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SF-LOVERS Digest            Tuesday, 2 Jan 2001         Volume 26 : Issue 1

Today's Topics:

	    Books - Bellairs (5 msgs) & Anne Bishop (4 msgs) &
                    Drake (5 msgs) & Ford & Lynn (2 msgs)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 20:26:39 GMT
From: Sasha@bluejo.demon.co.uk (Sasha Walton)
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Sequel to _Face in the Frost_?

Just wondering is there a sequel to the book _The Face in the Frost_ by
John Bellairs?

Because I read the first book and liked it.

Sasha Walton
Sasha@bluejo.demon.co.uk

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 20:39:18 -0500
From: Janet Kegg <jmk@his.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Sequel to _Face in the Frost_?

Sasha Walton wrote:
>Just wondering is there a sequel to the book _The Face in the Frost_ by
>John Bellairs?

No, there isn't a sequel according to the official Bellairs Web site
at http://www.compleatbellairs.com/ 

>Because I read the first book and liked it.

Bellairs wrote three series of adventures - maybe you'd like some of his
other books. Here's a page that lists the books and links to details about
each one: http://www.compleatbellairs.com/adventures.shtml

And a page describing the characters in the series:
http://www.compleatbellairs.com/characters.shtml

The series are being continued by another author (Brad Strickland).

I haven't read anything by Bellairs so I can't be any help in making
recommendations.  I hope other people here will have opinions.

Janet

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 03:40:41 GMT
From: The Walkers <walkers@owlcroft.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Sequel to _Face in the Frost_?

That site isn't exactly "official" (though excellent) for the same reason
there will be no sequel: the author is deceased.

The book is generally referred to as Bellair's only "adult" book - all his
others are nominally "juveniles"; but many of them make good reading
anyway, not, of course, up to "The face in the Frost," which is a superb
book, but good enough.  "The House With a Clock in it's Walls" is a good
one to try first.

Besides the Bellairs site mentioned above, we have a Bellairs page that
might interest you at:

   http://owlcroft.com/sfandf/AUTHORS/JohnBellairs.html

"The Face in the Frost" needs to be on any serious SF&F reader's library
shelves.

Eric Walker

[Moderator's Note: For anyone that's interested, there's a bibliography of
Bellairs' works at:
  http://sflovers.rutgers.edu/Reference/books/bibs/Bellairs.John
]

------------------------------

Date: 20 Dec 2000 15:17:52 GMT
From: wobh@thark.barsoom (William Clifford)
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Sequel to _Face in the Frost_?

Sasha Walton <Sasha@bluejo.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Just wondering is there a sequel to the book _The Face in the Frost_ by
>John Bellairs?

I don't think there is. But if you liked that you might like his other
stuff. His other books tend to be creepy supernatural horror books, not
fantasy, except in the loose sense. _The House with A Clock in its Walls_
is good and it has sequels.

Better, in my opinion, is _The Curse of the Blue Figurine_, unless you
have a deep fear of spiders. If you are pathologically afraid of spiders
stay away from _The Curse of the Blue Figurine_. When I was young I was
afraid of spiders and then I read this book and it scared me so much that I
wrapped around the other side and now I think spiders are kind of
cool. _Curse_ also has sequels and they are good too. I liked the books
with Johnny Dixon in them a little better than the other series that starts
with _House_. I believe the two books after curse are called _The Mummy,
the Will, and the Crypt_, and _Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull_. I think you
will find that that last there well lives up to its title.

Another book of his which is not supernatural or horror but still cool is
_The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn_. I believe this has sequels but I
didn't read them.

It's been a long time since I read those. But I may read some of them again
just because you reminded me of them.

William Clifford
wobh@yahoo.com

------------------------------

Date: 20 Dec 2000 19:57:33 GMT
From: jaquandor@aol.comREMOVE (Jaquandor)
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Sequel to _Face in the Frost_?

