I’ve never read Simak before and didn’t know what to expect, so I went into this with an open mind. I did enjoy the book up until about halfway through (when the People are discovered) and then I think the story kind of lost its narrative thread. I can’t put my finger exactly on what I expected to happen, but the ending just seemed anticlimactic.
What is the point of this book supposed to be? What is the moral of the story? I get that Simak was trying to get across some important (if rather trite) points regarding the evils of industrialization, colonization, etc. but where exactly does the meaning of the title come into play? Was the point just to stimulate philosophical debate regarding the nature of humanity and our purpose in the universe?
I did enjoy the minimalistic descriptive style (I think it actually added to the story) and the idea of parapsychic space travel. I just wish I wasn’t so confused about the storyline overall. It feels like Simak was trying to tell the reader something very important but kind of got lost in his own philosophical musings.
by MutantPurpleRabbit88
1 Comment
When he was writing and I was a lot younger I loved his work. But I picked this up a year or two ago and found it plodding and dull. Read about 50 pages, set it aside and don’t know where it is now.
Maybe City was a lot better.