The Host - by Stephenie Meyer
Fri, 02/20/2009 - 19:46
The HostFinally, a sci-fi book I could get into!
The Host, by Stephenie Meyer, grabbed my interest on page one and didn't let go.
In my opinion, most sci-fi suffers from one or more of these three fatal flaws: It sacrifices the story to make room for the science; it’s a regurgitation of 1000 other stories I’ve already read or seen in the theater; and/or it has the old negative cliché theme of “You think life sucks now? Well, in the future, people are just as shortsighted, self-serving, and unwise as they are now…but in the future, the robots are pissed off”.
I admit I was expecting more of the same after reading the back cover synopsis of The Host (There’s an alien invasion of Earth! Humanity may be doooomed! And all that.)
I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find the story to be more like a combination psychological thriller, drama, social commentary, and romance novel. And, oh yeah, it happens to take place in the future, and there is an alien invasion. Fatal flaw count: 0.
The Host is sci-fi that’s really “fi-sci” because the fiction is far more important to the story than the science. And that’s so refreshing, especially after reading three or four “life sucks and you think you got it bad now, just wait” novels in a row.
So, THANK YOU Stephenie Meyer for a new perspective for the genre. There may be hope for the human race after all.
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- 244 reads
The Host is a truly great book! Stephenie Meyer uses the scifi genre as a means to explore the nature of self and social dynamics in new and creative ways. The dramatic tension and unfolding mysteries keep a perfect pace. This is the first book in a long time that I had a really hard time putting down.
One of the best things about this book is the intelligence of the characters. While each character is unique, the main characters all possess their own kind of genius. We get to listen to their thinking processes and internal discussions as they try to figure out what's going on and what to do next. In the process, they get to know themselves and their world better and experience true, noticeable personal growth that affects their decisions and actions later in the book.
I highly recommend this book!
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