WAY STATION by Clifford D. Simak...

WAY STATION by Clifford D. Simak (Collier: $9; 210 pp.). Originally published in 1963, Simak’s science fiction novel reflects the faith in rugged individualism and space exploration then current in America. These beliefs are embodied in Enoch Wallace, a Civil War veteran whose life has been unnaturally prolonged by an interstellar teleportation facility in his remote home. Simak’s resolution to his engaging tale reveals the contemporary fear of imminent nuclear destruction and the hope for salvation through a spirituality that transcends organized religion.