Book Description
The prize-winning biographer Robert D. Richardson has written a masterly and utterly moving portrait of James' pivotal member of the Metaphysical Club, author of The Varieties of Religious Experience, eldest sibling in the singular James family. William James, ten years in the making, draws on a vast number of unpublished letters, journals, and family records. Richardson paints extraordinary scenes from what James himself called the "buzzing blooming confusion" of his life, beginning with childhood, as he struggled to achieve amid the domestic chaos and intellectual brilliance of Father, brother Henry, and sister Alice. Through impassioned scholarship, Richardson illuminates James's hugely influential works: the "Varieties", "Principles of Psychology", "Talks to Teachers", and "Pragmatism".
Customer Reviews:
For A Popular Audience, Too.......2007-10-08
I need not repeat the summaries set forth below by other reviewers, since these explain both Richardson's method -- to tell the life story through the work -- and the essentials of James' theories. What I will say is that, even if you have no background in philosophy or psychology, you should read this brilliant, passionate biography. James wrote for a popular as well as a professional audience; he was open and curious to all experience, and wished to be inclusive rather than exclusive in disseminating his ideas. Richardson is clear and succinct in explaining James theories -- often in the man's own, crisp, evocative language and clarifying analogies. Moreover, the concepts that James developed have in many cases become part of our popular vocabulary, including through organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, which Richardson reports took inspiration from James' Gifford lectures, published in the U.S. as "The Varieties of Religious Experience."
I had not read James for many years but, since reading this biography, have purchased a collection of his writings and am re-reading many of his works. You will come away from "In the Maelstrom of American Modernism" with a better understanding of both American values and ideals, and the history of U.S. higher education. Most importantly, however, you will come away with enormous admiration for the radiant personality that was William James, or as Richardson exclaims (using italics, not caps) at the end of this great work, for "the SPIRIT the man." When I finished reading, I not only wanted to read William James; I was sorry that I had not known him or had him as a teacher. That's how good this book is -- for every reader.
Excellent for Scholars, Less Interest for Other Readers.......2007-08-07
This book will resonate perfectly with scholars trained in philosophy and psychology. Biographer Richardson traces William James' evolving thought patterns with a thoroughness no writer could exceed. For the average reader, though, I suggest the book will have value mostly because of the interesting lives of William James and his novelist brother Henry.
Certainly I had been unaware of William's lifelong health problems. Too, the book provides fascinating tidbits about his courtship with his eventual wife Alice. Note his highly formal writing style in a love letter to her: "My duty is to win your hand if I can. . .What I beg of you now is that you should let me know categorically whether any absolute irrevocable obstacle already exist to that consummation."
Another highlight for me--William James' rejection of "copied religion." He has no use for the person whose "religion has been made for him by others, communicated to him by tradition, determined to fixed forms by imitation and retained by habit." James noted that "the founders of every church owed their power originally to the fact of their direct personal communion with the divine."
I enjoyed the book as a life story well told.
The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication-change Your Life!
HENRY JAMES'S OLDER BROTHER........2007-06-10
I read often on Henry James and through that have always gathered some tangential information concerning his older brother, William.
When I saw this book at our local library could not pass up the opportunity to read a full biography of William James. The desire to do so reaped rewards of insight into not only William but the entire James family. Though William and Henry were separated in many ways as individuals, they were also connected in many ways. Henry felt great loss with William's passing, and William asked Alice to be with Henry when his time came. Henry when near death felt the closeness of William at Lamb House, Rye.
No matter what drives your desire to read this book, much biographical and empirical information will be gained, and William James now has a swell biography all his own which I can place on the my shelves next to all the Henry James material.
Recommended.
Semper Fi.
What a Terrific Biography!.......2007-03-20
Robert Richardson has written a masterful biography. It is hard to imagine how it could be improved upon and it deserves recognition as the essential study of America's best known philosopher. There are still a few young people feeling their way through life who remind me of the youthful William James. W.J. really did not amount to much til he was past 40. His youth was a confusing matrix of indecision, false starts and immobilizing depression. How apt that James did not disparage the popular self-help writers of his day. (One of his endearing traits was his willingness to listen to rivals, opponents and crackpots.) I think Richardson's biography will make a terrific self-help book for young Jamesian types.
Richardson calls his book an intellectual biography. By that, he means to show how James's life can be understood through his work. He specifically states in the prologue it is not to be interpreted the other way round. Clearly, James's life was affected by his own thought and writing. After he achieved recognition, he was able to more effectively control his daemons, rise above his seasonal existential crises and come to embody the actualized voice of American philosophy. However, the James epistomology is pre-Freudian. He never acknowledged that the unconscious could conduct its own guerrilla attacks on life and definitively shape experience. His early life seems especially laden with familial burdens that threatened to marginalize his life and reputation. In fact, James's all consuming adoption of empirical interpretations may have been a reaction to his father's over-idealized religious tracts. Philosophically, W.J. turned out about 180 degrees removed from his dear old dad. Richardson remains mum on whether James ever acknowledged the role of polarity. More than anything however, the author demonstrates how James's writing was influenced by his own history- i.e. he turned his own experience into philosophy.
It is reasonable to expect a biography to touch upon every important theme in his subject's published works. James spent two thirds of his life awaiting his genius, so we don't hear about his formal philosophy til late in the book. I am no authority on the James canon, but I think everything I ever read by him or about him was addressed by Richardson. I am content that the intellectual issues were sufficiently aired. Of course, W.J.'s prose was not highly systemitized. (Outlines are for idealist philosophers.) Indeed it is to his enduring worth that all his tracts were infused with rhetorical panache. Richardson notes that Rebecca West observed that "one of the James brothers grew up to write fiction as though it were philosophy, and the other to write philosophy as though it were fiction." R.R. does a great job of limning the loving/distant relationship between William and Henry. In fact, all his friendships are given prominence, and my curiosity has been stirred over several lesser known colleagues. In conclusion, this is the most satisfying biography I've read in a long time. It will be enjoyed by all manner of psychologists, philosophers and intellectual historians.
superb biography.......2007-03-13
This is an excellent, very well documented biography of one of America's most interesting intellectuals. Through detailed quotations from personal letters, careful exploration of James's physical and domestic environment, and meticulous exploration of what James read and who he talked with, Richardson gives us the kind of familiarity with James and his ideas that might have come from knowing James personally. One of the best books I've read in the past couple of years.
Average customer rating:
- Maelstrom (The Twins of Petaybee, Book 2)
- Fun Read!
- