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Footsteps in the Sky
The pueblo people who landed on the Fifth World found it Earthlike, empty, and ready for colonization . . . but a century later, they are about to meet the planet’s owners
One hundred years ago, Sand’s ancestors made the long, one-way trip to the Fifth World, ready to work ceaselessly to terraform the planet. Descendants of native peoples like the Hopi and Zuni, they wanted to return to the way of life of their forebears, who honored the Kachina spirits.
Now, though, many of the planet’s inhabitants have begun to resent their grandparents’ decision to strand them in this harsh and forbidding place, and some have turned away from the customs of the Well-Behaved People. Sand has her doubts, but she longs to believe that the Kachina live on beyond the stars and have been readying a new domain for her people.
She may be right. Humans have discovered nine habitable worlds, all with life that shares a genetic code entirely alien to any on Earth. Someone has been seeding planets, bringing life to them. But no other sign of the ancient farmers has ever been discovered—until one day they return to the Fifth World. They do not like what they find.
Originally written in 1994, Footsteps in the Sky is finally being released in digital form by Open Road Media.
One hundred years ago, Sand’s ancestors made the long, one-way trip to the Fifth World, ready to work ceaselessly to terraform the planet. Descendants of native peoples like the Hopi and Zuni, they wanted to return to the way of life of their forebears, who honored the Kachina spirits.
Now, though, many of the planet’s inhabitants have begun to resent their grandparents’ decision to strand them in this harsh and forbidding place, and some have turned away from the customs of the Well-Behaved People. Sand has her doubts, but she longs to believe that the Kachina live on beyond the stars and have been readying a new domain for her people.
She may be right. Humans have discovered nine habitable worlds, all with life that shares a genetic code entirely alien to any on Earth. Someone has been seeding planets, bringing life to them. But no other sign of the ancient farmers has ever been discovered—until one day they return to the Fifth World. They do not like what they find.
Originally written in 1994, Footsteps in the Sky is finally being released in digital form by Open Road Media.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2014
23 people are currently reading
771 people want to read
About the author
Greg Keyes
84 books655 followersGregory Keyes is a writer of science fiction and fantasy who has written both original and media-related novels under both the names J. Gregory Keyes and "Greg Keyes".
Greg Keyes was born in to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer.
He lives in Savannah, Georgia.
Greg Keyes was born in to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer.
He lives in Savannah, Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 20, 2015
Wow, this book simply blew me away.
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.
I started this book thinking it was just OK. I was having kind of a hard time following the characters, and the jumps between them. The world-building was good, but the action and the characters and the plot and the "voice" of the story just weren't meshing with me.
Then it came crashing down on my head that I was halfway done, I loved these characters, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. It snuck up on me. All of a sudden, like something suddenly.
Indian traditions and terraforming and doomsday weapons and alien life, all mixed up together in a heady brew that left me fully satisfied. Highly recommended.
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.
I started this book thinking it was just OK. I was having kind of a hard time following the characters, and the jumps between them. The world-building was good, but the action and the characters and the plot and the "voice" of the story just weren't meshing with me.
Then it came crashing down on my head that I was halfway done, I loved these characters, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. It snuck up on me. All of a sudden, like something suddenly.
Indian traditions and terraforming and doomsday weapons and alien life, all mixed up together in a heady brew that left me fully satisfied. Highly recommended.
June 14, 2015
Greg Keyes' first novel is now back 'in print' thanks to Open Road Media. Since being won over by his 'Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone' I was eager to read this.
It's a 'colony-world' sci-fi story. The colonists are a group of people from Earth who have the intention of re-creating the traditional culture of the Hopi. In service to this goal, their children have been brought up with the myths of the Kachina and other spirits instilled in them. However, in many ways they are still modern people, and the reality of interplanetary technology coexists awkwardly with their mythology.
And of, course, there are disagreements and factions. On-planet, the two great divides are between those who are more 'traditionalist' and those who are more eager to embrace any available technology. However, both of those groups may be threatened if a feared rumor is true: is the corporation who enabled the trip to this world just waiting for the colonists to do all the hard work before swooping in and taking over to reap the economic benefits?
On planet, one man believes so, and he's willing to be ruthless in order to combat what seems to him to be an 'end-justifies-the-means' level threat.
In his way seems to be a young woman, Sand, who, following in her deceased mother's footsteps, discovers what her mother described as a Kachina spirit - but what could be described by those of a more scientific bent as an alien. This could be a game-changer, and the fate of the entire colony hangs on the decisions that will be made.
It's a good book. The whole 'resurrection of traditional cultures in space' reminded me a bit of other books I've read, including some by Tobias Buckell - but I felt that the rationale given and the description of what a re-created culture might be like are depicted here in a much more realistic and believable manner than in many other equivalent stories. I do think that Keyes' writing has improved over time - you can tell this is an early work. But it's still definitely worth a look!
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
It's a 'colony-world' sci-fi story. The colonists are a group of people from Earth who have the intention of re-creating the traditional culture of the Hopi. In service to this goal, their children have been brought up with the myths of the Kachina and other spirits instilled in them. However, in many ways they are still modern people, and the reality of interplanetary technology coexists awkwardly with their mythology.
And of, course, there are disagreements and factions. On-planet, the two great divides are between those who are more 'traditionalist' and those who are more eager to embrace any available technology. However, both of those groups may be threatened if a feared rumor is true: is the corporation who enabled the trip to this world just waiting for the colonists to do all the hard work before swooping in and taking over to reap the economic benefits?
On planet, one man believes so, and he's willing to be ruthless in order to combat what seems to him to be an 'end-justifies-the-means' level threat.
In his way seems to be a young woman, Sand, who, following in her deceased mother's footsteps, discovers what her mother described as a Kachina spirit - but what could be described by those of a more scientific bent as an alien. This could be a game-changer, and the fate of the entire colony hangs on the decisions that will be made.
It's a good book. The whole 'resurrection of traditional cultures in space' reminded me a bit of other books I've read, including some by Tobias Buckell - but I felt that the rationale given and the description of what a re-created culture might be like are depicted here in a much more realistic and believable manner than in many other equivalent stories. I do think that Keyes' writing has improved over time - you can tell this is an early work. But it's still definitely worth a look!
Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own.
February 5, 2015
2.5
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.
I should point before starting this review that Keyes and I don’t really get along. It’s strange because we have never met, and I am pretty sure he doesn’t even know I exist. I think his plot ideas are interesting, and there is nothing wrong with his writing. Yet, for some reason, I am always underwhelmed by his work, and then I feel guilty because it really is a simple case of some taste that I can't vocalize.
That said, why I felt a similar reaction to his Keyes novel, there is something I truly love about it, and that is the use Native American culture/belief tied into a twist on the racist “ancient cultures were by space aliens” crap. Please note, I am not saying that Keyes uses that crap, but he twists it, upends it, and gives it to the bastards who say such crap.
I really, really liked that.
It was also great that the chosen ones were a mother and daughter.
So unless you are like me, and have one of those strange relationships with Keyes, you should enjoy this blend of science fiction, belief, and nature.
They really should sell this at the Smithsonian.
Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley.
I should point before starting this review that Keyes and I don’t really get along. It’s strange because we have never met, and I am pretty sure he doesn’t even know I exist. I think his plot ideas are interesting, and there is nothing wrong with his writing. Yet, for some reason, I am always underwhelmed by his work, and then I feel guilty because it really is a simple case of some taste that I can't vocalize.
That said, why I felt a similar reaction to his Keyes novel, there is something I truly love about it, and that is the use Native American culture/belief tied into a twist on the racist “ancient cultures were by space aliens” crap. Please note, I am not saying that Keyes uses that crap, but he twists it, upends it, and gives it to the bastards who say such crap.
I really, really liked that.
It was also great that the chosen ones were a mother and daughter.
So unless you are like me, and have one of those strange relationships with Keyes, you should enjoy this blend of science fiction, belief, and nature.
They really should sell this at the Smithsonian.
May 26, 2015
Review copy
A combination of Hopi legend, fantasy, and space opera, Footsteps In the Sky is a complex tale of the Fifth World, the result of terraforming over millennia.
The story is set more than 400 years in the future, with the Hopi people inhabiting the Fifth World. They appear to be descendants from Earth's 20th Century Hopi. The tale is not so much about how they got there or even why, it's more about division, discovery, and the strong possibility that those who prepared this planet for them are thinking about starting over.
Although filled with intrigue, back-stabbing, and many original ideas, I just found this work to be a bit overbearing. It may be a matter of sensory overload since there was so much happening all the time.
A demanding read told in a convoluted way, Footsteps In the Sky was a nice diversion from my usual horror fare, but ultimately not something I would like to make a steady diet of. As challenging a read as this was, this is another time I was glad I saw this one through to the end as it is the kind of story that stays with you well beyond the time spent between the pages.
Footsteps In the Sky was originally written in 1994 and has been re-released as an e-book from Open Road Media and is currently available from a variety of online retailers.
Although I was glad I read it, I can't really recommend this to others. Of course, your mileage may vary, so don't let me stop you from giving it a shot.
A combination of Hopi legend, fantasy, and space opera, Footsteps In the Sky is a complex tale of the Fifth World, the result of terraforming over millennia.
The story is set more than 400 years in the future, with the Hopi people inhabiting the Fifth World. They appear to be descendants from Earth's 20th Century Hopi. The tale is not so much about how they got there or even why, it's more about division, discovery, and the strong possibility that those who prepared this planet for them are thinking about starting over.
Although filled with intrigue, back-stabbing, and many original ideas, I just found this work to be a bit overbearing. It may be a matter of sensory overload since there was so much happening all the time.
A demanding read told in a convoluted way, Footsteps In the Sky was a nice diversion from my usual horror fare, but ultimately not something I would like to make a steady diet of. As challenging a read as this was, this is another time I was glad I saw this one through to the end as it is the kind of story that stays with you well beyond the time spent between the pages.
Footsteps In the Sky was originally written in 1994 and has been re-released as an e-book from Open Road Media and is currently available from a variety of online retailers.
Although I was glad I read it, I can't really recommend this to others. Of course, your mileage may vary, so don't let me stop you from giving it a shot.
January 14, 2016
Footsteps in the Sky, by Greg Keyes, is on one level a wholly enjoyable science fiction action story that offers up a whole bunch of fun surface action involving laser rifles, fusion-powered seedships, augmented humans, AIs, rebellious space colonies, and the like. You can read it for those elements alone and have yourself a good time. But the novel offers much more, as Keyes builds onto the surface elements an evocative, deeply felt exploration of identity, compassion, faith, community, and of just what it means to be human, much of it through the prism of the Hopi culture/belief system, presented here in detailed, respectful, and often touching manner and presented as well in a fashion that could clearly stand as an analogue to modern-day conflicts within such native cultures: How does one mainta... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
February 14, 2015
Footsteps in the Sky is a fast-paced, remorseful, melancholic affair. Unlike other readers, I had no trouble getting into the book (I suppose I have a longer attention span than a few minutes and can read books with different point of view without difficulty, though one would imagine sci-fi fans would be fairly comfortable with such styles of writing...) and I found the pace to be just right. I am not a hardcore sci-fi reader, nor have I read many first contact type of books before, but I found the plot and story to be a good mix of original twists of old legends.
