Blue Mars (Mars Trilogy)

Book Description

The red planet is red no longer, as Mars has become a perfectly inhabitable world. But while Mars flourishes, Earth is threatened by overpopulation and ecological disaster. Soon people look to Mars as a refuge, initiating a possible interplanetary conflict, as well as political strife between the Reds, who wish to preserve the planet in its desert state, and the Green "terraformers". The ultimate fate of Earth, as well as the possibility of new explorations into the solar system, stand in the balance.

Download Description

Get Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars for $13.47.

Winner of the 1997 Hugo Award, Blue Mars joins Hugo Award-winning Green Mars and Nebula Award-winning Red Mars to complete one of the greatest science fiction sagas every written. As Mars reaches its final transformation, Earth is in peril. Political upheaval leads to new explorations into the solar system and to choices that will decide the ultimate fate of Mother Earth.

The red planet is red no longer, as Mars has become a perfectly inhabitable world. But while Mars flourishes, Earth is threatened by overpopulation and ecological disaster.

Soon people look to Mars as a refuge, initiating a possible interplanetary conflict, as well as political strife between the Reds, who wish to preserve the planet in its desert state, and the Green “terraformers.”

The ultimate fate of Earth, as well as the possibility of new explorations into the solar system, stand in the balance.

“A richly detailed vision... Robinson adds a new and believable world to stand alongside the imaginative Mars creations of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Ray Bradbury.”
   THE DENVER POST

“A complex and deeply engaging dramatization of humanity’s future... exhilarating.”
   THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Customer Reviews:

Great .......2007-09-23

this book is a little slow compared to red and green mars but, following the main charictors was the fun part for me.

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Mars has been developed to such an extent that people can actually walk around outside for some periods of time with not a lot of technological assistance.

The First Hundred remnants are reaching the limits of their longevity treatments, and when they lose their psychological anchor due to old age, have some problems. They still have to keep low profile to avoid undue attention, and deal with how old they actually are.

Earth is collapsing, and Mars faces a huge influx of population. The two scientific camps, often violently opposed, are led by Sax on one Hand, and Ann on the other.

lots of loose ends, disappointing ending.......2007-02-05

Considering how much time you invest in reading the first two, this one just comes to a slow and painful anticlimax. What a disappointment. Tons of loose ends, threads unanswered. It's as if he was planning on writing a fourth book (Purple Mars?). This book just goes off on a lot of long and boring tangents that really have nothing to do with the underlying story. And then there are those loose ends that should have been included, like the mysterious Hiroko- what did happen to her? And Nirgal, Jackie and her trek, and oh so many other story lines. Personally, I thought Red Mars was the best. Green Mars was good, but not as good. This one, I wouldn't even waste your time unless you feel compelled to complete the trilogy.

I spent years of my life on Mars..........2007-01-12

...because of these novels. I'm not sure I can add much more than has already been said. I finished the book last night, after having picked up the first one four years ago. I found the closing of the story very emotional. I feel a bit lost now that The First Hundred are no longer out there, building worlds. At the final line in the book, I felt I was actually there with Ann on the beach: on mars, on mars on mars, on mars, on mars.

I will miss it.

Can't touch the classics.......2006-11-30

Robinson is overly political, proponent of a Marxist/Utopian Mars, unwilling to face many of the issues that would likely face a potential Martian settlement. At times she is overtly, self-conciously liberal- pro gay, pro personal liberty in general- as if she is trying to convince herself more than her audience. If the juvenile, mediocre politics is ignored, the story itself is good, with engaging characters and interesting dynamics. It is easy to be drawn into the complicated world of many living generations and differing views, though Robinson seems to expect that we will take the politics with us as the "greater message" of the work, which, since the politics are unsound, leaves us without a "message" and a book that leaves feeling unfinished and unresolved. On the whole, not a bad book (especially used for $1!) but can't touch Asimov, Heinlein, Tyers, Zahn, and the rest of the truly great sci-fi writers.

The Ruins of Dantooine (Star Wars: Galaxies)

Average customer rating:

Ruined Dantooine
Suprising light but fun read that's worth the time
Shallow novel based on Star Wars Galaxies videogame
Started out good...
A decent Star Wars book

The Ruins of Dantooine (Star Wars: Galaxies)
Voronica Whitney-Robinson , and Haden Blackman
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0345470664
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Book Description

Enter the explosive universe of the exciting online game

STAR WARS GALAXIES:
AN EMPIRE DIVIDED!

It is a time of great turmoil. The oppressive Empire is close to seizing complete control of the galaxy. The ragtag guerrilla army of the Rebel Alliance fights on, striking wherever it can, but now something has come to light that could spell certain doom. Hidden in the Jedi ruins of Dantooine is a Holocron containing a list of high-level Rebel sympathizers. If that list were to fall into the hands of Darth Vader, the Rebel Alliance would lose its most valued support—and possibly the war itself.

