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OtherRealms Issue 07 Part 02
OtherRealms
A Fanzine for the Non-Fan
"Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life"
Part 2
Pico Reviews
by
Our Readers
Ratings:
[*****] A classic, must read book
[****] Well above average, don't miss
[***] A good book, probably worth reading
[**] Book has its moments, but is flawed
[*] Not recommended, flawed
[] A book to avoid
ARTHUR'S BRITAIN by Leslie Alcock [*****]
Pelican Books L4.50UK
A wonderful reference book, this is a scholarly study into the post
Roman times of Britain in an attempt to discover whether Arthur really
existed. This work offers a wonderful view into how historians and
archaeologists work and a lot of information about the period of time
that was critical to the formation of the English as well know them
today. An English book, probably hard to find in America, but critical
for anyone thinking of writing Arthurian Fantasy or interested in
studying that time period.
-- chuq von rospach
THE BANE OF LORD CALADON by Craig Mills [*]
Del Ray Fantasy, $2.40, 1982, 218 pages.
Ho hum. Another go-on-a-quest-to-get-something-to-kill-the-dragon, and
meet-interesting-people-and change-their-lives book. No surprises.
_The Curse of the Witch Queen_, by Paula Volsky, was better, if you like
this sort of thing.
-- Carl Hommel
masscomp!carlton
BARD III: THE WILD SEA by Keith Taylor [***]
Ace Fantasy, $2.95
Continuing the saga of Felimid mac Fal, bard and lover of the pirate
Gudrun Blackhair, this book is a conservative extension of the previous
two books. Lots of fighting, lots of adventures, lots of love, but the
characters don't grow and nothing really changes. Solid but unexciting
fantasy.
-- chuq von rospach
A BAROQUE FABLE by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro [****+]
Berkley Fantasy, 214 pages, $3.50
In the mood for something funny? Yarbro's latest book is a master
stroke of a parody of the Fantasy genre, much better than _A Malady of
Magick_. If you can imagine Gilbert and Sullivan doing King Arthur,
you've got a good idea of what this book is like. Follow the frantic
frolics of our fearlous friends: the bored princess, the gallant
knight, the absent-minded wizard, the nasty witch, the crumpet maker
and a cast of dozens singing and tripping their way though a complex
set of maneuvers and mistakes. If it is obvious, they'll never think
about it. Never fear, all live happily ever after in the last four
pages, just as it should be.
-- chuq von rospach
BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard [**+]
Bridge, $4.95, 1984, 1066-count-em-1066 pages
Hey, I liked it. So he was Mr. Dianetics, he could still write good
stuff. The first 50 pages dragged, but the last 1000 had me up three
nights in a row. The ultimate genre writer explores the western,
detective, spy, adventure, romance, alien invasion, and high finance
themes. The last two sections rival _Startide Rising_, by David Brin,
for its us giving the aliens their comeuppance.
-- Carl Hommel
masscomp!carlton
BUS 9 TO PARADISE by Leo Buscaglia [**]
Slack, $16.95 hardcover
A collection of Buscaglia's newspaper columns, this volume lacks the
focus and the punch of his other works, coming across as confused and
unsure of itself.
-- chuq von rospach
CALLAHAN'S SECRET by Spider Robinson [****-]
Berkley Science Fiction, $2.95
The third and final book in the Callahan's Bar series, this book
contains the last four stories to be published in Analog about Jake and
his friends. Two of the stories (_The Blacksmith's Tale_ and my
favorite, _Pyotr's Story_) are superb, but the finale (_The Mick of Time_)
takes great pains to ruin the wonders that Robinson has built over the
years (See 'Callahan's Barred' in 'OtherRealms V1.4' for my comments on
that story). Buy the book, but skip the last story.
-- chuq von rospach
THE COLOUR OF MAGIC by Terry Pratchett [*****]
St. Martins Press [SFBC]
There has been a lot of funny Fantasy around, and this is one of the
best. Pratchett sets out to make fun of every Fantasy novel ever
written, and comes close to succeeding. No matter what you like, from
Conan to Pern, from Lovecraft to Leiber, it is in here, and will keep
you giggling long after the last page. I picked it up for a change of
pace, and was up until the wee hours with it.