>Another book of his which is not supernatural or horror but still cool is
>_The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn_. I believe this has sequels but I
>didn't read them.

There are indeed sequels to that one, and those actually do have
supernatural horror stuff. His books get less scary as the series go on,
except for "The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring" which frightened me
greatly.

Jaq

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 20:57:44 -0500
From: Kate Nepveu <kate.nepveu@yale.edu>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Review:  Bishop, Black Jewels Trilogy

Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy is a dark and engrossing guilty
pleasure.  The individual books are _Daughter of the Blood_, _Heir to the
Shadows_, and _Queen of the Darkness_.

As the titles suggest, there are two key traits of the story's world.
First, women "naturally" dominate society, both because of innate magical
power and because of cultural and gender preferences.  Second, dark is
good: magical strength is measured by a person's Jewels, and the darker the
color, the stronger the wearer; the Blood, the magic-users, honor the
Darkness as a sort of religious force (a common oath is "Hell's fire,
Mother Night, and may the Darkness be merciful"), and so forth.

The story's conflict is caused by two power-hungry women, Dorothea and
Hekatah.  Because they are from a _very_ long-lived race and are in
positions of power, they have over time completely perverted the normal
relationship between the genders, in which women rule but men are respected
partners.  Their plan is simple but viciously elegant: encourage people to
see strong Blood males as dangerous, allowing them to be enslaved;
encourage the weaker males to fear and despise strong Blood females,
allowing them to be raped, broken, and stripped of their power; and all
that's left are unthreatening females and males who subscribe the new
hierarchy.  (The Blood are also nobility, and their relationship with the
non-Blood is similarly perverted.)

Into this situation is born Jaenelle, who is Witch, the living myth, dreams
made flesh.  Here, the dream is getting rid the taint caused by Dorothea
and Hekatah; the flesh is a child who is extremely, frighteningly powerful
and loyal.  Her birth family thinks she's mad and puts her in an asylum,
which is actually a private feeding ground for sadistic pedophiles.
In-between stays, she pops into the lives of the other major characters,
befriending them.  Some of these friends are demon-dead (like zombies, only
with all their personality intact), assassins, other Blood children,
unicorns, etc.  A particularly important friend is the High Lord of Hell,
Saetan; his sons are Lucivar and Daemon (the names are most distracting,
unfortunately, though I eventually got used to them).  Respectively, they
become Jaenelle's adopted father, adopted brother, and lover (when she
becomes an adult).  The three books trace her growing up and the continued
threat of Dorothea and Hekatah.

These books remind me in some ways of early Mercedes Lackey (the Arrows
trilogy and the Vanyel books, particularly).  There's the young, powerful,
plucky person who's misunderstood at home and finds an accepting community;
the nasty things that happen to the main character along the way to full
power; the unfolding of an interesting world and magic system.  However,
_lots_ of bad things happen in this series; imagine the bad things in the
Vanyel books and the Arrows trilogy taken together, and then doubled or
tripled.  Though much of the sexual violence takes place off-screen, there
is no doubt about what's happening.  This is why these books are a guilty
pleasure for me: so *much* nasty stuff happens that I shouldn't be
entertained...  They also aren't exactly subtle.

On the plus side, though, some vivid characters and a seriously engrossing
plot combined to keep me up late reading some nights.  The world, its
cultures, and its magic are all fascinating, though the books could really
use a map.  There are also plenty of lighter moments--especially in the
second book--to balance out the darker events.  Finally, I like the concept
of Witch, dreams made flesh; it's a variant on the "predestined savior"
archetype that cleverly explains just how Jaenelle is _so_ perfectly suited
to overcome the challenges before her: the dreamers dreamt her that way.

Overall, I can't exactly recommend these books, but I did enjoy them.

(There is also a stand-alone set in the same world, _The Invisible Ring_,
which isn't as interesting.)

Title:      Daughter of the Blood
Author:     Bishop, Anne
City:       New York
Date:       1998
Order Info: 0-451-45671-8
Publisher:  Roc
Pages:      412pp
Series:     Black Jewels
Volume:     Book 2
Comments:   paperback 

Title:      Heir to the Shadows
Author:     Bishop, Anne
City:       New York
Date:       1999
Order Info: 0-451-45672-6
Publisher:  Roc
Pages:      482pp
Series:     Black Jewels
Volume:     Book 2
Comments:   paperback 

Title:      Queen of the Darkness
Author:     Bishop, Anne
City:       New York
Date:       2000
Order Info: 0-451-45673-4
Publisher:  Roc
Pages:      430pp
Series:     Black Jewels
Volume:     Book 3
Comments:   paperback

Kate

------------------------------

Date: 19 Dec 2000 22:30:12 -0500
From: cpf@adore.lightlink.com (Courtenay Footman)
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Review:  Bishop, Black Jewels Trilogy

Well, if Kate can't exactly recommend these books, I will do it for her:
I recommend them.

These books are a perfect example of the difference between tone and
content: Yes, the content is dark.  However, the tone isn't.  I do not like
"dark" books.  I very much liked these.

Courtenay Footman
cpf@lightlink.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 23:48:53 -0500
From: Kate Nepveu <kate.nepveu@yale.edu>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Review:  Bishop, Black Jewels Trilogy

>These books are a perfect example of the difference between tone and
>content: Yes, the content is dark.  However, the tone isn't.  I do not
>like "dark" books.  I very much liked these.

In a way, that might be part of what bothers me - the contrast between the
rape and murders and tortures and madness on the one hand, and the cute
happy bits about Jaenelle trying to learn magic, seems weird and
uncomfortable, for some reason, to me.

Kate

------------------------------

Date: 20 Dec 2000 02:32:18 -0500
From: Jason Larke <jlarke@uu.net>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Review:  Bishop, Black Jewels Trilogy

I took them to be a deliberate contrast. Over here, we see the limitless
pain resulting from perverting the Blood, and on the other side we see how
wonderful the true Blood are. It's an extreme situation, but I can imagine
a non-fantasy book about two children, one abused, one not, having the same
sort of juxtapositions.

Jason Larke
jlarke@uu.net

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 14:29:52 GMT
From: Serg <s271@my-deja.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Drake&Flint _An Oblique approach_

What is prequel/sequel of Drake and Flint's _An Oblique approach_ ?  What
else of Drake or Flint worth reading? (Not fantasy) Thanks.

Serg

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 09:49:16 -0500
From: "Rick" <rikwriter@mindspring.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Drake&Flint _An Oblique approach_

Eric Flint's best so far, IMHO, is 1632.

Drake has written a lot of military SF, the best of which IMHO are The
Forlorn Hope (if you can find it, it might be out of print) and The Sharp
End.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 15:16:56 GMT
From: Captain Button <button@eris.io.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Drake&Flint _An Oblique approach_

According to the Baen website:

http://www.baen.com/

An Oblique Approach
In the Heart of Darkness
Destiny's Shield
Fortune's Stroke

at least one more is forthcoming.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 16:33:28 GMT
From: Quilly Mammoth <quilly_mammoth@my-deja.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Drake&Flint _An Oblique approach_

You might also try "Redliners" by David Drake.  Flint's "Mother of Demon's"
is available for free, as well as other works of Drake's at
http://www.baen.com/library/

Flint and Dave Freer "Rat's,Bat's and Vat's" is also a good read.

My favorite Drake book is fantasy "Old Nathan".  No swords, Elfs or Orc's.
Just some back country magick.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 07:53:47 GMT
From: leestewarttaylor@my-deja.com
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Drake&Flint _An Oblique approach_

You might try Drake's Hammer's Slammers books.. IMHO Drake does a very good
job of writing Military SF...

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 22:39:56 GMT
From: "Rachel Brown" <r.phoenix@worldnet.att.net>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: The Last Hot Time, John M. Ford

This a rather subtly peculiar book.  I have only read Ford's two
wonderfully peculiar Star Trek novels (one's a musical comedy, one is not
about any of the Star Trek characters) and his marvelously subtle Liavek
and other short stories, but recently located his _Web of Angels_ and
_Growing Up Weightless_, now on my to-read pile.  Anyway, _The Last Hot
Time_ seems to fit in with the rest of his highly idiosyncratic work.

1. It's a Bordertown novel.  Weirdly, it's not identified as one, either by
the publisher or in the text, but it's set in what it recognizably
Bordertown and features Bordertown characters, with a few minor details
changed.  I have no idea why it didn't come out as part of the series -
legal reasons?  Ford had a change of heart?  But there it is.

2.  Sex.  Very, very interesting.  This is one of those books in which sex
is related, both explicitly and implicitly, to magic, and dark magic at
that.  But there's a lot more thought given to this than is usually the
case. Interestingly, in a way the sex seems more magical than the magic.
Nathan was definitely right about an adult treatment of sex in the book.

It's the first time I've ever seen *spoilered sexual preference* discussed
in a fantasy novel in a thought-out, realistic way, as opposed to a way
that appears to be the author's conscious or subconscious fantasies
appearing in the text, often in disguise.  It took me forever to figure out
what was actually going on with *ssp,* but I'm not sure if that was me
being thick or Ford wanting you to have to go back and re-read after a
certain point.

Spoilers follow:

3. Everyone notice when "Danny" becomes "Doc?" Clever, I thought.

4. On the other hand, there didn't seem to be that much to Danny's
relationship with Ginevra.  I spent the entire book thinking that he would
get together with Fay instead.  Oh, well.
   
5. I must be being thick again, but _why_ did Kitsune betray them?  What
was she offered?

6.  I liked it.  It's vividly written, has a nice crisp prose style, and
interesting characters, though the most interesting ones (to me) were the
supporting characters like Katie, Cloud, Fay, or Stagger Lee.

Danny's dark secret seemed rather disconnected from his character, but
maybe that was Ford's point: sexual kinks exist independently of the rest
of your personality, and wanting to tie women up doesn't mean you want to
dominate them in any other sense.  Maybe.

Incidentally, did Danny just luck out when what's her name asked him to tie
her up, or was she picking up on subtle clues that indicated that she
wanted him to ask her, and was that the moment when he discovered that he
was into bondage, or had he always known?  That was one scene whose
implications seemed subtler than was necessary.

Rachel

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 11:15:51 +0100
From: michael peters <mpeters@csi.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Elizabeth Lynn SF ?

I really enjoyed Elizabeth A. Lynn's 'hard' SF novels "A Different Light"
and "The Sardonyx Net". Has she written any other SF? It seems that
everything else she wrote is Fantasy, which I'm not really interested
in. Did I miss anything?

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 15:57:09 -0800
From: "R. Byers" <rbyers@u.washington.edu>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Elizabeth Lynn SF ?

No, that's it for the novels.  There's also an SF novella called "At the
Embassy Ball", but I'm not sure that it's been collected anywhere.

That said, I think you should give NORTHERN GIRL a try.  Although it's more
or less a "great house" fantasy, it has an SF feel to it.  Something in the
kind of details she shows us about the world of the book, perhaps in the
fascination with the material and economic life of a city.  And I don't
remember that there are any supernatural elements to the story. In any
event, I liked it better than A DIFFERENT LIGHT, though not quite as much
as THE SARDONYX NET.  It's part of a trilogy, but all three books stand on
their own.

Randy Byers
rbyers@u.washington.edu

------------------------------

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SF-LOVERS Digest            Tuesday, 2 Jan 2001         Volume 26 : Issue 2

Today's Topics:

	   Books - Busby (4 msgs) & McKillip & Murphy (2 msgs) &
                   Perry & Priest & Simak & Simmons (2 msgs) &
                   Andrew M Stephenson (2 msgs)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 20:57:35 GMT
From: "Steve M." <Cligger2@aol.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: FM Busby, _The Demu Trilogy_

Found it in an all-in-one volume in my mom's old box of books.

1) Cage a Man
2) The Proud Enemy
3) End of the Line

Any good?  Anyone ever read? Worth a read?  Anyone ever heard of it?

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 23:41:03 GMT
From: Will <willreich_77@my-deja.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: FM Busby, _The Demu Trilogy_

Great stuff. I thought it was _To Cage a Man_ but, either way, it is a
great book and the others are really quite good.

Will

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 01:36:02 GMT
From: jcrrau@primenet.com (James Charles Rau)
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: FM Busby, _The Demu Trilogy_

Yes, very good. You have definitely found a treasure. Very worthy of a
read.

James Rau

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 23:52:33 +0000
From: GSV Three Minds in a Can <GSV@quik.freeuk.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: FM Busby, _The Demu Trilogy_

I rated it about 8/10 .. above average, but not 'classic'. ymmv. That was
on my first reading a few years ago - may revise my opinion second time
through. Try it and see, it isn't that log of a read.

------------------------------

Date: 21 Dec 2000 11:40:34 -0500
From: mcardle@ozemail.com.au (Edward McArdle)
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Reviews: McKillip's The Riddlemaster of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, Harpist in the Wind.

     Patricia McKillip, The Riddlemaster of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire,
			    Harpist in the Wind
		   Review Copyright 2000 Edward McArdle

I mainly read science fiction rather than fantasy, but I had been hearing
recommendations for Patricia McKillip, and the books had been on our
shelves for years, so I began.

My main problem with fantasy is that it doesn't have restrictions. In
science fiction we are basically in the real world, and the parameters are
set for what can be done. In this series we have a world defined by a map
drawn in the front of each book, like those many of us may have drawn, with
little kingdoms. Each kingdom is (rather incredibly) different from each of
the others. Hed is a little island, filled with simple farmers.  Another
land has a ruler who can become a wolf. Another a ruler who can become a
tree.  Another where the dead do not stop fighting each other.  All have
been created by the High One, who gives the land-rule to the leader of the
country, which gives him or her complete knowledge of every blade of grass.

This trilogy begins with Morgon of Hed, ruler of that simple country,
winning a crown by answering a riddle no one else could. With the crown he
wins the hand of Raederle in marriage. But he does not believe she should
be forced to marry him (though he loves her).

He goes on a quest to find and question the High One, accompanied by the
High One's harpist.

At the end of book one he meets the High One, and there is a big
cliff-hanger ending.

Book two is about the adventures of Raederle, as she goes searching for
Morgon (whom she loves). She finds him, discovering her powers along the
way.

Book three has them questing together, trying to solve the problems set up
in the three volumes.  I found this one was the one where I did a lot of
skipping.

The plot is quite intricate, but Morgon has been showing clues right
through.  He can learn anything from anyone - to be a vesta, a tree, a
wolf, a crow, to bind the winds, to bind the dead - so that eventually he
is superman, and can do anything. Eventually there is a fight and he wins.

When the writer can solve any problem by writing that the hero and heroine
can pretty much do anything, the book must have something else to recommend
it.  In this case the characters are interesting, or at least Morgon is
while he is still mostly human, and the writing is involving. The harpist
is one of the most interesting characters, followed by Raederle.

I don't have any intention at present of reading more of Patricia
McKillip's work, but may one day want another little fix of fantasy.

