Equilateral

Clever. I read Ken Kalfus’ 200-page novel, Equilateral, in a single sitting on my screened porch. As I set it aside, my first thought was “that was clever,” and the first thing I did was look to the skies. Protagonist Thayer is a British astronomer who embarks on a massive project in the desert to dig a triangle that could be visible from Mars once it is set ablaze. This will be an invitation to the sentient lives on Mars, who must have built those Martian canals, to visit Earth. On one level, that’s the plot. Kalfus gives readers so much more. This is also comic social commentary and a study in colonization, hubris, exploitation and the domination of economic interests over everything else. Kalfus crafts a fine work in this novel that almost demands a second reading, for another day. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Equilateral from amazon.com.