I really want to like this follow-up to "Farside." I really wanted it to be an improvement in terms of storytelling, character development, and style. Unfortunately, aside from a few bright spots, it wasn't. Same flat characters, same flat dialogue. It reads like the first draft of a script of the original Star Trek series—before it was polished—without much drama and characters being argumentative and unlikable simply because the story needed them to be.It's a loose sequel to "Farside" but the human race hasn't developed much since the events in that first book. Conversations and dialogue seemingly repeat the same information more than once. Honestly, this book feels like it was written in the 1950s. I have liked prior books from Ben Bova. This book was awful. In New Earth, I was disappointed to find the characters hopelessly two-dimensional, the mission intolerably shallow, and the story reminiscent of a pulp space opera from the mid 20th century. A space mission with twelve people who each only have one single scientific discipline? A trite love story? 12 days pass in the first chapters wherein the characters arrive, awaken from cold-sleep and discover a beacon (day one!), descend to a new planet (day two!), run about, fall in love, and suddenly decide the inhabitants of this new world are either honest and good or lying and deceitful. All tied up with a predetermined purpose and happy ending, hurrah everyone! I would expect this type of story telling from a teenage author. I recommend you avoid this one and use caution if this is the new vein from this author.
What do You think about New Earth (2013)?
Enjoyed the story. Some dialogue didn't ring true for me - I got irritated.
—Desi
Not one of Bovas best books, I look forward to reading Farside though.
—margfigueroa
Great plot but the characters were more like charicatures
—jiddk
