Probability Moon
by: Nancy Kress
Review by: Tina Morgan


Nancy Kress' novel Probability Moon captured my attention from the very first page. The novel moved at a steady pace and made for a very entertaining read.

As primarily a fantasy reader, this novel did not overwhelm me with hard terminology. There are a few places where Ms. Kress delves into the field of physics and most hard sf readers should be entertained as well. It is a very nice blend of fantasy and science fiction.

The setting is a rich, vivid world filled with interesting characters. However, the characters could have been stronger. The POV jumps between approximately 7 to 9 different characters. I would have preferred to have seen that narrowed down a bit. In my opinion, the story should have either stayed with David Allen and chronicled his downward spiral a little closer, or gone with Ahmed Bazargan and allowed David's story to unfold through his eyes. The jumps between Anne, Gruber, Bazargan, David and Enli should have been narrowed down more.

I would also have like to have had a better idea what happened before the humans arrived to cause Enli to be declared 'unreal'. At first Enli is thinking that she had to be tough to kill her beloved brother, but later in the story, it is implied that he committed suicide. I finished the book still unsure what had happened though I did have a good idea as to why.

Bazargan was well rounded and I enjoyed reading about him. His penchant for Persian poetry softened his politician's facade and made him a very interesting character. The novel maintained its pace and quality throughout and keep me wanting more until the very end.


An entertaining read, I give Probability Moon  * * * * 1/2 stars.

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Rating Scale:
* * * * * = Un-put-downable, excellent reading!
* * * * = Good value, interesting reading.
* * * = Had potential, but could have been better.
* * = Slow, difficult to read, could have been improved.
* = Imminently forgettable.