The best way to describe this novel quickly is to compare it to the movie Titanic. When you pick up the novel you know how the story ends, but you read it for the incredible ride it takes you on to get to that end point. Along the way the novel raises many deep questions about science, society, progress, tradition, greed, arrogance and sacrifice, to the point that the star of the novel isn't actually Jor-El, Zod or Zor-El, but rather Krypton's society itself and how it presents the myriad of concepts I just listed.
To give a bit of background on myself, I recently graduated with an English degree from Michigan State University and am a huge science fiction fan. I tend to view most works in science fiction that I have read as specifically not literary, as they rarely engage the type of psychological depth that I believe is necessary to place that label upon a novel. Granted some works achieve this difficult mantle, such as Orwell's 1984. To be clear the glowing praise I gave at the beginning of this review and that comparison I just invited does not mean I believe that the Last Days of Krypton approaches the level of Orwell, it does however cause one to examine society in a way akin to Orwell's work. In doing so, this novel produces a visceral experience that left me with a deep sense of satisfaction and a fresh perspective on the current decline of our own society.
Warning: from this point forth the review may contain spoilers.
The Plot: The plot of the novel is not particularly profound or brilliant, but is executed in such a way that allows for the constant development of suspense and tension, while also allowing time for the growth and exploration of the psyches and motivations of some of the main characters. It begins innocuously with Jor-El producing the Phantom Zone and expands through contacts with Alien civilizations, an unknown threat, repeated potential catastrophes, the rise and fall of Zod and ends ultimately with birth of Kal-El and the destruction of Krypton. The excellent pacing of the novel provides very few lulls, while also allowing for some crucial moments of character development. The inlcusion of Brainiac and what he did to kandor was executed particularly well from my perspective.
The Characters: The novel both shines brilliantly and fails with some of its characters. Jor-El and Zod are brilliantly explored, providing great depth and growth throughout the novel and providing great insight into their various opinions and motivations. Jor-El represents pure moral progress and scientific achievement. His genius is constantly stifled by the unimaginative and foolish Kryptonian council. He seeks to only better the lives of all of the people of Krypton and throughout the novel he must struggle against bureaucratic red tape and foolish, stupid or arrogant people who prevent him from succeeding in this goal. He also grows as he realizes the necessity of participating politics and also grows from pure scientist to a loving husband who can appreciate the arts, to which he previously had no time. The continuous moral dilemmas he experiences in knowing when to defy the council, to his misgivings about Zod and his eventual total defiance of the General provide excellent growth.
Zod too is a brilliantly realized character. He is portrayed from the beginning as different from the shortsighted fools of the Kryptonian council. His ambition, intelligence and ruthlessness set him apart, but he is not truly evil as defined in the sense of the desire to kill and rule without cause. He serves to show how power can be used effectively and for great good in the hands of a capable ruler, but also how such power can corrupt the good intentions of the [particular ruler until he becomes a tyrant that must be brought down. Seeing as this was my introduction to Zod as a character, I found Anderson's portrayal of him outstanding. He has nuanced motivations that are ultimately corrupted by the power he wields until he has been transformed from ambitions and a bit ruthless, to a cruel, power-hungry and arrogant man bent on ruling Krypton with an iron fist in order achieve his ends.
Unfortunately, apart from those two, most of the other characters are not nearly as deep. Zor-El is a benevolent ruler who has the undying loyalty of his subjects, Lara and Jar-El fall too quickly in love (though their relationship is developed and expored) and Aeyther (Zod's consort) never has her particular motivations and reasons for marrying Zod well explored. These flaws however are minor and do not detract from the overall story.
However, the true shining star of the novel is Kryptonian society. At the beginning of the novel it is shown to have been stagnant for a millennium after a great war caused enormous destruction throughout the planet and wiped out an entire civilization. As a result, for 1,000 years Kryton isolated itself from the galaxy and declared its society "perfect". In doing so the novel raises many questions on the validity of isolationism, the threat of outside enemies and the necessity to involve oneself in the greater community. All of these questions were prominent in American society during the 1930s (when Superman was created) as America struggled with the idea of embroiling itself in the growing European conflicts. The actions of the characters in the novel also raise questions on the moral question of instilling fear in order to build up enormous and devastating weapons (a question still very prominent today), as well as the dueling concerns of pushing the boundaries of technology while also acknowledging the destructive potential of such technology. Finally, the various flaws in all the different forms of government that emerge throughout the novel raise questions regarding the desirability and attainability of a Utopian society.
In conclusion, this is a superb work of popular science fiction that not only prides a wonderful ride to a known end point, but one that also raises many deep questions about society and progress that give it psychological depth not usually found within such works. I would recommend this novel to anyone.
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Please try again later.Top reviews from other countries
S P Mead
a thorough exploration of the demise of Krypton
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2016
Amazon Customer
A must read for Sci-Fi Fans
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2012
