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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
Dans ce livre, nous suivons des scientifiques, en 1998, essayant désespérément de contacter les scientifiques de 1962, pour les prévenir d’un désastre écologique imminent, pour changer le futur.
J’avoue avoir du mal à comprendre pourquoi ce livre est autant discuté sur le Reddit r/printSF tellement il est banal … Et encore plus de mal à comprendre comment un livre pareil a gagné un Hugo. Si le prémisse de base est franchement cool, son exécution laisse à désirer. Les personnages sont chiants à mourir (surtout, surprise ! les femmes), le développement est très long, et même le côté Hard SF me laisse sur ma faim. C’est sympathique, quelque peu novateur pour l’époque … Mais ça s’arrête là tellement c’est fade dans son écriture.
J’avoue avoir du mal à comprendre pourquoi ce livre est autant discuté sur le Reddit r/printSF tellement il est banal … Et encore plus de mal à comprendre comment un livre pareil a gagné un Hugo. Si le prémisse de base est franchement cool, son exécution laisse à désirer. Les personnages sont chiants à mourir (surtout, surprise ! les femmes), le développement est très long, et même le côté Hard SF me laisse sur ma faim. C’est sympathique, quelque peu novateur pour l’époque … Mais ça s’arrête là tellement c’est fade dans son écriture.
The world is dying and some some scientists make a literal last ditch effort to send a message back in time in an attempt to avert the present day ecological crisis. We follow both the present day scientists in their attempts to save the world, and the scientists in the past as they try to decode the strange interference that seems to be coming from nowhere.
I had such good luck reading classic sf in 2020, but in 2021 and now 2022 my choices have sort of crashed and burned. Maybe I just need to read more Clifford D. Simak and skip the rest? Nah, I do want to try out all the classic authors. But seriously, this book flopped for me. The science aspects of it were all right, but those were few and far between in comparison to the attempts Benford made at writing what I can only assume was lit-er-a-ture (hold your pinky in the air whilst drinking tea to get the full affect there). Those parts of the book were so incredibly dull, and I thought, utterly pointless. They were also dated as hell.
The book was split into two timelines, one in 1962, the other in 1998, but the book was actually written in 1979, and the 1998 sections made that very clear. All the domestic scenes between the scientists and their partners were mind-numbing. For taking place in such interesting times, most of this book was uninteresting. Occasionally they would start on the science again in a way that intrigued me, but for the most part, I found this book largely just okay.
The ending, about the last fifty pages or so, was really the best part of the whole thing. I didn't see the resolution coming.
Probably won't be reading from Gregory Benford again. On to the next.
[2.5 stars, rounded up because of the ending, and the premise]
I had such good luck reading classic sf in 2020, but in 2021 and now 2022 my choices have sort of crashed and burned. Maybe I just need to read more Clifford D. Simak and skip the rest? Nah, I do want to try out all the classic authors. But seriously, this book flopped for me. The science aspects of it were all right, but those were few and far between in comparison to the attempts Benford made at writing what I can only assume was lit-er-a-ture (hold your pinky in the air whilst drinking tea to get the full affect there). Those parts of the book were so incredibly dull, and I thought, utterly pointless. They were also dated as hell.
The book was split into two timelines, one in 1962, the other in 1998, but the book was actually written in 1979, and the 1998 sections made that very clear. All the domestic scenes between the scientists and their partners were mind-numbing. For taking place in such interesting times, most of this book was uninteresting. Occasionally they would start on the science again in a way that intrigued me, but for the most part, I found this book largely just okay.
The ending, about the last fifty pages or so, was really the best part of the whole thing. I didn't see the resolution coming.
Spoiler
The whole book I had been grumbling to myself about parallel universes and the multiverse making the whole endeavor pointless, but then the book ends with the 1962-3 timeline being "saved" and branching off into another universe, and the 1998 scientists and everyone in that timeline, essentially knowing that they are still doomed. I found this interesting! Mostly because it genuinely surprised me.Probably won't be reading from Gregory Benford again. On to the next.
