A Fistful of Clones / Seaton Kay-Smith

A Fistful of Clones

by Seaton Kay-Smith

psychological fantasy

copyright 2014

skimmed in January 2017

rated 5/10: readable, but only if there's nothing else

I've had this book for quite a long time. Waiting for the right time to read it. Finally read it -- and was disappointed.

Positive: The writing style is clever, interesting. Negative: The writing style is a distraction from the story.

The story creeps slowly forward. Straight forward, perhaps. The wordy prose makes it seem to drag.

The "hero", too, drags. He's a real drip. I can give him sympathy, I can't like him. I don't enjoy a book where I have no liking for the main character.

I suspect, however, that that is the main point of the story. I've called it a "psychological fantasy"... I think it's about this young man's journey from drip to person.

There are clones... but I don't call it science fiction. Not enough science. The clones may as well have been produced by magic.

At a wild guess -- from a solid reading of the first few chapters, a skim of a few more, then jumping to the last page -- I suspect that the clones represent different aspects of the man's character. ("The man". I won't call him, "the hero".) He defeats each clone -- each negative aspect of his character -- to become a stronger, more integrated personality.

But that's just my guess. If it's a good guess -- then it's quite a good book. But not for me. Too wordy. Too drippy. Too hard to just, enjoy. And I rate on my own, enjoyment.

As a clever use of language, it's clever. As a psychological fantasy, it may be good. As a fantasy -- or as a science fiction story about cloning -- it fails.

Readable. But I do have other books to read. So I will.

====
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams" … Dr Joyce Brothers