Robert Sheckley's The Status Civilization is the perfect kind of classic science fiction. It combines an adventurous deathworld/prisonworld setting/plot with an examination of the political and social climate of the time in which it was written. Through his signature use of satire, wit, and bold, direct prose, Sheckley creates a book that is simultaneously hilarious and harrowing, exciting and thought-provoking.
I was surprised by its ending - the final reveal - in that it was both unique and far more positive than what I was expecting. The book was written at a time when science fiction authors still had hopes and dreams that humanity could pull itself out of its self-created quagmire and rise above the social and political nonsense we shackle ourselves with. If the book were written ten years later, during the new wave era, I imagine its ending would have been far more bleak and grim.
3.5 stars - nothing groundbreaking, but thoroughly enjoyable and well-written. An all around solid book.
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