Windowpane | |||||
Steve Perry | |||||
Five Star, 412 pages | |||||
A review by Donna McMahon
There's a catch, of course. The evil forces have their own champion -- the "Logician" -- and she is out to stop him. As Flint nears his goal,
her power increases, and her weapons of violence, immoral science, and bureaucracy converge on him.
He has faith that he'll make it, though -- with a little help from his friends.
Set in 1988, Windowpane follows the adventures of Flint and four forty-somethings drawn to his healing magic: Eddie, a nurse who used
to live on a commune; Kyle, a Viet Nam vet and outlaw biker; Larry, a Hollywood screenwriter; and Grace, a former black radical turned real
estate saleswoman. Their four life stories build an intriguing portrait of a generation, and their gradual conversion from weary cynicism
back to idealism generally rings true.
Perry's central question is simple: what happened to the optimism of the 60s? How did America lose its momentum toward social justice and
instead sink deeper into disparity and violence? His description of East Village in New York -- erstwhile centre
of 60s counter-culture -- sums it up well.
"It was a war zone, but the warriors who stalked the sidewalks and wandered into the streets were soldiers of the dark: addicts, dealers, gang
members in colors, stand-up or kneel-down street whores, and winos with huge livers and stewed brains. Here gathered the dregs of America's
dream, come out in the dark to occupy their special place."
Nonetheless, you don't have to be a 60s nostalgist to find Windowpane a good read. The novel has a strong theme, compelling
characters, brisk pacing, and lots of action, nicely leavened with humour. The end is a bit of a let down, but I didn't seriously
expect Steve Perry to save the world in 412 pages.
I've got to like him for trying, though.
Donna McMahon discovered science fiction in high school and fandom in 1977, and never recovered. Dance of Knives, her first novel, was published by Tor in May, 2001, and her book reviews won an Aurora Award the same month. She likes to review books first as a reader (Was this a Good Read? Did I get my money's worth?) and second as a writer (What makes this book succeed/fail as a genre novel?). You can visit her website at http://www.donna-mcmahon.com/. |
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