Robert Charles WilsonA Hidden Place

I'm such a RCW fan that I'll rate just about anything he writes at least three stars -- Bios gets three because it's the least character driven. He's such an amazing writer to capture different places and periods with people and their experiences rather than description. In this one, he explores the Dust Bowl era and a young man and young woman and their coming of age in it, and the science fiction is more like fantasy. It's integral to the plot but not the most important thing about it. His prose is excellent. Never overblown. It's a delight to have tracked down this one and some other earlier efforts that may not have the polish of later books still have the intrinsic integrity of humanity coming up against something new and dealing with it. Okay, I'll admit it, I like it that the writer is basically optimistic. I'm not literary, just a reader. I hate stories with an unforgiving, dreary end.

This novel has aliens (or an alien) at its center, but really is about humans. Wilson places the action in Depression Era America and beautifully develops the characters. He captures both the sorrow that gripped the country and the erosion of hope that was sowed by that cataclysmic event. In the midst of all this are aliens whose nature becomes apparent only slowly over the course of the novel. As the novel evolves there is fear, anger and murder. But these come from human nature and not from aliens. Wilson uses the strange aliens to shine a light on who we are as people and more importantly who we might hope one day to be. A Hidden Place is not your typical SF exercise at trivia. Rather, the novel is a real literary endeavor. While this is not Hemingway or Twain, Wilson brings a lot to the literary table.

Always like Robert's stories. Sort of silly to "require" more words. Halfway ready to just ditch this. I liked it. That ought to be enough.

A beautifully written story. It reminded of some of Ray Bradury’s work. I definitely plan to read more works by this author.

Wilson has the ability to come up with outrageous premises then make them feel very believable and real. His writing is excellent, his characters fully fleshed out and sympathetic. He writes with wisdom and compassion. This is an early work; he got even better. I recommend Spin especially.

A Hidden Place is hard to categorize, having elements of SF/fantasy as well as being a unique study of insularity and intolerance in small towns. Having said that, it's a great read- Wilson is a master of succinctly descriptive writing.

definitely an earlier work not up to current standards

I received a book I already owned, not this one that I ordered. I'm sure the book is OK as I have enjoyed other books by this author. I just wouldn't order from the vendor again.

This is one of the early RCW books and it was a great read. It was reminiscent of "inversions" by Iain M Banks in the fact of its subtly with people asking was this really a "Culture" novel, (well of course it was!) This RCW story is so much more than a Sci fi novel and it painted a great description of the depression in America, the fight for survival as well as the prejudices at the time (possibly still) I don't know how he does it, but all the characters are richly drawn in a very small amount of time. It is a book about the human condition, with of course just enough "other worldly" stuff to engage a Sci fi fan...No AI controlled FTL ships here folks!

Honestly not one of his best. Plus there are loads of typo erros within which suggest that no-one thinks this is worth saving.