To Your Scattered Bodies Go

I found this novel to be a good example of the disappointing gap between a wonderful idea and a mediocre execution. The idea--a riverbank where everyone who ever lived is resurrected--is one of those mindblowing, haunting ideas which I love in science fiction. Once I got past the novelty of the first few chapters, I found the novel devoted to a conventional adventure story, with little working-out of the philosophical, cosmic implications of the idea. Maybe the other books in the series are better, but here Farmer seemed to fritter away a great idea. Imagine what Philip K. Dick would have made of it.

Carl Rosenberg

Vancouver, BC