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A review by jonathanpalfrey
Needle by Hal Clement
3.0
The concept of this story seems original even now, and must have been weirdly imaginative in 1950, when it was published as Clement's first novel (he was about 28 at the time). The early chapters are interesting and quite exciting.
However, while Clement could dramatize intelligent aliens well enough, his humans seem old-fashioned (did people really talk like that in 1950?) and rather wooden. When the story starts to involve multiple humans interacting with each other, it bogs down, and I skim through it rapidly to find out what happens. The details along the way are rather tedious.
I suppose I can give it three stars because I have reread it occasionally, but consider them awarded for the concept and the early chapters. The later chapters are barely worth two stars as fiction, although the scientific topics mentioned may be of some interest if you like that kind of thing.
His second novel was [b:Iceworld|1875499|Iceworld|Hal Clement|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1189607333l/1875499._SY75_.jpg|1528695] and it's better than this; his third was [b:Mission of Gravity|525285|Mission of Gravity|Hal Clement|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328628795l/525285._SY75_.jpg|894625] and it's better still.
However, while Clement could dramatize intelligent aliens well enough, his humans seem old-fashioned (did people really talk like that in 1950?) and rather wooden. When the story starts to involve multiple humans interacting with each other, it bogs down, and I skim through it rapidly to find out what happens. The details along the way are rather tedious.
I suppose I can give it three stars because I have reread it occasionally, but consider them awarded for the concept and the early chapters. The later chapters are barely worth two stars as fiction, although the scientific topics mentioned may be of some interest if you like that kind of thing.
His second novel was [b:Iceworld|1875499|Iceworld|Hal Clement|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1189607333l/1875499._SY75_.jpg|1528695] and it's better than this; his third was [b:Mission of Gravity|525285|Mission of Gravity|Hal Clement|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328628795l/525285._SY75_.jpg|894625] and it's better still.