I'll make a feeble attempt to describe the plot without giving away too much: A traditionalist (Hopi) woman, Pela, lives as a part of the terraforming colony on the "fifth world." They have been contracted by an Earth (fourth world) company (which the Hopi call "the Reed" based on one of their creation myths) to terraform this world. This world is one of several worlds that have been discovered by humans to have been terraformed or altered by another alien (and yet) unknown species with great technology. The terraforming humans on the fifth world have had disputes, and factions have formed. Most factions, regardless of their religious and political differences, question the future of their planet and whether the Reed will let them have the planet once it is successfully terraformed or claim it for themselves.) The book starts when Pela has first contact with one of the ancient alien farmers of the fifth planet, but most of the book takes place starting 20 years after first contact and centers around Pela's daughter, Sand.)
The main characters that lend their voice to the narration are well developed. Their motives are only as confusing as their human (and not so human) hearts are troubled. The political structure, the nature of the alien interventions ("alien" will depend on the point of view here), the allegorical legends all work well to set very personal issues (of love, betrayal, belonging, revenge, remorse) against the backdrop of the bigger picture (community, responsibility, leadership, tradition, religion).
Keyes is a good writer. He creates distinct voices for the narrators. The consciousness of the three sister farmers has an eerie outlandishness to it that conveys a bigger understanding of time and space than humans are capable of. Yet the petty human troubles are what lies in the heart of the story, and the human is just a spec in the vast universe and the center of it at the same time.
Some of the gender and sexuality elements are intriguing. Especially the implication that two female characters may be together at the end, considering their previous relationship, is, from a human point of view, interesting and troubling at the same time (the writing is vague enough that one can interpret it as the two characters are just living together, or that they are lovers). The sexual assault scene is also troubling, and the confusion is aptly left unexplored beyond a few brief, aborted attempts.
Overall, Footsteps in the Sky builds an interesting, emotionally engaging world. As alien as it is, this world is very much human, very much tainted by the same problems that humans have always managed to create whenever they attempt to live in larger communities.
Recommended for those who like political intrigue, spy stories, bioengineering, and corn.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of the novel in exchange of my honest review.
I'll make a feeble attempt to describe the plot without giving away too much: A traditionalist (Hopi) woman, Pela, lives as a part of the terraforming colony on the "fifth world." They have been contracted by an Earth (fourth world) company (which the Hopi call "the Reed" based on one of their creation myths) to terraform this world. This world is one of several worlds that have been discovered by humans to have been terraformed or altered by another alien (and yet) unknown species with great technology. The terraforming humans on the fifth world have had disputes, and factions have formed. Most factions, regardless of their religious and political differences, question the future of their planet and whether the Reed will let them have the planet once it is successfully terraformed or claim it for themselves.) The book starts when Pela has first contact with one of the ancient alien farmers of the fifth planet, but most of the book takes place starting 20 years after first contact and centers around Pela's daughter, Sand.)
The main characters that lend their voice to the narration are well developed. Their motives are only as confusing as their human (and not so human) hearts are troubled. The political structure, the nature of the alien interventions ("alien" will depend on the point of view here), the allegorical legends all work well to set very personal issues (of love, betrayal, belonging, revenge, remorse) against the backdrop of the bigger picture (community, responsibility, leadership, tradition, religion).
Keyes is a good writer. He creates distinct voices for the narrators. The consciousness of the three sister farmers has an eerie outlandishness to it that conveys a bigger understanding of time and space than humans are capable of. Yet the petty human troubles are what lies in the heart of the story, and the human is just a spec in the vast universe and the center of it at the same time.
Some of the gender and sexuality elements are intriguing. Especially the implication that two female characters may be together at the end, considering their previous relationship, is, from a human point of view, interesting and troubling at the same time (the writing is vague enough that one can interpret it as the two characters are just living together, or that they are lovers). The sexual assault scene is also troubling, and the confusion is aptly left unexplored beyond a few brief, aborted attempts.
Overall, Footsteps in the Sky builds an interesting, emotionally engaging world. As alien as it is, this world is very much human, very much tainted by the same problems that humans have always managed to create whenever they attempt to live in larger communities.
Recommended for those who like political intrigue, spy stories, bioengineering, and corn.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of the novel in exchange of my honest review.
May 19, 2015
Pros: plot centres on native american beliefs, realistic characters, interesting alien life forms, hard SF elements
Cons:
Descendants of the Hopitu-Shinumu Native Americans colonized Fifth World agreeing to terraform the planet for the Vilmir Foundation - what they call the Reed - in return for ownership of the world when it was fully habitable. But a rift has formed between those who live on the coast, trading with the Reed for technology and renouncing the backward ways of their forefathers, and those who live on the pueblos, the Traditionalists, keepers of the old ways and old religion. When three alien spaceships appear in orbit the coastal Tech Society believe this new technology could help them throw off the yoke of the Reed, assuming they can control it. Meanwhile, a traitor alerts the Reed to the presence of the ships, prompting them to send a group of colonial peacekeepers to secure the ships for themselves - or destroy them should they prove hostile.
Unknown to the colonist these are the alien ships that performed the original terraforming on the planet that made it possible for humans to eventually inhabit it, but the ships’ very long lives have made their AIs unstable and they’re unsure if allowing the invaders to inhabit this world is something their Makers would have approved. In an attempt to answer this question, one of the ships creates a clone to meet the inhabitants and see if they deserve life, of if the ships should wipe the planet clean.
The background for the plot is fairly complicated - and takes a few chapters to set up - after which the story itself is quite straightforward. I loved the world-building. The author’s father worked on a Navajo reservation when Keyes was young, so he learned a lot of the stories and beliefs that are recounted in this novel. I found the stories of the Kuchina, the origin of the Hopi and the prophecy that sent their ancestors to this planet in search of a new home really interesting. I also loved how SandGreyGirl could both question and in some ways blindly believe the teachings of her youth. The complexity of the emotions examined by her and Tuchvala, concerning beliefs and how the world changes you, were believable. I also liked how inheritance passed through the female line, and how that changed gender dynamics. It was interesting to read how SandGreyGirl sometimes took female lovers because it reduced the chance that her partner was after her land and the pressures of marriage that relationships with men brought up.
I appreciated the variety of characters, some likeable and other less so. Everyone felt real, with understandable rationalizations for what they were doing, even the various antagonists. The only hesitation I had here was with how Sand and Tuchvala relate to each other at the end of the book.
You don’t learn much about the Makers, the ones who built the ships, but what you do learn is quite interesting.
There are hard SF elements, though I don’t know if all the physics were accurate. I appreciated that space travel took years and that time passed differently for those planet side.
I’d have loved a few historical notes in an afterward explaining what, if any, of the things Keyes attributes to the Hopi people were made up for the book (beyond the prophecy).
It was an interesting book that brought out some questions about the nature of belief and had a fair bit of action.
Cons:
Descendants of the Hopitu-Shinumu Native Americans colonized Fifth World agreeing to terraform the planet for the Vilmir Foundation - what they call the Reed - in return for ownership of the world when it was fully habitable. But a rift has formed between those who live on the coast, trading with the Reed for technology and renouncing the backward ways of their forefathers, and those who live on the pueblos, the Traditionalists, keepers of the old ways and old religion. When three alien spaceships appear in orbit the coastal Tech Society believe this new technology could help them throw off the yoke of the Reed, assuming they can control it. Meanwhile, a traitor alerts the Reed to the presence of the ships, prompting them to send a group of colonial peacekeepers to secure the ships for themselves - or destroy them should they prove hostile.
Unknown to the colonist these are the alien ships that performed the original terraforming on the planet that made it possible for humans to eventually inhabit it, but the ships’ very long lives have made their AIs unstable and they’re unsure if allowing the invaders to inhabit this world is something their Makers would have approved. In an attempt to answer this question, one of the ships creates a clone to meet the inhabitants and see if they deserve life, of if the ships should wipe the planet clean.
The background for the plot is fairly complicated - and takes a few chapters to set up - after which the story itself is quite straightforward. I loved the world-building. The author’s father worked on a Navajo reservation when Keyes was young, so he learned a lot of the stories and beliefs that are recounted in this novel. I found the stories of the Kuchina, the origin of the Hopi and the prophecy that sent their ancestors to this planet in search of a new home really interesting. I also loved how SandGreyGirl could both question and in some ways blindly believe the teachings of her youth. The complexity of the emotions examined by her and Tuchvala, concerning beliefs and how the world changes you, were believable. I also liked how inheritance passed through the female line, and how that changed gender dynamics. It was interesting to read how SandGreyGirl sometimes took female lovers because it reduced the chance that her partner was after her land and the pressures of marriage that relationships with men brought up.
I appreciated the variety of characters, some likeable and other less so. Everyone felt real, with understandable rationalizations for what they were doing, even the various antagonists. The only hesitation I had here was with how Sand and Tuchvala relate to each other at the end of the book.
You don’t learn much about the Makers, the ones who built the ships, but what you do learn is quite interesting.
There are hard SF elements, though I don’t know if all the physics were accurate. I appreciated that space travel took years and that time passed differently for those planet side.
I’d have loved a few historical notes in an afterward explaining what, if any, of the things Keyes attributes to the Hopi people were made up for the book (beyond the prophecy).
It was an interesting book that brought out some questions about the nature of belief and had a fair bit of action.
May 26, 2015
While I wasn't very fond of this one, maybe it will be your cup of tea. It comes out today.
I really wish I had liked this more. The blurb was interesting as I'm fond of that "first contact" trope. Unfortunately, this book could have been placed anywhere here on Earth where a down-trodden people are used by a large corporation after being offered pie in the sky promises. The writing was choppy and the editing was spotty. Change of POV was offered with no break in the formatting which made it hard to understand who was actually speaking. This cover was odd, too. The people are PEOPLE, not giant mouse people, which is what this cover conveys. AND the aliens don't look anything like this cover, either.
For those who appreciate trigger warnings, at one point there is a sex scene that, while both parties want it at the moment, they only want it because of the drugs they inhaled. Drugs that were forced on them. Some readers were offended by that. There is also a f/f love scenario. It wasn't graphic, but that might bug some people. Didn't bother me.
I've read lots of reviews for this book (and the author's other books) and people love his writing. Apparently this book wasn't written for this reader. It was all I could do to make myself finish it. This one gets a 1.5 bookmark rating from me. Read some of the other five star reviews to balance it out, you might like this one.
*Thank you, Open Road Media and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book.
I really wish I had liked this more. The blurb was interesting as I'm fond of that "first contact" trope. Unfortunately, this book could have been placed anywhere here on Earth where a down-trodden people are used by a large corporation after being offered pie in the sky promises. The writing was choppy and the editing was spotty. Change of POV was offered with no break in the formatting which made it hard to understand who was actually speaking. This cover was odd, too. The people are PEOPLE, not giant mouse people, which is what this cover conveys. AND the aliens don't look anything like this cover, either.
For those who appreciate trigger warnings, at one point there is a sex scene that, while both parties want it at the moment, they only want it because of the drugs they inhaled. Drugs that were forced on them. Some readers were offended by that. There is also a f/f love scenario. It wasn't graphic, but that might bug some people. Didn't bother me.
I've read lots of reviews for this book (and the author's other books) and people love his writing. Apparently this book wasn't written for this reader. It was all I could do to make myself finish it. This one gets a 1.5 bookmark rating from me. Read some of the other five star reviews to balance it out, you might like this one.
*Thank you, Open Road Media and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book.
August 16, 2018
The most interesting thing about this book is that the author based his society of interstellar colonists and terraformers on the Hopi nation. I thought the depiction of the society was well done, though I can't vouch for its accuracy viz. the Hopis.
The alien ship that embodies itself into a human clone is pretty interesting too. You can see that there's a lot of back-story that the author worked out. He only hinted at it in this book, just enough to show why the conflict was happening.
