I first read this book back in high school. My tastes had started to run towards sword & sorcery fantasy and my eye was caught by the Boris Vallejo ilI first read this book back in high school. My tastes had started to run towards sword & sorcery fantasy and my eye was caught by the Boris Vallejo illustration on the cover. I read the book and was enchanted by the world of Gor--a world filled with hawk-riding warriors, beautiful women and the mysterious Preist-Kings. I devoured the first seven Del Rey editions, following the adventures of the hero, Tarl Cabot, an earth man transported to the planet. With him I discovered the fascinating world of Gor, as he defeated evil foes, rescued beautiful damsels and unraveled the mystery of the Priest-Kings. The series continued with another publisher--Tor, perhaps? As it progressed the books became filled with less adventure and more philosophy: men are naturally more dominant, women are naturally submissive, blah, blah, blah. I suspect Mr. Norman had never encountered stubborn women of midwestern and/or German descent. (Now there's a book, HausFrau of Gor.)
Anyway, when I finally got around to paring down my library, the Gor books were easily sold off. Years passed and at the most recent Friends of the Library sale, I found a copy of Tarnsman of Gor on the book tables. I had forgotten a lot about the book, so I figured I'd reread it and see how much I'd enjoy it 30+ years later. The story itself was all right, once I got over the bad science and the similarities to A Princess of Mars. I could relate somewhat to Tarl Cabot, a young man learning a new culture, but still hanging on to some of his native values. The plot moves along pretty well and the characters are likable stereotypes. But in the end, I wasn't even slightly tempted to read the next book in the series....more
There's been a couple of times that I've wondered why, if there is creation science out there, have I never seen any creation science fiction? Well, RThere's been a couple of times that I've wondered why, if there is creation science out there, have I never seen any creation science fiction? Well, Robert Sawyer has addressed that issue... sort of. Calculating God is a tale of first contact, of aliens coming to visit Earth. The aliens are strange to human eyes, as one might expect. (Though their personalities were refreshingly pedestrian.) But what was most odd to the protagonist, Dr. Thomas Jericho, was the fact that these advanced aliens believed in God. As the story progresses, Dr. Jericho and the alien Hollus discuss the latter's beliefs and Jericho wrestles with his own atheism. Mr. Sawyer does a good job of presenting some of the evidence that I've heard creation scientists cite, and his alien theists come across as credible representatives of real world believers. The weakest part of the book is the subplot with the fundamentalist Christian terrorists. And the story itself is far from Mr. Sawyer's better works. Still, I'd recommend checking it out. ...more
This was a blast from the past. ... Er, let me rephrase that. I grew up in the 60's and 70's, when the idea of a nuclear war was part of the cultural This was a blast from the past. ... Er, let me rephrase that. I grew up in the 60's and 70's, when the idea of a nuclear war was part of the cultural background. Nowadays, we're much more worried that we'll be done in by a suicide bomber from Tehran (to use a stereotype) than an ICBM from Siberia. So when I read this book, an science fiction tale about a nuclear war occurring in 1959, I felt downright nostalgic. Cities destroyed, technology rendered useless, slow death by radiation: Alas, Babylon has it all. While sometimes the plot gets a bit too convenient, it is an interesting story....more
Back in the seventies, Byron Preiss tried to recapture the magic of the pulp magazines of the thirties, commissioning authors and artists to create neBack in the seventies, Byron Preiss tried to recapture the magic of the pulp magazines of the thirties, commissioning authors and artists to create new characters and tales for the "modern" day. Reading it in the twenty-teens, it comes across as somewhat nostalgic. The only story that really grabbed me was the one featuring Archie Goodwin's character Adam Stalker. As for the rest, well, it would be nice to have in a waiting room. Otherwise, I could do without....more
This is the ultimate waiting room material--a book that carried me through the tedious moments of jury duty. It's a collection of short-short science This is the ultimate waiting room material--a book that carried me through the tedious moments of jury duty. It's a collection of short-short science fiction stories. 100 tales, each of which fills but a handful of pages. Many of them are humorous, some horrific. Plenty of them have been written by the great authors of science fiction. I'm tempted to say that all of the stories are good, because I can't remember a single klunker in the lot. Anyway, I'm keeping this gem on my shelf....more
