Excellent read. It has hints of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? there are androids in this society, along with a fascinating central character developing an interesting philosophy around the nature of life and some obscure motivations to communicate with the stars. That said, this novel is very different from Do Androids…? in almost every other respect.
It is very well written, with two or three interwoven subplots that gradually come together to form a layered, thematic narrative. At its heart, the novel is concerned with what it means to be human, while also exploring religion, the morality of slavery, family, and the complexities of human relationships.
I picked this up expecting a message-from-the-stars/first-contact story. While those themes are present, they remain in the background. At first, I thought that might be a problem, but Silverberg’s much more character-driven story in the foreground was so compelling that I simply couldn’t stop reading.
Recommend.
