I have been rereading my old teen favourites, and had just finished this when Quantum posted. It is indeed superb. It's much more dark and sparse than many of hers - less moments of comedy, more fear and doom and anger.
I think the explanation of parallel worlds is somewhat sketchy, but the central images and ideas are amazing. Robed figures engaged in relentless gaming with the worlds. The idea that worlds are clustered in rings where similar events are going on, so you can 'jump' through five worlds and they'll all be having wars. The little survival skills the narator picks up in his endless tumbling between worlds - for example, that you can tell how bad a war is going to be when you 'jump' into it depending on whether people are wearing colourful uniforms or are covered in mud. The ship of the Flying Dutchman which they've stopped mending, which sails with its underside torn open with holes.
And some of the emotional touches really worked for me. The way each Homeward Bounder has an origin story when they see Them playing a game with their world, so when they meet they already have this thing in common, this shared moment of fury, even though they've never talked about it - I liked that.
Helen is superb and unpleasant (not merely 'feisty'). If they did film this, I don't think she'd get to hide behind her hair and seem to be about to bite people quite as much.
And the Promethues figure in this was the first time I'd encountered him, as well. He's a lot better than the Prometheus figure in the more recent Mr Monday. The jumble of mythologies and types of magic didn't irritate me as it does in some novels.
Anyone else? Someone disagree so I can think more about it. |
