Deception and Chaos

This book gives you a hell of a ride. It's all pretty implausible, both overall and in detail, but you don't stop and think about that at the time because you're along for the ride; and it's a good ride, well paced, full of excitement and striking images.

It kicks off with a bang in classic style: a normally capable man has been dropped defenceless into a mysterious situation of crisis and mortal peril, and an unlucky bump on the head has given him amnesia. Furthermore, people he can't see are talking to him inside his head.

It goes on like that for at least 70% of the book: by luck or good judgment, he gets through crisis after crisis as we gradually learn with him more about what's going on. Beyond the 70% mark, we've found out more or less what's going on, so the ride is still of interest but somewhat less exciting. The ending completes the picture of what's been going on; the details are implausible but at least they involve striking and memorable images.

This is probably Kapp's best book, and one of my old favourites, which I've been rereading from time to time over the decades. I deduct a star for implausibility; because it seems rather old-style sf for a book published in 1972; and because the last 30% is not quite as good as the rest of the book. But I warmly encourage sf fans to read it anyway.