Pastwatch

The Redemption of Christopher Columbus

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Scott Brick, Christopher Cazenove, Gabrielle de Cuir, Arte Johnson, Moira Quirk, Stefan Rudnicki, Orson Scott Card

Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

In a not-too-distant future that is not quite ours, there has been a major scientific breakthrough. It is a way to open windows into the past, permitting historical researchers to view, but not participate, in the events of the past.

In one of the most powerful and thought-provoking novels of his remarkable career, Orson Scott Card interweaves a compelling portrait of Christopher Columbus with the story of a future scientist who believes she can alter human history from a tragedy of bloodshed and brutality to a world filled with hope and healing.

©1996 Orson Scott Card (P)2005 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A bold and compassionate alternative history filled with believable historical and fictional characters." ( Library Journal)

A New Perspective

Card's ability to represent fiction with reason and fact makes this story so interesting. It really makes you think. The only issue I had with this book was that the ending what a little anti-climatic.

Pastwatch

Excellent book as I come to expect from Orson. His ideas and storytelling ability make for a very enjoyable read. He merges history and science fiction to give us some thought provoking views on how our world might be, both in the future of the book and in our own reality.

Great Book! OSC hit this one out of the park!

I am a huge OSC fan and have read almost everything he has ever published. I kept putting off listening to this one because the title of the book made it seem like it would be kind of boring. It was actually really great... right on par with OSC's other works, if not one if his better ones. It is really interesting and I love the speculative alternative histories. Very entertaining and informative. Love the Pastwatch idea. OSC always comes up with really good fantasy and sci fi ideas. 10 out of 10.

An intriguing alternate history

Orson Scot Card indeed is one of the best science fiction writers of all time. With books exploring issues of time space humanity and politics they are thought provoking and entertaining.
This book like his others is an excellent examination of humanity and is enlightening and entertaining. And the performance of the actors is excellent as well.
Highly recommended read.

Faith

Faith requires all forms of strength to help us overcome our darkest fears; great story.

All tme favorite story by this author

Exciting and interesting to see/hear the story develop. I think Card has yet another winner.

So Disappointed

I listened all the way through this less than impressive work of fiction out of my respect for all the joy OSC has given me. But this was just such discount rack level garbage, I’m actually kind of insulted.

This was a really good book

In all honesty I didn't expect much when I first started listening to it. the description caught my interest but when I heard who this book was about I thought to myself, boring. Since I was driving I couldn't exactly look for something different to listento. However, more I listened, the more I enjoyed, till eventually I couldn't wait to get back to the story. I'm not going to spoil the story for you but what I will say is give it a chance, it has a really nice ending.

I was very happy excellent book too many narrators

I was actually more than impressed with this book I read it out of a lack of material that I am familiar with so I thought I would give it a shot and was very very happy two of the narrators I'm very familiar with as they do a lot of his books but I've got to say that it was a little confusing in this particular book I would actually say that there was too many narrators if we had had one for each character that would have been great but it was like they all took turns and it made it a little confusing and as much as I enjoy the female narrator in this it is very weird having a female narrator do a male's part in the book I don't mean any offense if that offends anybody but it's like a man doing a woman's part in a book it just doesn't hit you right

Thanks Uncle Orson

I read this book originally when I was in Afghanistan in 2003. I remember that I got a brand new copy out of a sack of books that some good citizen sent over as a care package. What a treat. I remember at the time that I was rereading old John Grisham novels; audiobooks were something that I was barely into at the time, In Germany I had bought some Left Behind audiobooks at the PX, that's probably what really got me hooked, but I had long since listened to those and this book was fresh material. Anywho, I couldn't put this book down once I got into it back then, and likewise I couldn't stop listening to this audiobook once I got into it recently. I had forgotten some things about the book in the past five years. It's amazing to go back and listen to books that you've read and pick up on things you'd missed.

The book is a really great concept and it kind of makes you think real hard about the influences that shape history, and how a handful of motivated people really push things in the world, and between my two readings it made me think of how my impressions have been influenced by recent history and how I have changed in the past five years. Only great books have that power.

Also I would like to thank Orson Scott Card for his new Sci-Fi review page on audible.com. I had wondered out loud in a previous review what Mr. Card thought of audible.com. I suppose that he has given his endorsement and this is good. For me audible is the most valuable service on the internet aside from iTunes. I would never have discovered a book like Star Born without his suggestion, and right now I have Star Born and Star Dance in my shopping cart. Time to head off to the stars. Thanks again.