As an Imperial bio-engineer who frequently visits other worlds, Dusque Mistflier is the perfect cover for a Rebel who needs to travel far and wide without arousing suspicion. And so she agrees to help Rebel spy Finn Darktrin in his quest to recover the crucial Holocron. Despite help from Han, Luke, and Leia, the mission is fraught with peril. And as their journey takes them into the fiery belly of the beast that is galactic civil war, Dusque and Finn will learn that the hardest part of all is figuring out whose side you’re on—and how far you’re willing to go to win. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Ruined Dantooine.......2007-07-21

Really the best I can say about this book is that you can read it quickly. The story deals primarily with urgent attempts by the Rebel Alliance and the Empire to obtain a holocron that lists names of Rebel sympathizers. The holocron was hidden in a Jedi camp on Dantooine that was abandoned after the Empire troops came to visit. We have two main characters - Dusque Mistflier, an Imperial bioengineer who switches to the Rebel side, and Finn Darktrin, a Rebel spy when we first meet him. These two join forces to go to Dantooine and get the holocron. Along the way they survive various animal attacks and several run-ins with humanoid bad guys. Then the book ends with a surprise which you will see coming for at least half the book.

The trouble is that we really never get to sympathize with the main characters. We don't understand the reasons for their behavior. In particular, we know almost nothing about Finn. He appears early in the book, wins the trust of Dusque, and then double-crosses her in the end. Dusque changes from a somewhat meek and introverted scientist in the beginning to a superwoman using blasters and thermal detonators to get them out of scrapes. Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, C-3P0, R2-D2, Lando, and Darth Vader make token appearances, but they can't save the book. It is just simply too shallow.

If you must read it, read quickly.

Suprising light but fun read that's worth the time.......2007-06-23

I've heard some negative comments about "Star Wars Galaxies: the Ruins of Dantooine" but it is actually a really good book. The book successfully recreates the feel of the game by featuring many different worlds and locales, cameo appearances by the core movie characters, and the appearance of only the races you can be when you make your game character (ie, the Mon Cal, Zabrak, etc). The descriptions of the planets' biology and their species adds some novelty to the book and the author draws upon her bioscience background to achieve that. The plot was solid and kept the pace moving quickly. My only criticisms are that the romance seemed somewhat cliche at time, but never contrived, and a casino on Naboo doesn't strike me as something the Naboo would build. The central characters are Dusque, an Imperial biologist that's searching for meaning, her gentle friend the Ithorian Tendau and a rebel named Finn, who surprises the reader and Dusque in the end. Ultimately, the existential themes of the book surface, as Dusque, after a transforming galaxy-hopping adventure, realizes that life is "deciding who and what you are going to be, and being able to live with those decisions" (p. 265).

Shallow novel based on Star Wars Galaxies videogame.......2007-04-25

Star Wars Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine written by Voronica Whitney-Robinson with Haden Blackman was the first Star Wars novel published based on a videogame. When I hear about an upcoming movie or novel based on a game, I tend to believe that it will likely be a shallow, cash-in type of affair. Unfortunately, with this novel, that is indeed the case. The feel of the book is that of an overlong and not very compelling advertisement for the massively-multiplayer Star Wars Galaxies game, rather than being a quality read that stands on its own.

The storyline concerns Dusque Mistflier, an Imperial bioengineer who falls in with a mysterious apparent Rebel sympathizer named Finn Darktrin. Dusque is uncertain of the morality of her job and fears the Empire is using her research for nefarious ends. The sudden loss of her closest comrade at the tender mercies of Imperial Stormtroopers throws her over the edge and she's suddenly off on the run with Finn trying to round up a missing holocron for the Rebel Alliance. As they adventure together, a plot twist is foreshadowed MANY times to a point where I can't believe a single reader wouldn't see the ending of the novel coming from miles away.

Dusque and Finn are largely generic character-types like you would find in your typical videogame. They are assigned small quests and have random encounters just like a game. They have boss fights and missions just like a game. In short, there's no organic flow to their story: it feels like arbitrary plot points strung together. Adding to this in a negative way is the shoe-horning into the plot of almost every main film character from the classic trilogy. Vader shows up twice, Luke and Leia bop in and out, Han and Chewie are randomly flying escort to Dusque and Finn at one point, C-3PO is assigned to be a pathfinder droid for the duo (!), and Lando shows up just because a scene takes place in a casino. These cameos add nothing. I did enjoy the cameo of Nym, the pirate from the Starfighter videogames; he felt like a more natural addition to this story, even though he didn't really have anything to do.

