Bouncing Off the Moon: The Far Side of The Sky Book 2 by David Gerrold - More Sci-Fi Goodness From A Master

Bouncing Off the Moon: The Far Side of The Sky Book 2 by David Gerrold

I finished reading the first book in this series, Jumping Off the Planet, a few weeks ago and gave it a five-star review. Bouncing Off the Moon continues right where the first installment ends. This is a tale of an estranged family with parents who are more childish than their children. It is very a very sad state of affairs when parents use their children as weapons against each other; everyone suffers, especially the children.

The story, so far, is told from Charles's point of view. He is the middle child of three brothers who are all different in their interests and behaviors, but they have one thing in common; they depend on each other for support and survival.

Bouncing Off the Moon is a brilliantly written story told in the classic sci-fi style. It is set wholly on Earth's Moon and the descriptions of the backdrop colorfully illustrate the colorless landscape of the colonized satellite. I couldn't help but think about Buzz Aldrin's observation when he encountered the body in 1969. He called it "magnificent desolation" and David brings those words to life in this book.

I was most impressed by the pains the author took to get the science right. However, what really drives the story are the characters.

This second book isn't your typical bridge between the beginning and the end of a trilogy, but it is a complete story unto itself. I found it exciting, scary, sad, and humorous; running a full gamut of emotions.

Charles, also known as Chigger, his two brothers, Bobby the younger, Douglas, the older, have just won their emancipation from their parents and are striking out to seek their fortune among the stars. Economic and political conditions on Earth have deteriorated to where its society seems doomed to collapse. The brothers are accompanied by Mickey, Douglas' newly found love interest.

Realizing they are being pursued for a toy they have in their possession; they learn they have to take an alternate way to avoid being captured. Bobby's toy contains something precious to many people. The boys are joined by Alexei, a friend of Mickey's and a resident of the Moon, who helps them escape from the tether in a cargo pod before they can be captured.

As a resident of the Earth's natural satellite, Alexei knows how to get around and he takes the boys on a fantastic adventure crossing the Lunar surface to seek safety. After arriving at a safe place, all is not what it seems, and the boys must watch their backs because there is uncertainty at every turn.

As for the characters in this second part of the tale, there is significant growth in the brothers. In the first book, they really had little in common with one another other than the schism brought about by their parents. Since they have been away from that influence, they have become closer and depend on one another for strength and support.

The story is told from Chigger's point of view, and we get to follow his feelings through the numerous new, strange, and dangerous situations the boys face. David wrote this story so one can feel what the boys feel, especially Chigger. As a young teenager, he is already emotionally compromised just because of the age. I have to say, though, that he handles much of what he faces well for his age.

My best advice for a reader is to keep an eye on all the characters. Some are not what they seem.

My favorite point of plot for Bouncing Off the Moon is all the swerves, twists, and turns this story takes. Just when one thinks this story is going to be predictable, it takes a turn and moves in another direction. I thought for sure I had a couple of characters figured out, only to find I was completely wrong about them. This alone makes this tale a fun one to read, as David takes the reader on an emotional and literal roller coaster ride.

Another point I appreciated were the descriptions of the surroundings and how the characters move through them while on the moon, not to mention how they get to the moon. The science is well researched, and it adds so much to the authenticity of the story. Everything the author shows the reader in this story is completely plausible. Indeed, it is all made up, but everything is so practical, it wouldn't be difficult to say that David is projecting today’s technologies into the not-too-distant future.

One takeaway from this story is how one must know their surroundings with great diligence. This is true especially with the people once interacts with. With the brothers, they had little choice in who to ally themselves with and it could have cost them their lives had they not been suspicious of nearly everyone they encountered.

But even more, during a scene near the end of the book, two characters get into a discussion of a legal and philosophical nature. The question posed is, "when it is appropriate to break the law?" Many would argue that illegal activity brings about change, but then at what cost does that change take place? Then there is the idea presented by American author, Henry David Thoreau, in an essay commonly known as On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. In nearly every book I've read by David Gerrold, there is something to give me pause and think. As for me, I think this small section is worth the price of the entire book. The conclusion to the argument is, "... it is never appropriate to break the law. It is, however, appropriate to challenge it responsibly." (p. 268, Kindle edition)

Not only is this my favorite part of the story, it is thick with substance and well worth the time, especially in the current political climate.

I recommend Bouncing Off the Moon along with the volume that comes before, Jumping Off the Planet, as something worth the time to read, not only because of the immense entertainment value of the saga but also to have one's mind stimulated with issues relevant to life today. David Gerrold's skill as a writer is shown in this story because the deep issues are not presented in a preachy way, but they are presented as important story points moving the story forward.

