( S ) Books - Page 5

Contact

Carl Sagan

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pocket Amazon Marketplace: 451 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Movie Tie-Ins
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 319 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Fantastic! Much better than the film adaptation. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

As a youngster, the vastness of the universe and the possibility of life beyond our planet fascinated me. That probably explains why, when as a teenager I first saw the movie adaptation of this book, I was moved greatly.

A lonely young woman, who misses her father who passed when she was a child, devotes herself to the pursuit of making contact with life beyond our planet. That contact is made at the facility she manages, and the entire diplomatic and economic strength of the world is thrust behind the project to decode the Message and build the Machine. All of our conceited, egotistical superstitions, as well as our secular nationalist quarrels, are put aside as we are confronted with the reality that we are not alone.

When our protagonist does makes contact, what does she learn? That there are others in the cosmos who have been here much longer than we have and are much more advanced, but do not have the answers to the fundamental questions that plague our shared existence. She learns that they have been looking for the same answers too, but in all their searching have found that what is really important is our connections with one another.

Beautiful.

While the film was able to be faithful to that central theme of the book, I think that the occasions of digression cheapen the message. Carl Sagan's written version is much, much more dynamic and ultimately intellectually and emotionally fulfilling.

*Spoiler Warning*

In the book there is no distracting romance between Dr. Arroway and Palmer Joss, the dialogue between the proponents of dogma and the proponents of science are much more interesting, there is no asinine suicide bomber sabotaging the Machine, the presence of the Five rather than simply Dr. Arroway adds to the concept of a shared human experience void of nationalistic identity, and in the end the "meaning of life" is something that Dr. Arroway ultimately learns rather than something she is simply told.

*/Spoiler Warning*

This is a fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of science fiction and has an overactive imagination regarding the cosmos and the possibility of life beyond our little planet. I had anticipated Sagan's literary style to be dry and unappealing and therefore delayed reading this novel, but I could not have been more pleasantly surprised. This book was for me a literal page turner.

Editorial Review:

In December, 1999, a multinational team journeys out to the stars, to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who -- or what -- is out there?

In Cosmos, Carl Sagan explained the universe. In Contact, he predicts its future -- and our own.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll, Brian Sibley

List Price: $14.95 By: Simon & Schuster (Juv) Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $1.34

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( C ) -> Carroll, Lewis

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 54 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This book is the Norton Critical Edition (Second Edition) of _Alice in Wonderland_ by Lewis Carroll, edited by Donald J. Gray, with the picture of the "Jabberwock" on the front. The Norton Critical Edition contains the following parts: a brief preface, the text of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_, the text of _Through the Looking-Glass_, the excised "The Wasp in a Wig", the poem "The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony, in Eight Fits", background material from Carroll's early life, the Alice books, and later life (including letters of his), and several interesting essays in criticism. The Alice stories are some of the greatest classics of children's literature, but their bizarre nature and intriguing mathematical, philosophical, and theological speculations make them interesting for adults and thinkers as well. Many have tried to psycho-analyze the stories (using absurd antiquated Freudian methods), but I agree with G. K. Chesterton that to do such is to destroy the stories. These stories exist in the fine tradition of the Victorian fairy tale (which emphasizes what has been called the "Victorian cult of the child"), and despite modern difficulties, they remain an important contribution to children's literature. Among other things it has been suggested that the stories include elements that resemble drug use and that Carroll was a precursor to Einstein in his understanding of the relativity of size and shape, but despite these understandings the stories remain unique for their captivating power and intriguing as stories themselves. Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898) who was perhaps best known in his time as a logician and tutor in logic and mathematics. Dodgson did quite well in mathematics as a youth (as he did in nearly all his subjects, but particularly in mathematics) and continued his studies at Oxford. Originally Dodgson had promised to become an Anglican clergyman upon completion of his studies, but he never fully completed his ordination. Instead he served as a lecturer in mathematics and logic, writing several interesting books in logic for popular audiences at the time (though he could not have foreseen more recent developments in logic, such as the work of Russell and Whitehead in the _Principia Mathematica_). Dodgson also served as a tutor to children (and he developed a particular fondness for children, particularly young girls, that many would come to criticize later). As a tutor Dodgson met the girl Alice Liddell, who served as the inspiration for the Alice stories. It is rumored that Dodgson may have fallen in love with her, which led to some difficulty. Dodgson's philosophical, religious, and social views were notoriously conservative and conventional, though it seems that he incorporated many unconventional ideas into his stories. In his old age, Dodgson remained a bachelor, though he increasingly involved himself in amateur photography (some of which proved particularly risqué and has led to subsequent rumors about Dodgson). Today, what Dodgson remains most famous for are his stories for children. Within his stories interesting mathematical, philosophical, and theological issues are raised; among them, the issue of the meaning of words and language (Dodgson's writings and poems have been called "nonsense" and he frequently makes use of "nonsense words" of his own invention) calling to mind the later philosophy of Wittgenstein, various theological issues, the philosophical issue of the dream-like nature of reality, the issue of birth, adolescence, sexual development, and life and death, the issue of Darwinian evolutionism, and various mathematical and logical issues, as well as interesting puzzles. The essays included with this volume bring up some of these issues and provide interesting points about the stories.

