"The Prairie Martian" is primarily a western. A small self-sufficient community in the badlands (Scablands) with a steampunk level of tech. Civilization ends at the town limits. At least ‘Civvie’ civilization. Out beyond are nomadic tribes of scavengers. The ‘Scabbies’ have their own norms, granted. It’s the year 2472; some 300 years after the Apocalypse. Just reminds you of 1830’s west of the Pecos. Pity horses are extinct.
The town of New Halchita is no dystopia, no troglodyte clan worshipping the last TV. They are a literate folk working to keep the walls of civilization secure, to run to stations when the alarm bell rings. They are no comic dullards, easily fooled by snake-oil salesmen. Nor are they cowering townsfolk depending on a few gunslingers to save them. No doubt that follows the truth of the real ‘Old West’ beyond our cowboy movies. Real Old West communities didn’t wait for Clint and Shane to come to the rescue.
Not that there are no special heroes in 2473. We have Sheriff Frank Westfall, rather too tall. A taciturn ex-scout who is a bit weary, a bit lonely. Dutiful, and no one’s fool. Not the kind to catch the ladies’ eye, but he will, soon or late, catch the perpetrator.
There; that’s the book report to give you the stage setting. But ‘Prairie Martian’ is flat out no gunslinger tale with a touch of sci-fi. It’s ven diagrammed to a genre called ‘weird western’, at home on the shelf with ‘Cowboys and Aliens’ or the works of Mike Resnick. Perhaps next to ‘A Canticle for Leibowitz’; for that ‘post-civilization’ feel is always in the background. The folk of New Halchita are survivors, holding on to a flame of literature, law and tech they are shielding from the dark; and the threatening sky.
Chiefly, this is a character-driven story. We have an undramatic, lonely hero determined to do his best; a sly rogue of a villain who is masterful at manipulating civvie and scabbie minds alike; a sassy lady-doc who has made her choices. Add to that a pretty Martian schoolmarm with robotic mien and, possibly, a secret agenda.
Character-driven novels usually come at the cost of long scenes, backstory chapters and complex conversations that convey this attitude, that misunderstanding. Readers endure this while waiting for the exciting stuff. I was immediately struck that Mr. Eaton did not need to pay that price. For all we cared chiefly who saw through who, or who stood by who, each chapter ends with some event of adrenaline excitement or emotional satisfaction or shocked surprise.
Given that, it seems almost secondary to say the narrative quality is excellent, dialogue is first-rate. No one is delivering easy punches or easy lines; no cowboy cliché tobacco spitting. Not a single barroom fight.
I hope Mr. Eaton gives us a sequel. This is a rich setting he has established, with a terrific under-stated hero. I want to find out the truth of the GID war, and what is beyond the Scablands. If no sequel, then dammit, Eaton, do it again.
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Top reviews from other countries
Valerie
Delightful writing, entertaining plot
Reviewed in Canada on February 14, 2018
