King Dramocles of Glorm has ruled his planet peacefully for thirty years, when all of a sudden a fatal destiny is revealed to him, which is when things start to get funny, or fall apart, depending on your reading. The novel was criticized for being, I dunno, somfinorudder...plotless or self-indulgent or something...but hey, Harlan Ellison liked it, and if you don't like it, we can send Harlan over to beat you up.