Customer Reviews

This Time of Darkness (Starscape)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In a far-flung future, the people are told the air above is too polluted to breathe-there is nothing left on the surface anymore. All that exists is the crowded underground city. Eleven-year-old Amy has always been the curious sort, but she has learned to hide her curiosity-and the fact she can read-from the adults who watch her. Until a strange boy tumbles into her world, claiming he is from the outside-and together the two of them must uncover old secrets and new worlds.

This is a rollicking preteen SF tale by H.M. Hoover that I found back in the eighties and was one of my favorites. Though this was originally published in the eighties, Hoover's ability to conjure up a another kind of world, to tell the kind of stories that speak to the reader and spark their imagination still shines through-so it's unsurprising that so many of her books are being reprinted for a new generation of young readers to discover and enjoy. Hoover herself confesses in her bio that she wrote the kind of stories she enjoyed reading as a child-what better way to capture an audience? THIS TIME OF DARKNESS encapsulates the idea of a strange, oppressive future society with appealing preteen protagonists. Readers journey with them as the discover the way out of the darkness, but will the watchers allow them to find freedom and hope in the world?

Many will want to pick this book up out of nostalgia-having read this when they were kids-to revisit the story they remember, and maybe to share with their children who are just encountering science fiction for the first time.

This story is perfectly tailored to its audience, and while some of the future technology may feel a little dated since publication, the overall themes hold up well, and deliver their message of hope and perseverance admirably. If you are encountering Hoover for the first time, look for some of her other SF classics, like THE WINDS OF MARS, ORVIS, or my favorite, THE LOST STAR. For books in a similar vein, you might also check out THE CITY OF EMBER by Jean Duprau and DEVIL ON MY BACK by Monica Hughes.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

This is one of those stories that makes you think, "What if? If this world were REAL, would I be like a mindless, robotic moron?". I, for one, enjoyed this story of a futuristic, overpowered government of "authorities" that tries to control the citizens' knowledge. The main characters of the book, Amy and Axel, have dared to defy the somewhat ridiculous stipulations of the seemingly omniscient, omnipotent "authorities".

Sypnosis: (I might give too much of the plot away! Sorry!)

Ten-year-old Amy lives in a large underground city. (But, believe me, she has no idea that it is underground.)
"The City" as everyone knows it, is overpopulated and disgusting. Filthy, roach-infested, it's a wonder anyone can stand it. But the inhabitants have no idea there is anything better.
Told that all "levels" of the city are the same, they have no desire to even visit one level from their home. They move around like robots, the children going to "training dorm" to learn a "skill" (things like how to make the City's uniform thong sandals or pipe repair). Women do not even have babies just because they want to have children. Instead, they have them during "Baby Bonus" years, so they can get promotions. People are discouraged from reading, because they claim books are "sanitary hazards" and besides, all the signs are explanatory pictures. (The real reason, you will find out later in the book.)
Amy goes about her same boring routine, but she remembers the "Level 80" stories of her childhood. Longing for something different, possibly something she read about (yes, Amy is literate) she talks with the strange boy from her class, Axel. Axel claims to come from the outside. This contradicts all of Amy's teachings, because all the "training tapes" she watches in the "learning centers" say that everything is City. Since she lives on Level 9, she and Axel decide to search for Level 80. When they discover what the stories are about, they also discover the "Authorities'" almost sinister plot to keep all the people on the lower levels "like sullen animals," as one "Authority" puts it. The "Authorities" release Amy and Axel to the "Outside," leaving them to fend for themselves among the nearly animal "Crazies," as everyone from the City refers to them. With help from an unexpected source (MAJOR PLOT SPOILER SO I WON'T TELL YOU WHO) they reach Axel's home town.

(PLEASE DON'T READ ON IF YOU DON'T WANT THE ENDING SPOILED, because I'll just tell you.)

In the end, we get a very vague glimpse of the "Outside" town of Mercer, but enough to know that it was completely strange to Amy, as she learns new things that astound her.

As one reads this story, they wonder exactly how possible the whole thing is. It's eerie, even scary, when you really stop to think about it. It is science fiction with a slightly apocalyptic theme. This is one of the best science fiction books I have read in a long time. The plot is mysterious from the start, but it really grabs you. This story is a wonderful read for adults as well as children. Don't let the fact that it was written more than twenty years ago scare you away from it. It is not filled with all the technological advances you would expect from science fiction, but it is definitely worth the read for the gripping plot alone.

I first read this book when I was 10 years old (some 16 years ago) and still count it as one of my all time favorites. A grot plot, complete with conspiracies, pre-adolescent sexual tensions, issues with authority, and political mystery make this an excellent semi-sci-fi thriller for any age. A reprint is a moral imperative.

I first read this as a child, and it was one of several books that really made an impression on me. Every couple of years I would hunt it down through the local library, and it never lost its impact, even reading it as an adult! Finally, through Amazon, I was able to buy it for myself, and it will always have a place of honor on my bookshelf.

The story may have been labeled for young adults, but don't let that stop you from reading it! The writing is excellent, the plot is intriguing and moves swiftly. The ideas presented are thought-provoking and will have you thinking about the book long after you've finished it.