The key plot point is hard to reconcile. Would the Rebel Alliance really be so foolish as to encode a holocron (typically a device only used by Jedi or Sith in the rest of the EU) with a full contact list of every spy in their network? This defies the whole concept of organization by cell and doesn't seem very likely. To top it off, they lose this fantastically critical asset and it ends up stuck in a fire pit in a cave? I find this difficult to swallow.

One of the interesting aspects of the book is how frequently it delves into biology and zoology. We are treated to a veritable parade of fauna as the story winds along. Whitney-Robinson has worked as a veterinary assistant and as a marine biologist, so it's easy to see where this focus came from. It does lend the book a bit of much-needed character and distracts from the cardboard-cutout main characters.

I take no joy in writing a review this negative but I simply didn't find much to like about Star Wars Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine. Thankfully, this book didn't stop Del Rey from trying a second book based on a videogame, Karen Traviss' superb Republic Commando: Hard Contact. The difference in readability and insight in the novels is dramatic, and I'm not surprised that Traviss was asked to start producing Republic Commando sequels, as her books don't read like a game at all. I'm sorry to say that I could only recommend The Ruins of Dantooine to someone obsessive enough to have to read every Star Wars novel written like myself.

Started out good..........2007-03-27

Okay, I'm a pretty big Star Wars nerd, I am a player of SWG, and I really liked the beginning of this book. It was funny to hear references to "crafting stations," and the "transport shuttles." And seeing the moons of Lok and Rori mentioned were really nice and I enjoyed reading a book about places that my Jedi character had been. Also the appearances of the creatures that my character had fought was great too.

However the book took a little long to get started. I mean the book is about 280 some pages long and they don't get to Dantooine until around page 200. Also everyone worth their Star Wars salt knows that you don't make a holocron to keep a list. Holocrons can only be made by Jedi Masters or Sith Lords. Now if they had said that there was a computer terminal or something like that that had the list of rebel sympathizers, that would have been more believable.

Also, unless you actually play the game before reading this book, a lot of it won't really make any sense to you.

In closing, it's a good quick read, but let's face it, this could have been a lot better.

A decent Star Wars book.......2007-03-12

It's still a Star Wars book, so I won't give it 1 star. That said, the book doesn't fall in with the other books in the Expanded Universe series. It isn't particularly well written, probably because it is based off a video game.

A Stitch in Time (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Average customer rating:

Robinson shows he is as gifted as an author as he is at acting.
A wonderful book all DS9 fans should read
Gotta love Garak
I absolutely LOVED this book!!!!
This never happens to me, but I could not put this book down.

A Stitch in Time (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Andrew J. Robinson
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0671038850

Book Description

For nearly a decade Garak has longed for just one thing -- to go home. Exiled on a space station, surrounded by aliens who loathe and distrust him, going back to Cardassia has been Garak's one dream. Now, finally, he is home. But home is a world whose landscape is filled with death and destruction. Desperation and dust are constant companions and luxury is a glass of clean water and a warm place to sleep.

Ironically, it is a letter from one of the aliens on that space station, Dr. Julian Bashir, that inspires Garak to look at the fabric of his life. Elim Garak has been a student, a gardener, a spy, an exile, a tailor, even a liberator. It is a life that was charted by the forces of Cardassian society with very little understanding of the person, and even less compassion.

But it is the tailor that understands who Elim Garak was, and what he could be. It is the tailor who sees the ruined fabric of Cardassia, and who knows how to bring this ravaged society back together. This is strange, because a tailor is the one thing Garak never wanted to be. But it is the tailor whom both Cardassia and Elim Garak need. It is the tailor who can put the pieces together, who can take a stitch in time.

Customer Reviews:

Robinson shows he is as gifted as an author as he is at acting........2007-07-17

The book was well written and Robinson's knowledge of the lead seems so very authentic.

He created an entire backstory that blends in very well with the DS9 series. It makes watching the show in syndication even more fun, especially when Robinson is on, because it's like you, the viewer is in, on the secret.

I look forward to seeing more of his work, be it as an actor or as a writer.

A wonderful book all DS9 fans should read.......2006-11-05

Having enjoyed DS9 and having heard about this book through Memory Alpha, I noticed all the positive reviews and decided to give it a shot. It was well worth it, the book is completely engrossing and a joy to read. I wish Robinson would write a sequel.

Gotta love Garak.......2006-10-15

Someone, just lock Andrew J. Robinson in a room and make him write more. Seriously.

I absolutely LOVED this book!!!!.......2006-09-17

Deep Space Nine was my favourite of all the Trek series, and Garak was my favourite character, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when this book arrived. It is amazing. It goes so deeply into what makes up the Cardassian mind and society, every unanswered question that one could have about Cardassians is answered in this novel. I didn't want it to end! The author is also the actor who played Garak, and the insight he provides about his character is wonderful, poetic, and so moving. Anyone who has ever enjoyed an episode of DS9 needs to buy this book. I've read it three times, and I still enjoy it more than any other sci-fi book that I've read.

