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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
We come in peace..., 2 Dec 2004
In the post-9-11 fallout, many people were frightened, and many people sought the answers of 'who is to blame?' and 'what can we do?' Others, such as the author of this book, took a different inspiration - rather than looking to the past and for causes, he looked to the future, and saw there a hope. Boyd Thomas London, a distant relative of the noted author Jack London, was inspired toward peace, and a kind of vision for the future reminiscent of other great science fiction creatives such as Gene Roddenbury, where the goal of peace for humanity working together was upheld at every possible turn.London has written in 'Creeton' a rather simple tale of friendship, adventure and hope. The story begins and ends with two friends, John Brown and Dave Miller, two young men who have an adventure of interplanetary dimensions inadvertently thrust upon them while out on a hiking trip. They are transported to a different place, one where many of the lessons of earth, and many of the failings, have not come about, but where some of the experiences of the human race are now needed. The planet Creeton, an earth-like planet in many respects, has not had the warfare or crime that our world has experienced, but this has left them unprepared when an evil race, the Warlids, bent on galactic conquest, begin attacking. There are some lessons here. The first is of loyalty and friendship that transcends all bounds - John and David are the best of friends, and endure many hardships together, and are prepared for sacrifice for each other, as well as for what they believe. London, himself recently out of the American Air Force, uses his knowledge both technical and experiential to heighten the details and drama of the story. Perhaps the best audience for this tale would be young people - mid-to-late teenagers, to be precise. The language is easy to read and understand, without too many technical terms. The plot development is for the most part linear and straightforward, without too many psychological twists or subtle aspects to confuse. While this might limit its appeal to those looking for a higher mark of literature akin to the elder author Jack London, it does get the younger London's message through rather more clearly about friendship, loyalty and perseverance. This is the first novel for Boyd Thomas London, who is busy at work both on his college degree as well as his second novel. London is a writer of promise.
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