Lest Darkness Fall - L. Sprague De Camp Book Review

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Review Summary

This classic novel pits Martin Padway, a twentieth-century archaeologist inexplicably removed to 535 AD, against the Byzantine military, fierce Gothic warriors, and a generally superstitious society. This is a critical period of time; in our time line, the Byzantines and Goths fought each other to exhaustion over ownership of Italy, and it is this that Padway is trying against hope to change.
Ken Norlie, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Lest Darkness Fall

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Time Travel: - largely backwards/past
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Time Travel story? Yes
Cultural problems, alien culture Yes
Culture clash- - one human from different culture of other humans
Intense exploration of society's culture? Yes
Story largely takes place in - Really long ago

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - archaeologist
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some

Setting
Terrain - Mountains
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a moderate amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

Most similar books to Lest Darkness Fall
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Transgression by Randall Scott Ingermanson
Savage Land of Jur by Tom Johnson

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

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