"That rock over there is hollow, and there are strange and wonderful blue-lit rooms inside, where little brown women will try to kill you"
3.5 out of 5
Friday, January 11, 2008
This Immortal - Roger Zelazny
Art to planetary protection.
On the butt-end that is left of Earth a man with a mutation that gives him heightened physical abilities and a lack of aging gets involved in a sneaky plot to do bad things.
Amusing, short and entertaining book with assassin teamups and confrontations, albino vampire fighters and really big smart dogs.
A rather nifty little Zelazny work, this one.
4 out of 5
On the butt-end that is left of Earth a man with a mutation that gives him heightened physical abilities and a lack of aging gets involved in a sneaky plot to do bad things.
Amusing, short and entertaining book with assassin teamups and confrontations, albino vampire fighters and really big smart dogs.
A rather nifty little Zelazny work, this one.
4 out of 5
Little Big - John Crowley
I started this, but absolutely not my thing. The writing would seem to be ok, but at several hundred pages of what was going on here, no thanks. This particular Fantasy Masterworks edition had the incredibly annoying and twee indentations of different scenes time after time. That destroys any reading flow, at all.
1.5 out of 5
1.5 out of 5
Extro - Alfred Bester
Unknown to most, there is a secret society of immortals. To become immortal, you generally have to die in a particularly nasty manner.
In this future society and super computer is very important to running things, and when a diseased crazy immortal becomes involved with the machine, the other immortals have to stop him. If you can't kill him, what do you do?
4 out of 5
In this future society and super computer is very important to running things, and when a diseased crazy immortal becomes involved with the machine, the other immortals have to stop him. If you can't kill him, what do you do?
4 out of 5
Extro - Alfred Bester
Unknown to most, there is a secret society of immortals. To become immortal, you generally have to die in a particularly nasty manner.
In this future society and super computer is very important to running things, and when a diseased crazy immortal becomes involved with the machine, the other immortals have to stop him. If you can't kill him, what do you do?
4 out of 5
In this future society and super computer is very important to running things, and when a diseased crazy immortal becomes involved with the machine, the other immortals have to stop him. If you can't kill him, what do you do?
4 out of 5
Great Sky River - Gregory Benford
Mechs are bad, okay.
A rag-tag fugitive bunch is trying to survive on a planet. They meet a group who have apparently cut a deal with the enemy to assure their survival. The enemy in this case being one of the Mechs. You know how this sort of story usually plays out, deals with the devil and all that sort of thing. Just not too interesting this book, as everything of course gets worse from there.
3 out of 5
A rag-tag fugitive bunch is trying to survive on a planet. They meet a group who have apparently cut a deal with the enemy to assure their survival. The enemy in this case being one of the Mechs. You know how this sort of story usually plays out, deals with the devil and all that sort of thing. Just not too interesting this book, as everything of course gets worse from there.
3 out of 5
Doing Lennon - Gregory Benford
http://www.archive.org/download/MindWebs-SciFi/Mindwebs-781027_DoingLennon.mp3
Fielding impersonation simulation.
4 out of 5
Fielding impersonation simulation.
4 out of 5
Doing Lennon - Gregory Benford
http://www.archive.org/download/MindWebs-SciFi/Mindwebs-781027_DoingLennon.mp3
Fielding impersonation simulation.
4 out of 5
Fielding impersonation simulation.
4 out of 5
Against Infinity - Gregory Benford
A is for alien to be hunted.
The writing in this book is a bit of a different style, a little more old fashioned feeling compared to a lot of his other work. On a tough, hard to survive on icy moon an alien force lies buried. When the locals realise something is stirring again, a boy and his father take on the task of doing something about it, if life wasn't rough enough for them to start with. This leads to some revelations for those involved.
3 out of 5
The writing in this book is a bit of a different style, a little more old fashioned feeling compared to a lot of his other work. On a tough, hard to survive on icy moon an alien force lies buried. When the locals realise something is stirring again, a boy and his father take on the task of doing something about it, if life wasn't rough enough for them to start with. This leads to some revelations for those involved.
3 out of 5
The Forge Of God - Greg Bear
We're dead, Jim.
Alien discoveries begin to be made, and it is not at all good. It seems that there is a race that likes to destroy planets, and they have picked good old Terra as a target.
Needless to say, this does not go down well and the usual variety of craziness, despiar and desperation is entered into.
The twist is that another bunch of not-from-earthers turn up to offer some small solace.
Pretty good, but not a happy book, certainly.
