Syd Logsdon

The passage of time in the course of advanced space travel - the way that passage varies between the travelers and those they leave behind, and the effect on even the strongest of relationships touched by that variation - has been a popular topic in fantasy and science fiction for a long, long ... uh ... time.

I remember watching “The Twilight Zone” as a youth, where an episode called ‘The Long Morrow‘ touched upon that effect. And I’ve enjoyed plenty of other treatments of that topic, in a variety of media, in the decades since ... including Cynthia Felice’s “Downtime,” which I reviewed for LibraryThing a couple of years ago.

Now comes “Cyan,” written by Syd Logsdon, published by EDGE-Lite and Hades Publications ... and a welcome addition to my shelf.

The story begins on Earth, in a not-distant-enough future. It is a world dealing with a variety of problems, many of which can be traced back to what you and I are doing right here, right now. As the population grows and resources dwindle, more and more are convinced that, truly, ‘the end is nigh’ and that the only viable solution is NOT to be found on this planet.

So where is this solution to be found, and how do we get there? What do we find when - if! - we arrive there, and can we truly handle it? Could we adapt, or would we just adhere to the mindset that got us into the problems to begin with?

And I’m not just talking about global issues, but small, personal, even intimate relational issues between individuals, as well. Borrowing a line from Tina Turner, “what’s love got to do with it?”

In “Cyan,” Logsdon provides answers to these and other questions that arise in the course of his story. They are answers that ‘grow’ the story and your interest in it ... though there are times when the answers are less-than-encouraging, even as they develop the story -and your interest - further.

Along the way, the reader will meet a cast of characters that run the full gamut of humanity - and more. As the story progresses, two of these characters will emerge as leading protagonists, each with a vision for humanity’s future, and the path to realize that vision ... but at what cost? There will be a confrontation of course, though its ultimate resolution might surprise you ... it surprised me, and was one of the favorite parts of my read.

I recommend this read. I think Logsdon has brought a new and fresh approach to an established trope of the science fiction genre ... and crafted a good story, too.

Will we see some more in the future? Time will tell.

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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing, in exchange for a review.… (mer)