Kingdoms of the Wall
A novel about a pilgrimage that deconstructs gods.
Kingdoms of the Wall, a 1992 science fiction novel by American writer Robert Silverberg, takes place on a distant planet inhabited by an alien species, in a future that is not revealed until the story's conclusion. The narrative centers on a society’s endless, communal pursuit of knowledge amid trials and marvels, culminating in a shocking revelation that dismantles and destroys their gods.
The protagonist, Poilar Crookleg, belongs to a humanoid race living in a pastoral, Iron Age-level civilization. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear they are not human: they possess an extra opposing thumb on each hand and can shapeshift, loosening their joints, adapting their skin and organs to environmental changes, and extruding suction cups for climbing. Shapeshifting is integral to their sexuality; without arousal, both sexes remain in a neuter form. Their planet orbits a binary star system, circling the bright white star Ekmelios (likely an F-type), while the red dwarf Marilemma is far more distant.
Poilar grows up in the village of Jespodar, located at the edge of a lowland—extremely hot, humid, and dense by Earth standards—at the base of the Wall, a vast mountain range whose summit is hidden. The people’s religion centers on the Wall: thousands of years ago, the semi-mythical First Climber reached the top, met the Gods, and brought back the basics of civilization. Since then, Jespodar and other villages have committed to an annual pilgrimage of twenty men and twenty women to reenact this feat. Selection for the pilgrimage is rigid, and the three-year training is grueling. Each team of forty is believed to be the best the community can offer, though some pilgrims suspect other motives. For ages, only a few stragglers have returned, mentally disturbed and unable to tell coherent stories. What is known is that the mountain’s levels and segments contain distinct “kingdoms” populated by bizarre beings. Despite no useful knowledge being brought back in living memory, the pilgrimages continue with religious fervor.
Poilar, whose father and grandfather were pilgrims who never returned, is pledged to the Wall. Along with his friend Traiben, a skeptical intellectual, he is selected upon reaching the proper age and becomes leader of his Forty. As they ascend, they discover the kingdoms are homes of former pilgrims who, due to character flaws, abandoned their quest and s
- Author
- Robert Silverberg
- Published
- 1992
- Genre
- Science fiction novel
- Nationality
- American
- Setting
- Faraway planet in a binary star system
Lore & Background
The story's protagonist is Poilar Crookleg, a member of a humanoid race with a pastoral civilization at an Iron Age level. These beings have an additional opposing thumb and limited shapeshifting abilities, including the capacity to extrude suction cups for climbing. Their planet orbits the white star Ekmelios, with the red dwarf Marilemma more distant. The plot follows Poilar and his friend Traiben as they join an annual pilgrimage of forty men and women to ascend The Wall, a huge mountain range, to re-enact the First Climber's achievement of meeting the gods. The pilgrims encounter transformed beings on various levels of the mountain, and near the summit they meet a dying alien with one thumb per hand and permanently extruded male genitals, who speaks through a translator box.
Reader's Guide
The novel's significance lies in its exploration of faith, knowledge, and the consequences of confronting ultimate truth. The pilgrims' journey culminates in the discovery that the gods they sought were actually a degenerate human colony, whose members had become ape-like creatures under the planet's radiation. Poilar and his team slaughter these beings, then return to their village to end all pilgrimages, setting their race on a path toward technological advancement. The work critiques blind religious devotion and the human tendency to deify the unknown, while offering a vision of progress through self-reliance. It remains a notable entry in Silverberg's oeuvre for its philosophical depth and alien world-building.
Did You Know?
- The alien race has an additional opposing thumb and limited shapeshifting abilities.
- The planet is in a binary star system with stars named Ekmelios and Marilemma.
- The pilgrims discover that the gods are actually a degenerate human colony.
- The novel ends with the protagonist envisioning his people building 'sky-wagons' and 'star-wagons.'
More in Novels by Robert Silverberg 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record