Subject: Review: Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson

From: "Aaron M. Renn" <[email-masked]>
Date: 28 Jul 1999 13:29:43 -0400

Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson
	Review Copyright (c) 1999 Aaron M. Renn

Conclusion: Recommended

It's almost a truism that expectations play a huge role in how we judge a
book.  I actively dislike the alternate history subgenre so was prepared
to hate Darwinia.  As it turned out this was more than your regular
alternate history, and I really liked it.  But I can't shake the feeling
that had I gone in with higher expectations I wouldn't have liked it
nearly so much.

In 1912 the Miracle happened and Europe was transformed in a single night.
All traces of humanity were destroyed and the entire continent was
replaced by what was quickly dubbed Darwinia - a wilderness from some
bizarre alternate evolution.  Guilford Law was a photographer on an
expedition to sail up the Rhine on a mission of exploration of this
wondrous new continent.  At this point, Darwinia seems a combination of
your standard alternate history and an exploration adventure story.
However, the story rapidly changes to something far more.  I can't say
much without spoilers, but let's just say that it involves good vs. evil,
artificial intelligence, virtual reality, the heat death of the universe,
love, physical transformation, ghosts, secret societies, immortality and
more.

This book is a Hugo nominee and I couldn't help but compare it to
Factoring Humanity, a nominee by fellow Canadian Robert J. Sawyer.  The
two books are similar in a number of respects.  Both are fairly short.
Both include a large number of themes and elements that are not fully
explored, leaving the reader wanting to know more.  For example, in
Darwinia, we actually get to do little exploration of the transformed
continent itself.  Both have a healthy dose of spiritualism.  Family
relationships play a big part in both as well.  But where Factoring
Humanity never clicked with me, Darwinia did.  I just found it a much more
enjoyable read.

I will say that Darwinia started a lot better than it finished.  Once the
stage was set, the ending was never in doubt.  Did you really think the
bad guys were going to win?  Nevertheless, I liked it and recommend it.
I'd never read a Robert Charles Wilson book before, but I'll definitely be
reading more in the future.

%A Wilson, Robert Charles
%T Darwinia
%I Tor
%D 1999-07 (original publication 1998-06)
%G ISBN 0-812-56662-9
%P 372 pp.
%0 mass market paperback, US$6.99

Reviewed on 1999-07-25

-- 
Aaron M. Renn ([email-masked]) http://www.urbanophile.com/arenn/