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Red Claw

by Philip Palmer

     

A lush, dense jungle covers the planet of New Amazon, and the research expedition sent there is cataloguing all the native species. But when all the data has been recorded, this team will destroy everything—ready for the planet to be made ready for human habitation. However, sometimes nature has a way of fighting back...

This is a sharply modern, darkly humorous tale of what happens when people are the opposite of "green." On the face of it, you have a classic SF story of people exploring a planet filled with dangerous exotic creatures, but just below the surface is a seething satire of the dark side of human nature.

The cover echoes the charming naïveté of a ‘50s B movie or pulp novel, but open it up and you have a tale for the Noughties. You also have the equally classic tale of the over-civilized lost in the wilderness, a place where science degrees won’t help you light a campfire and where the thin veneer of civilization is soon stripped away to reveal the ape beneath. I’ve read more than my share of this type of fiction, but Mr. Palmer does it all particularly well, with attention paid to every satirical detail.

The Book

Orbit (Little, Brown)
1 October 2009
Paperback
1841496243 / 9781841496245
SF / Future / another Planet
More at Amazon.com US || UK
Excerpt
NOTE: US edition is different

The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2009
NOTE:
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