| On an average day in the year 2020, the earth is decimated by a race of insect-like aliens called Saurons. These creatures are intent on enslaving the remaining humans and forcing them to build temple-like structures that they deceitfully claim that they must do in accordance with their religious beliefs. After the temples are complete, they claim that they will then leave to continue their journey in space. In reality these structures are birthing chambers where a new generation of Saurons will be born, and the old generation will die. Because the Saurons will be vulnerable to attack during this process, they intend to kill all but a handful of their newly-acquired slaves as soon as the structures are complete. However, several groups of humans have escaped slavery and are fighting against the alien captors. These groups learn the truth about the so-called temples and mount a united resistance against the Saurons. Among the resistance fighter are a group of ex-military, a group of black people who escaped from a slave train, and a group of semi-autonomous slaves who are assigned as bodyguards to the president of the puppet government established by the Saurons.
Dietz's book touches issues of human caste systems, racial prejudices, and the human need for freedom in a repressive setting. It encourages the reader to consider hate, and why it is directed at individuals. However, this aspect of the book does not go deep enough into the subject to make the reader contemplate personal biases or evoke strong emotion on the subject. The plot is fairly well organized and though it runs quite smoothly, there are one or two dead ends and ambiguities, the most blatant of which being a sexual encounter between a leader of a white supremacist group and his wife who has been assigned to him by the group's supreme commander. The woman is never mentioned again in the book and the whole section is gratuitous in its sexual nature, adds nothing to the plot, and should have been left out of the book. Another problem arises because the reproductive process of the Saurons is poorly conceived. Each individual of the race dies in the process of birthing its first and only offspring. Under this scenario, Sauron deaths prior to the birthing process would deplete the race until it dwindled to nothing. Because Saurons can never have more than one baby and die in the process, the species could have never multiplied to the population level assumed in the book. Overall, this book earns a moderate recommendation on the merits of its vivid descriptions, captivating action scenes, and its interesting story line. But its weaknesses certainly leave it lacking as a contender for the title of all-time best sci-fi adventure. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story Repressive society story Yes If an invasion, from Earth/human POV: - fighting overt invasion (attacking aliens) War or Invasion Yes Major kinds of combat: - guns Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Descript. of chases or violence - 20 % planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 % Who's a slave/repressed? - humans are slaves of aliens Main Character Identity: - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Main Adversary Identity: - Male Alien Age: - long-lived adults Profession/status: How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting Terrain Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century) Spaceship setting: - alien spaceship Takes place on Earth? Yes Takes place in spaceship? Yes Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - descript of touching personal anatomy - actual description of sex - description of breasts - descript. of private male anat. How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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