This never happens to me, but I could not put this book down........2005-12-30

I am a huge fan of ST:DS9 and one of my favorite characters from the show is Garak. So naturally when I found out there was a novel developing this character even further, written by the man himself. Well, not something I could easily pass up.

Picking up the book with moderate enthusiasm, I was very soon enthralled. Read it cover to cover, a first.

The novel explores 3 different timelines centering around our hero.
1st - His long colorful journey from adolescents to his exile on DS9;
2nd - His time spent on the station (filling in lapses between episodes);
3rd - His struggles on a Cardassia ravaged by the end of Dominion occupation.

The 3 timelines are masterfully woven together throughout the novel, which explores duty, betrayal, love and redemption.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone. A great novel for both non and Trek-fans alike.

Envoys of Mankind: A Declaration of First Principles for the Governance of Space Societies

Average customer rating:

Envoys of Mankind: A Declaration of First Principles for the Governance of Space Societies
George S. Robinson , and Harold M. White
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Inst Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Air & Space | Specialties | Law | Subjects | Books

General | International Law | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

International Law | Law | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0874748208

Understanding the Oceans from Space: The unique applications of satellite oceanography (Springer Praxis Books / Geophysical Sciences)

Average customer rating:

Understanding the Oceans from Space: The unique applications of satellite oceanography (Springer Praxis Books / Geophysical Sciences)
Ian S. Robinson
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Geophysics | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Remote sensing of oceans from space has developed rapidly since 1978 when the first dedicated ocean-viewing sensors were launched. The increasing abundance of satellite data has undoubtedly changed the way the science of oceanography has developed, revealing previously undetected ocean phenomena, casting new light on old problems, and opening the way for new fields of oceanographic study. Ian Robinson’s latest book "Understanding the Ocean from Space" takes a broadly encompassing look at the ways satellite data have been applied to the study of the ocean. Its particular theme is the special contributions or new insights that only satellite data can bring to various aspects of oceanography. Each chapter takes a particular topic in ocean science and shows the variety of ways in which the measurements made by Earth-orbiting sensors can be applied to it. The topics range from ocean waves, to ocean biology, spanning scales from ocean basins to estuaries. Some chapters primarily cover applications to pure research whilst others show how satellite data can be used operationally for tasks such as pollution monitoring or oil-spill detection.

Average customer rating:

Without a doubt A MUST READ!!!
Beware of Puns and Lack of Structural Integrity
A Hard-Boiled World Saver
Wow!
An excellent book

Lady Slings the Booze
Spider Robinson
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0743435788

Customer Reviews:

Without a doubt A MUST READ!!!.......2007-02-13

Ahem.

Whilst reading this book, on page two, the TOP of page two, I laughed outloud so hard I sprayed milk outa my left nostral...which was kinda bad as I was in a Library at the time, but...

No kidding, it is simply THAT good! More than that though... When I read this book I was going through a lot of hard times, in fact, I was considering suicide. After reading it...

No, my problems didn't all disappear and I still needed a lot of help, but I FELT much better from all the laughing I had done and I was pleased that thanks to this author I had managed to Forget about my problems for awhile.

All I can say is if you want to have a read where you feel better after you put the book down and your problems seem to be (a little, anyway) lighter - pick this one up, you can't go wrong.

(Oh, ONE cavete' - There are a few loose ends and you might wish - As I Do - that Spider would write a direct sequel. Other than that, cool!)

Beware of Puns and Lack of Structural Integrity.......2005-03-03

My wife is a huge fan of all of Spider Robinson's books, so I have been reading them to see what all the fuss is about. Robinson is a master of language and a lover of puns and word games. Many of the puns are excruciating, and some take forever to set up. In fact, the entire second half of the book is basically a setup for a Dan Rather pun near the end.

The book suffers structurally from two flaws: the exposition lasts much longer than needed, and the second half of the book bears no relation to the first half. There are essentially two entirely separate stories. Much of Robinson's work first appeared serialized in magazines, so it's possible that these two stories were cobbled together to make a book.

Robinson does have some wonderful insights on human nature, but it takes some effort to sift through everything else.

A Hard-Boiled World Saver.......2004-05-13

Spider has always been known as a writer with a strong taste for slumming (sorry, I meant punning), coupled with outlandish situations and strong, personable characters that are easy to empathize with. For this book, he decided to pay homage to some of the great mystery/detective writers of yesterday, deliberately trying to emulate their styles, mannerisms, and at least for his protagonist, their characters. In doing so, he seemed to lose sight of the idea of telling a cohesive integrated story, as this book very much separates itself in to two separate plot lines that are really only marginally related to each other.