Giggle time! Redshirts takes the tropes of Star Trek and similar space operas and lampoons them from the perspective of the lower ranks of the ship's Giggle time! Redshirts takes the tropes of Star Trek and similar space operas and lampoons them from the perspective of the lower ranks of the ship's crew. Instead of trying to sound intellectual about it all, I'll simply say: It's funny, it's clever, and you should read it....more
This collection of science fiction stories written between 1934 and 1966 was published with the intention to "inspire curiosity" and "lead the studentThis collection of science fiction stories written between 1934 and 1966 was published with the intention to "inspire curiosity" and "lead the student into lines of questioning of his own". To that end, Dr. Asimov followed each tale with a brief commentary and some questions related to the ideas used on the story. I originally bought this book for a high school course in science fiction. In that class, we never did use the questions, focusing instead on the literary aspects of the stories. Nor did I ever pursue Dr. Asimov's questions on my own. But, by golly, I certainly did enjoy the stories themselves, hanging onto the book for all these years. It's classic science fiction from the mid-20th Century. Man is often the master of his domain, either by conquering his environment or by inventing wonders that astound. Of course, that observation is what I picked up in my 2012 reading of the tales. What originally endeared me to the book is the variety of concepts and the well written stories that explored those ideas. Hopefully, Dr. Asimov wouldn't have been a too disappointed in my response, missing his goal as it does....more
This is one of those rare times when I pull a beloved book off my shelf and end up thinking less of the tome than I did on my previous readings. StranThis is one of those rare times when I pull a beloved book off my shelf and end up thinking less of the tome than I did on my previous readings. Strangers is a Star Trek novel, telling of a first contact between Vulcans and Humans. (This was written before the movie Star Trek: First Contact, so now we know that this story never really happened.)(Well, you know what I mean.) Like the movie, it wasn't enough to simply present the tale of this event. The author also had to include time travelling members of the Enterprise crew, in this case, from the original series. In the past, I enjoyed the cultural anxiety of the encounter and the building drama of the story. This time around, I also (eventually) got caught up in the plot, but I spent far too much time noticing the clichés and two dimensional characters. I may hang onto the book out of nostalgia, but I really couldn't recommend that any one else pick it up outside of the waiting room....more
This is a scary, scary book. 'Twas written in 1932, yet it resonates far too well with 2009. Brave New World features a dystopian future, where all thThis is a scary, scary book. 'Twas written in 1932, yet it resonates far too well with 2009. Brave New World features a dystopian future, where all the world is regulated and happy. No, seriously, people are conditioned from conception to fill and be satisfied with a particular niche in society. After work, they're given a variety of pleasures to keep them happy and satisfied. Well, I suppose there are a few odd people who don't quite fit in as perfectly as they're supposed to. (You have to have some sort of conflict to have a story, don't you?) But they are truly the exception. Mr. Huxley's story is not a gripping one, but it's placed in an interesting setting and populated by very real characters....more
This sucker is actually four novels collected into a single volume. The collection starts with They Shall Have Stars. The year is 2013 and humanity isThis sucker is actually four novels collected into a single volume. The collection starts with They Shall Have Stars. The year is 2013 and humanity is out among the solar system while, back on Earth, a quiet struggle is going on between the West and the Soviets. It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between the two, however, as the Western governments seek to impose more and more control on their populace. Amidst this all is a scheme of Alaskan senator Bliss Wagoner, which is playing out in a lab on Earth and a gigantic construction project in the atmosphere of Jupiter. They Shall Have Stars was entertaining enough. The 1957 story seemed dated in many ways, but in others it seemed eerily prescient.
A Life for the Stars is the second tale in the collection, set centuries after the first. Humanity has discovered the gravitronpolarity generator, or "spindizzy" and over the years, first factories, then entire cities have used this gravity cancelling device to leave Earth and propel themselves through interstellar space. Chris deFord gets press ganged onto the departing city of Scranton and begins a new life among the stars.
Story #3, Earthman Come Home, is the first (and best) of the tales to have been written. It's the saga of the city of New York, an "okie" city travelling the stars and looking for work. Mayor John Amalfi and City Manager Mark Hazelton guide the city through a series of adventures culminating in a... well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?
