Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus (Book Review)
binds the entire premise of Pastwatch is tenuous. But since we are only beginning to unravel the secrets of space-time, who is to say that such things will not be possible a few centuries from now. Some very timely debates such as the theory behind infinite universes and alteration of the timeline are raised here, but the answers that the Pastwatch mathematicians give seriously dilute real-life speculation.
These issues do not, however, overly detract from what is a great work of imaginative fiction. There are enough twists to keep the reader engaged and the material is quite fascinating. Everyone loves to ask, What If? and here that question is applied to a matter that affects not just a single person, but the whole of humanity itself. Card has vividly created a future that might have been, painted an engaging and intimate portrait of Christopher Columbus, and brought to life Native American civilizations that perished some 500 years ago. But if changing such things were really possible, the ability to right wrongs might be more dangerous than the ability of humans to commit these wrongs in the first place.
RATING: (7 out of 10)
If you would like to read more book reviews at Science Fiction & Society, check out our special Novels & Short Stories Index!
If you'd like to read articles on other topics, please make use of our index system to locate the information you're looking for:
If you'd like to put your name on the recipient list
Latest Articles