Synopsis
A man and woman discover a portal that takes them back in time. Then they discover how it had been created.
History
First publication: Del Rey, March 1978
Review
This is an excellent novel, but one that will not have an appeal to most readers. It is sort of like Jurassic Park, but it doesn’t have the thrills and danger and gruesomness of the Crichton novel. Still, I wonder if Crichton might have been inspred by this book. What this does have is a blend of science fiction and science fantasy, along with some great characters and a story that fits the description of “cozy” better than most uses of that term. Simak is described as a pastoral writer and that small town sense runs through this story much like it does Bradbury. But that is what most would hate about this novel. It lacks the horror and thrills and instead portrays a comfortable pastoral life that is maintained in the face of all the politics, cult groups, radicals and profit seekers that try to take control. And then there is the story of the alien who creates the time roads and how he evolved to have the ability. You get a glimpse of a great galactic civilization that is like gods. Simak gives us enough to understand his story, but leaves a lot for our imaginations to fill in. A lot of people won’t like that. I think it is great. But this novel will never be considered great because of all those things it is not, sort of like Mastodonia itself, where people want to make it in the image that they want, but it just isn’t. Simak preserves his own vision here. The story goes outside of science fiction into fantasy in choosing an alien that is clearly inspired by the Cheshire Cat. We get a science fiction explanation, but ultimately it is still the Cheshire Cat. So recommending this novel becomes troublesome. I doubt anyone from the big cities would get it. I doubt the people who want thrills, titillation and shock will have anything to do with it. The Harry Potter fans will think it is too short and doesn’t have a “system.” Hard science fiction fans will balk at the switch from a time machine to a time-traveling cat. I think only those who have already found Simak through other novels of his and like his laid-back, small town feel will really appreciate it, along with maybe some people living in places like Two Rivers, WI, who like the small town life.
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We have the story in these editions:
Mastodonia, hardcover, Del Rey, 1978-03-00
