Simak uses this wonderous galactic worldbuilding to explore very human themes.
It satisfies without tricky science, or space battles, or excessive violence. It’s filled with wonder, possibilities, and intriguing ideas. However, overall, this is my favorite kind of science fiction. It’s a small complaint and it just might be my biased perception. It felt to me like an editor recommended adding some flaws to the MC and this was the response. It involves Enoch's loneliness and to me, it felt added in and disconnected to the rest of the story. There was one plotline that I didn’t love as much as the rest of the story. A series of events begin to converge that puts Enoch, his Way Station, Earth and even the entire Galaxy at great peril. Many of which Enoch struggles to understand their purpose and function. This ingenious plot allows for all kinds of creatures who not only enjoy interacting (as much as they can), but also leaving him intriguing little gifts behind. They teleport (sort of) in, rest for a bit, and then teleport on their way. These individuals happen to be otherworldly guests from all over the Galaxy. His house is a rest stop for individuals passing through. For almost a century, he has been singlehanded running a way station inside his secluded and humble home in the backwoods of rural Wisconsin. Unbeknownst to the government, Enoch is a caretaker. Something about his age, his house, and his life. The government is watching him – something’s not right. Civil War and his birth records say that he’s 124 years old, but he doesn’t appear to be a day over thirty. Way Station revolves around a man, named Enoch Wallace. Simak might be just the one to restore the patina of my love of the golden age of Science Fiction. Lately, I’ve been rereading Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov and some of the luster of my youthful idolization has worn away.
I found it to be warm, unpretentious, and distinctly midwestern. It’s a tragedy that I’m just discovering him now – a glitch that quickly needs to be rectified. I may have a new favorite classic sci-fi author – Clifford D.
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