His protagonist is, naturally, a private eye, one who tries hard to imitate the role models defined by Chandler, MacDonald, Spillaine, and others. He is called on to investigate some strange goings on in the most incredible bordello ever devised, Lady Sally's Place, located just across the bridge from the UN. It's a place where the `artists' have `clients', where talking dogs and telepathic twins are considered normal, a place where everyone can satisfy their desires without guilt or fears. Our P.I. quickly accepts the impossibilities of this place, and by making consistent intuitive leaps (which will sometimes leave you gaping at the holes he jumps over), fairly quickly solves the original mystery, falls in love, and is accepted as being good enough to join the crowd at Lady Sally's. Most of this section is quite good, with puns flying, clues properly presented, and the scene well painted, although it will definitely help if you have read several other books in the Callahan series, as many of the characters introduced here are very much cameos, with their background buried in the those other stories. The concept of Lady Sally's place is one that should make you think, and might help give you completely different viewpoint on the `world's oldest profession' - but this item was covered better, with more grittiness and real-world activity, in Callahan's Lady.

But after solving the one mystery, the story takes off in a totally different direction, where the crowd of Lady Sally's is now engaged in a strong bit of world saving. The premise is good - nuclear weapons smuggled into the US and other countries by pacifists as the ultimate hammer to convince the world to abrogate war. Unfortunately, the solutions to finding these weapons and the plotters behind them is very far-fetched, from having Nichola Tesla (one of the early pioneers of electricity) whip up a super-duper circuit to pinpoint the weapon's location to the immediate acceptance by all concerned that this was really happening without any objective basis in known fact. This section is also much more serious than the first half, and the hard-boiled P.I. character that Robinson has so carefully constructed in the first half seems to get lost.

This book should probably have been published as two separate novelettes, given the disparity of plot line between the two halves. As it is, it makes for an enjoyable read, but is certainly not Spider's best, and not even one of the better Callahan series tales.

Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

Wow!.......2004-03-19

This added feature to Callahan's Chronicles is truly a memorable and enjoyable read. The entertwining of the characters is only a feat that Robinson can pull off. Once again, Robinson has written a book that ever so slightly hits the political nerve to lighten one's mood- and quickly.

An excellent book.......2003-12-16

I personally enjoyed Robinson's books, but then again, they appeal to my somewhat immature personality. This book seemed, granted, to have been Robinsons attempts to intergrate a more direct line of plot into his story. While odd, it was very entertaining, and shocking, for this was the first "Lady Sally" novel I had read, and I read it 3 years ago, in 7th grade. My dad bought the books because he is a monster book freak. Soon after reading the second Lady Sally book, he dropped his interest in Robinson's work, which is unfortunate for me because there are still easily $100 of books I have to buy, in addition to a replacement for this particular book.

Book Description

Three novels complete in one volume.

Stardance: Shara Drummond was a gifted dancer and a brilliant choreographer, but could not pursue her dream of dancing on Earth, so she went to space, creating a new art form in three dimensions. And when the aliens arrived, there was only one way to prove that the human race deserved not just to survive, but to reach the stars. The only hope was Shara, with her stardance.

Starseed: Years later, another dancer of genius faced the end of her career when her body failed her, and Rain McLeod followed Shara into space. If she joined with a symbiotic lifeform that would let her live without artificial protection in the vacuum of space, she would take a quantum leap in human evolution.

Starmind: Rand Porter has been offered the job of a lifetime, as a shaper of visual effects and music for the world's most famous zero-gravity dance company in High Orbit. But his beloved novelist wife Rhea Paixao has her roots sunk deep in the Earth, in her beloved Cape Cod. And as they wrestle with their private dilemma, bizarre things-small miracles-are beginning to occur everywhere on Earth and throughout the entire Solar System. The human race-and its evolutionary successors, the space-dwelling Stardancers-find themselves approaching the terrifying cusp of their shared destiny, an appointment made for them a million years ago, a make-or-break point beyond which nothing, anywhere, can ever be the same again.

Customer Reviews:

"This is what it is to be human...........2007-01-08

This a master story teller plying his trade. First we have the story of a marvelous dancer and choreographer, Sharra Drummond. Trouble is, how many six foot tall stacked ballerinas do you know? So she ends up dancing in free space, where she can only stay for a short time before the calcium starts leaching from her bones. She is about to return to Earth when aliens show up. She dances for them a dance to tell them what it is to be hum that ends "this is what it is to be human - to PERSIST." And having overstayed her time in space she reenters the atmosphere and burns up. This is the way the original novella from Analog ends. Robinson extended it, and the ending is very different. It is a sustaining story, one that I have depended on again and again (I have multiple sclerosis.)
The heroine of the second novel of the trilogy, Rain Mcleod, is a very different sort of persistent. The third novel, Starmind, is an attempt to tell the ultimate fate of humanity and the universe. The trilogy is not hard science fiction, but it is literature, and mayhap great literature. It is a largely successful attempt to define what it is to be human.

