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Robert J. Sawyer: Neanderthal Parallax

Meadow337

Former Moderator
The Neanderthal Parallax is a trilogy of novels by Robert J. Sawyer published by Tor. It depicts the effects of the opening of a connection between two alternate Earths: the world familiar to the reader, and another where Neanderthals became the dominant, sentient hominid. The societal, spiritual and technological differences between the two worlds form the focus of the story.

The trilogy's volumes are titled Hominids (published 2002), Humans (2003), and Hybrids (2003). Hominids first appeared as a serial in Analog Science Fiction, won the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novel,[1] and was nominated for the John W. Campbell Award the same year;[1] Humans was a 2004 Hugo Award finalist.[2][3]

The initial contact between the two worlds takes place at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory in Sudbury, Ontario, which is also the location of a scientific research facility in the Neanderthal world.

It has literally been years since I have read a Sci-Fi book that is as satisfying as this trilogy is. Somehow it seems to me that the ability of authors to imagine a creative scientific future has become rather stunted in recent years. Fantasy has proliferated - clearly people and writers seem to prefer escaping hard science into a fantasy alternative reality rather than stretching themselves to imagine a science based future.

Don't get me wrong, I love fantasy and read a lot, but sci-fi is my first love so it was with the greatest of pleasure that I stumbled across these quite by accident. I am also fed up with dystopian, post-apocolyptic futures. Seriously does no-one have any optimism for the future any more? We may not actually attempt to wipe ourselves off the face of the planet you know. It's darkest before the dawn as the saying goes.

What was the most interesting about this book, was the discussion of different theories of social science, hard science, evolution, and genesis of the universe.

No conclusions were drawn, and some of the discussions were dealt with a little lightly with perhaps a touch too much focus on the difference between being truly atheistic (without a god at all) and how having a belief in God colours everything, but for all that, this was a deeply satisfying book especially if you have any interest in the philosophy of science.
 
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