Robin Hardy Reviews

Page Nine

Added June 6, 2008

The Idecis

Author: Robin Hardy
Publisher: Westford Press
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: Available now
Genre: Science Fiction: Christian
Format: Trade paper
Price: $15.95
ISBN-13: 978-0-9761964-9-5
Author Email/Website: www.robinhardy.com
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

I'm not going to write one of my ordinary reviews because, quite simply, The Idecis is no ordinary book. Author Robin Hardy takes her writing talent to an extraordinary, new level in these pages. I usually don't make predictions (hey, I read what happened to the Old Testament prophets when they were wrong!) but I really believe that The Idecis has what it takes to become a Christian classic. There is a space reserved for this book on the shelf right next to the "Space Trilogy" penned by C. S. Lewis. I'm not kidding.

Cassandra Uland, space-station anthropologist, roams the universe in a hermetically sealed spacecraft observing and cataloging the various life forms throughout the solar system. On a routine census sweep, something goes horribly wrong, resulting in a crash landing on a planet that was reeling from a previous ecological disaster. Cassandra struggles to survive in a world void of her rules and reasoning. Yet, finding the key to life brings her some unexpected and unearthly encounters.

If this novel were merely a science-fiction story, it would be great. But the author gives the book a spiritual dimension that is (dare I say it?) out of this world. The underlying spiritual truths are incredible, yet Robin Hardy smoothly weaves them into this tale, making them seem as natural as breathing.

Cassandra is an extraordinary character. As she crash-lands into a society that is decidedly different from her own, her anxiety is captured through her dialogue and actions. Cassandra's halting speech, as she struggles to communicate, is superbly written and gives the entire novel a taste of realism. As she is jettisoned into a group of people that have a belief in a Creator, she tries to make sense of their stories through her anthropologist lens. Eventually, events escalate to a point where Cassandra has to decide between flight or faith.

Never in all the years of book reviewing have I compared one author with another. Until now. The Idecis has entered into the same spiritual dimension that C.S. Lewis traveled in his classic Space Trilogy. Both authors deal with the larger issues of faith, salvation and trust. Their arenas are the heavenlies and their audiences will be spellbound by the significance of the stories.

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This page was last updated on June 6, 2008

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