World's Fair 1992. Robert Silverberg. 1970. 256 pages. [Source: Bought] [Adult science fiction]
First sentence: Against the night sky, the nearly completed World's Fair Satellite gleamed like a shiny new penny. You could see it even with low-powered field glasses as it moved in its stately orbit around the Earth: a giant copper-hued globe, the biggest space satellite ever constructed. The Fair's opening day--October 12, 1992--was only some six weeks away. And in very much less time than that, Bill Hastings was going to be up there to begin his year in space.
Premise/plot: Bill Hastings won an essay contest and his prize is a year in space. The year? 1992/1993. The job? He'll be an assistant working on the Mars Pavilion of the World's Fair. There are six or seven scientists--slightly different specialties--working there maintaining the exhibit. There are a handful of "Old Martians" on display. Some of the scientists are unhappy with the circumstances. But do the ends justify the means? Perhaps. (The ends being greater research opportunities. The means being "kidnapping" Martians from Mars and putting them on display for tourists to the World's Fair.) Hastings makes friends with the scientists. His essay topic was about possible life on Pluto.
My thoughts: If my summary seems odd, then there's a good reason. This book is a bit odd. The main conflict is one of ethics. Bill Hastings is observing other scientists wrestle with this dilemma. As they seek to colonize other planets. (And by colonize, I mean visit. I don't necessarily mean visit with the goal of setting up colonies....at least not right away). Perhaps I mean explore not colonize? (Colonization is such a loaded topic, a word with a lot of baggage--for better or worse. And this fair is celebrating Christopher Columbus "discovering" America and establishing colonies. So in part, I think there's a definite intention to address this topic. Hastings was not involved in any way with the decision to bring living Martians to the World's Fair to be exhibited. But he is involved when the powers-that-be decide to go to PLUTO and seek out "alien life" on Pluto to bring back to set up as an exhibit. And this is where the book, for me, starts to lose its way. The first half is a dull-ish read set on the World's Fair Satellite. There were conversations about Mars, Martians, science, etc. But essentially, dulls-ville. The second half is when Bill becomes a member of an exploring team on a mission to Pluto--the first manned mission to Pluto. The book ends soon after he returns. Bill has become disenchanted with the World's Fair by that point.
I think the setting and initial premise had potential. I'm not sure it works as a novel written from one point of view. I could see it working as a shorter novella or even short story. Or I could see it working as a collection of short stories set at the World's Fair Satellite--stories with many perspectives or points of view. I could see it working as a mystery or thriller. For example, if the "evil" billionaire genius was the focus of an assassination, or assassination attempt. Or maybe if it was about Bill Hastings discovering something horrible about the World's Fair and working to bring it to light.
© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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