Regresar a la tierra desde el planeta Tschai implicaba solamente construir una nave... o robarla, puesto que Tschai estaba poblado por cuatro razas inteligentes nacidas entre las estrellas y, como tales, disponían de espaciodromos. Pero el problema no se presentaba tan fácil para Adam Reith. Ya había sido bastante afortunado escapando de los Chasch y de los Wankh, y de una docena de tipos distintos de humanos. Ahora, su periplo lo conducía directamente hacia los Grandes Espaciopuertos de Sivishe, en los dominios de los Dirdir. Pero los Dirdir eran completamente distintos de los otros alienígenas que competían por aquel mundo. Eran rápidos, más siniestros, y sentían una insaciable sed de caza hacia las víctimas como Adam Reith. Cuando más se acercaba a su objetivo, más feroces se volvían sus instintos predadores...

American astronaut Adam Reith, stranded on the alien planet Tschai for at least a year and desperate to return to Earth, has no choice but to find a way to build a new spaceship from scratch. The scout ship in which he and his late colleague, Paul Waunder, crashed on Tschai was long ago confiscated by one of the alien races and stripped for its technology. Reith’s previous two attempts to acquire a ship failed (as chronicled in City of the Chasch and Servants of the Wankh).

After acclimating as much as possible to Tschai’s motley cultures and customs, Reith sets off through treacherous Dirdir territory with friends Traz Onmale and the fugitive Anacho in order to raise enough funds (called sequins) to construct a vessel.

After killing a group of Dirdir hunters who tracked them, Reith, Traz, and Anacho take their attackers’ sequins, bury a percentage of them in a secret location, and venture to the shipyards of Shivishe where they strike a deal with an unsavory and obese opportunist named Woudiver. The investor rents them space in his warehouse and assists in acquiring the parts to build their vessel—at the highest prices, of course. Woudiver threatens to turn the trio over to the Dirdir authorities unless they concede to his demands.

Will Reith finally be successful in constructing a vessel to take him home or will he, Traz, and the Dirdir traitor, Anacho, be executed for murder?

The Dirdir is the third book in Jack Vance’s Planet of Adventure series, which has the feel of John Carter of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. This time, much of the story sees Adam Reith negotiating and haggling over costs of travel, lodging, and information with various strange and eccentric beings as he makes his way to Shivishe, where his skills of negotiation are put to the test against the repulsive and dangerous Woudiver.

As with the previous two installments in the series, Vance masterfully builds the world as the story unfolds, often through dialogue between Reith and Anacho or another indigenous creature who instructs Reith on the ways and philosophies of the four major races who rule the planet Tschai. ( )

Having now read all four Tschai novels, I think this (Book 3) is my favorite. Intriguing alien and human characters, well-plotted, with plenty of action and suspense. ( )

http://speculiction.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-of-planet-of-adventure-by-jack.h.... ( )

Het derde boek uit de "Tschai reeks", waarin de Avonturen van Adam Reith op de waanzinnige planeet Tschai worden beschreven