Book finished

[johnridley]

I've been slacking off for a while, haven't finished many books. Anyway, I listened to an older book on audio this week, and just finished it up.

Ben Bova, _Colony_

Pretty badly dated. Projected massive world hunger and near-complete social breakdown, by 2008, with near-total schisms along race lines, including the 70's ubiquitous "slum cities" where all major population centers have become holes containing only those too poor to get out. It smacks more than a bit of the 70's, which I suppose is not surprising given that it was published in 1978, but a lot of it reads like it was written by someone who had just watched _Shaft_ about 30 times in a row, and maybe _Escape From New York_ as well.

Sex is given a lot of importance in the book. Didn't bother me but it seemed a bit over the top, but I guess in the late 70s maybe it wasn't odd. Reminded me a lot of Heinlein's later work where he must have been contractually obligated to titillate. Doesn't add to the story really, but whatever. There was only one female character with any depth.

Still, given its publish date, decent writing I guess. I haven't read much from the 70s. I've been doing Bova's Planets books for the last few years, so this was a nice break from that. But I think I'll stay away from Bova's earlier stuff for a while.

Comments

[whl.livejournal.com]

My memory is that it was Bova's swing at doing a fat novel for summer beach reading, so the sex was part of the formula.

I seem to recall it feed directly into his Exiles juvenile book. At the time I read it, I think that was still a book and not a series.

I remember reading it on Amtrak, on my way back to Champaign to work WhatCon 1.

And I remember deciding to trade it in at a used bookstore sometime later, a rare action for me.