No rating, as this is not a finished work, and it was never intended for publication.

This is not to say that I object to its publication - in general, I come down on the side of archival papers of notable historical figures and writers being open to public perusal. Milosz is certainly notable both historically and as a writer, so I'm glad that this material has been translated and is now available to English-speaking students of history and literature, as well as any other interested parties.

However, marketing this as an unfinished science fiction novel is a bit of an exaggeration. It's more like a few bits and ideas and scraps of background information and themes that might've been been used to start on a dystopian science fiction novel, if the author had decided to write it (he decided against it; this publication also includes his notes on why.)

There are some thoughts on the future, on society, rather a lot on religion (and its perceived decline). A few character sketches, but nothing to link them together, and no hint of a proposed plot.

Undoubtedly interesting to those who want to delve into Milosz' thoughts and themes, but I wouldn't suggest this as a place to start introducing oneself to the Nobel Prize-winning writer.

Many thanks to Yale University Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are unaffected by the source of the book.

It is important to first clarify that this work is unfinished, which goes a long way to explain the fragmentary nature of the narrative. Indeed, it seems inaccurate to call the prose 'narrative' as there is very little structure or plotting. Instead what we have, is one writer creating a philosophical treatise about his dark feelings toward the future of civilization. The book is bleak in this regard. The prose, however, is fascinating and challenging. Given that this is a translation from the Polish original, some credit should be given to the translator. Milosz was a prize winning poet, so you would expect a lyrical quality to the prose, but in fact, it is economical and straightforward. Perhaps my favourite episode deals with the journey of an astronaut at 99.5% of light speed. This is the most clean cut science fiction present in the novel. It is a truly thought provoking read, but I'm not sure whether I would place it in the fiction section!