Clifford D. Simak's Mastodonia was originally published in 1977. I read it then, which means I was 16 years old. I had always been a Simak fan and I enjoyed Mastodonia a lot. More so than many other books by him. Not that I ever disliked a single one he published. I know I could go out on the enclosed deck, sit under the outdoor ceiling fans, with an iced tea in one hand and one of his books in the other and still enjoy reading them today.
Mastodonia seems especially suited to young readers and it almost reads like a YA book. Even though it doesn't feature any youthful characters. The writing in Mastodonia could be considered quaint. Especially the dialogue. Jaded readers might go so far as to consider it corny. But that's okay by me.
Since the 90's, I've read a lot of would-be hip books, in and out of genre fiction. Often the stories would be gruelingly boring in their attempts to be aloof. Too cool for school. You know what? I get sick of nihilism. There's a time and a place for it, sure, but it's nice to read a good, old fashioned adventure story once in a while. The older I get, the more I seem to want to return to the enthusiasm of my youth. To break out that creaky old sense of wonder and try it on again. I gotta tell you, it feels good and I can't think of a better writer to do it with than Clifford D. Simak.
In a plot that seems to slightly borrow from the author's Hugo-winning novella, The Big Front Yard, Mastodonia opens with a man on a farm with his dog. The dog has begun to bring some strange items home. Such as fresh dinosaur bones and a flint spearhead that could not have been made in the 20th Century. With the help of a catlike, long-stranded alien, Bowser the dog has been taking trips into the deep past. A good-hearted local simpleton is able to communicate with the dog and the alien and soon time travel is possible for the farmer. Before you know it, everyone wants a piece of the action. From Hollywood producers to religious fanatics to big game hunters. Time travel becomes more complicated...and dangerous...than anyone ever dreamed.
Mastodonia is a delight. Part adventure, part gentle satire of human nature and a lot of cosmic awe are blended into a slam-bang fun novel.
Clifford D. Simak is known by some as "The Pastoralist of Science Fiction" and his love of the land and decent country folk is obvious in most of his fiction. Born in Wisconsin, Simak's fiction often takes place in rural settings. They are warm and nostalgic. Beautiful to read and to re-read.
Yet, sadly, Simak is quickly being forgotten. Yes, his most famous novels, City and Way Station, have been reprinted in recent years, but the majority of his books are long out of print. A few short story collections have been published,and an ambitious twelve-volume project from Darkside Press has been announced. But at this writing only two have come to fruition. And due to the well-publicized troubles of Darkside, the future of the series is uncertain. It's sad, because Clifford Simak deserves to be read and remembered. I tend to favorably compare him to Ray Bradbury.
Mastodonia seems especially suited to young readers and it almost reads like a YA book. Even though it doesn't feature any youthful characters. The writing in Mastodonia could be considered quaint. Especially the dialogue. Jaded readers might go so far as to consider it corny. But that's okay by me.
Since the 90's, I've read a lot of would-be hip books, in and out of genre fiction. Often the stories would be gruelingly boring in their attempts to be aloof. Too cool for school. You know what? I get sick of nihilism. There's a time and a place for it, sure, but it's nice to read a good, old fashioned adventure story once in a while. The older I get, the more I seem to want to return to the enthusiasm of my youth. To break out that creaky old sense of wonder and try it on again. I gotta tell you, it feels good and I can't think of a better writer to do it with than Clifford D. Simak.
In a plot that seems to slightly borrow from the author's Hugo-winning novella, The Big Front Yard, Mastodonia opens with a man on a farm with his dog. The dog has begun to bring some strange items home. Such as fresh dinosaur bones and a flint spearhead that could not have been made in the 20th Century. With the help of a catlike, long-stranded alien, Bowser the dog has been taking trips into the deep past. A good-hearted local simpleton is able to communicate with the dog and the alien and soon time travel is possible for the farmer. Before you know it, everyone wants a piece of the action. From Hollywood producers to religious fanatics to big game hunters. Time travel becomes more complicated...and dangerous...than anyone ever dreamed.
Mastodonia is a delight. Part adventure, part gentle satire of human nature and a lot of cosmic awe are blended into a slam-bang fun novel.
Clifford D. Simak is known by some as "The Pastoralist of Science Fiction" and his love of the land and decent country folk is obvious in most of his fiction. Born in Wisconsin, Simak's fiction often takes place in rural settings. They are warm and nostalgic. Beautiful to read and to re-read.
Yet, sadly, Simak is quickly being forgotten. Yes, his most famous novels, City and Way Station, have been reprinted in recent years, but the majority of his books are long out of print. A few short story collections have been published,and an ambitious twelve-volume project from Darkside Press has been announced. But at this writing only two have come to fruition. And due to the well-publicized troubles of Darkside, the future of the series is uncertain. It's sad, because Clifford Simak deserves to be read and remembered. I tend to favorably compare him to Ray Bradbury.
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