NEW SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY REVIEWS
Reviews Of Recently Published Science Fiction And Fantasy Books
Reviewer: Forrest Schultz schultz_forrest@yahoo.com 770-583-3258
Blog Address: http://newsciencefictionandfantasyreviews.blogspot.com/
August 1, 2014
Natural Vs. Artificial Clash in Latest Gannah Story
A Review of
Yvonne Anderson Ransom in the Rock [Gateway to Gannah #3] (Create Space, 2014)
300 pp $13.50 ISBN-13: 978-1499132144
Reviewer: Forrest W. Schultz
The focus of Yvonne Anderson's third Gannah volume is on the enmity which Karkar has for Gannah which is rooted in the clash between artificiality and naturalness. This clash is there from the beginning when the Karkarians land on Gannah to return fifteen year old Lileela after the ten years of medical treatment she had on Karkar, after which it is seen within Lileela as she struggles to overcome the artificiality she had adopted on Karkar to re-adapt to the naturalness of Gannah. Dassa, as the Toqeph of Gannah, is still very important to the story but is not central to it as she was in the first two books. She also is now no longer a young woman but is middle-aged. The story also provides additional information on Gannah as well as Karkar.
A major component in the Karkarian artificiality is its over dependence upon robots, which is reminiscent of the robot-addiction of the Spacer Worlds in Isaac Asimov's Foundation Universe. But its most grievous fault is its man-centeredness which leads to the rejection of the authority of God and the salvation He provides for repentant sinners. This anti-God mentality is at the root of the artificiality and the rejection of natural living, which is shown in the Gannah books, especially this one And, like its predecessors, this one is a good read -- we care about the characters and are carried along by an interesting story.
The fourth Gannah book, The Last Toqeph, is scheduled to be released this fall. Information on the author is available at Y's Words.
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