When The Stars Walk Backwards
| Title: | When The Stars Walk Backwards |
| Author: | Kristine Williams |
| Genre: | SF |
| Copyright: | 2009 |
| Ranking: | Excellent |
| LibraryThing: | Title:When The Stars Walk Backwards |
| Reviewed: | 2000-02-12 |
Military pilot Mac Brennan wanted a quiet, peaceful retirement, so he joined a deep space colony, forgotten for 20 years. They promised him lavender grass, clear blue skies, and untold miles of wild, untouched nature. What he found were the destroyed ruins of the original colony, an outdated AI full of riddles, and a young man with no memory of what happened, and an unspeakable fear of night.
Original Review
The following review is one I made of the original e-book which was available on the author's page for free, way back when. The book (presumably revised) is now available as an e-book for a reasonable cost, at Smashwords.
This is an original SF novel in which the two main characters are avatars for the main characters in The Sentinel. But all the concepts and backgrounds are original (there ain't no Sentinel senses here). It is the relationship between the two characters that vibrates so. And you don't need to have seen The Sentinel to enjoy it, though there are a couple of in-jokes you will miss.
Apart from a few typos and minor errors, this story is excellent. There is a mystery here, and a terror. Just when you think they've solved the mystery, the mystery deepens. The world-building is good too. But the focus is really on Mac and Bryce, possibly to the detriment of the supporting characters, but that doesn't bother me. It's about friendship. A kind of friendship that doesn't melt away when bad things happen, that doesn't break from hurts or misunderstandings (though they still happen), a dedication, almost a vow of friendship. Through thick and thin... until death do you part.