Customer Reviews

Tomorrow is Too Far

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The meticulous but likable head of security of an aeronautics company is called into a simple investigation of petty arson on factory grounds where nothing was destroyed besides the fuel for the fire and nothing was amiss. Being the thorough investigator he is, Jim Carson can't let this petty crime go without an in-depth enquiry. This leads him into a secret which has no name, a program not meant to exist and to a man with no memory.

Of course, James White is noted for his medical-themed science fiction alá Final Diagnosis or Lifeboat and aliens with psychic powers alá Sector General. Tomorrow is Too Far starts off exactly like a mystery novel and carries a solid, steady investigation daintily sprinkled with salty nuances, cleverly cleaved characters and just a hint of science fiction to whet one's sci-fi appetite. At 183 pages it's more of a ham sandwich than it is a porterhouse steak but true to ham, James White proudly displays his talent for suspense. Enough with the steak analogy.

The cast is just the right size- not too tiny to seem like a small fish but not too big too feel like a game trophy. It's a very manageable novel on many levels, including the ability to finish it in one day. The suspense is good enough to keep you guessing throughout as I know I was fishing for answers on every other page. I was definitely reeled in. Nothing comes out of the blue; rather it's a keen net of happenings and ongoings. The last 10% may leave you wishing it hadn't taken the course it had, but the ending isn't too far off of the mark.

For a James White novel, it's excellent. For an early-1970s novel, it has the likes of Tau Zero, Lathe of Heaven, The Sheep Look Up and Forever War to look up to. It's a little dim on the greater scope of things but in itself it's pretty darn good.

SECURITY RISK

Jim Carson was Security Chief at the Hart-Ewing plant - and he was very good at his job. That is, he accomplished what he had to unobtrusively. The nature of the job made Carson cautious and meticulously through. What he brought to his profession was a most thoughtful sensitivity.

So when Carson became uneasy, he knew something was really wrong. And methodically, as usual, he started going over the multitude of details and impressions he had picked up day-by-day for weeks.

He came up with the most astonishing result!