Author:     Patricia McKillip
Title:      The Riddle Master of Hed
City:       London
Date:       1979
Order Info: ISBN 0 7088 8051 7
Publisher:  Futura Publications
Pages:      222pp
Comments:   paperback AU$3.25

Author:     Patricia McKillip
Title:      Heir of Sea and Fire
City:       London
Date:       1979
Order Info: ISBN 0 7088 8050 9
Publisher:  Futura Publications
Pages:      207pp
Comments:   paperback AU$3.25

Author:     Patricia McKillip
Title:      Harpist in the Wind
City:       Glasgow
Date:       1979
Order Info: ISBN 0 7088 8051 7
Publisher:  Futura Publications
Pages:      222pp
Comments:   paperback AU$3.25

Edward McArdle

------------------------------

Date: 22 Dec 2000 22:54:23 GMT
From: Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@eblong.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: _Wild Angel_, _There And Back Again_ (Pat Murphy)

The gimmick, you've probably already heard, is that Max Merriwell (a
fictional author) has the balls to rewrite _The Hobbit_ as space opera and
_Tarzan_ in Gold-Rush California.

After reading _TABA_, I couldn't decide whether Pat Murphy was portraying
an eccentric author badly, or a bad author accurately.  Either way, the
result wasn't a very good book. The language (whether Murphy's or
"Merriwell"'s) is just limp. The few charming touches were too recognizably
lifted from Tolkien.

But I bought _Wild Angel_ anyway (don't ask), and I enjoyed it a lot
more. Now, I've never read any of the Tarzan stories. (Even though they're
sitting there right on the Web.) That may be the difference right there. In
_TABA_, the plot elements were so obtrusively familiar that I couldn't make
any sense of the story as a whole. In _WA_, that wasn't a problem - the
story certainly hung together much better for me.

The writing, honestly, is still limp. But the rest of the book is
entertaining enough to make up for it. It's colorful, extravagant,
cheerfully implausible, and you know that Evil is going to get satisfying
thumped at the end.

(I'd love to find someone who hasn't read _The Hobbit_ and ask whether he
found _TABA_ entertaining. There aren't many such people around here,
though. If you are one, would you care to undertake an experiment?)

Philosophically interesting note: _WA_ is definitely not sci-fi or
fantasy. But it gets shelved in that section; not just because the author
is known in the sci-fi world, but because it's part of a sci-fi
series. Sort of. Right? Characters from _TABA_ show up in _WA_, or
analogues of them do. But without their science-fictional aspects.

In fact, looked at by itself, _WA_ is not a book I would read. (I really
*am* uninterested in mainstream fiction, mostly, even historical
adventure.) And, looked at by itself, Banks' _Inversions_ is not science
fiction either. In both cases, the authors keep hold of my head through
sneakiness and metatextual jokes.

Mind you, I liked _Inversions_ a lot more.

Anyway, I'll certainly pick up the "completion" of this "series", which
Murphy says will be *about* Max Merriwell, not *by* him. I guess that'll
settle whether Murphy's prose is any better than Merriwell's.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2000 03:08:47 GMT
From: Steven H Silver <shsilver@worldnet.att.net>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: _Wild Angel_, _There And Back Again_ (Pat Murphy)

Andrew Plotkin wrote:
>Anyway, I'll certainly pick up the "completion" of this "series", which
>Murphy says will be *about* Max Merriwell, not *by* him. I guess that'll
>settle whether Murphy's prose is any better than Merriwell's.

You could lso pick up Murphy's Nebula Award winning novel The Falling Woman
or one of her other novels or short stories to see what you think of her
prose.

Steven H Silver

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 07:36:44 GMT
From: "Rachel Brown" <r.phoenix@worldnet.att.net>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Steve Perry's Matador series

Another one from the martial arts recommended reading list.  Good picks,
guys.

These are a series of books about, basically, martial artists kicking butt
for the cause of good in a pretty generic sf far future star-spanning
setting.  The characters are types, but likeable (or lip-smackingly evil)
types.  The writing is serviceable.  The sex scenes are often obligatory
(though he really captured, in a comically over-the-top way, what it feels
like to be a teenager and suddenly have your hand be where your hand has
never been before. I laughed, but it felt true too.)  The plots are pretty
standard, too.

Boy, did I enjoy these books.  I've read three so far, and will probably
read them all.  They're not literature, but they're terrific pulp.  Those
pages practically turn by themselves.  Not only are the action sequences
good, but the author clearly knows what it feels like to train, and his
prose takes a jump upward every time butts start getting kicked or someone
walks into a dojo.  This is Good Stuff, if you like this kind of thing.

_The Man Who Never Missed_: One man has a battlefield revelation and
decides to bring down the Evil Galactic Empire singlehandedly, without
killing anyone.  Great fun.

_The Albino Knife_: The main guy's long-lost love has been kidnapped, and
everyone swings into action to find her.  This one was a little
lack-luster.

_Black Steel_: A bunch of fanatics are assassinating people with unique
black steel swords... and the man assigned to stop them finds himself on a
collision course with a woman swordfighter looking for her perfect pupil.
My favorite of the bunch, possibly because I read it first.  Great training
sequences, and beneath its bam-pow exterior beats a heart that really
believes in true love, honor, and friendship forever.

Rachel

  

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 07:22:16 GMT
From: "Rachel Brown" <r.phoenix@worldnet.att.net>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Christopher Priest's THE EXTREMES

I loved Priest's _The Prestige_, even if I did guess how both magicians
were doing their thing, and even though the ending, though creepy, was also
somewhat baffling.  If anyone would like to tell me what happened, please
take some spoiler space and do so. ;)

I liked his _The Glamour_ (about invisibility, sort of) a lot, right up to
the exasperating meta-fictional recursive ending.  I confess: that sort of
thing bugs me on what I know is a purely personal level.  I just Don't Like
It.

Then, _The Extremes_.  The premise: a woman whose husband was killed in a
mass shooting visits a town where another mass shooting took place on the
same day.  While trying to figure out the connection, she gets deeply
involved in virtual reality experiences in which she can recreate and
experience those events.

Another confession: I hate virtual reality.  The only book heavily
involving virtual reality that I have ever liked was Raphael Carter's _The
Fortunate Fall_.  Again, a personal flaw, etc.  _The Extremes_,
unfortunately, combines virtual reality AND an extreme (sorry!) degree of
meta-fictional recursiveness, which increases as the book progresses.  I
can't even comment on the ending with spoilers, because I was both confused
and losing interest, and thus am not certain what happened, or how, or why.
 
Why did I read this?  Priest's an interesting writer.  I liked _The
Prestige_ because he got to indulge in meta-fiction, which he likes, but
within a real framework, which I like.  Who knows if lightning will ever
strike like that again, though...

Rachel

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2001 03:43:10 GMT
From: dtrop341@my-deja.com
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Simak's All Flesh is Grass - anyone like this novel?

I just finished All Flesh is Grass by Clifford Simak.

SPOILERS

1) Characterizations were a bit weak. The lead character was kind of
bland. I did like how he seemed to balance trying to live in his hometown
yet yearning for an outside world. The girlfriend Nancy and her father
could have had more depth.

Tupper I did enjoy reading and did find his character interesting. I was
disappointed that we never really found out how he was able to communicate
with the flowers. It was left hanging.

2) The story was nicely paced. Except the ending which was too innocent
although it did make sense. But it just ended abruptly and realistically
could the solution work? Trading love to the aliens in return for nuclear
destruction. Also what would have stopped Russia from launching a nuclear
missile at the craft?

3) My favorite parts were in the alien world with Brad and Tupper. I liked
how Brad slowly figured out how that world worked and what the aliens were
doing. Also the skulls found whose were they? Also why did the bird
creatures be able to float between worlds so easily?  Let alone the alien
doctor. The alien flowers made it sound like it was tough to pass through
worlds.

Overall a good novel. The military reaction was realistic but could they
have accepted the ending solution? The ending just left the story hanging.

Is this one of his better novels? If so I find him just above average.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 16:23:43 -0600
From: "Endymion9" <endymion9@mindspring.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Darwin's Blade by Dan Simmons

Just finished this.  I always read Wolfe, Jonathan Carroll and Simmons as
soon as I get my hands on them.  I give this one ** out of 5 stars.

I always enjoy Simmons writing style and there were many interesting facts
and scenes in the book.  But it just didn't come together as a story for
me.  The last 80 pages are a notch better at drawing me into the story than
the first 250 or so.

I almost hate to write a review like this because I like Simmons writing so
much and wouldn't want to hurt his feelings by not loving this story.
Also, it seemed like it could be heavily drawn from autobiographical
experiences (just a guess).  Like I said, I liked the characters, I liked
many scenes, I just kept waiting for *the story* to grab me and it never
really did.  Still worth reading though!

Dennis

------------------------------

Date: 21 Dec 2000 11:44:22 -0500
From: <galta@pathcom.com>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Darwin's Blade - Dan Simmons- Review

			Darwin's Blade, Dan Simmons
			Review Copyright 2000 galta

I just finished reading Darwin's Blade, the latest from Dan Simmons.
Simmons has done the Hyperion series (the first and fourth in the series
were stunning), collections of short stories and The Crook Factory.

Simmons is a great writer, but this book is a waste of trees. Not even
considering the weak "who cares" plot and thin characters, my greatest
complaint is that this book is painfully derivative.

At least Simmons had the brains to pilfer from a good author. He cribbed
his earlier short stories, and tied a variety of disjointed and allegedly
true stories into a subtext for the book. The protagonist is a free-lance
accident re-creation specialist; he investigates the bizarre deaths and
using just his little ol' measuring tape and laptop can figure how that
tree got stuck up Jed's rectum.

No theme, no arc, no development, no editing, no thesaurus. This felt like
a book written merely to fulfill a contract, sort of like a Greatest Hits
album from a ticked-off band.

My greatest annoyance was Simmons' repeated use of "literally" to make a
point. I counted five uses of it, such as, "He literally fell into a
chair". From the universe of adjectives, metaphors and similes, he couldn't
even work up enough interest to pick a phrase that actually meant
something.

A massive disappointment from a writer who ought to know better. Save your
bucks and spend your reading time elsewhere.

Author:     Simmons, Dan
Title:      Darwin's Blade
Publisher:  William Morrow & Co.
City:       New York
Date:       November, 2000
Order Info: ISBN 0380973693
Pages:      384 pp.
Comments:   hardcover, US$25.00 retail, US$20.00 at Amazon.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 12:21:59 +0000
From: charlie@nospam.antipope.org (Charlie Stross)
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Andrew M Stephenson

>Anyone remember the UK SF author who only wrote a couple of books, one
>called Nightwatch and the other called The Wall of Years? He must have
>been writing in the early eighties or late seventies.
>
>Whatever happened to him?
[...]
>Does anyone have any more news about him?

Yup. Andrew is still around, but not writing any more. He said (last time I
asked) that it was too much effort for too little reward - I gather his
editor just about dragged "The wall of years" out of him and he didn't feel
like trying again.

In my view he's in the same category as Chris Boyce - extremely promising
British SF writers of the 1970's who stopped doing it after a couple of
years. The big difference is that unlike Chris (who very sadly died last
year) Andrew is very much alive and might, one day, write something again.

(If I run into him at a con I really *must* prod him over Wildside Press.
The contracts for both those books have probably long since reverted and
it'd be good to see them available in print again.)

Charlie

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 07:27:40 -0600
From: Richard Horton <rrhorton@prodigy.net>
Reply-to: sf-lovers-written@Sflovers.Rutgers.Edu
Subject: Re: Andrew M Stephenson

Incidentally Stephenson had a story in the 1997 incarnation of _New Worlds_
(edited by David Garnett, published in TP by White Wolf).  It was called
"The Pact", and it was decent stuff.

Rich Horton
richard.horton@sff.net

------------------------------

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