The works of Lewis Carroll included in this volume are as follows:

_Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ (1897 edition) - a rewrite of the original _Alice's Adventures Under Ground_ and beautifully illustrated. This is the story of Alice (based on Dodgson's student Alice Liddell) as she encounters a talking White Rabbit, travels down a rabbit-hole, and there encounters many bizarre happenings and various talking creatures. The story has an eerie drug-induced feel to it (which causes one to question the very basis of reality) and many have speculated that this story may include instances of drug use. In particular, while in "Wonderland", Alice eats various foods and drinks various potions which cause her to grow taller or shorter. In "Wonderland", Alice encounters the rabbit, a talking mouse (who she reminds of her cat Dinah and provokes him thus), various birds and animals (in which they have a "caucus race", perhaps calling to mind the "Caucasian race" and various racialist theories of the time which Dodgson disapproved of), a lizard named Bill, and a puppy. After this, however, Alice encounters a caterpillar sitting on a mushroom. The caterpillar is smoking from a "hookah" (perhaps a reference to drug paraphernalia) and invites Alice to take a bite from the mushroom. Upon taking the bite from the mushroom, Alice undergoes radical changes in height. Some have regarded these alterations to be reminiscent of the hallucinations that occur upon ingestion of certain mushrooms, such as the Amanita muscaria. Alice also encounters the Duchess and her baby (a pig), the Cheshire cat (who fades away leaving only his grin), the Madhatter (mad no doubt from mercury poisoning), the March Hare, and the Dormouse having tea, and then she encounters the Queen of Hearts playing croquet as well as the "mock turtle". Finally, a trial occurs in which the Knave of Hearts is accused of stealing the tarts from the Queen of Hearts. At this trial, Alice must testify and present her evidence. At the end, Alice awakes from her dream after realizing that the Queen and the King are nothing but a pack of cards.

_Through the Looking-Glass_ (1897 edition) - This story begins with Alice reflecting on her cats and a game of chess. Indeed, the entire story involves a set-up on the chess board in which Alice herself is to eventually become queen. Alice enters a mysterious world ("Wonderland" again no doubt) through the looking-glass and there encounters various creatures. This is of course the story where the infamous nonsense poem "Jabberwocky" appears. Alice encounters various talking flowers, various insects, two brothers Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Humpty Dumpty (an egg), and the lion and the unicorn. Alice also encounters the red and white queens and eventually is to become queen herself. During the course of the story the secret meaning of certain words in "Jabberwocky" are revealed to Alice. At the end, Alice is at a feast when she suddenly shakes the red queen who becomes a kitten. Alice awakes to conclude that it was "all a dream", though the issue of reality is raised again.

"The Wasp in a Wig" is a short scene left out of the original _Through the Looking-Glass_.

Also included is the poem, "The Hunting of the Snark" (1876), which is a nonsense poem about a group of men on a ship who are hunting a "snark".

This Norton Critical Edition is an excellent edition of Lewis Carroll's children stories and poems. Carroll's stories are to live on due to their uniqueness and their bizarre nature. But, as pointed out they also raise several interesting philosophical questions and thus are interesting for adults as well as children. They are also greatly enjoyable and certainly recommended.

Editorial Review:

This version is illustrated with 100 drawings made for a Disney animated film that never went into production, and the text itself contains revisions made by Carroll shortly before his death. A detailed afterword about the illustrations and a subsequent Disney "Alice" film is included.

Promise of the Witch King (Forgotten Realms: The Sellswords, Book 2) (Bk. 2)

R. A. Salvatore

Amazon Price: $8.99 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wizards of the Coast Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $3.88

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Salvatore, R.A.
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Fantasy -> Magic & Wizards

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 51 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Action packed excitement filled with the unexpected at every turn 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Finally! Finally R.A. Salvatore delivers. Many of his recent works have been junkers but this one is right up there as one of the better Forgotten Realms novels. This leaves me wondering why Salvatore can no longer deliver on his Drizzt novels when this story holds everything that I hope to find when I read the books on the kind hearted Drow.

