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beththebookdragon's review
4.0
First, a disclosure: Don Sakers is a friend and former colleague of mine, but I'll do my best to be objective in this review.
We know where we are in the future by the heading of the first chapter: 2474 CE. Sakers' future is wonderfully realized in details both large and small: Humans live on numerous planets around the Galaxy; there are aliens (wonderful ones show up at one point in the book), characters' names are almost recognizable but altered as the centuries will do, and computers...well, you'll see.
Culture has changed radically too, and, sensibly, they vary from planet to planet, as teenaged Rikki discovers when he leaves home to join the Imperial Navy. Rikki is the favorite cousin of our little heroine, Yewanda, who is just cute enough to be appealing, while still remaining a complex, highly gifted but still little girl.
The Eighth Succession is short but packed with action, fully realized characters, and future culture It throws us into Sakers' Scattered Worlds universe, but skilled writing and inter-chapter "documents" fill in the gaps nicely. There are a few awkward sections in the writing, but for the most part the writing is compelling. I've read only two other Scattered Worlds stories, and now I'm eager to read more, especially the promised future book about the Hoister family.
When I asked Sakers about a year ago how the writing was going, he said, "There's something in here to offend everyone." I'm not easily offended, but one bit did shock me a bit. Science fiction fans aren't too easily offended, though, as a rule.
Highly recommended for older-teen (mid-teen if parents aren't too strict about non-explicit sex and violence) and adult science fiction fans, and indispensable for Sakers' existing fans.
We know where we are in the future by the heading of the first chapter: 2474 CE. Sakers' future is wonderfully realized in details both large and small: Humans live on numerous planets around the Galaxy; there are aliens (wonderful ones show up at one point in the book), characters' names are almost recognizable but altered as the centuries will do, and computers...well, you'll see.
Culture has changed radically too, and, sensibly, they vary from planet to planet, as teenaged Rikki discovers when he leaves home to join the Imperial Navy. Rikki is the favorite cousin of our little heroine, Yewanda, who is just cute enough to be appealing, while still remaining a complex, highly gifted but still little girl.
The Eighth Succession is short but packed with action, fully realized characters, and future culture It throws us into Sakers' Scattered Worlds universe, but skilled writing and inter-chapter "documents" fill in the gaps nicely. There are a few awkward sections in the writing, but for the most part the writing is compelling. I've read only two other Scattered Worlds stories, and now I'm eager to read more, especially the promised future book about the Hoister family.
When I asked Sakers about a year ago how the writing was going, he said, "There's something in here to offend everyone." I'm not easily offended, but one bit did shock me a bit. Science fiction fans aren't too easily offended, though, as a rule.
Highly recommended for older-teen (mid-teen if parents aren't too strict about non-explicit sex and violence) and adult science fiction fans, and indispensable for Sakers' existing fans.
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