Good solid work., not flashy.
The alien ship that embodies itself into a human clone is pretty interesting too. You can see that there's a lot of back-story that the author worked out. He only hinted at it in this book, just enough to show why the conflict was happening.
Good solid work., not flashy.
February 18, 2015
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Footsteps in the Sky is Greg Keyes' first novel. It has never been published before, so this is the first time that it will be available for speculative fiction readers and fans of Greg Keyes. This is nice, because Footsteps in the Sky is a good and well written hard science fiction novel. The publisher of this novel, Open Road Media, will also release Greg Keyes' Chosen of the Changeling fanatsy duology: The Waterborn and The Blackgod in e-book format in April 2015.
I think it's good to mention that Footsteps in the Sky requires a bit of intelligence and concentration from the readers, because the author doesn't explain every little thing to his readers. It's nice that he assumes that his readers can figure out a few things for themselves (it's possible that readers may be slightly confused about the first chapters of this novel, because it takes a bit of time to figure out where the happenings take place).
It's possible that certain readers and critics may criticize Footsteps in the Sky for not having anything new in it. I understand why readers and critics may feel this way, because this novel doesn't exactly contain anything new, but in my opinion they should pay attention to the entertainment values it has to offer, because the story is good and worth reading. The story contains popular elements that can be found in many sci-fi novels and stories, but in Keyes' capable hands these elements feel refreshingly invigorating and entertaining. Footsteps in the Sky is almost like a blast from the past because of its wonderfully old-fashioned approach to science fiction and scientific issues. It's an intriguing combination of space opera, science, culture, nature, Hopi traditions and aliens.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- This novel begins with a quotation from the Hopi Origin Legend. Then the story shifts to Pela and Sand and how people live on the Fifth World. The people arrived there to terraform the planet and have gradually shaped the land. They wanted to return to the way of life of their ancestors who honored the Kachina spirits.
- The ancient farmers have been seeding the planets, but no sign of their existence has ever been seen by anybody. They have seeded the planets and brought them to life. One day they return to the Fifth World and they don't like what they see there. They're thinking about sterilizing and re-seeding the planet...
I enjoyed reading about the protagonist, Sand. It was interesting to read about her thoughts about what was going on, because she was a well-created and fascinating character. She was a woman whose mother, Pela, had died - her mother's death affected her life and actions quite a lot.
In my opinion Greg Keyes wrote perfectly about Sand's feelings and actions, because he seemed to understand her confusion and her life, and managed to make her a realistic character. This is nice, because many hard science fiction authors normally tend to write more about science and technology and write only little about the characters and their feelings (this is something that has often annoyed me in hard science fiction, because lack of good characterization easily makes the story flat).
The interaction between Sand and one of the seeders, Tuchvala, was handled exceptionally well and it was interesting for me to read about them. Because Tuchvala had taken the form of Sand's dead mother, her presence reminded Sand of her mother. This added a nice touch of tension and emotionality to the story.
Tuchvala was an interesting character, because she lived in a human body and had to learn new things. Although Tuchvala could pass for a human being, she was different from the other characters. Sand was almost like an instructor and protector to Tuchvala, because she told her how to do certain things (Tuchvala had a bit of problems figuring out how and when to act etc). Sand and Tuchvala were kind of dependent on each other and as the story unfolded they became incorporated into each other's lives in a fascinating way.
One of the best things about this novel is that the author examines the happenings from different viewpoints. This adds quite a lot of depth and tension to the story, because the characters differ from each other and have different motives for their actions (the terraforming humans have had disputes and disagreements and the world is not as serene and peaceful as it could be).
Reading about what the seeders thought about the Fifth World was fascinating. They had different opinions about how to proceed with their job, because they had two choices - they could either leave the planet alone because of the lifeforms that lived there or sterilize and re-seed the planet, because it was their job to grow planets and the colonists were not part of their original plans. The author wrote fascinatingly about the different opinions and science involved in re-seeding the planet and paid enough attention to details and science. He also wrote convincingly about colonisation and what was involved in it, but didn't go overboard with scientific information.
What happened between Alvar and Teng was handled well. In my opinion the author wrote surprisingly well about how they had sex and how they had different views about affection and sexual feelings, because Teng only wanted sex and nothing more. Sex seemed to be the only kind intimacy for Teng.
It was interesting that the author also wrote about references to bisexuality and left a few things a bit vague on purpose so that readers could decide for themselves what was going on. He approached gender and sexuality-based elements in a surprisingly fluent way and avoided excessive and tedious moralizing about sexuality and its different forms.
The author used Native American culture in an excellent way in the story, because he easily blended Native American beliefs and way of life with science fiction. I'm aware that this has all been done before in speculative fiction, but in my opinion the author wrote excellently about these issues and managed to avoid preaching.
Because Greg Keys wrote fluently and well about Native Americans, there was an intriguing anthropological dimension in this novel that is seldom found in modern science fiction novels. There are - of course - similar kind of stories out there on the market, but only a few of them have this kind of depth and understanding of culture in them.
One of the main reasons why the story intrigued me is that it had an emotionally engaging dimension that is often lacking from hard science fiction novels. As Tuchvala learned new things and came to understand life and how life adapted to changes, the exploration of her feelings was speckled with human emotions. For example, when Tuchvala thought about her Makers and if they were still alive or not, the whole scene was full of interesting human emotions.
Greg Keyes is a talented author who can write intelligent and genuinely interesting novels. He has built a believable and surprisingly human world that is tainted by problems that have been a part of human existence for a long time. He has also created a good and versatile cast of characters, and he easily shifts the narrative from Sand to the three sister farmers and other characters.
It's possible that this novel may not be to everyone's liking due to its contents and combination of different elements. I personally enjoyed this novel, because it felt fresh compared to many new sci-fi novels that repeat the same plot elements over and over again with huge amounts of insignificant sex and brutal violence. Don't get me wrong, I do like reading those kind of novels too when they're stylistic and well written, but I'm a bit fed up with sci-fi authors repeating themselves and using sex and violence to attract new readers and not paying enough attention to the story. Fortunately this novel differed from most new sci-fi novels, because GreG Keyes had ambition and was able to deliver an intelligent story to his readers.
In my opinion Footsteps in the Sky has tiny bits and traces of Robert A. Heinlein, Frank Herbert and Robert Charles Wilson in it, but it's an original and fascinating novel that stands proudly on its own feet. It a classic hard science fiction novel that will appeal to readers who want to read old-fashioned and well written science fiction stories that lack the frustratingly annoying elements of many modern sci-fi novels. It's a perfect marriage of classic hard science fiction, human emotions and Native American culture. I give this novel 4.5 stars on the scale from 1 to 5 stars.
By the way, if you enjoy reading this novel, I strongly urge you to take a look at the author's fantasy novels (Chosen of the Changeling duology: The Waterborn and The Blackgod, and The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series: The Briar King, The Charnel Prince, The Blood Knight and The Born Queen) and The Age of Unreason series. They're excellent reading material for adult readers who want to read good speculative fiction.
My final words are:
Footsteps in the Sky is intriguing and well written science fiction for adults!
Footsteps in the Sky is Greg Keyes' first novel. It has never been published before, so this is the first time that it will be available for speculative fiction readers and fans of Greg Keyes. This is nice, because Footsteps in the Sky is a good and well written hard science fiction novel. The publisher of this novel, Open Road Media, will also release Greg Keyes' Chosen of the Changeling fanatsy duology: The Waterborn and The Blackgod in e-book format in April 2015.
I think it's good to mention that Footsteps in the Sky requires a bit of intelligence and concentration from the readers, because the author doesn't explain every little thing to his readers. It's nice that he assumes that his readers can figure out a few things for themselves (it's possible that readers may be slightly confused about the first chapters of this novel, because it takes a bit of time to figure out where the happenings take place).
It's possible that certain readers and critics may criticize Footsteps in the Sky for not having anything new in it. I understand why readers and critics may feel this way, because this novel doesn't exactly contain anything new, but in my opinion they should pay attention to the entertainment values it has to offer, because the story is good and worth reading. The story contains popular elements that can be found in many sci-fi novels and stories, but in Keyes' capable hands these elements feel refreshingly invigorating and entertaining. Footsteps in the Sky is almost like a blast from the past because of its wonderfully old-fashioned approach to science fiction and scientific issues. It's an intriguing combination of space opera, science, culture, nature, Hopi traditions and aliens.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- This novel begins with a quotation from the Hopi Origin Legend. Then the story shifts to Pela and Sand and how people live on the Fifth World. The people arrived there to terraform the planet and have gradually shaped the land. They wanted to return to the way of life of their ancestors who honored the Kachina spirits.
- The ancient farmers have been seeding the planets, but no sign of their existence has ever been seen by anybody. They have seeded the planets and brought them to life. One day they return to the Fifth World and they don't like what they see there. They're thinking about sterilizing and re-seeding the planet...
I enjoyed reading about the protagonist, Sand. It was interesting to read about her thoughts about what was going on, because she was a well-created and fascinating character. She was a woman whose mother, Pela, had died - her mother's death affected her life and actions quite a lot.
In my opinion Greg Keyes wrote perfectly about Sand's feelings and actions, because he seemed to understand her confusion and her life, and managed to make her a realistic character. This is nice, because many hard science fiction authors normally tend to write more about science and technology and write only little about the characters and their feelings (this is something that has often annoyed me in hard science fiction, because lack of good characterization easily makes the story flat).
The interaction between Sand and one of the seeders, Tuchvala, was handled exceptionally well and it was interesting for me to read about them. Because Tuchvala had taken the form of Sand's dead mother, her presence reminded Sand of her mother. This added a nice touch of tension and emotionality to the story.
Tuchvala was an interesting character, because she lived in a human body and had to learn new things. Although Tuchvala could pass for a human being, she was different from the other characters. Sand was almost like an instructor and protector to Tuchvala, because she told her how to do certain things (Tuchvala had a bit of problems figuring out how and when to act etc). Sand and Tuchvala were kind of dependent on each other and as the story unfolded they became incorporated into each other's lives in a fascinating way.
One of the best things about this novel is that the author examines the happenings from different viewpoints. This adds quite a lot of depth and tension to the story, because the characters differ from each other and have different motives for their actions (the terraforming humans have had disputes and disagreements and the world is not as serene and peaceful as it could be).
Reading about what the seeders thought about the Fifth World was fascinating. They had different opinions about how to proceed with their job, because they had two choices - they could either leave the planet alone because of the lifeforms that lived there or sterilize and re-seed the planet, because it was their job to grow planets and the colonists were not part of their original plans. The author wrote fascinatingly about the different opinions and science involved in re-seeding the planet and paid enough attention to details and science. He also wrote convincingly about colonisation and what was involved in it, but didn't go overboard with scientific information.
What happened between Alvar and Teng was handled well. In my opinion the author wrote surprisingly well about how they had sex and how they had different views about affection and sexual feelings, because Teng only wanted sex and nothing more. Sex seemed to be the only kind intimacy for Teng.
It was interesting that the author also wrote about references to bisexuality and left a few things a bit vague on purpose so that readers could decide for themselves what was going on. He approached gender and sexuality-based elements in a surprisingly fluent way and avoided excessive and tedious moralizing about sexuality and its different forms.
The author used Native American culture in an excellent way in the story, because he easily blended Native American beliefs and way of life with science fiction. I'm aware that this has all been done before in speculative fiction, but in my opinion the author wrote excellently about these issues and managed to avoid preaching.
