Geblicon
Stephen Van Gaasbeck
Reviewed by Teresa Konopka
Stephen Van Gaasbeck’s “Geblicon” is quite an unusual novel.
Set in the not-too-distant future, the science fiction part revolves
around technology and engineering. High speed transportation
vehicles
and genetically enhanced creatures fill the pages. Humongous
beasts
with incredible strength are side by side towering vehicles that leave
all walkers in their dust. Also, solar powered farms that span
acres
illustrate how green the future will become.
Despite what many
synopsizes of this book claim, the plot is not centered around the fact
that Steve’s pet is accused of eating animals on Jennie’s farm.
This
starts the adventure, but the plot quickly evolves later. The
story
mostly follows Steve and Jennie when they enter a rich household and
help an elderly gentleman crack down on a corrupt government
official.
Several scenarios follow with the couple narrowly dodging death’s
scepter.
The novel has a good balance between description and
dialog in terms of distribution. The characters themselves aren’t
explicitly described, and their outward personals and phenotypes are
left solely up to the imagination of the reader. There are a few
swears in the novel, but those are mostly attributed to yokel-like
characters that would naturally talk that way.
There is romance
in the novel between Jennie and Steve, two teenage lovebirds.
Some
scenes are a little too graphic, but Gaasbeck gets away with it.
The
majority of the romance is initiated by Jennie and there is no notion
of forced intimacy.
Overall, “Geblicon” is a decent science
fiction novel. The story jumps around a bit, and Jennie can seem
a bit
slutty (rushing to remove her top, parade around in thongs, and
romantically instigate Steve). In general, it is a futuristic
novel
that is sadly on the same level as a sci-fi movie. Slightly
engaging
literarily, this book is a satisfactory read but isn’t suitable for
very young readers.