Highest recommendations for this book as well as the series (so far) as a whole.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David Gerrold lives in California with his son, daughter-in-law, and his toddler grandson. He is the winner of numerous awards for his writing. You can follow him on Facebook or through his Patreon page. He is a self-described curmudgeon, and you are strongly advised not to tread on his lawn.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

Jumping off the Planet: The Far Side of the Sky, Book 1 by David Gerrold - A Bittersweet Tale Of A Dysfunctional Family On A Smart Kid

Jumping off the Planet: The Far Side of the Sky, Book 1 by David Gerrold

One thing I really enjoy is a tale told in the style of classic science fiction, which is why the writing of David Gerrold appeals to me in a big way. Jumping off the Planet is a great, character driven story with descriptions of settings to whet the reader's imagination. It contains science that is not with us yet, but it is so well researched that one cannot argue with its plausibility.

The funny thing is, as I started reading this book, I realized it was very familiar for some strange reason, and then it hit me, this story was also included in a collection I bought several years ago directly from the author when he visited the town of Beatrice, Nebraska for a celebration of the life of Gene L. Coon. The collection, which includes four stories, is entitled A Promise of Stars: Stories from Beyond the Sky.

Jumping off the Planet is a sci-fi story that focuses on a dysfunctional family in the not-too-distant future where one can travel into space on a space elevator, and even catch a ride to the moon. Unfortunately, resources on Earth are scarce and availability is an ever-increasing problem, so the more affluent members of the human race live and work on stations along the length of the elevator. There is a lot of sadness and in this story, but it is balanced with some triumph for the principal character, a young man often referred to as "Chigger," a nickname given to him by his grandfather.

Charles "Chigger" Dingillian along with his two brothers and mother live in a Texas shanty town where they try to carve out a decent lifestyle. One day, Chigger's dad shows up with a seemingly fantastic offer. During his time with the boys, he is allowed by a custody agreement, he proposes to the boys they go on a vacation to the moon. The boys are skeptical, believing their dad to be making yet another promise he cannot, or will not, keep.

In effect, Max Dingillian kidnaps his three sons and races off on a cross-country adventure to Ecuador, where he plans to take his sons off the planet and away from their mother.

It isn't long after they depart the planet that Max's plan is discovered, and the chase is on to stop him. 

Chigger has had enough of the situation between his estranged parents and thinks about a solution to end his torment and hopefully give him and his brothers a chance at a better life. He has two choices: either go back to what it has been or divorce his parents.

Charles finds joy in almost nothing. All he wants out of life is to be left to himself and be allowed to listen to his music, the only thing that gives him solace. He really seems to hate his family, but it isn't true. It's not the people in his family he hates, but the situation they had put him in, particularly his mother and father, who are more interested in their own agendas than what is best for their kids. 

What I appreciated most about young Charles is his thoughtfulness about everything. Jumping off the Planet revolves around the inner workings of a kid who is brilliant in many ways. He takes note of his surroundings and comments on them, sometimes negatively, but he doesn't miss a thing. It is tragic knowing what he could be if only had the proper nurturing from adults who could provide an example of what it is to be adults.

One of my favorite things about this story is how Charles finds refuge in music, particularly in the music of John Coltrane. This is not surprising to me when one thinks about his style of jazz he dubbed "sheets of sound." As the sideman for the great Miles Davis, Coltrane invented his technique by the playing of rapid passages of notes that wove themselves together in a curtain of sound. That Charles latched on to them shows an advanced appreciation for music. 

This advanced appreciation is, of course, an extension of the David Gerrold's own appreciation for music of all kinds. One of the most profound statements offered in the book is a nearly perfect description of what the style of jazz music is about:

"Jazz isn't music. Jazz is what happens when the music disappears and all that is left is the sound and the emotion connected to it. Jazz is a scream or a rant or a sigh. Or whatever else is inside, trying to get out."

Gerrold, David. Jumping Off the Planet (p. 73). BenBella Books. Kindle Edition.

As a musician myself, I find this quote not only profound but also poetic and spot on!

My takeaway from Jumping off the Planet is the tragedy of what happens when parents fall out of love with each other and proceed to use their children as weapons against each other. This is idea is clearly illustrated in the text of this tale and hangs like a pall over the entire story.

No one is born knowing how to be a parent. There are no manuals or coaches to teach one how to be a parent. This story has a message to those that would be parents. When a man or a woman begin to feel sorry for themselves enough to put themselves in the center of their universe, they must remember that the small life they brought into the world is, and should be, the center of their universe. A child never asks to be born and in no case do they owe their parents anything, but their parents do owe their children everything.

I recommend Jumping off the Planet as an outstanding work of sci-fi that is also a deep character study of a family in turmoil that has gotten to a point unbearable for the children involved. It is often a disturbing tale with moments of laugh-out-loud irony and an ending that is not only triumphant, but leaves the question of what's next for these youngsters? Fortunately, there are two more books in this series, and I look forward to the continued saga of what will happen to the Dingillian clan and how the characters, particularly Charles, will grow.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David Gerrold lives in California with his son, daughter-in-law, and his toddler grandson. He is the winner of numerous awards for his writing. You can follow him on Facebook or through his Patreon page. He is a self-described curmudgeon, and you are highly advised not to tread on his lawn.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!