Scan barcode
A review by ianmitchell
Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson
4.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. Parts of it are great, while others are weak; I could have just as easily given it 3 stars as 4.
The novel essentially combines 2 stories; one is historical fiction about the life of Galileo, while the other involves him being brought into the far future and interacting with inhabitants of the moons of Jupiter.
The "historical" story is mostly well done, though there are a few stretches that read more like a history book than a novel. I got a little tired of reading about Galileo moaning and wailing all the time, but overall it was an interesting read about one of the most important figures in the history of science (or indeed the world).
The "future" story doesn't work quite as well - partly due to the implausibility of some of the actions taken by the future society and partly because it just isn't that compelling. I kind of see what Robinson was setting out to do with this storyline and how he was trying to frame a lot of the book in terms of the conflict between science and religion, but I don't think he succeeded that well.
Overall I enjoyed the novel, but wouldn't consider it a "must read."
The novel essentially combines 2 stories; one is historical fiction about the life of Galileo, while the other involves him being brought into the far future and interacting with inhabitants of the moons of Jupiter.
The "historical" story is mostly well done, though there are a few stretches that read more like a history book than a novel. I got a little tired of reading about Galileo moaning and wailing all the time, but overall it was an interesting read about one of the most important figures in the history of science (or indeed the world).
The "future" story doesn't work quite as well - partly due to the implausibility of some of the actions taken by the future society and partly because it just isn't that compelling. I kind of see what Robinson was setting out to do with this storyline and how he was trying to frame a lot of the book in terms of the conflict between science and religion, but I don't think he succeeded that well.
Overall I enjoyed the novel, but wouldn't consider it a "must read."