Because Greg Keys wrote fluently and well about Native Americans, there was an intriguing anthropological dimension in this novel that is seldom found in modern science fiction novels. There are - of course - similar kind of stories out there on the market, but only a few of them have this kind of depth and understanding of culture in them.
One of the main reasons why the story intrigued me is that it had an emotionally engaging dimension that is often lacking from hard science fiction novels. As Tuchvala learned new things and came to understand life and how life adapted to changes, the exploration of her feelings was speckled with human emotions. For example, when Tuchvala thought about her Makers and if they were still alive or not, the whole scene was full of interesting human emotions.
Greg Keyes is a talented author who can write intelligent and genuinely interesting novels. He has built a believable and surprisingly human world that is tainted by problems that have been a part of human existence for a long time. He has also created a good and versatile cast of characters, and he easily shifts the narrative from Sand to the three sister farmers and other characters.
It's possible that this novel may not be to everyone's liking due to its contents and combination of different elements. I personally enjoyed this novel, because it felt fresh compared to many new sci-fi novels that repeat the same plot elements over and over again with huge amounts of insignificant sex and brutal violence. Don't get me wrong, I do like reading those kind of novels too when they're stylistic and well written, but I'm a bit fed up with sci-fi authors repeating themselves and using sex and violence to attract new readers and not paying enough attention to the story. Fortunately this novel differed from most new sci-fi novels, because GreG Keyes had ambition and was able to deliver an intelligent story to his readers.
In my opinion Footsteps in the Sky has tiny bits and traces of Robert A. Heinlein, Frank Herbert and Robert Charles Wilson in it, but it's an original and fascinating novel that stands proudly on its own feet. It a classic hard science fiction novel that will appeal to readers who want to read old-fashioned and well written science fiction stories that lack the frustratingly annoying elements of many modern sci-fi novels. It's a perfect marriage of classic hard science fiction, human emotions and Native American culture. I give this novel 4.5 stars on the scale from 1 to 5 stars.
By the way, if you enjoy reading this novel, I strongly urge you to take a look at the author's fantasy novels (Chosen of the Changeling duology: The Waterborn and The Blackgod, and The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series: The Briar King, The Charnel Prince, The Blood Knight and The Born Queen) and The Age of Unreason series. They're excellent reading material for adult readers who want to read good speculative fiction.
My final words are:
Footsteps in the Sky is intriguing and well written science fiction for adults!
July 7, 2015
[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley.]
There was a lot lacking with this book, for me. For one, the narrative style was too disjointed for me to really get into it, and it made for a difficult time understanding what was happening. I was a good 20% of the way in before I started to sort of comprehend what was going on, and even then I couldn't really follow the actual events very well. And it wasn't until around the 55%-57% mark that we even get a real explanation of the various "factions" of people on the Fifth World, and who the Reed are. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and found them all to be pretty bland and boring. Hoku's motivations seemed to be simply greed and power, but I feel like that can't be all there is to a person. Alvar was a weakling, Teng was unmovable, Sand was simply scared, Jimmie was selfish... What was there to like about any of them?
There was also a very strange sex scene towards the end that I didn't feel enhanced the story *at all.* It seemed like it was there simply because the author felt like two people should screw. And the weird relationship between Sand and Tuchvala that turned semi-sexual was disturbing for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who reads the book.
I didn't really enjoy the read, I found it lacking in the narrative style and character building, and difficult to follow. Although apparently I am in the minority, so while I don't recommend it, you may find you enjoy it.
There was a lot lacking with this book, for me. For one, the narrative style was too disjointed for me to really get into it, and it made for a difficult time understanding what was happening. I was a good 20% of the way in before I started to sort of comprehend what was going on, and even then I couldn't really follow the actual events very well. And it wasn't until around the 55%-57% mark that we even get a real explanation of the various "factions" of people on the Fifth World, and who the Reed are. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and found them all to be pretty bland and boring. Hoku's motivations seemed to be simply greed and power, but I feel like that can't be all there is to a person. Alvar was a weakling, Teng was unmovable, Sand was simply scared, Jimmie was selfish... What was there to like about any of them?
There was also a very strange sex scene towards the end that I didn't feel enhanced the story *at all.* It seemed like it was there simply because the author felt like two people should screw. And the weird relationship between Sand and Tuchvala that turned semi-sexual was disturbing for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who reads the book.
I didn't really enjoy the read, I found it lacking in the narrative style and character building, and difficult to follow. Although apparently I am in the minority, so while I don't recommend it, you may find you enjoy it.
September 18, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Greg Keyes likes to play with different mythologies, and in this book he works with Hopi legends. The book takes place mostly on a planet colonized by people who identified as Hopi who wanted to go back to traditional ways of living and also get a planet of their own by prepping it for humanity and agriculture.
There's a lot of interesting ideas here. There's the Hopi part, which seeps into sections written about AIs and affects the way the colonists interact and interpret the technology around them. There's a man sent from Earth, along with an enhanced ship's captain/warrior who may have an agenda of her own.
I've had a bit of trouble lately with feeling like I'm missing part of what's going on in some books. Something will happen (a random sex scene out of the blue, an interlude with AI narration) and I'll feel like I just don't quite get it. A bit more showing and telling is needed for me to have a frame of reference. Sometimes I can hunker down and wait until the book tells me enough to figure things out, but in this case I felt at sea and became frustrated.
So, while there were lots of interesting characters (somewhat different from most I've read) and some good concepts, I ended up skimming more than I read.
Greg Keyes likes to play with different mythologies, and in this book he works with Hopi legends. The book takes place mostly on a planet colonized by people who identified as Hopi who wanted to go back to traditional ways of living and also get a planet of their own by prepping it for humanity and agriculture.
There's a lot of interesting ideas here. There's the Hopi part, which seeps into sections written about AIs and affects the way the colonists interact and interpret the technology around them. There's a man sent from Earth, along with an enhanced ship's captain/warrior who may have an agenda of her own.
I've had a bit of trouble lately with feeling like I'm missing part of what's going on in some books. Something will happen (a random sex scene out of the blue, an interlude with AI narration) and I'll feel like I just don't quite get it. A bit more showing and telling is needed for me to have a frame of reference. Sometimes I can hunker down and wait until the book tells me enough to figure things out, but in this case I felt at sea and became frustrated.
So, while there were lots of interesting characters (somewhat different from most I've read) and some good concepts, I ended up skimming more than I read.
March 1, 2015
I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
This was an interesting book. I really liked the Hopi mythology at the core of the tale. It was not an easy read initially as it shifts perspectives frequently between its main characters and the reader has to figure out who is telling the story but you do get used to it after awhile. The Fifth World has been terraformed and colonized by people wanting to return to Hopi ways. The Vilmir Foundation, nicknamed The Reed, have funded the process and the inhabitants fear their return to take the planet away from them. But then three spaceships appear in orbit around the Fifth World. They are aliens who had seeded the Fifth World for the Makers and are surprised to find their work undone by humans. One of the aliens clones a Hopi to determine if the humans are advanced enough to inhabit the world or if they need to sterilize it and start over. The drama builds around the factions on the planet, the arrival of a Reed spaceship to investigate the aliens and the tale of SandGrayGirl and the alien clone Tuchvala who was cloned from Sand's mother. There is a lot going on in the book. It is very ambitious. It is a good book, not necessarily a great book.
This was an interesting book. I really liked the Hopi mythology at the core of the tale. It was not an easy read initially as it shifts perspectives frequently between its main characters and the reader has to figure out who is telling the story but you do get used to it after awhile. The Fifth World has been terraformed and colonized by people wanting to return to Hopi ways. The Vilmir Foundation, nicknamed The Reed, have funded the process and the inhabitants fear their return to take the planet away from them. But then three spaceships appear in orbit around the Fifth World. They are aliens who had seeded the Fifth World for the Makers and are surprised to find their work undone by humans. One of the aliens clones a Hopi to determine if the humans are advanced enough to inhabit the world or if they need to sterilize it and start over. The drama builds around the factions on the planet, the arrival of a Reed spaceship to investigate the aliens and the tale of SandGrayGirl and the alien clone Tuchvala who was cloned from Sand's mother. There is a lot going on in the book. It is very ambitious. It is a good book, not necessarily a great book.
May 28, 2015
Open Road Integrated Media has found Greg Keyes first novel. Footsteps in the Sky (paper) is a solid tale of Hopi settlers on a wold first modified by aliens to almost human standards. Earth is on edge because revolts have broken out on other colonies, so that when three huge, alien starships arrive, they send a small expedition to investigate. Twenty years later, when the earth ship arrives, one of the aliens drops off a cloned human with the downloaded brain of one of the ships. On the planet, the two factions – one traditonal, and one embracing technology are at odds. There are also the more, technologically- advanced Earth expedition with it’s own agenda and the three ships above that have the ability to destroy the colony. Two of them have gone mad from the millions of years they have been at their task. Caught in the middle is Sand, whose dead mother was cloned, and who will do anything to save the clone who looks like a younger version of her mother and to save her culture. Fascinating. I don’t know why this never got the acclaim it deserved when first appeared.Review printed by Philadelphia Weekly Press
May 28, 2015
The intriguing thing about this novel is that it places some Hopi/Pueblo lore at the center of a space drama, utilizing the tropes of invaders vs. colonists, advanced science vs. magical powers, tradition, politics, ethics, opposing and complementary worldviews, and first contact to draw the obvious parallels. And turns expectations upside down and crossways.
It was beautiful, violent, and strange, just like my native Southwest. Keyes is respectful of native traditions as he explores love and honor in the cosmos. I have read and enjoyed Keyes' fantasy novels and am happy to report he can handle science fiction also. Particularly recommended for those who enjoy scifi with a Native American twist, or the works of Dan Simmons and Greg Bear (this is short, though).
Though I received an EARC for review from the publisher and Netgalley, I ordered a copy for my "real" bookshelves.
It was beautiful, violent, and strange, just like my native Southwest. Keyes is respectful of native traditions as he explores love and honor in the cosmos. I have read and enjoyed Keyes' fantasy novels and am happy to report he can handle science fiction also. Particularly recommended for those who enjoy scifi with a Native American twist, or the works of Dan Simmons and Greg Bear (this is short, though).
Though I received an EARC for review from the publisher and Netgalley, I ordered a copy for my "real" bookshelves.
May 23, 2015
Book Review by: Sharon Powers.
NOTE: If you would like to see this review with all the graphics, you can find them at: http://sharonsloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
__________________________________________
Thanksgiving in New Mexico. . .well, that's how I thought of it. Of course, it really was a photography trip with my husband and daughter. My husband, daughter, and I had taken night classes in photography at the local college; I had earned two associate degrees (in photography, of course) and looked forward to shooting at a location that I had never been to before.
New Mexico was nothing short of beautiful, as they say, "The Land of Enchantment." We spent a week driving around Northern New Mexico taking photographs in many urban settings, and landscapes, well, everywhere, Chaco Canyon included. On Thanksgiving we celebrated quietly, ate well, and relaxed. Peace and serenity enveloped us so that we really felt and appreciated the beauty and "enchantment" of the land we photographed. Being there was, indeed, something for which we could truly give thanks.
This is the Kachina Doll I bought when
I was in New Mexico. The Kachina's
name is "Morning Singing."
The artist is D. Livingston. [2]
This is not the black pottery of which I spoke,
just above, here. This pottery was a gift
from my daughter that she purchased
on another trip to New Mexico. [2]
What I remember most fondly, though, was seeing the kivas and dwellings at Chaco Canyon. I was able to take many beautiful photographs there; they now reside on the walls of my home. Of course, while we were there, I couldn't resist purchasing some mementos of our trip, some handmade jewelry, black pottery, and a Kachina Doll.
