kentb@tekchips.UUCP (Kent Beck) (09/03/84)
Subject: Reviews (spoiler warning)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Following are reviews of recent books: "Palimsests," by Carter Scholz
and Glenn Harcourt, and "Home Sweet Home, 2010 A.D.," by Mack Reynolds with
Dean Ing.
First the bad news--
Title- Palimpsests
Author(s)- Carter Scholz and Glenn Harcourt
Editor- Terry Carr
Publisher- Ace Science Fiction
Publishing date- September 1984
"Palimpsests," is the latest in the new (old) Ace Science Fiction Specials
series, a series intended to introduce new writers and unusual styles to
readers of presumably discerning taste. The only other book in this series
that I have read was "The Wild Shore," by Kim Stanley Robinson, a book that
by its cover quotes was the herald of a new age. I was less than impressed,
and I haven't read the other two books that have appeared in the series.
When "Palimpsests" showed up however, it looked good enough to risk another
try at a, "...novel of high quality and imagination."
A palimsest is a trace of writing on old parchments that have been scraped
clean and reused. Since this practice was common among early Christian
monks reusing parchments originally containing pagan writings, the practice
of analyzing palimsests is of great value to archeologists, since many early
Christian parchments are still extant. The story revolves around a young
archeologist named Camus, who finds a kind of palimsest from the future at a
dig in Germany. Camus then discovers that the artifact he has discovered is
wanted by both the superpowers as well as several provate interests. One of
these private research institutes, located in far Alaska, captures the
object and the protaganist in question, and proceeds to experiment with
both, culminating in a heroic world (universe) saving effort by the confused
Camus. It doesn't sound like much of a plot to me either.
In his introduction Terry Carr defies anyone to read the first chapter and
not go on to read the rest of the book. As far as that goes, he was right,
the first chapter sets up the rest of the book as well as any I have ever
read. Unfortunately Carter and Scholz have real problems with pacing.
About two thirds of the way through all of the tensions of that marvelous
first chapter have been resolved, and the conclusion came as a relief, not
because to world was no longer in danger, but because I no longer had to
read the drivel that was passing as an exploration of the nature of time. I
enjoy reading books that challenge my basic beliefs, but it is not necessary
pound such challenges into poi to get a point across.
All in all a fair book, and it probably could be read for the first chapter
alone. I can't honestly recommend that, tho, unless you want to feel compelled
to wade through some pea-soup prose later.
Now the good news:
Title- Home Sweet Home, 2010 A.D.
Author- Mack Reynolds with Dean Ing
Publisher- Dell
Publication date- September 1984
Fun. Fun, fun, fun. The only thing not fun about this book was the copyright
being in the name of the literary estate of Mack Reynolds. I had not known
that he was dead. Farewell Lagrangia.
The book looks like this: It is about a wacko extended family in the
aforementioned year, and the equally (if less delightfully) wacko society in
which they live. One subplot involves a hit man who is after a radical
political writer the family is unwittingly harboring. The other concerns the
last Indians in America and their attempt to hold onto their land in the face
of government attempts to grab the uranium on it. In the end the government
and the status quo take it in the tuckus, but everyone else seems to be
satisfied.
The family, surnamed Chutzba (isn't that Yiddish for ...), reminds me of what
Heinlein's extended families would turn out to be in practice. Some members
smart, some dumb, some beautiful, some not, and things get done when the
spirit moves. Nobody is a superbeing, but between them things seem to work
out. The society they live in depends on welfare to support the populace,
since automation has taken over all the "real jobs" except government. The
family is quite happy with this, since it leaves them time for farming,
drinking, and sex, definitely not in that order.
So sit back, kick off your sandals, pour yourself some applejack, and enjoy.
But don't let Ruthie corner you, she's only 9, you know.
The preceding submitted from the flying fingers of:
Kent Beck
Tektronix, Inc.
M/S 50-662
POB 500
Beaverton, OR 97077