The Face of the Waters

I've read most of Silverberg's work, so believe me when I say this is his best work. It's one of his serious sci-fi novels, as opposed to the more adventure-oriented or idea-oriented books. The book is a great one because it dwells on what it means to be a human in an alien world. Other books deal with this issue, but mostly not so directly as Silverberg does here. As in the best sci-fi books, the characters can be interesting, but it's not really about them. And there's a journey, but it's not really about that either. Mostly it's about the creepy alienation that the humans feel from this world. The wonder and oddity of the the alien world makes for some great reading. And the ending is perfect.

Robert Silverberg's novel, The Face of the Waters, is one of his better novels. I believe that the soul of the novel lies not in the characters themselves, but in their reactions to the situations presented. If I were to pick one character which Silverberg has developed, it would be the Doctor. He is pretty much the only character that Silverberg chooses to develop well, but this does not detract from the novel. Instead, it gives the reader insight enough to understand the implications and strength of the end of the novel. Without the Doctor's inclination to be a loner, yet his desire to fit in, the ending could not have the impact it does. Yes, the journey/plot sometimes lags, but one has to admire the richness of Silverberg's world of Hydros. Many other authors simply leave it at the fact that the world is an alien one and that it's different form Earth. Silverberg, on the other hand, shows the biodiversity of Hydros (which is a key aspect of the novel). Overall, Silverberg creates a rich world teeming with alien life and infested with the few humans who live on Hydros. In my opinion, he develops well the only character who matters and creates a great story. Unlike some of his other books (namely The Stochastic Man and To Open the Sky), Silverberg does not let his apparent fatalism, cynicism, and pessimism influence the novel too much, leaving the reader with just the right combination of all three, with even a bit of optimism thrown in. In general, I think Silverberg did a wonderful job in writing this novel, and, unlike another reader, I'm going to keep it and not return it to the second-hand bookstore.

Gripping in Silverberg's usual way because even his heroes are all too human--flawed people doing their best in extreme situations. The books sags a bit in the middle, but features a masterful and mind-blowing conclusion with both metaphysical and religious implications

This is definitely one of Silverberg's greatest books. It starts out as a sea adventure story that turns into a powerful metaphor of spiritual surrender and Oneness

One of AGbergs best! A wonderfully lucid view of Hydros, a planet of water, and the search by marooned earthmen for paradise and spiritual redemtion. A remarkable journey through an exotic alien world. Read it!