One of the most anxious times for a writer is just before the book hits the stores, at the moment when the first reviews appear. You may like what you've written, your editor may like it, your wife and the people in your writing workshop may like it . . . but none of that matters unless the reviewers like it.
Here's what Booklist has to say about Arkad's World, in a notice penned by the extremely wise and perceptive John Keogh:
Arkad is the only human on a world populated by aliens, his past a mystery. When other humans arrive, he seeks them out, determined to find a way off the planet to rejoin his own kind. Cambias (A Darkling Sea, 2014) has achieved a feat of world-building: an expansive, believable setting with fascinating aliens, compelling mysteries, and a rich sense of history. The novel is a classic quest story, a well-paced series of encounters with different folk along the way, building momentum toward a final confrontation with Arkad's past. Though the book is not without flaws, it does boast a rare instance of a deus ex machina that actually works, adding a delicious twist to the end.
(Note that this is from an uncorrected proof — the published review may have some differences.)
Sure, I'd like them to call it the greatest creative work in human history, but I'll take this review. Importantly, Mr. Keogh reviewed the book I wrote, rather than complaining that I didn't write a different one. That matters.
Now I'm looking forward to seeing what the other reviewers think!
Sadly, the greatest creative work in human history comes out next month, my novel REWRITE....but yes, a good solid novel, yours is.
Posted by: Gregory Benford | 12/18/2018 at 12:36 PM