Average customer rating:

Still read it.
Different than I expected.
A worthwhile new direction for an SF star
HUGE Disappointment
I wish I could put in words why I loved this book.

Very Bad Deaths
Spider Robinson
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Hard-Boiled | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 141652083X

Book Description

Aging baby-boomer Russell Walker wants only to retreat from the world and the shattering death of his beloved wife, into the woods of British Columbia. But the real world won't let him become a hermit. Instead, he finds himself thrust into the mystery of a series of mass murders by a monstrous sadist and serial killer who makes Hannibal Lector look like a boy scout. And he is caught in a frightening predicament: He is the only possible intermediary between a telepath called Smelly, so sensitive he can't stand to be near most people, and a skeptical police officer who needs to hear and believe what Smelly knows about the fiend. This involuntary trio may be the only ones who can catch the inhuman butcher before he kills again-if he doesn't catch them first.

Customer Reviews:

Still read it........2007-05-21

Anything by Spider Robinson is worth reading. The three stars are in reference to all the other stuff he has written, not compared to other books in general.

Having said that, I was a bit disappointed with this work. It seems more like the first shot in a proposed series than a work finished in Robinson's usual style. The premise is great, and it has Spider's usual touch in pointing out how bad telepathy would be for anyone accursed with it. The villian is classic Spider, too. Someone so evil, just so sociopathic, that it makes you want to retch takes a master touch to accomplish.

But I never felt like the book was really going anywhere. I felt like he got caught by a deadline halfway through his usual writing and had to finish before he was ready. The characters are beautifully crafted (as usual), and so real you want to meet them, but the plot seemed to sputter.

Anything by Spider Robinson is worth reading. His worst stuff is better than many authors' best. But I still felt like this wasn't his best effort.

Different than I expected........2007-01-12

This was quite a bit more down to earth than I expected. I had never read Spider Robinson before and with all the Heinlein comparisons, I expected very sci-fi material. This one isn't, really. It is more Dean Koontz or Stephen King (not horror as much as fantastic) with some Jonathan Kellerman (Alex Delaware novels) thrown in for good measure.

In other words, it is a mystery novel with a character that has a supernatural power. Overall, it was a pleasant read and worth checking out. I'm curious to see what his more sci-fi oriented books are like.

A worthwhile new direction for an SF star.......2006-11-10

Very Bad Deaths is a new direction for SF writer and erstwhile columnist Robinson. It is set in the real world -- if you make the small concession that the real world might contain at least one highly sensitive telepath -- and goes into depth with the questions about sadism that he flirted with in Lady Slings the Booze.

Like the suspenseful and weird Lifehouse, this book is a chamber piece, with only four onstage characters, all believable and at least two lovable. Depending on how much the reader has thought about sadism, pain and fear, and what her or his own personal horrors are, this book could be interesting to terrifying. Myself, I had to phone a friend at 4 a.m. for comfort. But now I am reading the book a second time.

If you love Robinson and this doesn't sound like him, don't panic. And do give it a try.

HUGE Disappointment.......2006-10-16

I have been an avid Robinson fan for more years than I care to admit, but, sadly enough, he has come to the point of just filling pages up with words in order to be able to sell a book.

He starts out with a truly great premise and then wanders all over the known universe to tell it. A huge portion of this book is devoted to: describing the scenic wonders of British Columbia (nothing to do with the story); slamming the United States (nothing to do with the story); slamming the Canadian police (very little to do with the story); and extolling the virtues of marijuana use (absolutely nothing whatsoeverr to do with the story line.)

I learned that the world's best coffee maker is made in Switzerland. Why that was relevant to the story, I haven't a clue. One sentence mentions the killer started when he was eight years old. This, I wanted to know more about. Nope. Just that one line.

Sorry, Spidey, you've lost it. I won't be spending any more time wondering when your next book will be out and won't be spending any more money when it does. You now join the graveyard of authors who were once great, but now just hook words together. Very sad.

I wish I could put in words why I loved this book........2006-10-10

I consider this book one of Spider's best. Yes, Spider's heroes are often Spider-like. Heinlein's heroes were all some aspect of him too. And yes, Just like Heinlein's did, Spider's libertarian outlook permeates his fiction. But I don't know that I consider these faults, especially in the face of the book's virtues.

The story is ultimately a story of weak, nearly powerless people risking not just their own painful deaths but the pain of knowing they might well fail in sparing someone else's painful death in order to stop a very evil thing from happening. Is the villian or hero believable? Maybe, maybe not. (You should meet some of my friends!) But the SPIRITS of the heroes are true to the core of humanity Spider values so much in his species, and the villian is very much the antithesis of that same spirit. And that makes Very Bad Deaths a Very Good Book.

