Way Station

By: Clifford D. Simak

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

Length: 7 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

In this Hugo Award-winning classic, Enoch Wallace is an ageless hermit, striding across his untended farm as he has done for over a century, still carrying the gun with which he had served in the Civil War. But what his neighbors must never know is that, inside his unchanging house, he meets with a host of unimaginable friends from the farthest stars.

More than a hundred years before, an alien named Ulysses had recruited Enoch as the keeper of Earth's only galactic transfer station. Now, as Enoch studies the progress of Earth and tends the tanks where the aliens appear, the charts he made indicate his world is doomed to destruction. His alien friends can only offer help that seems worse than the dreaded disaster. Then he discovers the horror that lies across the galaxy.

BONUS AUDIO: Way Station includes an exclusive introduction by Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Mike Resnick.

©1963 Clifford D. Simak (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1964
• All-Time Best Science Fiction Novels (Locus Magazine)

Completely exceeded expectations

I bought this story out of curiosity and very pleased with my purchase. I thought this was a great story. It was very well written and completely engaging. I typically listen to audible books during my daily commute to and from work. I routinely found myself sitting in the car several extra minutes listening to the story. I am now going to look for more of Clifford Simak’s works.

Character Driven

Would you listen to Way Station again? Why?

YES!

I loved the main character. You're left feeling like you know this man out of time, & I wish that we could have spent more time with him. However, the story ended when it should.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Way Station?

Hard to pick just one. It had many great moments that fit into a larger whole.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Where the stars come a calling.

Any additional comments?

This is a classic book that was obviously written at the height of the Cold War, yet it only feels slightly dated. With only small changes, it could easily be set in today's world. It didn't feel dated.

an old man manages earths way station for aliens

I have no recollection of ever having read this classic before but I'm sure I must have. It's a really sweet story with a satisfying ending. No post apocalyptic nightmares, no fantasy ... this is pretty much pure science fiction... although it supposes that there are in fact very rare individuals scattered around the universe who have paranormal powers. A guy, who has returned home from the US civil war meets an alien (who he nicknames Ulysses, after General Grant -- because on his world individuals don't have names) who offers him a job as the manager of an intergalactic way station. As long as he is inside the station (which is hidden inside the walls of the home his father built in a rural area near the Ohio border) he does not age, and over the 100 years he works the place the only aging he does is during the the few hours a day he spends outdoors on his daily walk (for exercise, and to remind himself he's on earth) during which he is not allowed to let anyone know who he really is and what he does. Otherwise all his time is spent in the building, doing what is necessary to help transfer aliens around the galaxy (many of whom hang out and get to know him, become his friends, give him gifts, etc).

The story was published in 1963 and includes the nuclear angst of complete annihilation of the cold war along with his personal concern that should the planet sink into another world war of that sort, that it will bar his planet from ever being allowed to learn of the intergalactic fellowship, yet alone joining it.

Poor narration.

Simak always told a good story, but the narrator of this one I found strained.

Love it!

I enjoyed this audiobook so much that I've listened to it twice (a rare thing for me to do). I loved the main character who has a sort of haunted quality, if it's possible for one to be haunted by one's own past. Has to be one of the best Sci-Fi books I've listened to. A timeless classic.

Very Dated

I read this book more than 40 years ago when I was very naive, believed in things like mind reading, wanted to believe in some kind of God but unhappy with religion, and when I longed for happy endings. At the time I loved the book but it didn't have enough substance for me to remember almost anything of the story. So I wanted to relive the wonder I felt in my youth but instead was disappointed. The story is very dated from the writing style, to the lust free characters, to ideas that in the light of science and experience seem childish, and even in the plot leaves much to be desired. Might be a great book for the young but for science fiction fans that like ideas to challenge them, that want characters that are believable, and that like their imaginations to be stretched then they need to look else where. Was a good book in its time but more suited for the comics than for exciting listening.

Okay

The story is okay. Sort of long and drawn out, gave me a feel of being a little preachy. But then again, when looking at the time frame it was written in most science fiction tended to get that way. The story doesn’t really seem to go anywhere. It has a basis and a concept that could run it into a direction, but it just sort of gets lost in itself.

Classic Science Fiction not to be missed

It can be difficult reviewing a piece of classic science fiction that has been around for nearly four decades, however I picked up this book recently and was surprised that I had not read or listened to it earlier; I enjoyed it very much. “Way Station” by Clifford D. Simak and expertly narrated by Eric Michael Summerer is a diamond lost in the rough that all science fiction aficionados should read if they have not done so already. I have heard others say they read this book at least once a year because it is that good of a story. This truly is a work of science fiction art and if that is not enough for you to go and get it right now, it may help to know that it won the Hugo award for best Science Fiction. You cannot go wrong with the Audible edition either if you would rather listen than read it.

What may seem odd to those who are more familiar with modern or contemporary science fiction is that this story does not contain any large space battles, no laser shootouts (almost), no deep or complex space travel, and no grand ship attacks or reveals. It is a story about a man named Enoch Wallace who served in the Civil War and after more than a hundred years he has not aged which has raised some alarm with a few government individuals. He lives as a recluse in a small farming area in the mountains where most around him leave him alone and he often does not interact with them either. The story unfolds when his home is selected to be a Way Station to alien visitors transitioning the area of space. Here he befriends a coffee loving being he calls Ulysses. Yes, coffee is a well-loved drink not only by Earthlings, but many other species in the universe as well. The book has a few chapters devoted to the main character’s backstory which are moving and emotional covering his family and upbringing. I thought the way the author reveals aspects for the story little by little had me many times in that “Ah Ha” moment.

The writing was skillfully done and exactly what is needed to bring you in and care about not only Enoch, but many of the other characters found in the book. I found the book to be very through provoking. One should dedicate time to savor the book instead of rushing through it. The author was quite descriptive with the creatures and alien lifeforms he included in the book. It is not an overly happy story like many modern science fictions pieces, instead you can feel the weight and pressure placed on the character for the role he must perform to keep the Earth safe and secure. This story reminds me of some of the works created by both Robert Sheckley or Ray Bradbury; who are also classic science fiction writers.

Let me say that I could not get enough of Eric Michael Summerer’s narration; famed Dice Tower co-host. I felt he did this classic piece of art the respect and attention it deserved. He read it with emotion, inflection, and passion. You really could feel and understand the characters and their situations. The audio itself was flawless and overall well-paced. Volume was consistent and there were no audio artifacts I could recall from my listening. The only odd thing I will call out was that the narrated chapter numbers do not align to the chapters in the audio recording. This I’m sure was either a post-production decision or the author broke up the story differently for some reason. Not a show stopper, and unless you are one that jumps around your books via chapter markers, you may not even notice.

In summary, if you are looking for a deeply complex space opera fully of big action packed battles, this is not the book for you. Instead, if you like classic science fiction or more story based fiction with elements of science fiction, you cannot miss this book. It will have you laughing one moment and nearly in tears the next. Be prepared for an emotional ride going through this book.

Classic and therefore dated. Still worth a listen, though.

I enjoyed the story, but it's clear from the beginning that it's from an earlier, more innocent age of sf.

okay

Is there anything you would change about this book?

this may be a standout of early SciFi, but it's ideas and plot are barely strong enough to hold interest for the length. Not bad, just not great.

Would you recommend Way Station to your friends? Why or why not?

only die-hard SF fans