Antares: Episode 2
Antares: Episode 2, by Leo, Cinebook
LEO'S MAIN theme in this book, particularly in the first half of it, centres around the reinforcement of prejudices and how they outwardly affect others as they become oppressive philosophies allowed to be enacted in the real world. The fact that Leo’s worlds are those of science fiction does not make them any less important as points of discussion.
There are analogies with the current European economic climate, the oppression females have to suffer in certain Asian territories, and always echoes that should we all step one step further into madness the nightmare that was the Third Reich could return at a moment’s notice, though today we’d dress it all up in some absurdist politically correct manner to deny the reality of the situation.
Such it is here. A space rocket journeys to Antares, Kim and her friends have been tricked into joining it, and no one knows it’s not really that safe, but they make it, or at least most of them. Not without being persecuted along the way. There is a new world religion on board, one who complain at being called a cult - a cross between Scientologists and radical Islamists - though also denying any extreme actions are caused by them, and these isolated events affect those closest to Kim, but ultimately all these people know they need her, at least for now.
It’s not until the latter part of the book when they land planet side where Leo’s peculiar take on alien natural history comes into play as assorted strange animals and plant life go about their business, scaring the newly arrived human folk. It’s a slow moving book, and as I’ve always said; I’m not always completely captivated by Leo’s take on science fiction or philosophy, but he’s always thinking and exploring ideas around his central themes and that’s an earnestness I appreciate.
For more information on Antares and other books in English by Leo visit Cinebook.
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