A Mirror for Observers by Edgar Pangborn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A classic SF from 1954.

Obviously it must be read as a product of its time and I think it's pretty good for all that, but while I DO enjoy the whole conflict of Passive vs Active Martians living among us, trying to decide whether they are just observers or want to actively destroy us, it's very much a Hawk Vs Dove kind of story.

It's not bad but I did get a bit annoyed with the endless exposition-in-dialogue that was rather common for the day.

It IS, however, still a step up from the endless hokey perceived-pulp SF that was common for the time. Put it vaguely on par with early-early Philip K Dick without the paranoia. :)

I wouldn't seriously recommend this for modern readers unless you like to read things in context. America was on an expansionist footing, having fully realized their power after the end of WWII. The commentary is pretty spot-on.

View all my reviews