The Light of Other Days

Well, my blog has turned into something of a book review. I was in the middle of reading The Elves of Cintra when I came across a reference to the Arthur C. Clarke book, The Light of Other Days. I ordered it from a local library and quickly devoured the book.

In summary, the book is focused on the events following the creation of a remote viewing technology which can be used anywhere at any time. As the technology becomes widespread, everyone can see what everyone else is doing whenever they want, even going back in time.

The premise is great. The plot sucked. The characters were rather boring and unsympathetic. I never really connected with them and didn't care what happened to him. In a big "revelation" towards the denouement I found that I just didn't care.

The interesting parts to me were the changes that the invention brings to humanity. Some chapters have nothing to do with the books characters, but merely serve as background to how the invention causes fundamental shifts in the way our society perceives itself. That's what was interesting to me; that's why I tore through the book so quickly.

Interested in science fiction? Does the premise interest you? Go check it out at the library and give it a read. Don't concern yourself too much with the plot; it's just a bunch of people talking on the stage. It's the changes in the sets behind the actors which are most interesting...