Logan book review
Imagine not being allowed to age, and everyone must die at 21! Crystal palmflowers that develop into different colors are implanted in all newborns. From 0 to 6, the palm displays yellow. Your right palm's flower crystal would turn blue between the ages of 7 and 13. Red would be displayed from 14 to 20. On the day before you turn 21, your crystal begins to alternate between red and black; on that day, it turns entirely black. At that point, you would be forced to surrender to a sleep shop, where you would be executed. Sandman is responsible for hunting down runners who try to escape this fate.
The Good and the bad
Logan Run is an impressive novel, with engaging and easy-to-follow writing that keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end. The authors do a great job of balancing action and suspense with self-reflection and character growth, which makes for a story that is both exciting and makes you think.
Unnecessarily, new places are awkwardly introduced right before the scenes where they show up, and then they are suddenly taken away just as the reader is getting used to them.
Also, the book only tells the reader how the world is put together before plowing around in it, except for the book's third part, which is the best part of the book. This ties the novel together, and, most significantly, the reader learns how and why the world came to be as it is. Given how the world is now, it was interesting, sad, and a bit scary that it could happen. There is a climatic issue, an overpopulation problem, political overreach, a civil rebellion, and what I can only call a total breakdown of a civilization that, in the end, exchanges one handful of horrors for a basket full of other horrors.
My favorite quote from the novel.
The Little War in the novel led to Crazy Horse getting a supercomputer that acts as the brain of humanity. "
Super Computer
Science fiction has long explored the idea of a knowledgeable, all-powerful computer. Logan Run does this well by showing how easy it can be to over-rely on technology and give a machine too much power. Also, Logan's Run shows how dangerous it can be to give up personal freedom to keep order and peace. The people who live in the city are treated like useless parts of a machine and have no autonomy or control over their lives. The characters are stripped of their individuality, freedom, critical thinking ability, and knowledge.
In the novel, society has become stale. It doesn't move at all. The supercomputer is also able to further subjugate society by breaking marital ties. Without a sense of community and friendship, there is no capacity for rebellion. In addition, there is no family unit, which is another tool for maintaining control and eradicating knowledge. Without a family, there is no sense of respect and no one to learn from who is older. Another example of the supercomputer having authority over the populace.
There are no restrictions on hedonistic desires, including clothes, spa visits, and casual, uncomplicated sex.
Fashion and beauty are also prevalent in the novel. Citizens are provided with an endless supply of designer clothes and beauty treatments, allowing them to indulge their every desire for self-expression and physical perfection.
However, the availability of these pleasures also distracts citizens from the reality of their limited existence and leaves little room for independent thought, reflection, or developing deeper relationships or connections with others.
Also, newborns are given numbers and assigned names, leaving a lack of individuality.
I liked a section of the novel's story about a Civil War reenactment in Virginia that left me in complete awe, which was another form of propaganda and brainwashing for the citizens.
Logan and Jessica's Journey - The two main characters
I liked that the characters are not spoon-fed us their feelings and desires. Interactions throughout the book show them.
Logan 3 is the book's primary character, a Sandman whose duty is to hunt out and eliminate "Runners," Runners are people who attempt to escape their fate by living past the age of 21. Logan decides to use his last day to find Sanctuary and destroy it.
Jessica 6 is a runner who assists Logan 3 throughout the novel while he searches for sanctuary. The oscillation of his palm flower persuades Jessica 6 to assist him, even though she does not initially trust Logan. Logan is suspicious of Jessica 6 and does not like her because she is a runner—everything that goes against what he stands for as a Sandman.
On their journey, Jessica's mistrust of Logan gradually evaporates. Also, Logan 3 begins to understand that things are not as cut and dried as he first believed. He starts to see the system's shortcomings and begins to feel empathy for the Runners' desire for freedom.
Their relationship serves as a symbol of individuality, freedom, and rebellion against authority. The evolution of their relationship from suspicion and mistrust to mutual respect and love provides a powerful commentary on the human condition in a dystopian society as they challenge the rigid social norms and age limits imposed by the Supercomputer.
Overall, Logan Run is a book that is still relevant today. It is a cautionary tale about a society that values efficiency and conformity over individuality and freedom.