Greg Keyes novel, Footsteps in the Sky, is grounded in that Hopi culture, its people, religion and way of life. He takes the beautiful traditions of the Hopi people of New Mexico and, in a way, grafts it to a different time and place.
"The Four Worlds and the Emergence" [3]
As the book opens, we are transformed from readers to listeners as Keyes presents us with a beautiful Hopi story. But not just any story; it is the story of how the Hopi left this world where the people everywhere were of "two-hearts," where there existed much corruption and the people were unhappy, to make a new start on another planet.
In the oral traditions of the Hopi, such an origin story really exists. "The Four Worlds and the Emergence," tells of this traditional story:
Hopis tell stories about ancestral journeys through three worlds to the Fourth World, where the people live today. Here, Hopi storyteller Nuvayoiyava (Albert Yava) tells a story, handed down through the generations, about how people began as bugs and migrated and [evolved into people as they] migrated through the worlds." [3]
This Kachina Doll
is "Maasaw," and
was created by
Bradford Kaye. [4]
Author, Greg Keyes, takes this beautiful story a step further as he creates a new creation myth for readers. Some of the Hopi heard some footsteps in the sky and realized that someone had to be there and wondered if they, too, could live there. The Hopi sent the Catbird to the sky to find who it was who lived there; the Catbird soon found the person who made the footsteps in the sky--it was the god Masaw. Masaw agreed to let them come to his world and the Hopi ascended to the sky through reeds to Masaw's world--one that required much hard work in order to live and survive there.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS:
In their life on earth, the Vilmer Foundation was a stand in for Masaw. In a contract with the Hopi, the Hopi would travel to the new world and cultivate the land and make the surface conditions habitable; in exchange, the Hopi would get to keep the land. A hundred years later one faction of those early inhabitants looked to bring back the old way and give honor to the Kachina spirits. The other faction looks to technology and power.
One descendant, SandGreyGirl (Sand), thinks that the Kachina live somewhere beyond the stars and that the gods have been preparing a new world for the people. Even though Sand hopes that the gods live and that they are, indeed, readying a new world for the Hopi, she has her doubts.
Those doubts may be well founded since the human race has discovered not only one, but nine new and habitable worlds. "Someone has been seeding planets, bringing life to them." But, as yet, no one has discovered who it is that has been seeding the worlds. No one, that is, until the day those "ancient farmers," returned. Finding that the planet has deviated from their growth plans, they contemplate strip- ping the planet bare and starting over with a new seeding.[1]
WHAT I THINK
ABOUT THIS BOOK:
First, I have to say I was very pleased to be able to read this title through NetGalley. Even though it was originally released in 1994, I hadn't read it, yet. I am so pleased, now, because the book is specifically being released at this time, as a digital edition by Open Road Media. And, as many of you may know, I read a lot (but, certainly, not ALL) of my books on my Kindle in a digital edition format. This new release, digitally, will make it easier for many readers who require the portability that hardback and paperback editions, do not. Remember, anyone can read a digital edition on a computer or other device, not just e-readers.
[5]
Second, as I began reading, I felt a little bit confused. For anyone, it is under- standable as you open the pages of a new book and step into a brand new world with which you are unfamiliar. Also, it took me a little while to realize what the author was doing with changing characters and scenes. The A-ha moment, if you will.
So...how does anyone determine the point of view of a story? And...what the heck is the point of view of Greg Keyes' Story?
Well, the very first thing you need to do is to disregard the dialogue in favor of focusing on the PRONOUNS in the narration. What are the pronouns used?
[6]
In the first scene, entitled, "Farmer," we see pronouns like we, us, and our; but we also hear the speaker say, I. If you are ever faced with a situation like this, choose the first person point of view. In this story the three sisters operated as one entity; hence, the mixed up pronouns really do equal one person--at least in this section of the book.
In Greg Keyes' story, Footsteps in the
Sky, the narrator doesn't use words
like "you, your, and you're." So,
we don't have second person. [7]
In part "II. Pela," we are introduced to a person named "Pela." Someone says, "Pela," and speaks of Pela as "she" and "her." For example, "Pela took a grateful breath, felt the blood throbbing in her legs and arms." We hear the speaker call Pela by name. Of course, this is third person. The speaker may call the person doing the action by their specific name, here, "Pela."
Part III is back to "Farmer," and first person while Part IV, entitled, "Hoku," the speaker addresses us saying "Hoku snarled," and "he," "him," and "his"--again third person. So what is up with the back and forth stuff? Why first person then third person? What's going on? We may find the answer by taking a closer look at THIRD PERSON.
[8]
In third person, we can ask if the narrator simply describes facts and events in a neutral way, without including the thoughts or feelings of the characters. If so, what we have is THIRD PERSON OBJEC- TIVE.
If the character's thoughts and feelings are reported by the narrator, then we can ask if the narrator is reporting on the thoughts and feelings of one character or multiple characters. If the narrator is only reporting on one person's thoughts and feelings, we have THIRD PERSON LIMITED, but if multiple characters are observed and reported upon, the narrator is said to be THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT.
[9]
Since we have the narrator making observances that are not just a neutral reporting of facts, we can eliminate Third Person Objective. Also, since the narrator is reporting about multiple characters we know we have third person omniscient. So, there we have it. Not so bad when we realize the narrator is the one speaking and can see into every character. Now, it isn't so confusing.
[10]
Greg Keyes' narrator speaking in third person omniscient speaks with the voice of authority. By his very distancing from the one being spoken about, he gains credibility--some have said that the narrator speaks with the "voice of authority."
Another really great benefit from writing third person omniscient versus, say, first person, is that first person tends to be all about the narrator telling the audience what's happening, while third person omniscient tends more to show the action. So Greg Keyes is able to use a point of view that helps him show the action--and that is certainly what I enjoyed as the action picked up in the latter half of the book. [11]
[12]
Without giving out more of the plot of the book, I can tell you that the way Greg Keyes weaves the various characters' points of view together, that it conveys an atmosphere that feels authentic and makes the characters feel authentic, as well. Not only that, I found that the story conveyed an ever-deepening sense of mystery and anticipation.
While the story seems to be a story about the Hopi people, it is also a murder mystery, Star-Trek-like space exploration, and about alien beings from another world holding the power of life and death over the world. Keyes somehow, is able to also weave in spirituality, the Hopi's belief in gods, spirits, and life beyond with moments of poignancy and love; then, characters are hit with painful moments when they realize they've been betrayed. Keyes includes such varied things as tribal conflict, political power, violence, an engineered plague, and a good old-fashioned chase scene. Whew! What a ride!
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME:
As I indicated, above, I was confused a bit at the beginning of the book until I figured out what Greg Keyes was doing with the various points of view. Also, the beginning third of the book was a bit slow getting established. But given the scope of Keyes' novel, I'm not sure how else he could have accomplished that feat. I liked Keyes' writing and "story-telling," very much and find this aspect of dislike not an unsurmountable obstacle. I was puzzled, how to answer the question asked of me, "What is your book about this week?" I stammered a bit, and muttered something to the effect of, "It's about the Hopi Indians in outer space colonizing a planet." Then I sighed with my lame description and launched into more detail, trying to explain. Oh, well....
MY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Greg Keyes' Footsteps in the Sky, is a triumph of science fiction grafted onto earthly roots! It is a book that will hold you spellbound all the way to the end and one that will leave you with imprints of its footsteps in your memory. I haven't seen a book like Greg Keyes' book since I read Hugh Howey's, Wool; I loved the mystery, action, and epic quality conveyed by the novel. The use of voice in conveying an authenticity of the culture of the characters was nothing short of brilliant. Thank you, Greg Keyes. Thank you, Open Road Media.
MY RATING:
[13]
Given all the above reasons, and in honor of the title of Greg Keyes' novel, I am pleased to rate this book 5 footprints out of 5. This book has, indeed, the possibility to become one of sci-fi's classic novels.
Thank you for joining me this week as we got to look at an exciting new e-book release of Greg Keyes', Footsteps in the Sky. I hope you enjoyed reading about this exciting new e-book and and I want to thank you for your time and attention to this blog post. Next week we will look at a new book and see what the pages have in store for us.
Until next time . . .
This flower is a double, white Rose of Sharon. [14]
. . . many happy pages of reading!
My very best to you,
Sharon.
_________________________________________________________
REFERENCES/SOURCES
[1] "Footsteps in the Sky." smile.amazon.com. Retrieved 05-15-15.
[2] "'Morning Singing' Kachina Doll." [D. Livingston.], and Pueblo Pottery. Photographs by Sharon Powers. 05-20-15.
[3] ""The Four Worlds and the Emergence." [Nuvayoiyava (Albert Yava), Tewa Village, August 1969] southwestcrossroads.org. Retrieved 05-21-15.
[4] "Maasaw Kachina Death Sculpture." [Bradford Kaye] ebay.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[5] "Point of View." artistryofeducation.blogspot.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[6] "First Person." firstperson.oxfamamerica.org. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[7] "Person." dpdirectory.com. [Second Person] Retrieved 05-22-15.
[8] "Third Person Objective." [Objective.] bitstrips.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[9] "Point of View." [Limited] youtube.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[10] "Third Person Point of View: Omniscient, Limited, and Objective." [Miss Mayfield.] Retrieved 05-22-15.
[11] "Five Advantages of Third Person Omniscient Point of View." ingridsundberg.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[12] "Is our Society Spiritually Starved for Authenticity and Trust?." [themastershift.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[13] "Footprints." pixshark.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[14] "Pictures From My Garden." sparkpeople.com. Retrieved 05-15-15.
[*] "NetGalley." netgalley.com. Retrieved 05-15-15.
NOTE: If you would like to see this review with all the graphics, you can find them at: http://sharonsloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
__________________________________________
Thanksgiving in New Mexico. . .well, that's how I thought of it. Of course, it really was a photography trip with my husband and daughter. My husband, daughter, and I had taken night classes in photography at the local college; I had earned two associate degrees (in photography, of course) and looked forward to shooting at a location that I had never been to before.
New Mexico was nothing short of beautiful, as they say, "The Land of Enchantment." We spent a week driving around Northern New Mexico taking photographs in many urban settings, and landscapes, well, everywhere, Chaco Canyon included. On Thanksgiving we celebrated quietly, ate well, and relaxed. Peace and serenity enveloped us so that we really felt and appreciated the beauty and "enchantment" of the land we photographed. Being there was, indeed, something for which we could truly give thanks.
This is the Kachina Doll I bought when
I was in New Mexico. The Kachina's
name is "Morning Singing."
The artist is D. Livingston. [2]
This is not the black pottery of which I spoke,
just above, here. This pottery was a gift
from my daughter that she purchased
on another trip to New Mexico. [2]
What I remember most fondly, though, was seeing the kivas and dwellings at Chaco Canyon. I was able to take many beautiful photographs there; they now reside on the walls of my home. Of course, while we were there, I couldn't resist purchasing some mementos of our trip, some handmade jewelry, black pottery, and a Kachina Doll.
Greg Keyes novel, Footsteps in the Sky, is grounded in that Hopi culture, its people, religion and way of life. He takes the beautiful traditions of the Hopi people of New Mexico and, in a way, grafts it to a different time and place.
"The Four Worlds and the Emergence" [3]
As the book opens, we are transformed from readers to listeners as Keyes presents us with a beautiful Hopi story. But not just any story; it is the story of how the Hopi left this world where the people everywhere were of "two-hearts," where there existed much corruption and the people were unhappy, to make a new start on another planet.
