The future is a grim place in which the declining human population wanders, drugged and lulled by electronic bliss. It's a world without art, reading and children, a world where people would rather burn themselves alive than endure. Even Spofforth, the most perfect machine ever created, cannot bear it and seeks only that which he cannot have - to cease to be. But there is hope for the future in the passion and joy that a man and woman discover in love and in books, hope even for Spofforth. A haunting novel, reverberating with anguish but also celebrating love and the magic of a dream.
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About the Author
Walter Tevis (1928-84) was born in San Francisco but his family moved to Kentucky when he was ten. However, he was suffering from rheumatic fever and was left behind, alone in hospital. He rejoined his family in Kentucky after a year and attended school there. After service as a carpenter's mate in the Second World War, he went to the University of Kentucky where he earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in English. He then taught at various high schools in Kentucky before becoming a professor at the University of Ohio. He began publishing science fiction in 1957. He published The Hustler in 1959 and The Man Who Fell to Earth in 1963 but he was struggling with a serious drink problem and a long gap in his writing career followed. However, in the four years before his death from cancer, he published Mockingbird, which is now widely recognized as a science-fiction classic, The Steps of the Sun and The Queen's Gambit.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Jeep Tenk
Format:Paperback
Yes, it is in the future, there are robots of great perfection and fundamental flaws, humanity is dying out due to a robotic decision that was never corrected; but - the actual story is about self discovery, about a man robbed of his individuality and how he reclaims his place and role in his own life and in the world... with a little help from a woman and a robot that can not die.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By R. J. Hole
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The story is set in a dysfunctional future where humans are usually drugged up and following a antisocial but docile code of behaviour. People cannot read or write. They spend their lives taking drugs and living by sayings like "Don't ask. Relax." The population has been declining for many years.
The story mainly focuses on a man who learns to read and write and starts questioning his whole way of life. An administrator robot arranges for him to come and work for him recording the words in silent films. The robot is the only series 9 remaining because all the others have killed themselves whereas he is hardwired to be unable to commit suicide. The man meets a woman who is unlike the rest and they become lovers. Their story is told through their journals.
Although the style of writing is simple, even prosaic, the characters analyze their emotions, especially their emotional responses to events and books they read. The dominant emotion of the man is sadness. He finds a line of poetry (that inspires the book's title) that makes him feel sad. This becomes a mantra for him whenever he feels sad. Also a way of agreeing what sadness means with his lover. Without spoiling the story, his path is not smooth and he has many experiences that gradually change him. So it is also a coming of age story.
A simple book to read without being a simple book. Very enjoyable.
The story mainly focuses on a man who learns to read and write and starts questioning his whole way of life. An administrator robot arranges for him to come and work for him recording the words in silent films. The robot is the only series 9 remaining because all the others have killed themselves whereas he is hardwired to be unable to commit suicide. The man meets a woman who is unlike the rest and they become lovers. Their story is told through their journals.
Although the style of writing is simple, even prosaic, the characters analyze their emotions, especially their emotional responses to events and books they read. The dominant emotion of the man is sadness. He finds a line of poetry (that inspires the book's title) that makes him feel sad. This becomes a mantra for him whenever he feels sad. Also a way of agreeing what sadness means with his lover. Without spoiling the story, his path is not smooth and he has many experiences that gradually change him. So it is also a coming of age story.
A simple book to read without being a simple book. Very enjoyable.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By zargb5
Format:Paperback
Tevis will probably be familiar to most film watchers and or readers as the man who wrote "The Man Who Fell To earth." An over stylised adaptation of the far more interesting and lucid novel.
In "Mockingbird" Tevis narration is fluid, interesting and informative. The 3 main characters at the heart of the novel are well defined and their human condition and interactions unfold with ease within an easy to read prose style. There is a great deal of depth to the narrative of this novel so it would stand up to several readings.
Gollancz and the editor/compiler of the SF Masterworks series should be congratulated for the inclusion of this not so well known novel. It is a real gem and more than worthy of inclusion in this epic series. Highly recommended.
In "Mockingbird" Tevis narration is fluid, interesting and informative. The 3 main characters at the heart of the novel are well defined and their human condition and interactions unfold with ease within an easy to read prose style. There is a great deal of depth to the narrative of this novel so it would stand up to several readings.
Gollancz and the editor/compiler of the SF Masterworks series should be congratulated for the inclusion of this not so well known novel. It is a real gem and more than worthy of inclusion in this epic series. Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent thought-provoking read
This novel presents a dystopian view of the future of mankind, where humanity has degenerated into a dwindling motivationless race which is hooked on narcotics and TV, with the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by John M
5.0 out of 5 stars
So much better than I expected
Several years ago I added Mockingbird to my ever-growing wishlist, and when I was looking to splurge on Amazon earlier this year, I decided to purchase a copy. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Kat from The Aussie Zombie
5.0 out of 5 stars
'Only the Mockingbird sings at the edge of the woods.'
I would agree with the blurb which states that this book might be justly considered the bridge between scifi and literature. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Eileen Shaw
4.0 out of 5 stars
my thoughts on Mockingbird
What can I say?.......well, I just could not put it down and for a little while, I was immersed in a machine dominated world and for Science Fiction, not too far away from now on... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Quartz
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Absolute Cracker
In this strange futuristic world of ours, where humans are drugged, living a comatose life devoid of art and literature, a world where conversation is virtually outlawed, a world... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. John Frank Herbert
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mockingbird
This book begins with the robot Spofforth climbing to the top of the Empire State Building and trying to throw himself off. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Steve D
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyable sci-fi
This story explores a dystopian society approximately 450 years in the future from the point of view of three unusual citizens of New York. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Dr. Andrew Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book, well worth a read
I was suggested this book by my boyfriend, and thoroughly enjoyed it. A future dystopia where robots built by humans to make life easier slowly strip humanity of purpose. Read more
Published 9 months ago by R. Chappelle
5.0 out of 5 stars
An overlooked classic
With its eyecatching cover illustration, Mockingbird is one of the most engaging and thought-provoking dystopian books I have read to date. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Sotrondog
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely wonderful
A book that you can't put down, that you want to read constantly and re-read many times is certainly amazing. Read more
Published 16 months ago by asra
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