As a genre in literary writing, science-fiction has been a developing and evolving genre since its inception. All the works written under it have always shown the authors’ future vision and how they perceive the future to be. One such book is Keith Brandon’s “Lost Universe” where the title does more than half of the work of making the readers feel interested. The book’s cover fascinates the imagination of the readers by showing the image of the earth and the light on its surface. Altogether, the cover and the title of the book successfully invite the reader to open the book and compel him to join the journey.
Set in the year 2255, “Lost Universe” is about a group who embarks on a journey to the unknown, to a universe that has not been explored so far. The situations and incidents that happen in the light of this are what the book is about. The portrayal of creatures from the unknown realms of the universe and their depiction by the author creates a spark and makes the readers imagine the unseen universe from the author’s eyes. He does not hamper the vision of the reader, yet his portrayal is convincing and realistic. This may be the author’s debut work, but he shows skills and talent to write more in this genre or any other in fiction writing.
“Lost Universe” is divided into 53 chapters with a prolgue in addition. Although the number seems big, the chapters are of small lengths, and the manner in which they are narrated makes the readers lose track of both time and pages as they flip through. The book can be of interest to young readers who have ventured into the world of reading not long ago as well as grown-ups. The short length of chapters, the finely paced plot, and the easy vocabulary altogether become significant attractions of the work. Science fiction works give the creators a lot of opportunities to pack their work with lots of details, but Brandon prefers to keep his content specific and concise and lets the readers fancy have wings.
If the readers have an idea of the biographical details of Keith Brandon, they would know that Brandon had an affinity towards science fiction writing from his childhood. The fruit of the seed sown in the early days finds a clear reflection in “Lost Universe.” Alongside, the experience that he gained by travelling led him to achieve maturity. This maturity is reflected in his work which does not seem to be debut work. Some readers are bound to find this book of such interest that they may end up reading it on the whole in one sitting. Some may want to finish it in two sittings. But overall, the thought of the book and its actions continue to replay in the mind of the reader. Whether they are midway or through, the effect remains the same.
What holds the readers till the end is the manner in which the author has built up and narrated the story. The story has all suspense elements, the touch of excitement, the flavor of adventure, the interest built up by mystery, and, most importantly, well-constructed characters with the qualities of humans of the year 2020. This also highlights the fact that whether it is in the time of Shakespeare or Brandon or the year 2255, human nature, behavior and mannerisms will not change. They will remain universal. The qualities and traits that they exhibit will also remain the same. Yet, the manner in which he paints the canvas of the books brings the characters to life and the other entities created by the author also attain an individuality of their own. Through his work, the author has pushed the genre of Science fiction to new heights and may be counted as a part of the literary canon in the future.
This is well infused with ideas of teleportation, aliens, journey motif, life beyond earth. The journey motif remains prevalent in the novel. The beginning is from an unfortunate event but the characters decide to move forward in life. That is the primary system of life, journey. The other factors include the language used, which is according to all readers. All these factors ignite the readers’ imagination, and those who do not read the science fiction genre can also begin their journey in the science fiction world by reading “Lost Universe.” This work will sustain their interests in this genre, and they are bound to wait for more work from Brandon’s pen. In a nutshell, it can be said that the book has the potential to meet the expectations of the majority of readers, and they would have an unforgettable experience as they travel in the lost universe created by Keith Brandon.
AUTHOR NAME: Keith Brandon
BOOK TITTLE: Lost Universe: a sci-fi novel that will capture your imagination
PAGE NO.: 302
REVIEWED BY: Criticspace Journals Team
PUBLISHER: Britain’s Next Bestseller
ORDER ON: AMAZON