The Promise of the Witch King has action and adventure on every single page. Not only that but Salvatore manages in this novel to keep mystery and unravels it in unpredictable ways.
I still don't see the real reasons why they left Calimport but perhaps that is still a tale to tell. I am hoping that he has many more books to write with Jarlaxle as the main character. Enteri is facinating on his own accord, however, he is already 40 so it is going to be hard pushed making to many more novels with an aging Enteri.

A must read for the Forgotten Realms fan.

Editorial Review:

The long awaited sequel to Servant of the Shard.
 
The second title in a new series dealing with two popular characters from the Forgotten Realms world. All three of the books in the last trilogy by Salvatore were New York Times best sellers in hardcover. The last book in the trilogy, The Two Swords, hit #4 on The New York Times best seller list and remained in the top twenty for five weeks.

On the Oceans of Eternity

S. M. Stirling

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Roc Amazon Marketplace: 60 new & used starting at $4.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General AAS
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Stirling, S.M.

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 72 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

All right, we get it already! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Ok, Mr. Stirling, we get it! After 1,800 pages or so we're quite aware that when someone dies, they crap their pants. In the future, please limit yourself to no more than two descriptions of this fact per book. I'll allow up to one other indirect reference to the fecal stench of battle. But for the love of God, you need let people die once in awhile without feeling compelled to describe the postmortem action of their bowels!

Editorial Review:

Ten years ago, inhabitants of the twentieth century and the Bronze Age were tossed together by the Event. But as two worlds converge, only one can be the victor in a battle to lead this strange new world.

Praise for Against the Tide of Years:
"S. M. Stirling concocts another exciting and explosive tale of ambition, ingenuity, intrigue, and discovery."--Jane Lindskold, author of When the Gods Are Silent

"Confirms what readers of the first book already knew: S.M. Stirling is writing some of the best straight-ahead science fiction the genre has ever seen."--Amazing Magazine

Praise for Island in the Sea of Time:
"One of the best time travel/alternate history stories I've ever read, period. An outstanding piece of work."--Harry Turtledove

"A page-turner that is certain to win the author legions of new fans."--George R.R. Martin

"Compelling."--Science Fiction Chronicle

Jimmy the Hand: Legends of the Riftwar, Book III (Legends of the Riftwar)

Raymond E. Feist, S.m. Stirling

Amazon Price: $11.86 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Eos Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $6.87

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( F ) -> Feist, Raymond E. -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( F ) -> Feist, Raymond E. -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( F ) -> Feist, Raymond E. -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 2.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Jimmy the Hand, boy thief of Krondor, lived in the shadows of the city. The sewers were his byways and a flea-ridden, rat-infested cellar his home. Although gifted beyond his peers, he was still but a nimble street urchin, a pickpocket with potential. Until the day he met Prince Arutha.

Aiding the Prince in his rescue of Princess Anita from imprisonment by Duke Guy du Bas-Tyra, Jimmy runs afoul of Black Guy's secret police. Given the choice of disappearing on his own or in a weighted barrel at the bottom of Krondor's harbor, Jimmy flees the only home he's ever known, venturing south to the relatively safe haven of Land's End. Suspecting that the rural villagers have never encountered a lad with his talent and nose for finding wealth—other people's wealth—he's fairly optimistic about his broadening horizons. But Jimmy is completely unprepared for what greets him.

For Land's End is home to others who tread the crooked path, and more, to a much darker secret: a dangerous presence unknown even to the local thieves and smugglers. And Jimmy's youthful bravado and courage will plunge him deep into the maw of chaos and even—if he isn't careful—death.

Zodiac

Neal Stephenson

Amazon Price: $11.20 List Price: $14.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Grove Press Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $6.72

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Horror -> United States
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Horror -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Horror -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

interesting yarn 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My take: this was early in NS's development as a writer. It shows. The writer that he has developed into would do a much better job.

But the premise is very interesting. An 'analytical chemist(?!?!)' as the hero (okay, I'm an analytical chemist, one of the few, the proud, and this may be the first fiction book I've ever read with one as the hero...) sets it apart a bit. Obviously the science in parts is a bit sophomoric. But in places it shines. In cases the characterization of different people are good. And the setting of Boston makes it interesting. The twists and turns will keep you turning the pages.
It's just at times the writing is way too earnest, way too explicative. Not to complain too much. My writing is often earnest and explicative as well. But then again, I am not much of a writer, except for science journal reports (and I am sure those aren't generally page-turners for the general public). It's just not to the level of his later stuff, Cryptomonicon, and the Baroque Cycle. I'd like to see a rewrite in his hands, actually. Of course it would turn into an 800 pager, probably, if not a 3000 page trilogy.

