Yanik’s Reviews > Clifford Simak SF Gateway Omnibus > Status Update

Waystation was a pretty sizable at a strolling speed. I loved it; it was somehow a pleasant, contemplative experience and I've started to see the themes and tropes Simak wields with skill and admire them. It is quite a unique, magical yet very basic take on sci-fi. Big things happen, but the story mostly remains on a micro-level. Very much like a leasurly walk under a bright stary sky.

Time is the Strangest Thing was special; it was a fun read but has been slowly growing on me in its subtleties post-read. Way Station is even more 'pastoral' and romantic in nature with a nice premise so far.

Slow progress even though the story itself is taking sprints with only short whiles of reflection in-between. I still like it so much better than Cemetery World even though the mystery of this one seems to have shifted to a power fantasy.

Back to Time is the Strangest Thing after a long break. Simak's simple, flowing and natural storytelling is nice reprieve from having to fight every sentence in Dalhgren.

These first 10 chapters have already been so much better than most of my previous encounter with Simak in 'Cemetery World'. The storytelling flows, the characters are sympathetic, the dystopian futurism immersive, the premise very interesting and well explored so far.