Science Fiction & Fantasy Award Winning Book Group discussion

This month we are reading Way Station by Clifford D. Simak. It won the 1964 Hugo Award. It was originally published as Here Gather the Stars in 1963 in Galaxy Magazine. Other works on the shortlist that year include Glory Road, Witch World, Dune World and Cat's Cradle.

I've been wanting to read this one for years so I'm really looking forward to it. On a side note I liked Andre Norton's books when I was younger. Not sure they hold up for today's readers but I still enjoy them from a nostalgia pov. Trying to slowly work my way through the Witch World books.

As always watch out for spoilers.

I've read Glory Road, which was a very strange Heinlein, more fantasy than SF, I think. I'll be interested to see how Way Station holds up

I've had this on my Kindle since 2016 - on my long TBR pile for years. So, I'm happy to be reading it.

I am also intrigued to see that it starts in Wisconsin - which is where I live.

I'll be interested to see how Way Station holds up

I don't think there's much that particularly dates the book, but it wasn't one I enjoyed for other reasons.

I'm about a third of the way into it now. Nothing much has happened, but the writing is much better than most golden age SF, I think.

I am genuinely surprised at the writing. It doesn't feel like it was written 60 years ago. (Although the language of the Wisconsin locals was old fashioned - even for the 60's. And I have never known anyone with a 'coon dog. I thought that was more southern.)

I wasn't sure I would enjoy the introspection, but it really worked well for Enoch. I wasn't bored by it. I became worried that the ending was going to be unsatisfying - but I was pleased with it. (I do think the book could have ended a few pages before it did. )

Deb wrote: I became worried that the ending was going to be unsatisfying

I'm about 100 pages in and that's the exact thought that I had last night. I'm mildly enjoying this, I sure hope the ending doesn't let me down.

Nick wrote: but the writing is much better than most golden age SF

My thoughts went a different way. This sure isn't a KSR novel, the science is the hand wavey type.

Ryan wrote: but it wasn't one I enjoyed for other reasons.

I agree that inner thoughts/dialogue can become very tiresome. It hasn't bothered me yet but I'm not even halfway through it. Now I'm really interested to see what I think of the ending.

Nick wrote: I've read Glory Road, which was a very strange Heinlein, more fantasy than SF, I think.

I've read a bit of Heinlein, especially when I was younger. That's one that I completely missed.

Jon wrote: "This sure isn't a KSR novel, the science is the hand wavey type."
Yes, I agree! Actually, something odd struck me about this book, bear with me, it's a bit odd:

There is a theory about UFOs and alien abductions that these are not beings from other planets but they are either the same phenomena as fairies, as described in Jacque Vallee's Passport to Magonia: On UFOs, Folklore, and Parallel Worlds or they are demons, as described in Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future. After all, there's no obvious reason why another sentient species would want to travel lightyears just to give humans uncomfortable probes, but we have millenia of history in all cultures of spiritual entities doing this.

It's a pretty wild theory, but it really sprang to mind when reading this book for a few reasons.

1. When Ulysses (view spoiler)[peels his face off and is a hideous demon clown underneath. The clown/trickster is often described as the first entity encountered on hallucinogenic spiritual journeys like in DMT: The Spirit Molecule. (hide spoiler)]

2.The creatures from Alphard XXII are called thaumaturgists which is a fancy word for 'magician'. The technique Enoch learns from them (view spoiler)[to create Mary and David sounds exactly like the Tibetan magical practice of creating a tulpa. (hide spoiler)]

3. The 'talisman' which is called a 'machine' but is clearly a sort of spiritual conduit, and its user fulfills the role of shaman or saint.

4. Enoch seemed to dwell so much on human moral readiness for contact. It reminded me of the emphasis that many cultures put on purification before spiritual contact.

One other thing that strikes me about this book:

(view spoiler)[Towards the end of the book, Enoch is worrying about upcoming war and Ulysses offers to have all of humanity rendered so stupid that they will be unable to wage large-scale highly destructive war. It seems implausible to me that the aliens would have the power to massively change all human minds that way, and yet not have the power to alter human minds in a positive way eg. make it so that they understood that the war would be harmful and unnecessary. (hide spoiler)] Why are the aliens only able to offer this harmful lose-lose bargain?

Nick
(view spoiler)[The primary reason is of course for narrative convenience. It's an interesting moral dilemma. As for why they can't make a positive change, who knows? Maybe that goes against human nature so much it's not possible. And generally speaking, it's easier to destroy than build. I can make a person stupid - just hit them on the head hard enough. On the other hand, I can't make any positive changes without substantial, consistent effort, and maybe not even then. (hide spoiler)]

Ryan - good points - it is definitely easier to destroy than to build! (view spoiler)[And I guess I can believe humans totally incapable of positive change in themselves....

But the aliens have been so over-powered in the book, and the offer seemed to be a very specfic removal of the ability to understand technology for a limited time span, not just general purpose stupidity, so it seemed like the ought to have been able to do better. But you right, we don't really know. Enoch is clear through the whole book that we have so little idea of what they can do.... (hide spoiler)]