At any rate, its in my wife's stack of to-be-read now, and she is neither as critical as me generally, nor taking an analytical chemists view of the analytical chemist hero, so perhaps she'll give it a better review.

Editorial Review:

Zodiac, the brilliant second novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the The Baroque Cycle and Snow Crash, is now available from Grove Press. Meet Sangamon Taylor, a New Age Sam Spade who sports a wet suit instead of a trench coat and prefers Jolt from the can to Scotch on the rocks. He knows about chemical sludge the way he knows about evil—all too intimately. And the toxic trail he follows leads to some high and foul places. Before long Taylor’s house is bombed, his every move followed, he’s adopted by reservation Indians, moves onto the FBI’s most wanted list, makes up with his girlfriend, and plays a starring role in the near-assassination of a presidential candidate. Closing the case with the aid of his burnout roommate, his tofu-eating comrades, three major networks, and a range of unconventional weaponry, Sangamon Taylor pulls off the most startling caper in Boston Harbor since the Tea Party.

Island in the Sea of Time

S. M. Stirling

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Roc Amazon Marketplace: 67 new & used starting at $2.46

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Stirling, S.M.
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Science Fiction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 119 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

island in the sea of time 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Just enough science fiction to set up a very interesting situation---modern man meets ancient man (from 3000 years ago) in both settings. I am halfway through now, and look forward to the adventures in each chapter. If you like this type of thing, this is a good one.

Excellent Idea and Execution, Subpar Conclusion 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The first part was great, I loved the idea of Nantucket being tossed back to the Bronze Age. The contacting new cultures abroad aboard the /Eagle/ and dealing with problems back on the Island were the highlights of the whole book for me. Some parts I would've preferred not to have read; the Olmec jaguar scene for one.

Another thing that bothered me was Alice Hong. Pretty much every scene with her freaked me out. Remember: you have been warned.

When the book switched to dealing with Walker, I just got bored with it--I finished it, but it was forced, and I think that the book would've been far better if the author had stuck primarily with the exploration and contacting of the Bronze Age cultures, or at least make Walker a little more than a cruel ambitious empire builder.

All in all _Island in the Sea of Time_ is a wonderful piece of fiction and certainly much better than _1632_, which takes a much too similar premise. I would recommend this book to anyone who could handle the violence.

Editorial Review:

It's spring on Nantucket and everything is perfectly normal, until a sudden storm blankets the entire island. When the weather clears, the island's inhabitants find that they are no longer in the late 20th century, but have been transported instead to the Bronze Age. Now they must learn to survive with suspicious, warlike peoples they can barely understand and deal with impending disaster, in the shape of a would-be conqueror from their own time. Ads in "Locus". .

Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy

Mary Stewart

Amazon Price: $19.79 List Price: $29.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Eos Amazon Marketplace: 62 new & used starting at $12.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Historical
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Literary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 79 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Crystal Cave
The Hollow Hills
The Last Enchantment

The prophetic voice of Merlin, the mysterious enchanter of Arthurian legend, has completeted his story. Written over a period of ten years, Mary Stewart's three best-selling novels now stand together in one volume -- the finest work of her distinguished career.

Hers is the most extended portrait in all literature of this compelling figure of Dark Age myth and history. Merlin, the protector and tutor of Arthur, has usually been protrayed as an old man. But The Crystal Cave begins the trilogy with the story fo his perilous childhood as the bastard son of a Welsh king's daughter and the secret discovery of the magic arts that will set him apart from other men.

With the birth of Arthur, Merlin's guardianship began and the ancient legend continues in The Hollow Hills with the dramatic immediacy that is Mary Stewart's special gift. Arthur grew to young manhood, ignorant of his royal parentage, in the deep and dangerous forests of fifth-century England and Wales, where no law was stable and fierce battle rages amongst the brooding mountains. When, in due course, Merlin guided him to the sword that tested his claim to power and the crown, Arthur became king by right, and soon Merlin, his adviser, was to emerge, however obscurely, as the architect of the first United Britain.

King Arthur plunged instantly into violent warfare against the Saxons. But in The Last Enchantment there are also more dangerous and subtle enemies ranged against him: Mortgause, half-sister and seductress of Arthur; their child, Mordred; the friends and kin who will betray him. Merlin's darkest prophecies were realized one by one, yet his bright vision of the future kingdom did prevail, and he foresaw the mystic power that would be at the King's service as long as Arthur lived.