-- chuq von rospach
A DARKNESS AT SETHANON by Raymond E. Feist [****]
Doubleday Books [SFBC] Hardcover
The finale of the Riftwar Saga. The Enemy, brought back to Midkemia by
the Rift that created the problems in _Magician_, strives for ultimate
control of the planet. The first half of the book is another classic
quest, the last half of the book is an epic battle the likes of which I
haven't read since Tolkien. Parts of the book are a little uneven, but
nothing detracts for the splendor of this volume or the series in its
entirety. I've read a lot of good Fantasy recently, but Feist's work
is the best of the best.
-- chuq von rospach
DEALING IN FUTURES by Joe Haldeman [****]
Viking Press [SFBC]
A collection of Haldeman's short works, including an alternative story
from _The Forever War_ that hasn't previously been published. Some
really strong stories, including _A !Tangled Web_, _Blood Sisters_ and _More
Than the Sum of His Parts_.
-- chuq von rospach
DEATH IS A LONELY BUSINESS by Ray Bradbury[****]
ISBN 0-395-54702-0, 1985
This is an excellent mystery. It combines the basic plot of a pulp
mystery with strong character development and powerful imagery. It can
be read at many levels. The simplest is as a basic mystery story where
the author and a detective solve a series of bizarre killings. It is
also a psychological novel about the growth of the two main
characters. It is imagery and symbolism evoking a place and time.
Often novels that attempt such variety, and particularly those with
such intense use of imagery and symbolism, fail to work at all of these
levels. This novel is a striking success at whichever level you choose
to read it. The author attracted my attention to this non-SF book and
it was well worth it.
-- Rob Horn
wanginst!infinet!rhorn
DRAGON TALES edited by Isaac Asimov, M.H. Greenberg [***]
and Charles G Waugh. Fawcett Crest, $2.95
Yet Another Anthology of Dragon Stories. Not nearly as good as the two
book set _Dragons of Light_ and _Dragons of Darkness_ by Orson Scott Card,
but about on a par with _Dragons!_ Some of the stories (specifically
McCaffrey's _Weyr Search_ and Dickson's _The Dragon and the George_) are
overly familiar, but in general it is a good solid set of works.
Whether you buy it depends on how much you like to read anthologies
about dragons. I think it is getting to be too much of a good thing.
-- chuq von rospach
DRAGON'S EGG, by Robert L. Forward [****]
Del Rey, $2.25, 308 pages
Life in 67 billion G's can be pretty interesting. Forward takes us
along on a scientific mission to a neutron star, and what do they
find? Life on the surface! The story is well-paced and fascinating,
although Forward isn't exactly a master writer. He sometimes gets
bogged down in needless technical trivia, but this is still a must for
hard-SF fans.
-- Gary Fritz
{ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz
THE DUELING MACHINE by Ben Bova [*****]
Berkley Science Fiction, $2.50
The 1969 classic by Ben Bova, the dueling machine is the story of
technology's affect on society. Dr. Leoh has invented a machine that
allows two people to fight a duel in their minds, revolutionizing
societies way of dealing with interpersonal conflict. It is, of
course, only a matter of time before the ambitious and the insane find
ways to use this technology for their own gains, as a rival planetary
government attempts to take over its neighbors. The book is a race
against the clock between the forces of good an evil as they attempt to
get the technology under control before the galaxy explodes in
turmoil. Wonderful, simply wonderful.
-- chuq von rospach
ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card [*****-]
Tor books, $3.50, 357 pages
Card's story of children trained for stellar war is tense and gripping,
but portrays the title character as a mixture of ruthless warrior and
confused child. I read this book in one sitting, finishing at 2 AM,
which I have not done in years. Only an anticlimactic ending (with
obvious hooks for a sequel) keeps me from giving it a full five stars.
-- Gary Fritz
{ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz
ENGINE SUMMER by John Crowley [****]
Crowley shows us a wondrous post-holocaust world through the eyes of
Rush that Speaks, a young boy on the brink of manhood. The plot lines
were a bit thin in spots, but Crowley's writing and characterizations
were so great I didn't mind!
