Book Review: Elder Race

Elder Race
By Adrian Tchaikovsky
Review by Josh

You may have heard the statement ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Tchaikovsky takes this statement and crafts a story full of delightful characters and great adventure around it. His ability to build the worlds of the far future and have them seem not only possible but plausible is a testament to his skill. Elder Race is a blend of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, with the split between the two being found in the technological and language barriers between two groups. The people of the planet are still in their early stages, originally seeded by space-faring humans but now, left to their own devices, they are a people of kingdoms, of superstition and myths. One of those myths pertains to the great elder race, with one solo wizard remaining, who lives immortal in his tower, only to be called upon in times of great need. But is he a wizard of great myth? Or simply a man out of his own time, left there by a group now lost. Elder Race is a perfect introduction to not only Tchaikovsky’s work, but Sci-Fi/Fantasy as a whole, short enough to be finished in a few days but with ideas big enough to leave you pondering for weeks.