It's vaguely science fiction, set on a futuristic Earth, in a crowded, self-contained city -- one with no sunlight, no grass, no flowers, no beauty, no hope. Intelligence is frowned upon, reading is forbidden, life has little meaning. Then a boy appears and claims to have come from somewhere else, somewhere with bright sunlight and wide open spaces! Only one girl believes him, and together they set out to escape the dismal walls of her city, to find the impossible freedom of his home. Along the way they make some startling discoveries about the world they live in and the choices their ancestors made.

Like so many others who are writing reviews, this was one of my favorite books when I was a child in the mid-1980's. (In my case, I checked it out -- several times -- from the local bookmobile.) I was randomly hoping get a used copy, and am thrilled to discover that it is back in print!

I bought this book from a book sale at our local library as I was a fan of H M Hoover's works. Since then, it has been read and re-read. The themes in this book, like so many of her's, appeal to old and young alike. The escape of Axel and Amy to a life beyond the city is fast paced and cannot be put down. As each revelation unfolds, I found myself hooked. It is a shame that such a wonderful, beautiful book is no longer in print. I highly recommend this story

My story in connection with this book is like many others. My brother owned it and aged about seven I read it, loved it and promptly forgot which book it was. Four or five years later I pulled it off the shelf again and when a I realised which book it was I put it on MY shelves. Now, it is a bit dog-eared, the pages are falling out and I plan to buy a new copy when it comes out, but that's not because it has been kicking about under my bed for ages, it is because I have read it so many times. There is something wonderful about 'old' science fiction- nowadays it seems so overused.
This is the original 'underground city post-nuclear war' book, where the main character lives in a society that never sees the light of day, eats food made in a lab, and where books and learning are discouraged by 'the authorities'. I love it. When it comes out, buy it and read it and never let it out of your sight.

This book is about these two kids who live in this endless city and have never gone outside. One claims to be from the outside, and they attempt to escape. I really enjoyed it, but it was weak on backround. The city and the outside villages are not fleshed out fully. It gave hints of something that it never revealed. How the villages got some foods was beyond me, and parts were too implausable. Still, Hoover has written a fine story that just should have been longer. Most of it is very belivable, and the novel has a serious point to make about manipulation of facts, overpopulation, and enviormentalism.

I still remember that snowy morning in the library as a 6th grader when I picked up this book. I just wanted to read something, although I didn't know what. I read the summary and it looked interesting so I checked it out. The moment I started to read I could not put it down. I must have read it at least 5 times before I gave it back to the library and renewed it. I have gone back to the only public library in town that hold this book many times to read it again. I'm not a senior in high school and I still remember being so enchanted by this story. When I came online to see if I could buy it after not finding it in stores I was astonished to see how high the prices were and how such a wonderful book could go out of print. If you like the type of science fiction that makes you have to think and see things in a different perspective than this is the book for you. I would recommend it to any young child, teenager, or adult. Now, if only I can find someplace where I can buy it!

I'll begin by stating that I was unfortunate as a child to never run across this particular author. As an adult, I have so far read Children/Treasures of Morrow, Orvis, and This Time of Darkness. I have to say, all of them are fun reads, and if I HAD read them as a child, would unreservedly have rated them all as 5s, and been quite enthusiastic about the ideas, characters, and plots presented.

Coming to them as an adult, I notice a lot of little things that I wouldn't have noticed or cared about as a child. (There will be spoilers below, but nothing directly concerning the plot - simply to give examples.)

Several of these little things are contradictions in the maturity level of the intended readers. On the low-maturity end, there is very little exposition or explanation for the state of reality as it is presented. Every physical area gone through is accepted as-is, with no questions or commentary on their history, future, or relatedness to the other areas. While it is appropriate for the characters to not know, as a reader, I wanted to have a bit more background information on what they were seeing and experiencing. Limiting the information by simply hinting at past conflicts makes those places seem more juvenile and safe. In addition to that blandness, the relationship between the leads is strictly platonic, placing it securely into lower-middle-school range.

Contrast that with high-maturity flashes such as the following: Amy's mother wants her gone so that she can have a live-in-boyfriend, people who break even minor rules are straightforwardly assigned to torture in the form of 'treatments' which leave them mentally handicapped, a fellow-student is described as so bright that he was bored in school and spent his time "playing with himself until he was fixed." Now, perhaps I have too many pets, but there's only one thing I see that particular phrase referring to, and it's a little jarring to come across in the middle of an ostensibly middle-school read.

Other slight hangups are in the suspension of disbelief. Several times, events unfold in statistically unlikely ways to pave an easier way for the leads, or to present events and/or concepts for them to ponder. While pondering is well and good, I would have preferred a less heavy-handed method to allow the children to arrive at the same ideas. In a similar vein, having the children put a bit more of their own effort and ingenuity into the actual attempt would have made their adventures a bit more dramatic and purposeful.

Now, despite the above nitpicks, overall this was a highly enjoyable read, and I'm holding on to it to offer as a recommended read for any budding sci-fi, futurist, or dystopian literature fans.