| Title | Beautiful Star |
| Author | Yukio Mishima |
| Year | 1962 |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction, Japanese |
| Length | 270 pages |
| Average Points | 8 out of 10 |
| Comments | Characters: 8 out of 10 World: 8 out of 10 Storytelling: 8 out of 10 Old but new, funny and sad. A family to remember, all of them. |
The best ideas are simple. And this book is based on a very simple one: what if the aliens are living amongst us. Because these aliens are friendly, they like to know other people, and they care about the state of our Earth. In this book, we encounter a family -so to say- of aliens. Each family member finds out, after meeting with an UFO, that they are coming from different planets, that is, the father from Jupiter, mother from Saturn, son from Mars, sister from Venus. It’s not explained why. That’s the best part: the origin is used as an excuse to explain the character’s behaviour. Let’s say the world they live – post-war Japan- is in danger of a nuclear holocaust, and they want to help on every way to avoid the expected end of the beautiful star that is our Earth. Will they manage? To find out, read the book. The story flows very well and it’s easy to connect with the troubles of this family that, except by the fact that they are all aliens, could be my own. I’ve enjoyed this one a lot, but I don’t give it top marks because I feel something is missing. What is that, unfortunately, I can’t tell you on this review… something. Maybe a modern twist?
Bits and Dragons 