review of
Frederik Pohl's The Voices of Heaven
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - May 29, 2012

Reading this was just what the doctor ordered, not that I'm likely to follow doctor's orders. In other words, I started reading this yesterday b/c I was dreading working on a review of a much more problematic bk & b/c I wanted to actually enjoy something. & I DID enjoy it. & that's why it was "just what the doctor ordered" b/c I really need a fucking break.

Anyway, Pohl is possibly a writer whose work wd've seemed just a tad too easy to me a few decades ago but now I'm glad for it. I wdn't call The Voices of Heaven a 'masterpiece' but it was well-conceived & well-written enuf to keep me completely engrossed.

The problem w/ writing a review about it is that I don't want to create spoilers by addressing the plot too much but that's really what there mostly is to address. Basically, there're thrills & spills, there's nefariousness, a bit of Jim Jones, quite a bit of commentary re religion (hence the title), a nice depiction of an 'alien' society that smacks a little of 'anarcho-primitivism', all sorts of plot-propelling goodies.

The thing is: I read this bk to be entertained, to be stimulated, for its escapist value & I got exactly what I wanted to out of it.. &.. now.. that I'm trying to write the review of it, I'm probably right back to where I might've been 30 yrs ago: it just ISN'T ENUF, even tho I almost gave the bk 4 stars. I LIKE Frederik Pohl!! But I ultimately want MORE out of EVERYTHING than just escape &, oh well, I'm not going to get it out of fiction. But I'll still READ FICTION in preference to going crazy from frustration w/ the 'real world'. ( )

Despite being a science fiction reader since the time I could actually read a book, I had not had the opportunity to read any Fred Pohl until this book found its way into my library. I was very impressed and understand why Pohl is counted among the giants of the genre's golden age.

THE VOICES OF HEAVEN is a surprisingly complex novel that deals with the concept of religious strife without actually getting bogged down in dogma and scripture. Pohl shows us a world that many secular humanists fear is already in the making: political parties abolished and theocracy instituted, because everyone votes their religion anyway, right? The consequences of Christian extremism are explored for a change, which is a nice breather from the extremist-Muslim-killer stereotripe.

Overall, THE VOICES OF HEAVEN is a worthwhile read that won't take you long to get through, but it will stimulate your mind for a good long time after. ( )

No action, but very realistic, with a good main character and a cool ending. A bit boring in the middle. ( )

ZB9