In the oral traditions of the Hopi, such an origin story really exists. "The Four Worlds and the Emergence," tells of this traditional story:
Hopis tell stories about ancestral journeys through three worlds to the Fourth World, where the people live today. Here, Hopi storyteller Nuvayoiyava (Albert Yava) tells a story, handed down through the generations, about how people began as bugs and migrated and [evolved into people as they] migrated through the worlds." [3]
This Kachina Doll
is "Maasaw," and
was created by
Bradford Kaye. [4]
Author, Greg Keyes, takes this beautiful story a step further as he creates a new creation myth for readers. Some of the Hopi heard some footsteps in the sky and realized that someone had to be there and wondered if they, too, could live there. The Hopi sent the Catbird to the sky to find who it was who lived there; the Catbird soon found the person who made the footsteps in the sky--it was the god Masaw. Masaw agreed to let them come to his world and the Hopi ascended to the sky through reeds to Masaw's world--one that required much hard work in order to live and survive there.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS:
In their life on earth, the Vilmer Foundation was a stand in for Masaw. In a contract with the Hopi, the Hopi would travel to the new world and cultivate the land and make the surface conditions habitable; in exchange, the Hopi would get to keep the land. A hundred years later one faction of those early inhabitants looked to bring back the old way and give honor to the Kachina spirits. The other faction looks to technology and power.
One descendant, SandGreyGirl (Sand), thinks that the Kachina live somewhere beyond the stars and that the gods have been preparing a new world for the people. Even though Sand hopes that the gods live and that they are, indeed, readying a new world for the Hopi, she has her doubts.
Those doubts may be well founded since the human race has discovered not only one, but nine new and habitable worlds. "Someone has been seeding planets, bringing life to them." But, as yet, no one has discovered who it is that has been seeding the worlds. No one, that is, until the day those "ancient farmers," returned. Finding that the planet has deviated from their growth plans, they contemplate strip- ping the planet bare and starting over with a new seeding.[1]
WHAT I THINK
ABOUT THIS BOOK:
First, I have to say I was very pleased to be able to read this title through NetGalley. Even though it was originally released in 1994, I hadn't read it, yet. I am so pleased, now, because the book is specifically being released at this time, as a digital edition by Open Road Media. And, as many of you may know, I read a lot (but, certainly, not ALL) of my books on my Kindle in a digital edition format. This new release, digitally, will make it easier for many readers who require the portability that hardback and paperback editions, do not. Remember, anyone can read a digital edition on a computer or other device, not just e-readers.
[5]
Second, as I began reading, I felt a little bit confused. For anyone, it is under- standable as you open the pages of a new book and step into a brand new world with which you are unfamiliar. Also, it took me a little while to realize what the author was doing with changing characters and scenes. The A-ha moment, if you will.
So...how does anyone determine the point of view of a story? And...what the heck is the point of view of Greg Keyes' Story?
Well, the very first thing you need to do is to disregard the dialogue in favor of focusing on the PRONOUNS in the narration. What are the pronouns used?
[6]
In the first scene, entitled, "Farmer," we see pronouns like we, us, and our; but we also hear the speaker say, I. If you are ever faced with a situation like this, choose the first person point of view. In this story the three sisters operated as one entity; hence, the mixed up pronouns really do equal one person--at least in this section of the book.
In Greg Keyes' story, Footsteps in the
Sky, the narrator doesn't use words
like "you, your, and you're." So,
we don't have second person. [7]
In part "II. Pela," we are introduced to a person named "Pela." Someone says, "Pela," and speaks of Pela as "she" and "her." For example, "Pela took a grateful breath, felt the blood throbbing in her legs and arms." We hear the speaker call Pela by name. Of course, this is third person. The speaker may call the person doing the action by their specific name, here, "Pela."
Part III is back to "Farmer," and first person while Part IV, entitled, "Hoku," the speaker addresses us saying "Hoku snarled," and "he," "him," and "his"--again third person. So what is up with the back and forth stuff? Why first person then third person? What's going on? We may find the answer by taking a closer look at THIRD PERSON.
[8]
In third person, we can ask if the narrator simply describes facts and events in a neutral way, without including the thoughts or feelings of the characters. If so, what we have is THIRD PERSON OBJEC- TIVE.
If the character's thoughts and feelings are reported by the narrator, then we can ask if the narrator is reporting on the thoughts and feelings of one character or multiple characters. If the narrator is only reporting on one person's thoughts and feelings, we have THIRD PERSON LIMITED, but if multiple characters are observed and reported upon, the narrator is said to be THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT.
[9]
Since we have the narrator making observances that are not just a neutral reporting of facts, we can eliminate Third Person Objective. Also, since the narrator is reporting about multiple characters we know we have third person omniscient. So, there we have it. Not so bad when we realize the narrator is the one speaking and can see into every character. Now, it isn't so confusing.
[10]
Greg Keyes' narrator speaking in third person omniscient speaks with the voice of authority. By his very distancing from the one being spoken about, he gains credibility--some have said that the narrator speaks with the "voice of authority."
Another really great benefit from writing third person omniscient versus, say, first person, is that first person tends to be all about the narrator telling the audience what's happening, while third person omniscient tends more to show the action. So Greg Keyes is able to use a point of view that helps him show the action--and that is certainly what I enjoyed as the action picked up in the latter half of the book. [11]
[12]
Without giving out more of the plot of the book, I can tell you that the way Greg Keyes weaves the various characters' points of view together, that it conveys an atmosphere that feels authentic and makes the characters feel authentic, as well. Not only that, I found that the story conveyed an ever-deepening sense of mystery and anticipation.
While the story seems to be a story about the Hopi people, it is also a murder mystery, Star-Trek-like space exploration, and about alien beings from another world holding the power of life and death over the world. Keyes somehow, is able to also weave in spirituality, the Hopi's belief in gods, spirits, and life beyond with moments of poignancy and love; then, characters are hit with painful moments when they realize they've been betrayed. Keyes includes such varied things as tribal conflict, political power, violence, an engineered plague, and a good old-fashioned chase scene. Whew! What a ride!
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME:
As I indicated, above, I was confused a bit at the beginning of the book until I figured out what Greg Keyes was doing with the various points of view. Also, the beginning third of the book was a bit slow getting established. But given the scope of Keyes' novel, I'm not sure how else he could have accomplished that feat. I liked Keyes' writing and "story-telling," very much and find this aspect of dislike not an unsurmountable obstacle. I was puzzled, how to answer the question asked of me, "What is your book about this week?" I stammered a bit, and muttered something to the effect of, "It's about the Hopi Indians in outer space colonizing a planet." Then I sighed with my lame description and launched into more detail, trying to explain. Oh, well....
MY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Greg Keyes' Footsteps in the Sky, is a triumph of science fiction grafted onto earthly roots! It is a book that will hold you spellbound all the way to the end and one that will leave you with imprints of its footsteps in your memory. I haven't seen a book like Greg Keyes' book since I read Hugh Howey's, Wool; I loved the mystery, action, and epic quality conveyed by the novel. The use of voice in conveying an authenticity of the culture of the characters was nothing short of brilliant. Thank you, Greg Keyes. Thank you, Open Road Media.
MY RATING:
[13]
Given all the above reasons, and in honor of the title of Greg Keyes' novel, I am pleased to rate this book 5 footprints out of 5. This book has, indeed, the possibility to become one of sci-fi's classic novels.
Thank you for joining me this week as we got to look at an exciting new e-book release of Greg Keyes', Footsteps in the Sky. I hope you enjoyed reading about this exciting new e-book and and I want to thank you for your time and attention to this blog post. Next week we will look at a new book and see what the pages have in store for us.
Until next time . . .
This flower is a double, white Rose of Sharon. [14]
. . . many happy pages of reading!
My very best to you,
Sharon.
_________________________________________________________
REFERENCES/SOURCES
[1] "Footsteps in the Sky." smile.amazon.com. Retrieved 05-15-15.
[2] "'Morning Singing' Kachina Doll." [D. Livingston.], and Pueblo Pottery. Photographs by Sharon Powers. 05-20-15.
[3] ""The Four Worlds and the Emergence." [Nuvayoiyava (Albert Yava), Tewa Village, August 1969] southwestcrossroads.org. Retrieved 05-21-15.
[4] "Maasaw Kachina Death Sculpture." [Bradford Kaye] ebay.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[5] "Point of View." artistryofeducation.blogspot.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[6] "First Person." firstperson.oxfamamerica.org. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[7] "Person." dpdirectory.com. [Second Person] Retrieved 05-22-15.
[8] "Third Person Objective." [Objective.] bitstrips.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[9] "Point of View." [Limited] youtube.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[10] "Third Person Point of View: Omniscient, Limited, and Objective." [Miss Mayfield.] Retrieved 05-22-15.
[11] "Five Advantages of Third Person Omniscient Point of View." ingridsundberg.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[12] "Is our Society Spiritually Starved for Authenticity and Trust?." [themastershift.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[13] "Footprints." pixshark.com. Retrieved 05-22-15.
[14] "Pictures From My Garden." sparkpeople.com. Retrieved 05-15-15.
[*] "NetGalley." netgalley.com. Retrieved 05-15-15.
October 17, 2019
The plot concept had such beautiful potential but the author totally ruined it with unnecessary and gross sexualization with a side of racism.
This breathtaking setting entwined with Hopi culture was good when written from the 2 main characters' points of view, Pela and Sand. But then it was rife with other Hopi lowlander people criticizing their own religion as stupid nonsense in a way that really just reflects the author's biases more than anything that adds depth to a cultural conflict. It gets even worse when the offworld characters enter the picture, referring to the Hopi people as primitive and inferior and smirking at how stupid they think their beliefs are. There are more respectful ways to write; the author botched this.
:::Spoiler alert for the rest of the review:::
This book sucked.
This breathtaking setting entwined with Hopi culture was good when written from the 2 main characters' points of view, Pela and Sand. But then it was rife with other Hopi lowlander people criticizing their own religion as stupid nonsense in a way that really just reflects the author's biases more than anything that adds depth to a cultural conflict. It gets even worse when the offworld characters enter the picture, referring to the Hopi people as primitive and inferior and smirking at how stupid they think their beliefs are. There are more respectful ways to write; the author botched this.
:::Spoiler alert for the rest of the review:::
This book sucked.
March 31, 2020
Footsteps in the Sky does a really good job of blending the mythology and origin/creation myth of the Pueblo People with the science fiction of terraforming a hostile planet. The originality of this mix is a joy and a different perspective than most typical sci-fi. The world Keyes creates is believable with a good amount of hard science involved from the tech of terraforming and multi-year journeys from Earth to other worlds, as well as slow communications between them. Into this mix he adds the higher tech of advanced alien intelligences, and uses that as a vehicle to show the world from an outsider's point of view, as the alien pairs up with a traditional woman from the outskirts of the settled regions. She's on a breakneck journey of balancing multiple factions' self interests against the slim chance of actually gaining a place for her people unbeholden to any, and rediscovering the meaning of their beliefs in an entirely new way as reality intrudes on them, while simultaneously merging into a new truth.
January 27, 2019
Keyes' writing skill and love of Native American culture shows through in this sci fi tale of a Hopi community which has colonized a planet, only to have the AI-governed planet farming ships created by original alien owners return, most displeased.
The plot is fairly basic, but readers will quickly fall in love with the characters and be fascinated with the application of Hopi mythology in a sci fi setting. The title, Footsteps in the Sky, reflect the Hopi belief that the Well-Behaved People climbed from one underworld to a higher world and a still higher one before arriving on the surface. What is more natural than that they would seek to go into space and colonize a planet to make their home?
