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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Redux, November 9, 2001
There's a real risk in writing science fiction, that the author's vision will be OTBE'd - Overtaken By Events. As new science unfolds or time passes in an unexpected manner, a novel or short work that's exceedingly well written and visionary will suddenly become obsolete, despite being a masterwork. Many of the best SF works of the last two generations have suffered this fate when it turned out we weren't going to colonize the moon in the last decade of the Twentieth Century, or that cancer wouldn't be cured, or that Einstein's Laws really do work.That's why it's reassuring when a story like "Travels," a novel by freshman author Jerry J. Davis, hits the stands. Unashamedly drawing on the standards of classic literature while creating a story that is truly his own, Davis skillfully crafts a satisfying novel that revives the style and quality of the masterworks for a new generation. The most obvious influence on Davis' story is the day-after-tomorrow SF of Philip K. Dick. Like "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," the beginning of the story is a near-future dystopian society in which the minor annoyances of today are the handicaps of the new life. An addictive TV network has been created that absorbs viewers to the point that they forget to eat or sleep. Christianity has been co-opted by a feel-good sect that has even re-written the Bible, taking out all the hard theology and self-sacrifice. Social dissatisfaction has escalated to urban terrorism, and many war veterans are now trying to undercut the nation for which then once fought. Another influence, this more in style than content, is Neal Stephenson. Like Stephenson's classic novel "Snow Crash," "Travels" features disparate storylines and separate characters who all come together in an almost orgasmic conclusion. Dodd comes to loathe TV when the Travels network eats his girlfriend's brain; Toby, a devotee of the new lite Christianity, is so enrapt in his faith that he doesn't know his daughter is pregnant; the daughter, Savina, who loves her unborn child and escapes a state-mandated abortion; a band of urban terrorists with a messianic leader; Saul, the executive responsible for the Travels network, who tries to run from the fact that his daughter is a mutant and his wife is having a lesbian affair. All of these storylines orbit the revelation that Jesus Christ is returning bodily to Earth. According to lite Christianity, this is not the end of the world, but the beginning of a new Golden Age. Dodd, who still reads the old Bible, wants to debunk the Second Coming. Toby wants to embrace it. Savina joins the terrorists in sabotaging it. Saul has to compete with it in the ratings. The sophistication of the writing is so subtle that the book glides underneath the eye of the reader without raising much resistance. It's an entertaining read for fans of popular science fiction. The straightforward narrative style and short chapters ensure that even the most distractible reader will be able to keep up with what's going on. However, Davis effectively addresses a plethora of important issues, including religion, family, and work, while also touching on war and technology. Technology does indeed play an important part in this story, but even the bells and whistles serve to contribute to a story about human relationships. The Travels TV network persists underneath all events, but the story isn't about Travels, it's about the people who watch its programming. Machinery at work is part of an early chapter, but it serves not to talk about the systems (which are stintingly described) but rather how human beings and their relationships are affected. Davis effectively handles multiple viewpoints and multiple agendas. Anarchist terrorists are as fully dimensional as an unwed teenage mother. Some of the names are a little obvious - Saul has to compete with Jesus; a terrorist is named Danny Marauder - but there is good symbolism in the narrative. Parts of the book could have stood for a little more concrete description. The music that permeates the Travels network is described as hypnotic, but not really given any degree of detail. Is it jazz, blues, classical? New-age synthesizer la-la music? Likewise, when Dodd scoffs at some factory machines that have replaced friends of his, we are only told they are "two spidery robots." When possessed with loathing, people often find specific traits to hate; are they too thin, too methodical, too ugly? These details might have been desirable to grasp and internalize Dodd's emotions. Still, the novel is fast-paced, readable, and lucid. The end of the story offers hope for a world that has been too long dominated by the hopeless. Though mildly imperfect, the story is at highly enjoyable and thoughtful. The publisher, Time Warner subsidiary iPublish.com, has made no real effort to publicize this book. This is a shame, because its use of classic SF styling to tell a current story offers promise at least to those who appreciate quality pop literature. However, classics are often overlooked in their own time; perhaps, as time passes, the merit of this story will reveal itself. Here's hoping, because if this is a freshman effort, I'm eager to see what Davis is able to do with this book in the future.
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