[2.5 stars, rounded up because of the ending, and the premise]
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Two subplots:
Wyndham-esque eco-disasters in the 90's
Academic politics in the 60's
Characters mostly drawn from what felt like the 50's. I could accept the 60's setting but the 90's seemed to have socially regressed (a bit part character actually sketches a tug at his forelock!). Both plots had too much “academic standing at a chalkboard explaining stuff” and were in desperate need of a decent exposition character. The male characters were paper-thin, work-fixated and unlikeable, the female characters are mostly kept at home (or organizing the odd number of party scenes). Attitude to women from the misogynistic 90’s character was slightly explained, but the 60’s protagonist with his live-in girlfriend and jewish mother, don't worry he finds a good woman to own by the end.
The ending is fortunately explained without the need for a chalkboard and fits in well with hints and clearer bits of chalkboard time, but this is not a classic which needs remembering (SF masterwork is no guarantee of anything), consign it to the shelves of time and leave it there.
Wyndham-esque eco-disasters in the 90's
Academic politics in the 60's
Characters mostly drawn from what felt like the 50's. I could accept the 60's setting but the 90's seemed to have socially regressed (a bit part character actually sketches a tug at his forelock!). Both plots had too much “academic standing at a chalkboard explaining stuff” and were in desperate need of a decent exposition character. The male characters were paper-thin, work-fixated and unlikeable, the female characters are mostly kept at home (or organizing the odd number of party scenes). Attitude to women from the misogynistic 90’s character was slightly explained, but the 60’s protagonist with his live-in girlfriend and jewish mother, don't worry he finds a good woman to own by the end.
The ending is fortunately explained without the need for a chalkboard and fits in well with hints and clearer bits of chalkboard time, but this is not a classic which needs remembering (SF masterwork is no guarantee of anything), consign it to the shelves of time and leave it there.
This novel is somewhat dated now, but it can still be appreciated for the character of Ian Peterson, a Machiavellian bureaucrat, and just well played like any nasty exec found in any large entity, corporation or government. In this case Ian is also a kind of doomsday prepper, moving agilely through the political landscape until he can move no further.
Well deserved Nebula in 1980.
Well deserved Nebula in 1980.
The hard science fiction plot was great (if you have enough of a background in physics to follow along), with a really great attempt to write about the messy reality of research, and there's a real prescient climate change message here, but the book was constantly marred by some of the worst characterization of women I've read in a sci-fi novel, and that's really saying something...
This was bad, and if you keep in mind this won a Nebula Award, it gets worse.
Benford seems obsessed with parties (at least a dozen scenes with people at parties were presented in this book, drinking and talking non-sense, and, from time to time, delivering physics exposition dumps, related or not to the plot).
The characters are really one-dimensional, no real development whatsoever:
- the male characters are all physicians, they discuss about nothing at all but physics
- the female characters are all vulnerable and bored with their husband's busy lives and they cheat on them with the first male they get in contact with.
Throughout this crap, the theory of sending messages back in time and the effect this causes simply faded.
Benford seems obsessed with parties (at least a dozen scenes with people at parties were presented in this book, drinking and talking non-sense, and, from time to time, delivering physics exposition dumps, related or not to the plot).
The characters are really one-dimensional, no real development whatsoever:
- the male characters are all physicians, they discuss about nothing at all but physics
- the female characters are all vulnerable and bored with their husband's busy lives and they cheat on them with the first male they get in contact with.
Throughout this crap, the theory of sending messages back in time and the effect this causes simply faded.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
About 10 years ago when I first attempted to read this book, I bounced off it. Hard. I don't know what I expected from Timescape at that point, but a sedate story about scientists and their families meant it was a clear DNF for me at that point.
This time though, I was prepared and I came out loving it. The human drama in the different time periods was impeccably written, the science fascinating and the portrayal of obsessive passion and the damage it does to those around you was pretty much perfect. And the solution? Sure, I kind of knew it was coming, but that's with modern eyes who have been aware of these concepts for years.
Anyway, great book as long as you can handle the sedate pace at the beginning.
This time though, I was prepared and I came out loving it. The human drama in the different time periods was impeccably written, the science fascinating and the portrayal of obsessive passion and the damage it does to those around you was pretty much perfect. And the solution? Sure, I kind of knew it was coming, but that's with modern eyes who have been aware of these concepts for years.
Anyway, great book as long as you can handle the sedate pace at the beginning.
I had high hopes for this one, but just couldn't get into it. Lots of hard science, an interesting concept to warn the past, but unfortunately too many boring domestic scenes.