Isn't Justice a bit callous to use his 12-year-old this way (working undercover for Fortney)?

- tom moody 3-20-2002 5:56 pm


I'm going to have to read the book again - perhaps the years since I first read it will help me to comprehend it better. At this point I'm as confused as you - more, because I am not sure who Mr Justice was supposed to be. And I, ah, don't recall the r4pe scene...I need to pay more attention, possibly. Heh. ^_^;;

We know the end was rushed, and possibly there are several other errors in there Doris regrets (one's first book is often rougher). It would be verrrry interesting to read the sequel that she wrote sans deadlines and editors...either it would clear everything up beautifully, or leave more questions than it answered.


- Joanna 3-29-2002 8:29 am [add a comment]


I just reread it so it's all pretty fresh. I'd be curious to get your take on these questions (particularly 6 and 7). I'm reasonably sure Mr. Justice was Golden Macklin, Daniel's mentor at the school, although at the beginning of the book Macklin's vacation getaway is described as being "like" the West Virginia hills, while the mountain retreat where the final battle takes place is definitely located in West Virginia.

I think it's one of her best books; I may even like it more than the next two. It's tighter, and the doom-laden mood is unrelenting.

I'm thinking about doing a scene-by-scene breakdown on the book, like Jane Donawerth did with The Spinner. It's almost operatic in form, but with many key scenes--like the battle in the hills between the two "armies"--left entirely to the reader's imagination. I'm going at it with the premise that it all makes sense, but that DP has deliberately left gaps and created puzzles for the reader to solve. That, like Theodore Sturgeon and other old school writers, she has tremendous faith in the reader to think it through. I just haven't (completely) done that yet.

I actually like the ending: like the original cut of The Exorcist (before William Peter Blatty tampered with it for the 25th anniversary rerelease), it ends right at the climax; there's no denouement to ease the reader's transition back into the world. This fits the overall mysterious, elliptical tone of the book. But I'd also love to see where she took these characters in the sequel.
- tom moody 3-29-2002 9:12 pm [add a comment]