Once upon a time, science fiction was filled with two types of stories-the action adventure story and the story of ideas. Olaf Stapledon was the major "idea" writer, as displayed in Last And First Men and Star Maker. These were not the action adventure books of Raymond Z. Gallun or Murray Leinster (both excellent writers). Stapledon books don't have much on-screen action, as most of the really interesting stuff has already happened or is told in an offhanded manner. Lightpaths is that type of book.
The plot (involving intrigue upon an orbital colony/research station) is too intricate to go into here. However, the characters are the focus of Lightpaths, and all are eccentric and believable in their own way. Hendrix takes the idea of the endless cocktail party to a new dimension, as characters constantly air their personal philosophies and invite agitated discussion among their friends and co-workers. They discuss everything-utopianism, population control, societal mores, gardening, rock and roll, virtual reality, computer glitches, the nature of reality, dysfunctional families, and industrial espionage.
The discussions of utopian society and why it will/won't work are really fascinating, and Hendrix exhibits his extensive knowledge of the subject with the occasional excerpt, mainly from Lewis Mumford's The Story Of Utopias. Another fascinating aspect of the book was the well-fleshed-out social development of the moon colony. You see people having to work the trash detail and perform unpleasant but necessary tasks, the gritty, convincing details that many novels fail to provide.
Despite the philosophical discussion, this is anything but a dry and dull book. In fact, it's eminently readable and exciting throughout. It's an action adventure book only in the sense that most Michael Bishop books are action adventures. The ideas are the story and here, they are first rate-superior entertainment with great substance. Hendrix conveys his ideas with such skill that his second book, Standing Wave, should be eagerly read.
Go to the main Nova Express Home Page
Go to Lawrence Person's Home Page
After almost drowning in a deluge of Korean Spam, I'm now munging my e-mail address, so please remove all the "H"s from the following to e-mail me: lawrencehh@hiho.com
Like every other web page in the universe, this one is Under Construction.