BOOK
REVIEW: Listened to an NPR interview with Michael Bunker. He writes
for a genre called Amish Sci-Fi. WOT!?! The author speaks with
imagination and authority being a member of a plain community in
Texas.
The
book being discussed is entitled “Pennsylvania” The Complete
Novel. (More about THAT later.) Setting is in Pennsylvania mid 21st
century. War has visited in such a fashion that the Amish who are
tech free live in five Amish Zones (AZ). The rest of the world
powers evolved into one pricipal that of encouraging business. And
the Amish are being relatively unmolested because they produce the
majority of the food for the world. As a result, all personal travel
was outlawed, all roads were dug up. All non Amish are wired into
the internet in their heads and live a vastly different life as
Englischers. And there is peace except for the occasional rebellion.
The main prison is in Oklahoma.
Story
starts out with 18 year old Jed Troyer saving up to join his
childhood friend on New Pennsylvania, help him in the Amish way and
eventually get his 200 acre farm for himself. Eighteen!!
This
started to feel distinctly like an old Robert A. Heinlien youth
adventure until everything went to Hell. Then as more characters and
situations were introduced Isaac Asimov took over for five or six
pages to explain in rather tedious detail exactly how the internal
internet system evolved. Then the action bits kicked in here and
there. My favorite chapter is “The Barn Raising” wonderful
summation of an Amish barn raising and the plain and sacred aspects
of the effort.
There
were just enough questions raised and explained in sequential action
events to explain what was going on. There is the promise of a
happily ever after but we will have to wait because it is a CLIFF.
HANGER. The writing of which is implied. ARGH!! This book is a
keeper even if I was highly tempted to dash it against the wall.
PS:
Of course there is a power struggle for Okcillium, not unlike
Unobtainium on Avatar. What next Impossibilium?
1 comment:
Mr. Bunker has no shortage of imagination, as his recent plunge into fiction writing shows. Authority, however, not so much. Despite the costume he's not quite as "plain" as he likes to let on. Still, his books seem to have great appeal in certain circles and his writing, though still a little stilted at times, is improving.
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