Downward to the Earth

I m really impressed with the story and how Silverberg managed to portray everything so vividly. Loves all of it! And i highly recommend it!

Silverberg has done it again!

My thoughts immediately went to Octavia Butler with this book, since I have been devouring her bibliography this year, and her best series (in my opinion), Lilith's Brood, is a similarly nuanced take on colonialism.

They both deal with two sides of the same story, however; unlike Lilith's Brood this is not from the perspective of the oppressed, instead we see the story through the eyes of an imperialist returning to the country he once colonized. It's very clearly inspired by Heart of Darkness, but Silverberg has made his own, fascinating story here.

A sombre tone, a flawed protagonist who goes through an entire spiritual journey, aliens that feel properly alien, filled with imaginative ideas, horror and beauty.

Can you “go native” as a foreigner, as an oppressor? It's an interesting question, and after reading this book, it's still difficult to arrive at a meaningful answer.

Reliving old sins
curiosity, remorse
it's all about you.