Liftport - The Space Elevator: Opening Space to Everyone

Average customer rating:

Love it!
Doorway to planets and stars
A project to change our future
Interesting, even for a casual reader
The roadmap to our future

Liftport - The Space Elevator: Opening Space to Everyone

Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1592221092

Book Description

Seen as merely a thought experiment for over a century, the space elevator is now understood to be achievable in our foreseeable future. It promises to open up the Solar System to all of humanity, and this book gives you a peek at that future. Interweaving both science fiction stories involving the space elevator along with non-fiction articles on the basic technical, financial, legal, social and political issues surrounding the space elevator, this book will give you an entertaining and informative crash course in the space elevator. After reading this book, you will understand both why we want to build a space elevator as well as how it will be built.

Customer Reviews:

Love it!.......2007-06-25

I love this book. I'm interested in space projects and science fiction. This was a great combination of fact and fiction. Both informative and entertaining. It's great for the laymen. You don't need to know much about space technology to understand and enjoy this book.

Doorway to planets and stars.......2007-03-29

A terrific overview of the various steps needed to build the space elevator. Can't wait to see it happen. Hope it's soon.

A project to change our future.......2006-07-22

This collection of fact and fiction centers on the proposal by a startup company, Liftport, to create a new way to get into space: an elevator. The idea is not new, and the specific means they propose to do it has been discussed in technical papers; nevertheless this is likely the first popularly accessible book that describes the new near-term practicalities of construction, operation, and business for such a system. Liftport plans to get their first elevator up and running before 2020, and this book describes how they may just be able to do that.

The format of the book is a collection of independent essays (the factual portions) and stories, some of which are reprinted from separate novels (by Arthur C. Clarke, David Brin, and Charles Sheffield) and the rest seem to have been specifically written for this collection. The quality of the fiction is rather variable; unfortunately some of the authors would perhaps have benefited from reading the technical sections, as some details are rather jarringly wrong. For example, the "Hermit of the Skies" would not plummet and burn up from the top station, but would be thrown out away from the planet - that's sort of the whole point. In "High Space", you can't be in orbit 300 miles above Earth's surface and stay over one spot - you have to be going a lot slower than orbital speeds. And the troposphere is the lowermost portion of Earth's atmosphere, not what you would hit first on the way down! But of course the technical details aren't the central point of the stories, so maybe it's silly to be picky about it.

The longest fiction section, "The Rings of Earth", by William H. Keith, is among the best of the contributed stories. The vision it paints, of a future Earth-bound society knowing of "gods" above, and the stunning reality of the ending, is almost worth the price of the whole book.

The technical essays describe the project in good detail, though somewhat redundantly and at different levels. It would have helped if the editors had given the authors a better picture of what the other parts of the book would cover. I wrote (and donated) one of those essays, so I'm somewhat familiar with the way it worked - I have met a number of the authors in person as well.

The elevator physically consists of an anchor station on Earth's surface, a counterweight beyond geosynchronous orbit in space, and a strong ribbon connecting the two. A "lifter" climbs the ribbon; technical essays cover each of those components. Additionally, power to the lifter must be supplied without physical contact which would add precious mass - a power beaming system is described that could do the job. Construction steps and safety issues are also discussed.

The remaining essays discuss business, law, and political issues more than technology. How the elevator will make money, what it will do to the space launch business, is covered in several chapters. Who will have legal jurisdiction is one central question - from these essays it seems clear the United States will at the least have a strong claim, but inclusion of many international partners would probably be safest.

One of the applications that may be enabled by the cheaper space launch services the elevator will provide are solar power satellites. An essay here by Ralph Nansen discusses the enormous potential and environmental benefits from this alternative energy solution.

Finally, the Liftport staff call on all of us to "get involved" - including sponsoring a contest to win options on 1000 Liftport company shares. This book demonstrates the company has a potentially feasible plan to radically change the relationship between Earth and space - if they succeed it will change our future. Are you ready to join?

Interesting, even for a casual reader.......2006-06-28

I have no science degree and spend little time pondering space elevators, but the subject is interesting and this book is well organized. Different authors took specific topics and created one or two chapters each. Famous sames such as Kim Stanley Robinson contributed. I received this as a present prior to a week at the beach and enjoyed the book more than expected, flipping to chapters that interested me and skipping others.

By coincidence, I visited the Wright Brothers' museum near Kitty Hawk while on vacation. It is striking how rapidly air travel developed from the "cranks and weirdos" stage around 1900 to a substantive business. I do not know if the analogy translates, but you never know.

The roadmap to our future.......2006-05-09

Average customer rating:

Star Mind - Star Bright
One of my all-time favorites
Essential Reading for Robinson Fans
Interesting Story; Unfortunate Conclusion
A worthy conclusion to an epic and insightful series.