-- Gary Fritz
{ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz
EYES OF AMBER by Joan D. Vinge [****]
Signet. $2.50
Six stories from Joan Vinge, all classic wonders. The title piece is
superb, but _The Tin Soldier_ will stay with you forever. Vinge is one
of the few authors that I'll read anything they publish.
-- chuq von rospach
FLIGHT OF THE DRAGONFLY by Robert L. Forward [***+]
Baen, $3.50, 376 pages (including 43 pages of appendix)
An exploration team to Barnard's Star discovers a fascinating (but, it
seems to me, highly unlikely) binary planet. In the course of
examining it, they get into trouble and discover an unusual lifeform.
Not world-class writing, but an interesting story. Some ideas, like
the Christmas Bush and imps, are particularly clever. Good hard-SF.
-- Gary Fritz
{ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz
FUZZIES AND OTHER PEOPLE
by H. Beam Piper [*] for writing, [***] for historical interest
Ace, $2.95, 1984, 216 pages.
The manuscript was literally lost in a trunk for 20 years, and there it
should have stayed. The sequel to _Little Fuzzy_ and _Fuzzy Sapiens_, it
cries out for an editor's firm hand. Ewok cuteness, contrived
difficulties, and a lack of characterization that made the first two
novels interesting plod this turkey into the ground. _Fuzzy Bones_, by
William Tuning was much better. Buy only if you are a completist.
-- Carl Hommel
masscomp!carlton
GREATHEART SILVER by Philip Jose Farmer [***+]
Tor Books (Jim Baen Presents) $2.75
A compilation of Farmer's action adventure parody series about
Greatheart Silver, Blimp pilot and adventure hero. The stories were
originally published in _Weird Heroes_, an anthology series during the
mid-70's. It is funny stuff, but if you don't have a good background
in classic pulp and comics, a lot of the jokes will go over your head.
-- chuq von rospach
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE by Anne Rice [****]
Ballantine Books, #3.95
The story should be dry and dull, but it isn't. The reader is a silent
partner in a monolog interview between the vampire and a boy and his
tape recorder. Anne Rice makes the premise live as she tells the story
of the seamer side of the undead. These aren't the haughty aristocracy
of Stoker or Yarbro, these are the blue collar vampires, working the
wrong side of the tracks from day to day through eternity. A very
depressing book, but a well written and fascinating one as well.
Highly recommended.
-- chuq von rospach
JOB, A COMEDY OF JUSTICE by Robert A. Heinlein [**+]
Ballantine, $4.50, 439 pages
Heinlein is up to his old preaching tricks again, though not nearly as
badly as in _Number of the Beast_. Our Hero is jerked around in a series
of strange and annoying adventures (with the requisite beautiful and
sexy female companion) but never gives up his strong fundamentalist
beliefs. Heinlein makes some very pointed remarks about organized
religion along the way. RAH fans will enjoy it, but others can
probably save the effort.
-- Gary Fritz
{ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz
THE JOHN W. CAMPBELL LETTERS, VOLUME 1 [*****]
by Perry A. Chapdelaine, Sr. et al
AC Projects, Inc., 610 pages, ISBN 0-931150-16-7, $5.95
A self published labor of love, this book will be hard for most people
to find. Anyone interested in the history of SF should make the
effort, though, as it gives an insight into the single man responsible
for bringing SF out of the Pulp ghetto. Using very tiny type, this
book contains thousands of letters written by Campbell on every subject
imaginable. The best work published about the master, by the master.
A must read, my only gripe being the artwork, very uneven in quality
and out of place.
-- chuq von rospach
MIDAS WORLD by Frederik Pohl [****+]
St. Martins Press, hardcover, $12.95
An anti-Utopian novel with a twist -- humanity suffers with a surfeit
of everything, and wealth is shown by the lack of goods. An
interesting premise, well developed and a good read.
-- chuq von rospach
MERLIN'S MIRROR by Andre Norton [**]
DAW Books, $2.95
A fascinating twist on the Arthurian Fantasy genre, unfortunately
flawed. Norton attempts to tell the traditional Fantasy as Science
Fiction, with the Old Gods being star beings and the Crystal Cave full
of the technology they use to teach Merlin. She unfortunately glosses
over the justifications for Merlin's prophecies, and in the end, only
went half way towards telling a SF story. It has its moments, but not
enough.
