In the Cube

by David Alexander Smith

Twenty-first century Boston serves as the gateway to Earth for aliens and has become a technological marvel where humans and aliens mix, struggling to create a new society while coping with greed, immense wealth, and murder

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Mystery

242 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ian Mathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read In the Cube, but that makes about the seventh time I've done so since my dad picked up a copy years ago when it came out. It's not actually a perfect novel, but it's one of the few I can come back to every so often without feeling like I'm wasting my time. The setting is intriguing and well-crafted, the characters are good, and Smith's alien races are among the best I've ever read. For a guy who never wrote much science fiction, Smith sure came up with a rich and fertile setting; not only do I need to track down Future Boston, every time I re-read this I lament Smith's lack of productivity again.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published 1993. David Alexander Smith, as far as I can tell, did not publish much. Prior to this book he had three books called the Marathon Series (all out of print). I don't think they stood up to the test of time. This book does and I think it is a great one. Not Dune great but 286 pages of a sharp story with intriguing characters, a demented Boston with multiple aliens and a mystery. Trivia note: the hardback copy I have retailed for $18.95 in 1993 and it's not a large book at all. I would think that was rather expensive for the time.

[David Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only problem was that it was too short.

[Scott Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating characters. Highly original plot. While the action is great I also enjoyed the calm, 'everyday' scenes. Highly recommend.

[Rob Worth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite a 4, but rounded up because I love Akktri. Pretty well written sci-fi mystery, but I figured a few of the people out that were behind the scheme pretty early.

[Becca Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the character Akktri and loved the premise of the book. But it didn’t feel complete-felt there could have been so much more done with descriptions and character development with the amazing premise. Also really difficult to visualize everything.

[Victoria Gaile · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. The proliferation of alien races seemed pretty gratuitous, and I'm not sure I buy the primarily-featured alien race. The PI-type protagonist character was good and the mystery was mostly interesting. It got more violent than I prefer in a few scenes.

I'll let it sit a few months & try it again. For now it's shelved alongside Alien Blues and its ilk.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent genre mystery. It probably benefits from a first-hand knowledge of Boston, as "Neverwhere" demands a familiarity with London.

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the odd moment of un-PC language (which in any case merely adds to the setting) this novel remains an intersting view of a dystopian futute, and a clever story with good characters.

[Claudius · Rating 4 out of 5]

[reread]