Scan barcode
A review by mpclemens
Galileo's Dream by Kim Stanley Robinson
3.0
More of a alternate-history biography of Galileo crossed with Robinson's style of sci-fi: human societies, struggling with unknowns and their own political and personal issues. The sci-fi aspects are muted, though, and the majority of the book is spent in a fictionalized biography of Galileo himself, with only occasional excursions into the future Jovian humanity. There are themes that come up late in the story that would have added more urgency to the affairs, but then, Robinson allowed himself to be (mostly) confined with the actual events surrounding Galileo's experiments, life, and trials. Only in the last third or so of the book did the parallel plots feel like they were advancing in any significantly interesting way. I would have preferred more glimpses into the Jovian society, the explorations, and more with Ganymede (the man) than we were given.
Finally, Robinson plays with a point-of-view that seems to slide around unexpectedly: sometimes we see the story from Galileo's point of view, sometimes from his Jovian servant "entangled" into the past. The story slides from one to the other without warning, and it makes the novel feel a bit unmoored at times. It's not a bad book, but it's not a great one.
Finally, Robinson plays with a point-of-view that seems to slide around unexpectedly: sometimes we see the story from Galileo's point of view, sometimes from his Jovian servant "entangled" into the past. The story slides from one to the other without warning, and it makes the novel feel a bit unmoored at times. It's not a bad book, but it's not a great one.