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firstwords 's review for:
The Sparrow
by Mary Doria Russell
A really neat idea for a story (I suggest reading the Afterword, for more on why the author chose it). The author clearly did some pretty serious research on the history of the Jesuits and the Catholic church, and then melded it with space travel.
The "hard" science isnt there (which the author admits, and quite reasonably hand-waves it away). But the issues of class, race, domestication, and the changing of a world to fit the dominant species are handled wonderfully.
While "sci-fi," that's not really what it's about. It's about as "sci-fi" as [b:Jurassic Park|40604658|Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)|Michael Crichton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529604411l/40604658._SY75_.jpg|3376836], where the actual science doesnt matter, but rather the world it creates and how people interact with it (Jurassic Park is actually a somewhat fair comparison - if you liked that, you'll probably like this).
What I especially appreciated is how the ending was handled. I wont give anything away, except to say that it ends how this story would end in "real life," not in a movie. No planets blow up, there is no galaxy-wide cataclysm (these are not spoilers, you will see how unlikely they are if you read it).
The "hard" science isnt there (which the author admits, and quite reasonably hand-waves it away). But the issues of class, race, domestication, and the changing of a world to fit the dominant species are handled wonderfully.
While "sci-fi," that's not really what it's about. It's about as "sci-fi" as [b:Jurassic Park|40604658|Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)|Michael Crichton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529604411l/40604658._SY75_.jpg|3376836], where the actual science doesnt matter, but rather the world it creates and how people interact with it (Jurassic Park is actually a somewhat fair comparison - if you liked that, you'll probably like this).
What I especially appreciated is how the ending was handled. I wont give anything away, except to say that it ends how this story would end in "real life," not in a movie. No planets blow up, there is no galaxy-wide cataclysm (these are not spoilers, you will see how unlikely they are if you read it).