Simak is not only a Romantic, but a reactionary too…Īs the magic above, there’s quite a lot of other stuff that’s underdeveloped. In the old days it would have been – what did you say, gentlemanly and on a plane of principles and ethics. The fact that, near the end, the ultimate savior of humanity (and the other galactic races) turns out to be a deaf-mute child with unexplained magical powers, shows Simak actually is a hopeless, messianic Romantic.Īdd to that a pervading feeling throughout the book, exemplified in the following sentence: How the universe held together before this talisman was constructed is unclear. This more or less magical device is needed to keep the different societies of the galaxy, and even the galaxy itself, together. The universe seems to “care” in unexplained way, and an important part of the plot has to do with an ill-conceived “Talisman”, a mysterious device made 10.000 years ago by some alien. Simak also ventures into a strange mysticism, possibly also inspired by the sixties vibe. Although war and violence remain potent themes for a book, the way Simak approaches them seems dated. They also did so without atomic bombs, tanks and gas chambers. Yet the Mongols did so in a world with only 1/7th the population of the mid-20th century. They forgot that the brutal Mongol conquest in the 13th century was able to kill more than 40 million people, as opposed to the 55 million that were killed in World War 2. Progressing intelligence, technology and science are pointed out as culprits, something which has been in fashion for thinkers since the second half of the 20th century. The fear of a devastating, apocalyptic nuclear war lays as a heavy hand on the story.

There is a sense of mystery, and Simak’s rural descriptions of the lonely Enoch and his daily occupations really achieve a unique, emotional mood.Īs the novel progresses, this mood at times becomes muddled by the obvious messages Simak wants to convey. At first, the story holds tremendous promise. Enoch is to be the keeper of this station, and doesn’t age any more.

Simak tells the story of Enoch Wallace, a soldier that survived Gettysburg and afterwards was chosen by an alien to transform his parental house in a secret way station for all kinds of different alien travellers. While the language and descriptions are still worthwhile, the themes of this book seem dated and naïve. Way Station is firmly rooted in its time of publication.

Way station by clifford d simak