3.5 out of 5
Alien discoveries begin to be made, and it is not at all good. It seems that there is a race that likes to destroy planets, and they have picked good old Terra as a target.
Needless to say, this does not go down well and the usual variety of craziness, despiar and desperation is entered into.
The twist is that another bunch of not-from-earthers turn up to offer some small solace.
Pretty good, but not a happy book, certainly.
3.5 out of 5
The Forge Of God - Greg Bear
We're dead, Jim.
Alien discoveries begin to be made, and it is not at all good. It seems that there is a race that likes to destroy planets, and they have picked good old Terra as a target.
Needless to say, this does not go down well and the usual variety of craziness, despiar and desperation is entered into.
The twist is that another bunch of not-from-earthers turn up to offer some small solace.
Pretty good, but not a happy book, certainly.
3.5 out of 5
Alien discoveries begin to be made, and it is not at all good. It seems that there is a race that likes to destroy planets, and they have picked good old Terra as a target.
Needless to say, this does not go down well and the usual variety of craziness, despiar and desperation is entered into.
The twist is that another bunch of not-from-earthers turn up to offer some small solace.
Pretty good, but not a happy book, certainly.
3.5 out of 5
Carnival - Elizabeth Bear
If you send well-dressed gentle superdiplomats, you are in with a chance.
A couple of guys, not the most popular on the extremely rigid home planet due to their sexual preference, are sent on a mission to investigate the acqusition of really rather good energy tech from another human world. They are really good at the body language thing, so diplomacy/spying is a natural.
After that, it goes from somewhat straightforward, to not, given the society they have gone to has a lot of different ideas, and its own political conflicts. There is a seriously big Dragon in the ointment, as well. Entertaining stuff, and, thankfully, no padding. Be interesting to see what rating I might have given this if I hadn't read Damien Broderick's The Dreaming Dragons finally, recently.
Anyway, you could call this one a 3.75, perhaps, but I'll call it a four for being a refreshing good old fashioned novel.
4 out of 5
A couple of guys, not the most popular on the extremely rigid home planet due to their sexual preference, are sent on a mission to investigate the acqusition of really rather good energy tech from another human world. They are really good at the body language thing, so diplomacy/spying is a natural.
After that, it goes from somewhat straightforward, to not, given the society they have gone to has a lot of different ideas, and its own political conflicts. There is a seriously big Dragon in the ointment, as well. Entertaining stuff, and, thankfully, no padding. Be interesting to see what rating I might have given this if I hadn't read Damien Broderick's The Dreaming Dragons finally, recently.
Anyway, you could call this one a 3.75, perhaps, but I'll call it a four for being a refreshing good old fashioned novel.
4 out of 5
Sheena 5 - Stephen Baxter
http://www.vondanmcintyre.com/squids/Baxter-Sheena5.html
Space squid species survival supply scenario spawning unexpected.
4.5 out of 5
Space squid species survival supply scenario spawning unexpected.
4.5 out of 5
On the Orion Line - Stephen Baxter
http://homepage.mac.com/sjbradshaw/baxterium/orion.html
Human expansion is slowed by a race of aliens, causing economic problems when the advanced alien technology is able to monkey with the laws of physics.
A not too bright teenager makes it out of the wreckage of a ship and from inside an enemy fortress with the help of the rest of his crew, with some valuable intel.
4 out of 5
Human expansion is slowed by a race of aliens, causing economic problems when the advanced alien technology is able to monkey with the laws of physics.
A not too bright teenager makes it out of the wreckage of a ship and from inside an enemy fortress with the help of the rest of his crew, with some valuable intel.
4 out of 5
On the Orion Line - Stephen Baxter
http://homepage.mac.com/sjbradshaw/baxterium/orion.html
Human expansion is slowed by a race of aliens, causing economic problems when the advanced alien technology is able to monkey with the laws of physics.
A not too bright teenager makes it out of the wreckage of a ship and from inside an enemy fortress with the help of the rest of his crew, with some valuable intel.
4 out of 5
Human expansion is slowed by a race of aliens, causing economic problems when the advanced alien technology is able to monkey with the laws of physics.
A not too bright teenager makes it out of the wreckage of a ship and from inside an enemy fortress with the help of the rest of his crew, with some valuable intel.
4 out of 5
The Ghost Pit - Stephen Baxter
http://homepage.mac.com/sjbradshaw/baxterium/ghostpit.html
Hunting party disagreement drop deal.
3.5 out of 5
Hunting party disagreement drop deal.