Starmind
Spider , and Jeanne Robinson
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

High Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Space Opera | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0671319892
Release Date: 2001-05-01

Customer Reviews:

Star Mind - Star Bright.......2006-01-25

Thanks Spider for taking the time to tell us you liked your book. LOL. I loved it. I got hooked on the "Star" trilogy while in the service. It took me away fromwhere I was - to a better place. I found each book more enjoyable than the last. I only wish that room could be found for a fourth or fifth book inbetween the other three (since star mind finishes the trilogy with out protest). "please sir I want some more". Read them ALL. and then go out and buy more Spider Robinson books cause someone who writes this good can only have others outthere worth reading. 'nuff said

One of my all-time favorites.......2005-08-02

I would not have reviewed this book if amazon's robot had not asked me to...but having been asked, I would have to say this is one of the best books I've ever had a hand in writing. Like THE STARDANCERS, its prequel (also co-written with my wife of 30 years, Jeanne), this book qualifies for my highest praise: better than I could have done myself.

Essential Reading for Robinson Fans.......2001-09-21

First things first: If you're just discovering Spider Robinson, or this particular trio of books... this ain't the place to start. BUY it now (lest it go out of print, as Spider's books have an inexplicable and depressing tendancy to do), but put it away until you've read _Stardance_ and _Starseed_.

There, now that's out of the way. On with the review.

This book, especially in the context of the series, is a consistently entertaining, rewarding exploration of the themes that dominate the Robinsons' best work. Little stuff, like (in no particular order): love, sex, creativity, art, transcendence, home, commitment, and so forth. It says something about their abilities as a writing team that all this is unfolded through living, breathing characters that you quickly come to care deeply about . . . and want to find happiness (even if it's not at all clear that they will). Likable, intelligent characters have always been Spider's greatest strength, and this story is no exception. Whether or not the plot "works" for you is almost beside the point. Even if it doesn't, the characters and the ways in which they grow and change make the book worth reading.

This is *not* a trilogy in the conventional SF sense. The three books form distinct segments of a long arc, but they have independent casts (for the most part) with their own strengths and weaknesses. It's one of the delights of _Starmind_ that Rhea is clearly *not* a (literary) clone of Rain M'Cloud or Sharra Drummond, and that Rand is *not* just another Charlie Armstead.

One final note: The Robinsons may live in British Columbia, but in the scenes set in Provincetown, MA this Bay State expatriate could hear the surf, smell the salt, and taste the Portuguese sweet bread again. Craftsmanship even in places where most people won't notice it is a glorious thing.

Interesting Story; Unfortunate Conclusion.......2000-11-22

This was not a bad book. Well-written, with intriguing new characters and a return to the ever-fascinating Stardancers, it made for pleasant reading and gave me a few new things to think about.

Unfortunately, I'm still almost sorry that I read it.

I have to admit that I think the Robinsons would have been better off ending the Stardancer saga with _Starseed_, a story that has all of the virtues of this one with few of the vices. What are those vices, you may wonder? It's difficult to clarify them without spoiling the book, since many are tied into the ending, but I'll do my best.

Very little time is spent on familiar characters. What time is spent is regrettable, given the ultimate fate of those we see again. Certain elements of the plot did not seem resolved by the ending. (Why did all the miracles of nanotechnology happen? I for one was left wondering.) That ending seemed rushed, almost unbelievable, anticlimactic--I have faith enough in the authors to believe that it wasn't really a 'rabbit out of the hat' resolution (the sort in which something is pulled out of thin air to solve the characters' problems almost by magic, and just in time for the last page too), but it seemed very similar to one. And one of the themes I found most fascinating about the prior two Stardancer novels, the theme of choice and the willful surrender of humanity, was abolished here by the forcing of the issue.

In short, _Starmind_ would have made a far, far better book in my opinion if the ending had been different--or at least handled differently. I would still recommend that fans of the prior two books read it if they are curious about the ultimate destiny of their favorite characters; I would not, however, suggest that anyone begin the trilogy with this one.

A worthy conclusion to an epic and insightful series........1997-04-18

The conclusion of the Stardance tril-- uh, series of three self-contained stories. The Zen material Spider and Jeanne explored in the first novel is so rich and mesmerizing that they can be forgiven for returning to it again and again. Starmind offers new insights about many different kinds of freedom -- intellectual, spiritual, physical and artistic. Spider and Jeanne also make a very good case against the world-is-going-to-hell pessimism of our ficton, arguing that real enlightenment, or at least a lightening-up, may be just around the corner. Still, as in Starseed, I was disappointed at how many of the previous plotlines seemed recycled from the original story without further exploration. Go buy it anyway -- reading anything Spider produces is like a NordicTrak for the imagination

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books