by Robert Charles Wilson(New York: Tor Books, 1998)
Paperback, 372 Pages, Fiction
From the Cover: In 1912, history was changed by the Miracle, when the old world of Europe was replaced by Darwinia, a strange land of nightmarish jungle and antediluvian monsters. To some, the Miracle is an act of divine retribution; to others, it is an opportunity to carve out a new empire. Leaving an America now ruled by religious fundamentalists, young Guilford Law travels to Darwinia on a mission of discovery that will take him further than he can possibly imagine … to a shattering revelation about mankind’s destiny in the universe.
My Review: I’ve had this book on my shelves and in my TBR pile for about two years now, and it was only now, as we were moving from Utah to Washington State so I could attend grad school, that I could find the time to sit down and read it. What first drew me to Wilson’s novel was the synopsis from the back of the book (as transcribed above). I mean, really … who could resist a literary come on like that? I was hooked even before I had read a single page.
What I found within the pages of Darwinia was a novel that was much deeper and more in the realm of true science fiction than I had expected. Wilson executes a classic (and very subtle) bait-and-switch with the plot, and by the time the Reader realizes what is going on in the story, it is too late and they are drawn deep into the plot and invested heavily in the characters … especially that of Guilford Law.
I’ll try not to say too much about the plot because to do so would be to flirt with spoilers, so rather than do that, I’ll just leave you to discover the plot twists on your own.
I will say, though, that it was not what I expected and that is not necessarily a good thing. I am all for being surprised by a book, but I went into Darwinia with certain expectations, namely a kind of steampunk-ish adventure with strange creatures on a new continent that suddenly appears overnight, and for about half of the novel, that is what I got. Then, however, Wilson throws a hanging left turn into unadulterated science fiction that comes out of nowhere, and while I admire what he did (and I’ll say this: the plot twist he throws is brilliant and unlike anything I have seen in a long time), it took me a while to adjust my expectations to what Wilson had written. It was, to say the least, a hard thing to do.
That aside, though, Wilson has created an incredible alternate Twentieth-Century in Darwinia and in terms of character, he is an absolute genius. Guilford Law is one of the most believable and realistic fictional characters that I have encountered in a very long time. I was completely captivated by the situation(s) into which Wilson threw Law and then had him work his way out of. It takes quite a bit of effort to keep reminding yourself that this is in fact a fictional book, and that Guilford Law does not exist, and that is just about as high a compliment that I can think to give any one author.
All in all, Darwinia is a fascinating read, but when you go in, make sure to check your expectations at the door. Otherwise, like me, you may find yourself left high and dry halfway through the book and needing to reassess what you thought the novel was going to be about, because believe you me, no matter what you think Darwinia is about … you’re going to be wrong and Wilson will surprise you.
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