BookWyrm

Max Pearl reviewed The Man in the High Castle by Philip Dick (A Berkley medallion book -- D3080.)

Philip Dick: The Man in the High Castle (1974, Berkley)

The Man in the High Castle is an alternate history novel by American writer Philip …

Review of 'The Man in the High Castle' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I read this book because I'd seen a couple of episodes of the TV series. Honestly, as usual, the book is better. They took a lot of liberties with the series (only way to stretch a relatively short book that long,) and the characters are sometimes quite different.

This is classic Phillip K. Dick. Dystopian alternative future. It's very conceptual, rather than character-driven, although a couple of the characters are better developed than the rest. Worth a read, for sure.

Max Pearl rated Island of the Lost: 4 stars

No cover — Joan Druett: Island of the Lost (2007, Algonquin Books)

Island of the Lost by Joan Druett

Max Pearl rated The White Dragon (Pern, #3): 3 stars

Anne McCaffrey: The White Dragon (Pern, #3) (1986)

The White Dragon (Pern, #3) by Anne McCaffrey

The White Dragon is a science fantasy novel by American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey. It completes the original Dragonriders trilogy in …

Max Pearl reviewed Underground airlines by Ben H. Winters

Ben H. Winters: Underground airlines (2016)

"It is the present-day, and the world is as we know it: smartphones, social networking …

Review of 'Underground airlines' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I'm not usually much of a fan of alt-history - it just isn't the kind of science fiction I enjoy most. But this was absolutely an exception to this rule. First, I think it probably is an interesting mix between literary fiction and alt-history - there are definitely literary elements to it. The character development of the main character in particular is stunningly well done.

He's complex, and layered, and all of that comes so clear as the story unfolds. There are a lot of surprises, and it's definitely a page turner.

It's also a fascinating look at what could have been, and, frankly, it's not so far-fetched. It has a way of highlighting our current difficulties with race, and region, and culture.

I would recommend this book absolutely for alt-history fans, and I would recommend this book to just about anyone who thinks about the history and culture of …

I'm not usually much of a fan of alt-history - it just isn't the kind of science fiction I enjoy most. But this was absolutely an exception to this rule. First, I think it probably is an interesting mix between literary fiction and alt-history - there are definitely literary elements to it. The character development of the main character in particular is stunningly well done.

He's complex, and layered, and all of that comes so clear as the story unfolds. There are a lot of surprises, and it's definitely a page turner.

It's also a fascinating look at what could have been, and, frankly, it's not so far-fetched. It has a way of highlighting our current difficulties with race, and region, and culture.

I would recommend this book absolutely for alt-history fans, and I would recommend this book to just about anyone who thinks about the history and culture of the United States.