-- chuq von rospach
MYTHAGO WOOD by Robert Holdstock [*****]
Berkley books, $2.95
A fascinating work, more a study of the precepts of Fantasy than a
Fantasy work itself. The Mythago is a race memory, brought to reality
by warping the magic of the old wood by a susceptible mind. It is a
wonderful exploration of what Fantasy really means, as well as a
wonderful story. Highly recommended!
-- chuq von rospach
REBELS IN HELL created by Janet Morris [**]
Baen Books, $3.50
The second volume in the _Thieves' World_ clone set in Hell, it is an
improvement over _Heroes in Hell_ but not by much. The standard is set:
each volume has one good work by a name author (Benford in the first
volume, Silverberg here) and a lot of Journeyman to Pedestrian quality
words around it. Silverberg's _Gilgamesh in the Outback_ stands alone as
a pearl among oysters, although There are _No Fighter Pilots Down in
Hell_ by Martin Caidin is also worth reading. The rest is forgettable
at best, and _Hell's Gate_ by Bill Kerby is simply bad. If you're
fascinated by the premise, pick it up. A better bet is the _Liavek_
series by Shetterly.
-- chuq von rospach
THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME, VOLUME IV [****]
edited by Terry Carr, Avon Books, $4.95
The Nebula Winners for the years 1970-1974 in all categories except
novels, you won't find a bad story in the bunch. A great way to keep
the great works together, well worth adding to your library.
-- chuq von rospach
SHERLOCK HOLMES THROUGH TIME AND SPACE [***]
Edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin Harry Greenberg and
Charles G. Waugh, Bluejay Books, Trade Paperback, $8.95
Heaven for Holmes' fans, this collection of the best of works using the
Great Detective within the SF genre.
-- chuq von rospach
SILVERTHORN by Raymond E. Feist [****]
Doubleday Books [SFBC] Hardcover
The second volume of the Riftwar Saga Trilogy. A change of pace from
_Magician_, we follow Arutha into the very clutches of his mortal enemy in
search of the cure of his beloved Anita. A classic quest novel, and
one of the best.
-- chuq von rospach
SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT by J.R.R. Tolkien [****]
Ballantine Books, $2.95
Of interest primarily to English scholars, this book contains three
previously unpublished translations of traditional English epic poems.
Very well done, if a bit obscure for the average reader.
-- chuq von rospach
SONGMASTER by Orson Scott Card [**]
Dial Press [SFBC]
An interesting premise that just didn't click. The Songhouse is an
institution that teaches people to sing. Occasionally, a singer
appears that becomes a Songbird, someone who is to sing the song of
their master. This is the story of Ansset, Songbird of Mikal, emperor
of the Galaxy. It is well written, but I just couldn't buy into the
premise.
-- chuq von rospach
THE SORCERY WITHIN by Dave Smeds [****, a first novel]
Ace Fantasy, $2.95
Not just a good first novel, _The Sorcery Within_ is a great novel. Feist
works a number of seemingly unrelated subplots together with great
skill. It is not until he is ready that you realize how everything
ties in together. The author shows a maturity of style well beyond his
years. The story ends with an opening for a sequel, for once I'm
looking forward to it.
-- chuq von rospach
SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD by Orson Scott Card [*****]
(Part of SFBC title _Enders War_)
Much better and much different than its prequel _Ender's Game_ (a good
book in its own right). Ender has become a Speaker For the Dead, his
Xenocide and his identity 3000 years in the past. He, through time
dilation, has aged little, and travels from planet to planet speaking
the final eulogy of those who die. He travels to Lusitania, a planet
where the first intelligent species since the Buggers has been found,
and Ender, looking for a new beginning for the Bugger Queen in his
luggage, must deal with the fears of humanity about any being that
could be a threat to it, the fears of the others about humanity, and
humanities fear about itself. Stunning. Both _Speaker_ and _Ender's Game_
stand alone, neither is complete without the other.
