Science fiction doesn't have to be galaxy spanning to make you feel something.

The prime directive from Star Trek meets The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin in the latest science fiction novel by A.T. Sayre. And if you know anything about me, seeing those two comp titles should be an indication for just how highly I regard this book. Not perfect, especially toward the beginning, yet The Last Days of Good People is moving in a way that makes you almost forgive and forget the rougher start.

Normally hidden behind an invisible shield, the government sees no real harm anymore in establishing a connection with the alien race the author has cleverly crafted in the novel. They will be extinct soon enough. However, it would be impossible for almost anyone to switch from watching to interacting with a dying people and not be affected. Especially if those people were just as good as the title suggests.

Bound by law, duty, and personal ambition the main character doesn’t really much care about the alien race he’s been assigned to watch and document for their dying days. Until he meets them. Warin’s journey and growth, lying parallel to but in the opposite direction of the race he observes then meets, hooks you in keeps you.

Written from the perspective of one of the newer members assigned to watch and wait through the extinction-level event, I suspect most readers will feel the same building emotions the protagonist does. The transition from dry words on a report to living, breathing aliens with a distinct culture for both Warin and for us readers is expertly done.

This one will stick with you, but it does take a while to get there. After a somewhat rough start and an out-of-place romantic connection, the novel eventually blossoms into something both profound and morbidly beautiful.

The Last Days of Good People is available to buy on Amazon.

Verdict:

RAVEABLE