There is the conflict of new generations who wish to live in a technical society and resent the traditionalists, the corporation that dispatched the colonists to perform the terraforming and who intend to remain in control, and the alien ships that are apt to do anything.
The plot is fairly basic, but readers will quickly fall in love with the characters and be fascinated with the application of Hopi mythology in a sci fi setting. The title, Footsteps in the Sky, reflect the Hopi belief that the Well-Behaved People climbed from one underworld to a higher world and a still higher one before arriving on the surface. What is more natural than that they would seek to go into space and colonize a planet to make their home?
There is the conflict of new generations who wish to live in a technical society and resent the traditionalists, the corporation that dispatched the colonists to perform the terraforming and who intend to remain in control, and the alien ships that are apt to do anything.
May 19, 2022
Science Fiction with a lot of Hopi Indian culture. A new world was found with an atmosphere and chemistry which was amenable to terraforming. A group of Hopi Indians settled there and while some keep to relatively traditional patterns others have become much more urbanized. Then 3 ships arrive with the entities which had originally seeded the world with a different chemistry, that which was present when humans arrived. They are uncertain whether to sterilize the planet and reseed it for their makers, or to leave the usurpers alone. Meanwhile the Earth company that paid for the terraforming threatens to do to the Hopi settlers what the Europeans did to the Native Americans
September 15, 2017
I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could - the book is well written, but the storyline lets it down. So long is spent in the preamble (virtually half the book) there is little time for a lengthy story to appear. The story concept is a very simple one, lengthened into a full book. I enjoyed it, but I also felt that something was missing, like I'd got to the end of the book still waiting for something to happen. Character development was deep in some cases, not deep enough in others, so it was hard to empathise or sympathise with some of the main protagonists.
March 4, 2019
This was a bit difficult to get into at first because it goes between 3 extremely disparate groups and concepts. Once you settle into the flow it becomes an interesting story of a group of Hopi traditionalists who agreed to terraform an alien world for a large corporation. A splinter group has pulled away from the traditions and is on their own path to power. Representatives of the species that originally terraformed the planet have returned. The interactions of the three form the main story. An interesting mix of science, technology, and mysticism.
March 15, 2021
Well, I liked the book, but definitely, all the content warnings are needed if anyone wants to read this one. The idea of an ancient AI sending a genetic copy of a being imprinted with its own mind impression in order to understand a people and make a decision is neat, even if it came with such a twisty plot where people do as people do.
June 28, 2017
I did NOT finish this book. I did not care for the incessant profanity, rivers of anger and resentment and hate. There was not a single character with any redeeming value.
Read about a third way through.
Read about a third way through.
April 28, 2018
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
The cover for this Open Media edition of Greg Keyes' Footsteps in the Sky was so fascinating that I requested it without actually knowing what the story was about. In some future, humans have left earth in search for other inhabitable places. A group of Hopi end up on Fifth World, a planet that seems almost too ready for habitation. After a while with internal struggles, the original 'owners' of the planet show up.
While the premise was fascinating I had a hard time focussing on the story. The characters never felt alive to me and I had to force myself to pick it up. When finally reading it was nice, but was missing something special. Thinking of everything else I have still to read, I wouldn't immediately pick up more books by Greg Keyes.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The cover for this Open Media edition of Greg Keyes' Footsteps in the Sky was so fascinating that I requested it without actually knowing what the story was about. In some future, humans have left earth in search for other inhabitable places. A group of Hopi end up on Fifth World, a planet that seems almost too ready for habitation. After a while with internal struggles, the original 'owners' of the planet show up.
While the premise was fascinating I had a hard time focussing on the story. The characters never felt alive to me and I had to force myself to pick it up. When finally reading it was nice, but was missing something special. Thinking of everything else I have still to read, I wouldn't immediately pick up more books by Greg Keyes.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
May 7, 2015
Interesting setting with inadequate plot and a gratuitous rape scene.
(reviewed an ARC)
First the general overview, then the rape scene. The overall set up is interesting with the colony being based loosely around Hopi mythology and tradition. The technology is well integrated with that set up with various technical professions being associated with different traditional societies.
The overall concept of what happens if humans accidentally colonize a world being terraformed by another species for their occupation is also solid.
That the company paying to send colonists is pretty well standard EvilCorp, but fears that they'll swoop in and steal the land they just colonized fits well with the Hopi background. Not like they don't have a lot of experience with that...
NOW SPOILERS
Now, to the rape scene. Both characters involved are forced into it by technological mumbo-gumbo. Both are incapable of giving consent at the time because they are incapable of controlling their own reactions due to biological plague mumbo-jumbo. A whole bunch of other people are exposed, but apparently aren't affected by that part.
and it is totally gratuitous. You could skip it it you like (last three pages of chapter 24) and it won't really change anything. The characters involved barely react to it. A third character (Teng) apparently considers this a betrayal of their relationship with Alvar, therefore should blow up the planet. (not even kidding) Teng already had a perfectly valid motivation for their actions, well established in the earlier part of the book and then changing it to "you had sex under duress, that's the final straw, killing everybody" just undermines the character motivation.
and from that point its all a total rush to get to the end of the book. But it all feels very hollow and artificial. Scenes that really should have gotten more attention are cut short and thus lack the weight they should have. One of the antagonists changes his stance due to death of a friend (or love interest?) that dies in about last 30 pages, but his change of heart doesn't seem believable because the relationship was so underdeveloped. It feels like author either ran out of pages or had to turn it in by a specific date.
It would have been a stronger book if Alvar was eliminated and consolidated with other characters. He only does one thing relevant to plot, he gets an infodump on background. This could just have easily been conveyed to Teng instead. Removing him would have let Teng be a stronger, more competent character and still take the same actions without the hollow sexual betrayal motivation. Not trying to focus on that might have let author finish the book stronger. I would have particularly liked to have seen relationship between Hoku and Hom expanded a bit to make his change of heart at end more believable.
Up until the rape scene, I'd have rated the book a 3 1/2 or maybe a 4. Even if that had been totally skipped, the ending totally fell apart. Good world building, plot fell apart in a pretty gross way. I would consider reading another book in this setting because I liked the world building that much, but plot would likely also fall apart similarly badly.
(reviewed an ARC)
First the general overview, then the rape scene. The overall set up is interesting with the colony being based loosely around Hopi mythology and tradition. The technology is well integrated with that set up with various technical professions being associated with different traditional societies.
The overall concept of what happens if humans accidentally colonize a world being terraformed by another species for their occupation is also solid.
That the company paying to send colonists is pretty well standard EvilCorp, but fears that they'll swoop in and steal the land they just colonized fits well with the Hopi background. Not like they don't have a lot of experience with that...
NOW SPOILERS
Now, to the rape scene. Both characters involved are forced into it by technological mumbo-gumbo. Both are incapable of giving consent at the time because they are incapable of controlling their own reactions due to biological plague mumbo-jumbo. A whole bunch of other people are exposed, but apparently aren't affected by that part.
and it is totally gratuitous. You could skip it it you like (last three pages of chapter 24) and it won't really change anything. The characters involved barely react to it. A third character (Teng) apparently considers this a betrayal of their relationship with Alvar, therefore should blow up the planet. (not even kidding) Teng already had a perfectly valid motivation for their actions, well established in the earlier part of the book and then changing it to "you had sex under duress, that's the final straw, killing everybody" just undermines the character motivation.
and from that point its all a total rush to get to the end of the book. But it all feels very hollow and artificial. Scenes that really should have gotten more attention are cut short and thus lack the weight they should have. One of the antagonists changes his stance due to death of a friend (or love interest?) that dies in about last 30 pages, but his change of heart doesn't seem believable because the relationship was so underdeveloped. It feels like author either ran out of pages or had to turn it in by a specific date.
It would have been a stronger book if Alvar was eliminated and consolidated with other characters. He only does one thing relevant to plot, he gets an infodump on background. This could just have easily been conveyed to Teng instead. Removing him would have let Teng be a stronger, more competent character and still take the same actions without the hollow sexual betrayal motivation. Not trying to focus on that might have let author finish the book stronger. I would have particularly liked to have seen relationship between Hoku and Hom expanded a bit to make his change of heart at end more believable.
Up until the rape scene, I'd have rated the book a 3 1/2 or maybe a 4. Even if that had been totally skipped, the ending totally fell apart. Good world building, plot fell apart in a pretty gross way. I would consider reading another book in this setting because I liked the world building that much, but plot would likely also fall apart similarly badly.
April 1, 2022
Footsteps in the Sky is an exploration of what might happen if two different civilizations from two very different worlds set out to terraform (or their version of terraforming) the same planet at the same time. It was a little difficult to get into at first but came together into an excellent tale.
The story is inspired by a Hopi origin legend (included at the beginning of the book) about a group of people living in a place that had become unpleasant who, hearing what they thought were footsteps in the sky, sent a clay bird up to investigate. The bird found a grey featureless land full of fires burning inhabited by a single strange person. He asked if the people below can come up to live with this person. The person told him that if the people from below were willing to work very hard to live in that land and make it different, they could come.
The planet where the current story takes place is never named. It is very far away, and initially not at all hospitable for human habitation. Apparently, when the humans first arrived, the atmosphere contained a lot of alcohol.
The people who chose to come there for the terraforming work were descendants of the Hopi tribe from earth. They undertook the difficult task of working to transform the planet into a livable place in the hope that they would be allowed to live there on their own terms in peace.
It begins to look as if that dream will be shattered.
Unbeknownst to the people from Earth, ships from another planet had been working to terraform the planet to match conditions on their home planet since long before humans discovered the place. The alcohol atmosphere was a requirement of life for the beings who created the huge intelligent terraforming spaceships. When they see them appearing in the night sky, the Hopi of the planet call them the Kachina.
And a third group enters the equation some years into the story; a small crew from the company that sent the first humans to transform the planet.
There is enough political tension between the traditional Hopi in the farming areas and their more modern and technologically savvy relatives in the cities by the coast without any interference from the other two potentially deadly groups of arrivals.
After the Kachina ships sent down an exploratory being supposed to be like their Makers, and it died, they send a probe to investigate the people infesting their planet farm. One of the natives, a woman by the name of Pela, comes too close to the probe, and it opens and takes a sample of her, returning the sample to the Kachina ships.
Still more years later, when Pela dies, the Kachina ship sends another exploratory being who seems to be a clone of Pela, infused with the confused consciousness of the ship. This artificial Pela meets up with her still-grieving daughter, SandGreyGirl, and they have a number of adventures together.
At first, Sand resents the artificial Pela, but as it begins to learn to talk and they come to understand each other, Sand realizes that it isn’t really her mother after all. When she gives it a new name, that helps. Together, they set about sorting out the conflict between all the competing interests on the planet, although that is not their conscious intention.
The story is inspired by a Hopi origin legend (included at the beginning of the book) about a group of people living in a place that had become unpleasant who, hearing what they thought were footsteps in the sky, sent a clay bird up to investigate. The bird found a grey featureless land full of fires burning inhabited by a single strange person. He asked if the people below can come up to live with this person. The person told him that if the people from below were willing to work very hard to live in that land and make it different, they could come.
The planet where the current story takes place is never named. It is very far away, and initially not at all hospitable for human habitation. Apparently, when the humans first arrived, the atmosphere contained a lot of alcohol.
The people who chose to come there for the terraforming work were descendants of the Hopi tribe from earth. They undertook the difficult task of working to transform the planet into a livable place in the hope that they would be allowed to live there on their own terms in peace.
