Told through the perspective of a reimagined Caliban named Kalivas, Kalivas is a sci-fi retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Which, I know, if you're a high school Shakespeare survivor like me that doesn't sound appealing at all. But I really enjoyed this re-telling and it made me interested in re-visiting The Tempest.

Kalivas, who is now the only true human left after a societal collapse, is a servant to a court of mechanically enhanced individuals (known as "posthumans") and struggles with his loneliness, his enslavement to "The Master", and his infatuation with The Master's posthuman daughter M--a reimagined Miranda.

I really enjoyed that this version was through the eyes of Kalivas, as Caliban is one of the more fascinating parts of the original play. Rather than a story about revenge it becomes a thoughtful character study about the last true human struggling with his place in the world. The writing was fantastic and I'm interested in picking up anything else author Nick Mamatas has written.

We get a neat sci-fi future take on the Tempest, where the last man on earth is now our Caliban, and the future that is coming to replace is are our Miranda and Prospero. This was a solid read where we get a man slowly falling apart while the new world struggles to be formed. Also appreciate the turn it takes into play format at the end. Pick this up and enjoy the ride.

I truly appreciate the chance to read “Kalivas! Or, Another Tempest,“ though I’m sorry to say I wasn’t able to finish the story and therefore can’t offer a full review. What I have read is imbued with clever storytelling, wit, wry humor, linguistic elegance, and a thrilling modernization of a classic play—this time featuring a “posthuman” being or two.

That said, the pacing makes it hard to keep the mind glued to the page. Each rise in tension is followed too quickly by a fall. And while the prose is expertly crafted, it reflects its dramatic roots a bit too much, flattening characters and actions to fit a very specific mold. Still, it’s a work I hope to return to in the future with a mind more attuned to its nuance—hence my rating.