Tower Of Glass (1970)

Tower of Glass - Robert Silverberg ****

Simeon Krug is a man with a vision. He has always wanted to contact extraterrestrial life and when a strange signal is received hundreds of light years away he decides the only way in which to communicate would be to build a glass tower many hundreds of meters high. Not just a visionary but also a giver of life, Simeon has created the worlds first flesh androids and even divided them up into a simple class system. However, little does he know that the while he just regards them as property, they are looking towards Krug as a God. Can a man ever live up to expectations bestowed on a God? They are not just thinking for themselves but creating political parties for independence and even have a bible dictating ethics.

A really different type of book to one that I would normally read but I really enjoyed parts of it. The way the story unfolds is very closely mirroring the slavery period in worlds history, with all sorts of moral question being raised. The way Krug's relationship differs between his sons towards man made objects highlights a changing world and provides a glimmer of hope for the future of mankind. Why is Krug obsessed with finding new life in the stars when he has created his own on earth?

An easily recommendable book, but one that at time seemed a little too geeky for me, especially with all the Technology explanations, hence 4 stars instead of 5. ( )

NIL