Wind-In-Trees by Arthur M DoweykoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
After an asteroid strike and viral outbreak that leaves the earth devastated, Henry Wind in Trees may be the only human left alive. And yet... he's not entirely human. In an effort to save him from the virus, Henry's brain was transplanted into a cyborg body. Now, Systems is coming to complete the job and give him a fully artificial brain as well. Wind in Trees is the story of how the last Lakota Sioux native American discovers the truth behind Systems and the apocalypse as he travels through America with his wife's ghost, his robot aide, and an alien.
Overall, Wind in Trees has a bit of a rough start because there are some strange timeline jumps (Chapter 1 should honestly either be deleted or called a prologue) and extended flashbacks, but once you get into the meat (i.e. the actual timeline), it's quite an enjoyable read. It's listed as "sci-fi/action-adventure" on the publisher's page, but honestly, it's a lot of broadly spec fic things at once. The beginning itself has supernatural/horror vibes because of Elizabeth's ghost; yet it's quite dystopic because civilisation as we know it has been destroyed. There's also the interweaving of myth with a Lakota legend forming a core motif: if the old woman (or Elizabeth) ever finishes knitting the blanket, the world will end (again?).
In accordance with the meme that humans will bond with anything, Henry bonds with Seth the robot, often treating it as if it were also human. He also forms a friendship with Anth, even though the alien is part of the advance party that's preparing earth for colonisation. It's these bonds, and his strong relationship with Elizabeth, that provide answers to the many questions and conflicts that Henry faces.
The novel seems to be asking the question, "What would you do if you were the last person on earth?" Dowekyo's answer seems to be "befriend every other living being to not be alone", but I think the true answer should be: Not let your wife finish the blanket, obviously.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from the author & publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
View all my reviews
Wind-In Trees can currently be pre-ordered from Amazon or Kallisto Gaia Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment