Helpful Score: 1
There are at least three classes of Simak works: his top novels; his fantasy-for-fun novels; and his short stories. "Shakespeare's Planet" is solidly in the second class and it is a great fun read, filled with odd characters and odder situations that may (or perhaps may not) resolve by the end of the story -- and it is also a somewhat somber speculation on why perhaps humans should not travel into the Universe, on the meaning of identity, and on the meeting of alien intelligence. In minor disagreement with member Danielle's review, if you're new to Simak, I would recommend "Way Station", "The Visitors", or "Our Children's Children" as prime examples of his style and humor and sense of speculation and philosophy of the future -- although my personal favorites are the novel "Highway of Eternity" and the novella "The Big Front Yard".
This wasn't a great book...but it was a FUN book. It was an easy read, and great entertainment. I got yanked right into it, but it's guilty-pleasure light reading and if you're just getting into Simak, I would recommend City above all else.
