25 January 2015

Review: Proxima


Proxima
Proxima by Stephen Baxter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I forget how I ended up reserving this one at the library, but given that it's arguably the most straightforward science fiction I've read in months, I'm kind of glad I did.

The story takes place in the distant-ish future, and we've found a new planet to colonize. Ships are sent, we follow a group that lands on this planet near Alpha Proxima, and much of the story stays with that group. It's very much a science fictional survival tale with some interesting ideas peppered throughout.

The issue is when the book gets to its true point. I don't want to give away the plot, but needless to say it's a great idea with really strange execution that doesn't pay off until literally the final pages.

If I was rating this based solely on the first 99% of the book, I'd say it was a book with great potential that lost its way. It's only getting to the very end that it all makes sense and makes me genuinely excited for the sequel, which is truly a problem with the way the narrative is ultimately structured. It left me with a good feeling, but getting there was a chore.

I'm very excited for the sequel here, and we'll see how it goes, but it doesn't come out in the US for a while. Hopefully it holds up!



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