The imaginative brilliance of the Merlin Trilogy completes the life and character of Merlin which are left untold in the early legends. At the end of each of the novels, Mary Stewart has set down the substance of the original legends and with it the sources of her own variations. Her portrait of Merlin is a new legend in itself.

Rise of Endymion

Dan Simmons

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Spectra Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $1.14

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Simmons, Dan -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Simmons, Dan -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Simmons, Dan -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 235 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

mixed feelings 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I'm torn about this book. There were so many things that frustrated and annoyed me ,so I'll start there:
- The Shrike is now Spider-Man. He shows up again and again simply to save our heroine from one certain-death scenario after another. It gets old fast, not to mention completely incongruous with the first two novels and never really explained.
- Aenea leaks information (that she's had since birth) at a trickle, dodging questions with annoying phrases like "I'll tell you when it's time to know," or even the very lazy "We'll talk about it later." There's never any reason given for this behavior, it seems to be just so the author can tell th story at a leisurely pace.
- The technocore, which has the ability to get information by wire-through-the-eyesocket from a dead person earler, resorts to medevil torture when it comes to Aenea. This spontaneous downgrade in technology also coincidentally plays right into Aenea's hands.
- Characters from the original Hyperion keep cropping up in the final act, with little or no rhyme or reason. It gets laughable after awhile. It was too much of a stretch to have Silenus live for 1000 years in the first place. By the time they get to Kassad, I just rolled my eyes.

The list goes on. Plot full of holes and inconsistencies.

However, Simmons sold me so completely on the characters, I couldn't put the thing down. Hes got a lot of interesting ideas, scientific and philisophical, the action scenes are tense and exciting... there is a lot here that I look for in a sci fi novel. When it was over, I found myself wishing for yet another sequel.

So I found it gripping yest frustrating, but ultimately satisfying.

Editorial Review:

The magnificent conclusion to one of the greatest science fiction sagas of our time

The time of reckoning has arrived. As a final genocidal Crusade threatens to enslave humanity forever, a new messiah has come of age. She is Aenea and she has undergone a strange apprenticeship to those known as the Others. Now her protector, Raul Endymion, one-time shepherd and convicted murderer, must help her deliver her startling message to her growing army of disciples.

But first they must embark on a final spectacular mission to discover the underlying meaning of the universe itself. They have been followed on their journey by the mysterious Shrike--monster, angel, killing machine--who is about to reveal the long-held secret of its origin and purpose. And on the planet of Hyperion, where the story first began, the final revelation will be delivered--an apocalyptic message that unlocks the secrets of existence and the fate of humankind in the galaxy.

Olympos

Dan Simmons

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 By: Eos Amazon Marketplace: 57 new & used starting at $0.92

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Simmons, Dan -> General
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Simmons, Dan -> Paperback
Subjects -> Science Fiction & Fantasy -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Simmons, Dan -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 109 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

I doubt he reads these things, but ... 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Dan Simmons, I'm exceptionally disappointed in this pile of dog poop that you call "Olympos."

My list of complaints has already been addressed by other reviewers, so I won't bother re-hashing them. I give the book a 2-star review because I enjoyed the window into some of the high points of your imagination. I can't imagine why anyone would rate the book higher, though. Did those 5-star reviewers read the same book as I?

Unlike some of the pretentious reviewers who complained about incorrect usage of string theory or greek/latin (mis-)translations, I'm just steamed because you left so many threads dangling in the breeze. I don't expect Sci-Fi to get everything right to satisfy all the pedants. I do, however, expect a novel to finish things up properly and not leave me frustrated and irritated at the end. Odysseus got his rocks off -- what about the rest of us?

Sigh. Oh, one more thing... Enough with the crazy jingoism and blatant homophobia. Seriously. For someone who dabbles in visions of the distant future and advanced civilizations, you sure seem awfully small-minded in some ways.

Editorial Review:

Beneath the gaze of the gods, the mighty armies of Greece and Troy met in fierce and glorious combat, scrupulously following the text set forth in Homer's timeless narrative. But that was before twenty-first-century scholar Thomas Hockenberry stirred the bloody brew, causing an enraged Achilles to join forces with his archenemy Hector and turn his murderous wrath on Zeus and the entire pantheon of divine manipulators; before the swift and terrible mechanical creatures that catered for centuries to the pitiful idle remnants of Earth's human race began massing in the millions, to exterminate rather than serve.

And now all bets are off.