Jan Kjellin reviewed orbitsville departure by Bob Shaw
Review of 'orbitsville departure' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
First off, I never meant to read an abridged version of the novel. It's obvious that 88 pages cannot make an epic story like this justice.
However, it was quite enough to give me the general idea of the story. Other reviewers have compared it to "Ringworld" (that I haven't read), and I myself see some similarities to Philip José Farmer's Riverworld series.
Unfortunately, both Farmer and Shaw disappoint me in the end. Or maybe I'm disappointing myself in thinking these kinds of stories have a certain something that they apparently don't have (and that I have no idea what it is). Perhaps a longing for something else - some new, unspoilt part of the world where one can start anew and not make the same old mistakes. Or where one can stay away from the rest of humanity for whatever time one has left.
Maybe I'm just too much …
First off, I never meant to read an abridged version of the novel. It's obvious that 88 pages cannot make an epic story like this justice.
However, it was quite enough to give me the general idea of the story. Other reviewers have compared it to "Ringworld" (that I haven't read), and I myself see some similarities to Philip José Farmer's Riverworld series.
Unfortunately, both Farmer and Shaw disappoint me in the end. Or maybe I'm disappointing myself in thinking these kinds of stories have a certain something that they apparently don't have (and that I have no idea what it is). Perhaps a longing for something else - some new, unspoilt part of the world where one can start anew and not make the same old mistakes. Or where one can stay away from the rest of humanity for whatever time one has left.
Maybe I'm just too much of a pessimistic misanthrope to be able to appreciate the underlying belief in (some parts of) humanity that both Farmer and Shaw display.
Maybe I just feel that they aren't using the potential of thier Riverworlds and Orbitsvilles.
Maybe they're just nostalgics, escaping back to earth under the guise of going in the opposite direction.
Maybe I'm making no sense at all?