WE

'WE' is the latest offering from John Dickinson and is quite different from his previous historical novel and medieval fantasy trilogy - and I have to say that it is quite brilliant.

It is based on four people who have been sent to a space station on a far off moon, many millions of miles from Earth to do research, and off course to see if there is any intelligent life out there!

Lewis and May are a couple and Erin has just lost her partner who commited suicide; into this melting pot of understated emotion comes Paul Munro who has to pick his way through all of this whilst learning to walk and talk.

I love the way that John Dickinson shows how they cope with the isolation of not only being separated from Earth but also from the World Ear and it's constant chatter. All of them have to learn to communicate vocally again by speaking out loud!

John shows by very skillful relaxed writing just how near paranoia and suspicion coupled with a stunningly beautiful and extremely cold lanscape can effect people. He, through all 4 characters begins to question why they are there and can a God exist out there - and more to the point - is Earth actually listening to them!

Once I'd read the book I found myself pondering on many of the aspects that John brought up and feel that although this is fiction it is set in the very near future and is very believable. Look at 2001:A Space Oyssey, did we ever think when we saw the film, would man land on the moon, and as we know he did. 'WE' has that same quality of surrealness about it that I very much enjoyed and look forward to any sequels that may come or even a prequel to tell us how the space station got onto the far flung moon in the first place.

I highly recommend this book for teenagers and adults.