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Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand |
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Red Claw by Phillip Palmer Orbit Supplied for review by Hachette New Zealand |
Reviewed By: Jacqui Smith |
| There is no doubt that Palmer’s work is engaging and
innovative, and has a strong story. I’m not surprised at the positive reviews it
seems to have received. But there is a flaw, and I will illustrate by relating an actual
incident. My eleven-year old son and I were reading together. He had Roald Dahl’s Matilda
and I had Red Claw. He looked over at Red Claw,
pointed and said "Bad book! Bad!" Why, might you ask? It was because there, in
the middle of the page, was repeated explicit profanity. I was embarrassed, and explained
that it was a good story, pity about the writer’s choice of language. I suspect that Palmer does not realise the potential to alienate potential readers (and therefore miss out on sales, and possible awards) through using bad language and detailing explicit sex scenes. All I can do is to warn you not to give this book to persons under eighteen, or of a sensitive disposition. It’s a pity, because this truly could be an exceptional work of science fiction. Palmer presents a complex and fantastic ecosystem, and a scientific expedition whose sole function is to detail the biosphere before it’s all destroyed in the terraforming process. It all goes rapidly downhill when the base computer turns rogue, and the survivors find themselves in the middle of a battle for their lives. I do not recall anyone ever so cogently debating the ethics of terraforming, in the middle of such a rollicking good yarn! |
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SFFANZ is a non-profit organisation
and registered charity designed to bring together fans of the fantastic in New Zealand |
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Contact us by email at: enquiries@sffanz.org.nz |
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