Earthbound - a post-apocalyptic tale

Earthbound
A Marsbound Novel
by Joe Haldeman

Reviewed by Ann Wilkes

Earthbound is a post-apocalyptic tale with enigmatic, all-powerful aliens holding the earth's fate in their . . . well, gaseous something or others. Carmen Dula, who made first contact with the Martians by falling through the roof of their underground home and breaking her ankle, her space pilot significant other, Paul, the three spies they shared their trip to the Others with, her brother Card and Snowbird (a Martian) are back on earth after the Others have pulverized the moon.

When Earth tried to fly a ship through the thick debris field that surrounds the planet, the Others shut off the earth's "free" power. They're determined to keep humans earthbound.

In Earthbound, the group fight to survive and preserve as much of the humanity around them as they can. The perils are non-stop. Carmen must even lose her own brother while still coming to terms with missing out on seeing her children grow up. There are ambushes, deprivations, battles won, lives lost and hopes dashed.

The twelve passenger seats unfolded into lumpy beds, angled like chevrons. Some of us rested or napped. Paul took a pill. The plane was on autopilot, but if the Others turned off the power we'd be on a glider looking for a flat place to land.

We were over Hudson Bay, after about six hours, when we made contact with the president's people. I couldn't hear what was going on, but I presumed they were livid. They gave us a plane and we hijacked it to Russia. Paul was grinning broadly as he gave them monosyllabic replies.

The avatar of the Others pops in and out, sometimes rescuing them, but mostly just apathetically observing, adding just the right touch of creepy.

The storyline, as I said in my Starbound review, is a truly original first contact scenario. The Others play the long con or take their time with new relationships. These novels only show us a glimpse at the first tentative steps - at least from the humans' perspective. Who knows what they decide in a thousand years?

The plot moved along at a fast clip with lots of action. However, I wanted more character development and richer descriptions. I did like the ending, though.

If you've read the other books, you'll definitely want to read this concluding volume. If you haven't, you could download all three on your Kindle or other e-reader and read them in a weekend. Aside from dialogs that need more tags, Earthbound is a very easy read. I hope we hear from the Others again, perhaps with an all-new cast in our distant future.

Science fiction author, Joe Haldeman

I was introduced to Joe Haldeman's work in the pages of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, where I read Marsbound, the first book (which was serialized there) in that trilogy. Haldeman has authored over 30 books. He's received Hugos and Nebulas for short story, novella and novel and several other prestigious awards for his science fiction novels and stories. He teaches writing as an adjunct professor at MIT. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet him in person at Radcon. He was billed as the husband of the Fan GOH, Gay Haldeman. Behind every great man...

When you're done with the interview, don't forget to check out my review of Starbound at Mostly Fiction Book Reviews later today.
(photograph by Mary G. Haldeman)

AW: How are you? I know you experienced some medical problems last year and into this one.

JH: Recovering pretty fast. The docs say it will take a year (until September) to get back to normal strength, after months of confinement. But I managed eleven miles on the bicycle a couple of days ago and hope to do a twenty-miler within the month.

AW: What themes run through your sci-fi stories and novels?

JH: Identity, responsibility, love, understanding. Big machines and explosions. Anything except the term "sci-fi," which is odious.

AW: Why is "sci-fi" odious? Is it like someone calling our beloved San Francisco, Frisco?

JH: Ann, the neologism "sci-fi" demeans and trivializes science fiction.

It's not the word's definition. It's the connotation.

AW: Is your wife, Gay, your number one first reader?

JH: We don't have a regular schedule. She often is the first person besides me to read one of my books.

AW: Do you launch a new story or novel from a character, a "what if?" or a world?

JH: Depends on the story. The current one, Earthbound(sequel to Marsbound and Starbound) started with a character. Camouflage started with an idea, a what-if, generated by a science-fiction world. The Hemingway Hoax was a literary challenge. The Forever War started with a line (the first line of the book).

AW: When did you begin writing? Has it always been science fiction?

JH: I began writing poetry in the second or third grade. At least four of my books are not science fiction.

AW: Tell me about your most memorable con or book signing experience.

JH: Winning my first Hugo, for The Forever War, was my most memorable convention experience. I was on top of the world. Heinlein was there and congratulated me. He said he had read the book three times.

AW: Do you read other genres? Which ones? Does this help with your science fiction writing?

JH: I like to read mysteries when I'm traveling. I've read westerns, biking out west. I'll read any genre except romance, and little high fantasy. Every book I read has some influence on my writing.

AW: In Marsbound and Starbound you feature a unique take on first contact. How did you come up with the idea of a race created by aliens to communicate with us?

JH: The idea actually came from thinking about mayflies; insects that only live for hours. If they were intelligent, how would we communicate with them? We might create a translator race, fast enough to talk to them but not too fast to talk with us. (Or a series of translators.) The Others in the Marsbound trilogy are creatures who live so long and so slowly that we are like mayflies to them.

AW: What are you working on now?

JH: Earthbound, the last book in the Marsbound trilogy.

Visit Joe Haldeman's Web page.

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Clash of the Titans, awards and honors

This looks fun!! A remake of Clash of the Titans!


Here's the latest review of Awesome Lavratt.

My friend and fellow writer, whom I just guest blogged for, mentioned me on her guest blog on One Hot Mess. Her topic is attending sf conventions as a writer.

David D. Levine won the Endeavor Award for Space Magic. Congrats to him!

And here I am mentioning Joe Haldeman again. He was one of the Endeavor Award judges and he was just named Grand Master of Science Fiction Writers of America.

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