Way Station - Clifford D. Simak Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author Clifford D. Simak

"Way Station"
Message Board

Clifford D. Simak Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR: Daniel Staebler

SCHOLARS:

Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review? Click here to submit a review!

Click here for free online dating advice!

Review Summary

One of Clifford Simak's signature works, Way Station is about Enoch Wallace, a civil war veteran. An alien offers him immortality in exchange for his maintaining a "Way Station", sort of a train depot for Galactic Central's matter transmitter, in his Wisconsin farmhouse. The story deals with the truth about him coming out, and the lonely life he leads. As with most of Clifford's works, it is a tale not of action but of thoughtful discourse, often just the character's thoughts. Written in the shadows of the Cuban Missile Crisis, it presents ideas -- and hopes -- that are still valid today. Way Station is almost 40 years old, but it is classic intellectual sci-fi at it's best; it's old, but not tired.
Kim Marks, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Way Station

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
New movie search (click here) New book search (click here)

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - dimension travel - generally friendly contact with alien(s)
Inner Struggle Yes
Plotlet: - search for identity/new understanding - coping with mental/magical powers
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - diplomat
Age: - long lived adults
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.

Setting
Terrain - Forests
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - little dialog

Most similar books to Way Station
Mindspark by Karen Daniels
Chindi by Jack McDevitt
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Movie search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed movie search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Charmed: What's wrong with Rose McGowan's chin? 7/5/2008 11:53:33 AM

Charmed: Is Piper really a Halliwell? 7/5/2008 11:48:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best Doctor? 7/5/2008 4:23:13 AM

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 7/5/2008 2:40:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 6/30/2008 7:37:52 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 6/30/2008 12:55:48 AM

Lost in Space (TV): What kind of a name is Guy for a guy? 6/26/2008 10:21:30 AM

Lost in Space (TV): Wasn't it obvious that Major West was never going to get any? 6/26/2008 10:17:45 AM

Alien Series: Was Vasquez a lesbian? 6/26/2008 6:57:27 AM

Battlestar Galactica: Do Vipers fly past the speed of light? 6/26/2008 1:27:52 AM

Newest slaves:
Luke Skywalker 8:00:53 PM
Athena 7:59:21 PM
Goodnight 7:58:42 PM
Captain Sisko 7:57:52 PM
Major Kira 7:57:52 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 7:53:49 PM
Rebecca DeMornay 7:53:34 PM
Heather Graham 7:50:21 PM
Princess Leia 7:50:00 PM
Counselor Deanna Troi 7:40:51 PM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)