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Brian W. Aldiss - by Brian W. Aldiss
Brian Aldiss could have made his novel, Non-Stop, 1000 pages in length, and still barely scratched the surface of the world
he created. Instead, my edition totals 182 efficient pages in length, and leaves the reader clamoring
for more. Not that the ending is somehow unsatisfying, or ill-explained in any way. Rather, he
has done such a notable job of creating a civilization, and traditions, and methods of thought, and an
environment in which they live, that we are eager to explore it further, in spite of its decay and corruption.
While the theory of a 'generation ship' had popped up here and there since around 1929, Aldiss is credited with
the first complete novel to deal with the concept, and the resulting fallout which may occur.
The priest Marapper is a delightfully oily, scheming and intelligent character, and does nearly as much
to lead the reader through the strange terrain of the world as does the more obvious main
character. Speaking of Roy - the development of his character from one which adhered to the seemingly
bizarre tenants of their culture - like the Freudian ideal of expressing all base desires to exercise
them from the system - into one which has embraced with some difficulty the revelations of his
situation and the reality of their beliefs is satisfying and intense. Highly recommended.
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