Book Review: 'Earth in Twilight' by Doris Piserchia
'Earth in Twilight' (156 pp.) was published by DAW Books as Book No. 458. The cover art is by Wayne D. Barlowe.
This is the first time I've read a novel by Doris Piserchia (1928 - 2021), who was quite prolific during the 1970s and 1980s.
'Twilight' is a comedic homage to Brian Aldiss's 1962 novel 'Hothouse' (aka 'The Long Afternoon of Earth'). It's unclear if Aldiss was aware of this, or gave it his approval. Having read 'Hothouse', I found the plot of 'Twilight' to be a bit more intelligible than if I was unfamiliar with Aldiss's novel.
'Twilight' is set on the far-future Earth of 'Hothouse'. The entire terrestrial surface is swathed in vegetation, including trees miles high. A small population of mutant humans, relying on stone-age weapons, struggles for survival against the hostile plants and animals infesting the jungles. Protruding from the forests are immense, miles-high 'spires' that once housed the Earth's 'genuine' humans, who moved to the stars eons ago. Now the spires, once the repositories of an advanced civilization comprised of millions of people, lie abandoned and coated with dust.
As the novel opens an astronaut named Ferrer Burgoyne lands atop one such spire; he has been sent from the colony world of Laredo with instructions to survey the state of the planet. Things do not go well for Burgoyne and he finds himself stranded on this steaming and fecund Earth, reliant on the aborigines for his life and welfare.
But Burgoyne can't wallow in self-pity, for Laredo, intent on colonizing the Earth, is going to spray the entire planet with a potent herbicide. Can Burgoyne and his allies stop the insidious plan for global extinction ? Time is running out............and the journey to the communications spire will be a hazardous one........
I'm not a fan of comedic sci-fi, so I found 'Earth in Twilight' to be underwhelming. In the novel's favor it's only 156 pages in length, which makes for a very quick read. But the need by the author to keep the gags and chuckles coming at a high rate of speed means that the plot has a frenetic quality, and I never felt much of a connection with any of the characters, the most interesting of which is a sentient amoeba (!?) with a nihilistic mindset (!?). When the story's denouement arrives, it is reasonably satisfying, but I finished 'Twilight' with no great desire to read Pichercia's other novels, particularly if they, like 'Twilight', are excursions into humor.
Summing up, if you are a fan of Robert Sheckley, Ron Goulart, and Douglas Adams, then you may find 'Earth in Twilight' entertaining. All others can pass on this novel.
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