3.5 out of 5
The Language Of Moths - Chris Barzak
http://www.taverners-koans.com/ratbastards/languageofmoths.html
Autistic lepidoptera whisperer.
3.5 out of 5
Autistic lepidoptera whisperer.
3.5 out of 5
Off On A Starship - William Barton
http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0501/starship.shtml
Space home tour, robot girlfriend included.
4 out of 5
Space home tour, robot girlfriend included.
4 out of 5
Hallucigenia - Laird Barron
Things that are definitely not better than a kick in the head by an equine?
Being taken over by entities from the Outer Dark.
5 out of 5
Being taken over by entities from the Outer Dark.
5 out of 5
Hallucigenia - Laird Barron
Things that are definitely not better than a kick in the head by an equine?
Being taken over by entities from the Outer Dark.
5 out of 5
Being taken over by entities from the Outer Dark.
5 out of 5
Hallucigenia - Laird Barron
Things that are definitely not better than a kick in the head by an equine?
Being taken over by entities from the Outer Dark.
5 out of 5
Being taken over by entities from the Outer Dark.
5 out of 5
Bulldozer - Laird Barron
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/originals/originals_archive/barron/
Pinkerton man vs superhuman cancer cannibal.
3.5 out of 5
Pinkerton man vs superhuman cancer cannibal.
3.5 out of 5
The Algebraist - Iain M. Banks
This starts off slowly and gets funnier and funnier, as you realise what is going on. You appreciate it more and more as you go on.
The main aliens, The Dwellers, while having ridiculous levels of technology and knowledge, and being billions of years old, sometimes seem like they have stepped straight out of a Red Dwarf/Hitchhiker's crossover.
So there is some of that Culture-AI humor here, and AIs - and a super-insane religious/political/military leader, to top all that off.
4 out of 5
The main aliens, The Dwellers, while having ridiculous levels of technology and knowledge, and being billions of years old, sometimes seem like they have stepped straight out of a Red Dwarf/Hitchhiker's crossover.
So there is some of that Culture-AI humor here, and AIs - and a super-insane religious/political/military leader, to top all that off.
4 out of 5
You Go Where It Takes You - Nathan Ballingrud
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/originals/originals_archive/ballingrud/ballingrud1.html
Folded people laundry leaving.
3 out of 5
Folded people laundry leaving.
3 out of 5
Yellow Card Man - Paolo Bacigalupi
http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0704/yellowcard.shtml
Fallen biotech magnate takes insults badly.
4 out of 5
Fallen biotech magnate takes insults badly.
4 out of 5
The People Of Sand and Slag - Paolo Bacigalupi
Immortal ruined future's lack of taste for pets.
4.5 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
The People Of Sand and Slag - Paolo Bacigalupi
Immortal ruined future's lack of taste for pets.
4.5 out of 5
4.5 out of 5
The Calorie Man - Paolo Bacigalupi
Generipper murder massacre's unlikely Johnny Appleseed monopoly breaker.
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
The Calorie Man - Paolo Bacigalupi
Generipper murder massacre's unlikely Johnny Appleseed monopoly breaker.
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
There Will Be Time - Poul Anderson
One of those books that had been bugging me for a very long time trying to remember the title. Damn you Poul Anderson and your time travel fetish, hiding this one in amongst all the others.
That being said, fairly good book. Some people have the handy innate ability to travel in time and live different lives. As always, people will try and use this to their advantage, and for power.
When Jack Havig is recruited to a cause, he eventually decides he doesn't like it, and ends up in opposition.
3.5 out of 5
That being said, fairly good book. Some people have the handy innate ability to travel in time and live different lives. As always, people will try and use this to their advantage, and for power.
When Jack Havig is recruited to a cause, he eventually decides he doesn't like it, and ends up in opposition.
3.5 out of 5
Tau Zero - Poul Anderson
This was quite a well handled explanation of what happens as you get close to light speed. Bits of this might even be useful in high school physics, perhaps! Well handled, although whether a crew would get that overwrought that fast, who knows. I suppose he had to throw in a bit of character conflict though, as things get pretty wild due to the speed they are travelling at. Do they try and stop, or not?
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
The Longest Voyage - Poul Anderson
Navigational mathematics seems like magic, so a flying ship is just like, 'Wow!'
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
Pages From A Young Girl's Journal - Robert Aickman
Italian holiday ends in undead fashion.
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Pages From A Young Girl's Journal - Robert Aickman
Italian holiday ends in undead fashion.
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
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