The most recent book I have finished is Orson Scott Card's Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus. This is the second time that I have read this book and I admit that the first time I found it rather difficult to get through especially as the story seems to jump around a lot. I did enjoy it the first time around but this time it was even better.
Part of the reason that it was better this time I am sure is because I knew that I liked the story and was more invested from the beginning, which is the slowest part of the book. This time as I read it I recognized that this is not a story about a specific set of characters but a story about an event. By changing that focus I could see that reading the book felt more like watching a documentary. It was amazing to get that feeling while reading and it really enriched the experience.
What initially brought me back to the book was the story. This is the story of a group of researchers in the future who can watch the past. They discover the possibility of manipulating the past and begin a project to find a key moment in which many of the horrors of the recent past can be mitigated. The focus turns to Christopher Columbus, whose story is interspersed throughout the novel.
The information presented in this novel about possible alternate time lines and historical speculation is amazing and will astound anyone who finds science fiction and time travel the least bit interesting. When it comes to ideas presented in novels this is one of the best speculative fiction has to offer.
As always Card's writing is engaging and the moral dilemmas presented by his characters show how thorough he is in presenting all options and thinking though many possibilities. I highly recommend this novel to all who find time travel and science fiction interesting.
Next Post: The Journeys of Socrates
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1 comment:
I may just have to try reading this one. :)
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