Imagine not being allowed to age, and everyone must die at 21! Crystal palmflowers that develop into different colors are implanted in all newborns. From 0 to 6, the palm displays yellow. Your right palm's flower crystal would turn blue between the ages of 7 and 13. Red would be displayed from 14 to 20. On the day before you turn 21, your crystal begins to alternate between red and black; on that day, it turns entirely black. At that point, you would be forced to surrender to a sleep shop, where you would be executed. Sandman is responsible for hunting down runners who try to escape this fate.
The Good and the bad
Logan Run is an impressive novel, with engaging and easy-to-follow writing that keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end. The authors do a great job of balancing action and suspense with self-reflection and character growth, which makes for a story that is both exciting and makes you think.
Unnecessarily, new places are awkwardly introduced right before the scenes where they show up, and then they are suddenly taken away just as the reader is getting used to them.
Also, the book only tells the reader how the world is put together before plowing around in it, except for the book's third part, which is the best part of the book. This ties the novel together, and, most significantly, the reader learns how and why the world came to be as it is. Given how the world is now, it was interesting, sad, and a bit scary that it could happen. There is a climatic issue, an overpopulation problem, political overreach, a civil rebellion, and what I can only call a total breakdown of a civilization that, in the end, exchanges one handful of horrors for a basket full of other horrors.
My favorite quote from the novel.
"The little war had begun. By morning, half of Washington was in flames. Senators and congressmen were dragged in terror from their homes and hanged like criminals from trees and lampposts. The police and National Guard units were swept away in the first major wave of rioting. Buildings were set afire, and explosives were used. During the confusion, an attendant at the Washington Zoo released the animals to save them from the flames. The beasts were never recaptured." [/I]The Little War in the novel led to Crazy Horse getting a supercomputer that acts as the brain of humanity. "
Super Computer
Science fiction has long explored the idea of a knowledgeable, all-powerful computer. Logan Run does this well by showing how easy it can be to over-rely on technology and give a machine too much power. Also, Logan's Run shows how dangerous it can be to give up personal freedom to keep order and peace. The people who live in the city are treated like useless parts of a machine and have no autonomy or control over their lives. The characters are stripped of their individuality, freedom, critical thinking ability, and knowledge.
In the novel, society has become stale. It doesn't move at all. The supercomputer is also able to further subjugate society by breaking marital ties. Without a sense of community and friendship, there is no capacity for rebellion. In addition, there is no family unit, which is another tool for maintaining control and eradicating knowledge. Without a family, there is no sense of respect and no one to learn from who is older. Another example of the supercomputer having authority over the populace.
There are no restrictions on hedonistic desires, including clothes, spa visits, and casual, uncomplicated sex.
Fashion and beauty are also prevalent in the novel. Citizens are provided with an endless supply of designer clothes and beauty treatments, allowing them to indulge their every desire for self-expression and physical perfection.
However, the availability of these pleasures also distracts citizens from the reality of their limited existence and leaves little room for independent thought, reflection, or developing deeper relationships or connections with others.
Also, newborns are given numbers and assigned names, leaving a lack of individuality.
I liked a section of the novel's story about a Civil War reenactment in Virginia that left me in complete awe, which was another form of propaganda and brainwashing for the citizens.
Logan and Jessica's Journey - The two main characters
I liked that the characters are not spoon-fed us their feelings and desires. Interactions throughout the book show them.
Logan 3 is the book's primary character, a Sandman whose duty is to hunt out and eliminate "Runners," Runners are people who attempt to escape their fate by living past the age of 21. Logan decides to use his last day to find Sanctuary and destroy it.
Jessica 6 is a runner who assists Logan 3 throughout the novel while he searches for sanctuary. The oscillation of his palm flower persuades Jessica 6 to assist him, even though she does not initially trust Logan. Logan is suspicious of Jessica 6 and does not like her because she is a runner—everything that goes against what he stands for as a Sandman.
On their journey, Jessica's mistrust of Logan gradually evaporates. Also, Logan 3 begins to understand that things are not as cut and dried as he first believed. He starts to see the system's shortcomings and begins to feel empathy for the Runners' desire for freedom.
Their relationship serves as a symbol of individuality, freedom, and rebellion against authority. The evolution of their relationship from suspicion and mistrust to mutual respect and love provides a powerful commentary on the human condition in a dystopian society as they challenge the rigid social norms and age limits imposed by the Supercomputer.
Overall, Logan Run is a book that is still relevant today. It is a cautionary tale about a society that values efficiency and conformity over individuality and freedom.
