A lukewarm review of Fritz Leiber's Gather, Darkness! can be found here. In hindsight I view that book as a lesser A Canticle for Leibowitz, given that both novels place the Middle Ages in the distant future, hoping thereby to shine a light on how Western culture both does and does not change over time.
Fritz Leiber is better remembered for his fantasy books. He's counted alongside Robert E. Howard as one of the "fathers of sword and sorcery," a reputation I can neither affirm nor dispute since I haven't read any of his fantasy novels. I can say, however, that Fritz Leiber is no Robert E. Howard.
Which isn't to say he's an altogether bad writer. The Wanderer, compared to Gather, Darkness! at least, is a more satisfying effort, even if it's a less straightforward (and less easily pigeonholed) attempt at storytelling.
In this Hugo-winning novel a new planet appears out of nowhere, destroys the moon, and begins to orbit the Earth. The effect of this new satellite on humankind, as you might expect, is complete chaos. Giant tidal waves sweep away entire countries, earthquakes ravage infrastructure, and society breaks down as those left alive struggle to find safety.
All in all a good start, but as with Gather, Darkness! the author hasn't quite thought through some of the story elements. The first half (although somewhat boring) works well enough as a survival story, and could have been an opportunity to discuss the nature of human beings in the face of an existential threat, but the second half, involving a rebellious faction of extraterrestrials living on the Earth's new satellite, feels less like the conclusion to the first half than something the author brought in from another narrative altogether. There are some good ideas in there, but by and large the two halves don't hold together.
Another issue with this book is its characters, who are neither interesting nor consistent. Some of them are merely present as observers, while others are abandoned soon after they become interesting. Particularly galling are the "weed smokers" who expire early on in the story, who seem to be little more than a collection of jokey stereotypes. I make no assumptions, but it seems to me that Fritz Leiber had few if any friends who weren't white.
All of which is a shame, because I think a more reflective writer could have written the hell out of The Wanderer. It needed a more philosophical focus, but the premise had potential.
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NOTE: This is probably the last science fiction novel I'll be reviewing for a while. I've read all the books I bought in the States and I think I need a break from rayguns and rocketships.