It begins to look as if that dream will be shattered.
Unbeknownst to the people from Earth, ships from another planet had been working to terraform the planet to match conditions on their home planet since long before humans discovered the place. The alcohol atmosphere was a requirement of life for the beings who created the huge intelligent terraforming spaceships. When they see them appearing in the night sky, the Hopi of the planet call them the Kachina.
And a third group enters the equation some years into the story; a small crew from the company that sent the first humans to transform the planet.
There is enough political tension between the traditional Hopi in the farming areas and their more modern and technologically savvy relatives in the cities by the coast without any interference from the other two potentially deadly groups of arrivals.
After the Kachina ships sent down an exploratory being supposed to be like their Makers, and it died, they send a probe to investigate the people infesting their planet farm. One of the natives, a woman by the name of Pela, comes too close to the probe, and it opens and takes a sample of her, returning the sample to the Kachina ships.
Still more years later, when Pela dies, the Kachina ship sends another exploratory being who seems to be a clone of Pela, infused with the confused consciousness of the ship. This artificial Pela meets up with her still-grieving daughter, SandGreyGirl, and they have a number of adventures together.
At first, Sand resents the artificial Pela, but as it begins to learn to talk and they come to understand each other, Sand realizes that it isn’t really her mother after all. When she gives it a new name, that helps. Together, they set about sorting out the conflict between all the competing interests on the planet, although that is not their conscious intention.
September 9, 2015
I received an advance copy of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to read this book: the premise seemed interesting, and incredibly unique. i don't often get to read books about terraformed worlds that were successfully colonized - usually, the whole plot revolves around disaster. This novel caught my eye and I was extremely glad to have been approved on it through NetGalley, so that I could get a chance to read it.
Having never read any of Keyes's work, I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The novel was everything I wanted it to be: it was a fast paced, clever, and unpredictable. At many points, the story would twist in a way I did not expect, and I found myself practically unable to put this book down - I only did because I had to, or I would have sat down and read this in one sitting.
The plot revolves around a world colonized by the decedents of the Hopi, about 400 years into our future. They have settled a planet which they call the fifth world, and have been tirelessly working the land, dedicating themselves to planting crops and making this planet suitable for life. Their decision to keep the planet to themselves, to break off ties with earth, and the corporation that sent them to their world, does not sit well with the powers that be - not does it please three alien ships, who have returned to the planet they have farmed only to find it uninhabited by other beings than their makers.
Keyes has a talent for world building. The universe he has created here is not only realistic and credible, but also amazingly beautiful. The technology used; the tensions between traditionals (who follow the religion and ways of the Hopi) and the low-landers (who have turned away from their beliefs, opting for technology over superstition); the interpretations of stories and tales... everything is woven together in a colorful tapestry, creating a new world.
The downside of all this was how complicated it was to grasp onto all the tensions when beginning the novel. Everyone resents someone else for some reason or another, and many have quite complex names, or call others by different names. It took a little while to get over that, but once you're in, you're in, and you follow the thread quite easily.
I wasn't very happy with the ending: I feel like there was a lot more that needed to be handled, and there might even be a plot hole there (which I won't point out, both not to spoil and not to ruin it for anyone else). i also found the relationship between Sand and Tuchvala a little odd. But overall, I quite enjoyed reading this beautiful book, and would recommend it wholeheartedly.
I was very excited to read this book: the premise seemed interesting, and incredibly unique. i don't often get to read books about terraformed worlds that were successfully colonized - usually, the whole plot revolves around disaster. This novel caught my eye and I was extremely glad to have been approved on it through NetGalley, so that I could get a chance to read it.
Having never read any of Keyes's work, I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The novel was everything I wanted it to be: it was a fast paced, clever, and unpredictable. At many points, the story would twist in a way I did not expect, and I found myself practically unable to put this book down - I only did because I had to, or I would have sat down and read this in one sitting.
The plot revolves around a world colonized by the decedents of the Hopi, about 400 years into our future. They have settled a planet which they call the fifth world, and have been tirelessly working the land, dedicating themselves to planting crops and making this planet suitable for life. Their decision to keep the planet to themselves, to break off ties with earth, and the corporation that sent them to their world, does not sit well with the powers that be - not does it please three alien ships, who have returned to the planet they have farmed only to find it uninhabited by other beings than their makers.
Keyes has a talent for world building. The universe he has created here is not only realistic and credible, but also amazingly beautiful. The technology used; the tensions between traditionals (who follow the religion and ways of the Hopi) and the low-landers (who have turned away from their beliefs, opting for technology over superstition); the interpretations of stories and tales... everything is woven together in a colorful tapestry, creating a new world.
The downside of all this was how complicated it was to grasp onto all the tensions when beginning the novel. Everyone resents someone else for some reason or another, and many have quite complex names, or call others by different names. It took a little while to get over that, but once you're in, you're in, and you follow the thread quite easily.
I wasn't very happy with the ending: I feel like there was a lot more that needed to be handled, and there might even be a plot hole there (which I won't point out, both not to spoil and not to ruin it for anyone else). i also found the relationship between Sand and Tuchvala a little odd. But overall, I quite enjoyed reading this beautiful book, and would recommend it wholeheartedly.
September 11, 2015
“Footsteps in the Sky” eBook was published 2015 and was written by Greg Keyes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory...). My. Keyes has published more than 20 novels.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there are instances of Violence, Mature Language, and Mature Situations. This Science Fiction novel is set in the far future after humans have reached out into the stars and settled other worlds. The world where this story takes place has been settled by the descendants of Hopi and Zuni native people of Earth’s North America.
They have been on the new planet for about a hundred years struggling to survive and working to therefrom the planet. They brought with them their religious beliefs that honor the Kachina spirits. There is now a growing split among the people. The traditionalists live in the interior and live more closely with their heritage. Others live near the coast and are more inclined to embrace new technology. Both groups fear that the company that enabled the trip to their new home world will come one day and take it from them.
Now, three alien space craft are in orbit. Word gets back to Earth and a ship is sent to investigate and keep the local inhabitants from striking a deal with the mysterious visitors. Twenty years have past since the visitors first entered orbit by the time the ship from Earth arrives, and in that time there has been no contact.
Upon the arrival of the Earth ship, there is a capsule sent down to the planet. One of the visitors has taken on the form of a young Hopi woman who will be called Tuchvala, and has been sent down to the planet. Now it is a race as to whether the newly arrived forces from Earth or the more modern arm of the Hopi descendants will catch her.
A complication is that Tuchvala has the body of a young Hopi woman the aliens encountered on their first probe sent to the planet 20 years earlier. That Hopi woman has just died and the first person Tuchvala meets is the daughter of the recently deceased.
The story refers often to the Hopi religion. It is a little on the strange side but was a fair tale. I give this novel a 3.4 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there are instances of Violence, Mature Language, and Mature Situations. This Science Fiction novel is set in the far future after humans have reached out into the stars and settled other worlds. The world where this story takes place has been settled by the descendants of Hopi and Zuni native people of Earth’s North America.
They have been on the new planet for about a hundred years struggling to survive and working to therefrom the planet. They brought with them their religious beliefs that honor the Kachina spirits. There is now a growing split among the people. The traditionalists live in the interior and live more closely with their heritage. Others live near the coast and are more inclined to embrace new technology. Both groups fear that the company that enabled the trip to their new home world will come one day and take it from them.
Now, three alien space craft are in orbit. Word gets back to Earth and a ship is sent to investigate and keep the local inhabitants from striking a deal with the mysterious visitors. Twenty years have past since the visitors first entered orbit by the time the ship from Earth arrives, and in that time there has been no contact.
Upon the arrival of the Earth ship, there is a capsule sent down to the planet. One of the visitors has taken on the form of a young Hopi woman who will be called Tuchvala, and has been sent down to the planet. Now it is a race as to whether the newly arrived forces from Earth or the more modern arm of the Hopi descendants will catch her.
A complication is that Tuchvala has the body of a young Hopi woman the aliens encountered on their first probe sent to the planet 20 years earlier. That Hopi woman has just died and the first person Tuchvala meets is the daughter of the recently deceased.
The story refers often to the Hopi religion. It is a little on the strange side but was a fair tale. I give this novel a 3.4 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
March 25, 2016
This is an unusual story - entertaining and thought provoking. My rating 4.25.
Sand is a young woman of the pueblo clan in the rough interior country of the Fifth World. One hundred years earlier,Sand’s ancestors made the move to this new planet. Those who settled in the interior work the land and follow the legends and traditions, including religious beliefs honoring the Kachina spirits. These people honor the memories and stories of their ancestors, native tribes like the Hopi and Zuni, who came from earth.
There are more ambitious men and women who control the coast and the technology they have available. This clan has put the simple, native beliefs, fears and traditions aside. They plan manipulations to increase their power. They know there are alien forces from earth that will someday return to claim the planet. But there is a different alien force that is orbiting the planet in three ships. The ambitious coastal people hope they can make contact with these hovering aliens to help them keep the planet by fighting the earth-handlers. However, the inhabitants do not realize the danger they face from the unknown aliens.
This story started a little slowly but once I realized the dynamics of the tribes and alien elements I found it fascinating. In essence this tells the story of two societies vying for the planet - not just two on the planet but two alien species in orbit as well. There is thought provoking supposition on how long term artificial intelligence might act when trying to follow its directives or meet new changes.
There is history to give fullness to the Kachina traditions but then one descendant line changes the god to fit their views and needs. There are two spies among the natives and it is interesting the different way they react and interact after many years of insertion. I didn’t care for the casual sex and bad language although I suppose it fit the particular characters. On the other hand, I was struck by some very profound observations of human nature - motives, desires and ability to love and sacrifice.
This is an unusual tale that is full of conflict, action, betrayal and glimpses of love and sacrifice.
I recommend this to readers who would enjoy a space adventure that includes a psychological study.
I received this title through NetGalley for an honest review.
Sand is a young woman of the pueblo clan in the rough interior country of the Fifth World. One hundred years earlier,Sand’s ancestors made the move to this new planet. Those who settled in the interior work the land and follow the legends and traditions, including religious beliefs honoring the Kachina spirits. These people honor the memories and stories of their ancestors, native tribes like the Hopi and Zuni, who came from earth.
There are more ambitious men and women who control the coast and the technology they have available. This clan has put the simple, native beliefs, fears and traditions aside. They plan manipulations to increase their power. They know there are alien forces from earth that will someday return to claim the planet. But there is a different alien force that is orbiting the planet in three ships. The ambitious coastal people hope they can make contact with these hovering aliens to help them keep the planet by fighting the earth-handlers. However, the inhabitants do not realize the danger they face from the unknown aliens.
This story started a little slowly but once I realized the dynamics of the tribes and alien elements I found it fascinating. In essence this tells the story of two societies vying for the planet - not just two on the planet but two alien species in orbit as well. There is thought provoking supposition on how long term artificial intelligence might act when trying to follow its directives or meet new changes.
There is history to give fullness to the Kachina traditions but then one descendant line changes the god to fit their views and needs. There are two spies among the natives and it is interesting the different way they react and interact after many years of insertion. I didn’t care for the casual sex and bad language although I suppose it fit the particular characters. On the other hand, I was struck by some very profound observations of human nature - motives, desires and ability to love and sacrifice.
This is an unusual tale that is full of conflict, action, betrayal and glimpses of love and sacrifice.
I recommend this to readers who would enjoy a space adventure that includes a psychological study.
I received this title through NetGalley for an honest review.
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