The Triumph of Time closes out the volume. Mayor Amalfi comes out of retirement to face a final challenge, one that will have significance for the entire universe. It was the least satisfying of the four stories. Overall, the book is good, classic science fiction. The concept of space faring cities is intriguing, though it failed to truly grab hold of my imagination. But it was enough to carry me through dozens of lunch breaks, so I can't really complain....more
Wow. This is just... wow! Great! Wunderbar! Incredible!
Maybe I should elucidate. I've enjoyed comics practically all my literate life, really becominWow. This is just... wow! Great! Wunderbar! Incredible!
Maybe I should elucidate. I've enjoyed comics practically all my literate life, really becoming a fan in the mid-seventies. By that era, the staples of the super-hero genre--the heroes from DC and Marvel--were pretty well established. I spent many an hour delving into the treasure trove of their history. The comic books and characters that had their start since that era, however, I've usually found lacking. I've bought many a premiere issue, wanting to get into the character, along with its setting, its supporting cast, its rogues gallery and ended up being disappointed. The magic just wasn't there. So anyway, back in 1994, the new Starman came out. I heard a lot of good things about it, but money was tight and comics weren't as appealing to me as they used to be. I didn't check it out. I mean, hey, Starman? I always considered him just a Green Lantern wannabe. If I had only known then what I know now, I might have been spending more money. Or maybe I would have been too young to appreciate it. Anyway, now it's 2009. I picked up this collection of Starman issues 0 through 16, read it and... wow. This is the series with that classic quality. Interesting characters, intriguing setting and a hero with an honest-to-Ghandi personality. I don't have the money for it now, but one day I'd like to get a copy of this sucker. Or maybe I should dare to haunt the comic shop back issue racks one again?...more
Over the years, I've found that a collection of the "best" stories of a year usually lives up to its title. Any other "bests" tend to fall short. ThisOver the years, I've found that a collection of the "best" stories of a year usually lives up to its title. Any other "bests" tend to fall short. This one came close, however. Mr. Malzberg has collected tales from the forties through the nineties--ah, given the focus of the book, I should say the nineteen-forties through the nineteen-nineties. There are nice, solid time travel tales in here, including one of my personal favorites, "Brooklyn Project". While not spectacular, it's definitely a keeper....more
This was purely a comic book fan-boy purchase from the Friends of the Library sale. I really enjoyed Roy Thomas' work on DC Comics, All-Star Squadron,This was purely a comic book fan-boy purchase from the Friends of the Library sale. I really enjoyed Roy Thomas' work on DC Comics, All-Star Squadron, so naturally I would pick up this collection of Marvel Comics' Invaders series. I mean, they both tell the tales of super-heroes during World War II and all, right? Yeah, sure. For the record, let me state that while The Invaders does offer an enjoyable read, it's not quite a classic--even by comic book standards. Frank Robbins art is dynamic, but it's a style that I've never quite enjoyed. And the writing is somewhat formulaic. Fortunately Mr. Thomas did better when he tried his hand with another group of wartime heroes. But none of this is important when there's a collection to complete, eh?...more
Marvels is a look at the early years of the Marvel Universe from the viewpoint of normal folks. Our everyman is Phil Sheldon, a news photographer. As Marvels is a look at the early years of the Marvel Universe from the viewpoint of normal folks. Our everyman is Phil Sheldon, a news photographer. As the events of various Marvel comics occur in the background, Phil observes and reacts to them. The original series had four issues. The first deals with the rise of super-powered beings, referred to as "marvels" by Phil. The second shifts to the second age of Marvel comics in the early sixties, contrasting the celebrity of the Fantastic Four with the fearful reactions to the X-Men. Issue three shows the reaction on the street to the first coming of Galactus. And, finally, issue four tells how Phil hooked up with Gwen Stacy in his attempt to write a book on what the "marvels" should mean to the common people of humanity. It's a collection that really struck a chord with this fan-boy, or ex-fan-boy, or whatever I am these days. I loved getting a different perspective on the stories--the mythology--I read all those years ago. And of course Alex Ross' art is magnificent, bringing a unique sense of reality without sacrificing the necessary unreality that the superhero genre requires. Part of me is tempted to go out and get a brand new copy rather than this worn hand-me-down paperback. Either way, I want to keep Marvels on my shelf....more
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