Caliban Landing

by Steven Popkes

Caliban Landing by Steven Popkes released on Nov 24, 1988 is available now for purchase.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Marti · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think that this book actually worked in quite the way the author intended. The flashbacks were very uneven and the characters had sudden motivation shifts that were puzzling. It's a shame because the ideas could have made for a very interesting book. That wasn't always the reality, though. The "what if" ideas might have worked if the characters had seemed to be behaving like actual people instead of randomly lurching from plot point to plot point. Frustrating, because the good bits were good reading.

[Bill Cooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. There are some interesting ideas put forth. The way the Calibii natives “see” was especially creative and, as far as I know, original.

But… taking 17 days to read this kinda tells the story right there. It was hard to stay engaged with the story.

Much confusion in the flashbacks. Some real inconsistencies in the way the four leading characters acted and changed (quickly!) when confusing confrontations ensued.

And the ending was needlessly sad and solved little other than allowing the remaining three nasty characters to (all of a sudden!) quickly become nice, caring, cooperative people going on to right their previous wrongs. All in the last few pages of the book.

Fire and brimstone characters for 250 pages that turn into unicorns seeing rainbows in the last few pages. This after letting the Calibii natives kill the most developed and likeable of the four.

Yeah, no. I don’t see real world people acting anything like this. Especially the two men that she (the one who sacrificed herself at the end) had slept with on-planet. One of which loved her deeply.

“Oh? She sacrificed herself for us? Damn. I’ll miss her. OK. I guess I’ll now like those who killed her and come back as an ambassador to them ASAP.”

Gag me. So sorry. Writing is hard work. This book has some well written, intricate details that probably took many months to get right and to get down properly on paper. I feel sorry that the author put so much work into getting this story told and for me not to like it. But there are too many confusing conversations, jarring flashbacks and also contrived personal situations with unrealistic outcomes that just don’t see reasonable to me.

And the big changes in the remaining people at the end of the book made me embarrassed for the author. Who would possibly act like that after losing a beloved member of their small crew? Meh.

So sorry for the unhappy review. But I am actually upset that I didn’t like reading about these 3 or 4 unbelievable characters.