It's a pretty neat book if you like the alternate history genre. A fair bit of a departure from Orson Card's best known novel Ender's Game, but I actually think this is his most interesting book conceptually after Ender's game. He takes the premise (how would history have turned out if Christopher Columbus' discovery of America hadn't led to the wiping out of the American peoples) and weaves a fun story. The plot is a bit predictable, but that doesn't detract from a very enjoyable read. ( )

I have either one word or three to say about this book: Excellent, excellent, excellent! I was put off by the title at first: redeeming Christopher Columbus doesn't sound very fun or very worth while, but the book is truly fantastic. The premise is that researchers on the Pastwatch project use machines to view the past, until they realize that some people in the past are aware of their watching them. In a world that is dying from the sins of the previous generations, the researchers make the decision to attempt to change the past to create a better future. They decide that Columbus' discovery of the Americas is the point at which they can effect the greatest change. Soon, however, they discover that similar researchers in a previous future has also changed their past, resulting in the world that they now live in. They must make the decisions to create a better future than either of the previous ones, facing difficult choices and personally reshaping the fate of the world.

The book is very well written, even though you never get personally close to any of the characters. The entire thing is written on the level of the socio-political, ideological, and economic forces involved. It's an intriguing look at the forces that shape the world, while also being a fun and exciting sci-fi tale. One of the most engaging books I've read so far this year. Highly recommended. ( )

Orson Scott Card did a phenomenal job at integrating his plot and characters, who were well-developed, with a historical subplot of Christopher Columbus' life and voyage to and discovery of America. I enjoyed the Pastwatch concept and Card's science-fiction take on historical fiction. It definitely gave me a new light to view Columbus with, and I'd love to use Pastwatch. ( )

60% Science Fiction, 40% Historical Fiction, 100% Incredible. Card's skill as an author is readily apparent here as he makes you think about alternate futures and the trade-offs of small decisions and the resulting effects over hundreds of years. If you're a fan of anything Orson Scott Card has written, read this. ( )

I enjoyed Pastwatch a great deal, largely because of the observers and their catalogue of history. Whether intentional or not, Card set up Pastwatch as the ultimate example in philosophical history in that there are cycles of collapse, rejuvenation and, more to the point, a macro example of Hegelian philosophical history. In short, the actions that actions in history are the direct result of the mistakes made from an earlier time in a counter-revolution to correct those problems. ( )