-- chuq von rospach
TALES FROM THE "WHITE HART" by Arthur C. Clarke [**]
Del Rey Books [SFBC]
Before Callahan's Bar, Arthur Clarke did a series of stories in a bar
called the "White Hart." These are cute stories, but time has dated
them and they aren't as interesting as they might once have been,
except as a curiousity from the past.
-- chuq von rospach
TEA WITH THE BLACK DRAGON by R. A. MacAvoy [*****]
Bantam Books
Tea with the Black Dragon is a true classic. It evoked clean and pure
emotions like an opening flower or a zen koan. This is an unusual
reaction for me.
-- David Sher
sher@rochester
seismo!rochester!sher
TELEMPATH by Spider Robinson [****]
Orbit books (UK), 95p
Spider Robinson's first book, of the post-apocalyptic sub-genre.
Civilization has fallen, for a strange reason -- the sense of smell has
been magnified until the stench of humanity is no longer tolerable.
Very well written, a fascinating plot, well carried out. This is the
British edition of the book.
-- chuq von rospach
TIK-TOK by John Sladek [*****]
DAW Books, $2.95
Isaac Asimov on acid. Sladek has taken the Robot societies that Asimov
made famous and turned it on its edge. Sladek has a razor sharp satire
of the Grand Master at his finest; he also has a book that works
wonderfully on its own. Wonderful stuff!
-- chuq von rospach
ULLER UPRISING by H. Beam Piper [***]
Ace, $2.75, 1983, 187 pages.
Another "lost" work, but much more satisfying. I had read the earlier
novella, but the extra 50 pages now printed made the work come alive.
Evil and good aliens, forthright military generals, and nukes. Want to
see the major influence on Pournelle?
-- Carl Hommel
masscomp!carlton
VOYAGERS II: THE ALIEN WITHIN by Ben Bova [***]
Tor Books, $15.95 hardcover
Keith Stoner has been awakened after being frozen in an alien space
ship 18 years ago. He, and something that has melded with him, go on a
one man quest to solve all of the worlds problems. Set in an unstable
time of hunger, war, and political and corporate intrigue, he has his
hands full. The book has its problems and the second half runs into a
Messiah Complex, but Bova skillfully moves things forward and writes a
pretty good yarn. If you haven't read Bova recently, you've overlooked
a skilled veteran of the genre.
-- chuq von rospach
THE WAY THE FUTURE WAS: A MEMOIR by Frederik Pohl [****]
Del Rey books, hardcover
The memoirs of Fred Pohl, one of the original Futurians, a SF group
that included members such as Isaac Asimov and Donald Wollheim. This
group was the foundation of SF Fandom and many of its members went on
to help build the Golden Age of SF in the Forties and Fifties.
Interesting to those who want a taste of the way it was. Not as good
as the Campbell book, but still an interesting read.
-- chuq von rospach
THE WORLD INSIDE by Robert Silverberg [***]
Doubleday [SFBC]
Originally published in 1971, this book appears to be a Utopia novel
using a background of Free Sex, Free Drugs, and no birth control. Like
Del Rey's _The 11th Commandment_ and Saberhagen's _Love Conquers All_ this
book turns into an anti-Utopia that attempts to show the problems
inherent with the breakdown of morality that occurred in the 60's. It
turns into a rhetoric against the 60's, and isn't as good a work as it
could have been.
-- chuq von rospach
WRITING THE NOVEL: FROM PLOT TO PRINT by Lawrence Block [****]
Writers Digest Books, $8.95
A down to earth discussion of the mechanics and philosophy of writing a
novel. The book assumes you want to be a writer -- if you aren't sure,
nothing will help. Anyone interested in writing longer works should
read this book -- his techniques may not work for you, but he will help
you find the ones that will.
-- chuq von rospach
Books marked with [SFBC] are available from Doubleday's Science Fiction
Book Club. Books are assumed to be paperback unless otherwise
specified.
This issue is Copyright 1986, by Chuq Von Rospach
All Rights reserved
One time rights only have been acquired from the signed or credited
contributors. All rights are hereby assigned to the contributors.
Reproduction rights: Permission is given to reproduce or duplicate
OtherRealms in its entirety for non-commercial uses. Re-use,
reproduction, reprinting or republication of an individual article in
any way or on any media, printed or electronic, is forbidden without
permission of the author.
