Book Review: Midnight Robber

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Midnight Robber     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Nalo Hopkinson
Class/Genre:   Science Fiction
Aspect, Mar 2000, $13.95, 329 pp.

On the planet Toussaint, womanizing Cockpit county Mayor Antonio catches his wife Ione sleeping with Quashee. Irate, Antonio moves out of their home, but for the next five months does nothing about being cuckolded. He has only a few hours left to challenge Quashee to a duel of honor in the fight yard before the legal limit for such a matter ends. The rules do not allow for loss of life, but Antonio kills his opponent anyway.

Under arrest for murder, Antonio, accompanied by his daughter Tan-Tan flees their technically advanced planet through a dimension shifter to land on its primitive “twin”, New Half Way Tree. On their new home planet, the dinosaur-like Douen that are mythological creatures on Toussaint thrive. As the years pass Antonio drifts into a world of alcohol and sexually abuses his daughter, who ultimately kills him in self-defense. As she flees from her stepmother’s ire, Tan-Tan begins to understand her new tree mates the Douen and soon becomes the MIDNIGHT ROBBER, a legend on her former home planet.

The MIDNIGHT ROBBER is an excellent science fiction tale because author Nalo Hopkinson makes both of her worlds seem vividly real. Toussaint appears to be a technologically advanced Caribbean planet while New Half Way Tree seems very primal. Antonio is a strange, but fully developed character while Tan-Tan will steal the hearts of the audience. As with BROWN GIRL IN THE RING, the award winning Ms. Hopkinson proves she has a unique and wonderful perspective that provides a fresh voice in the science fiction arena.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner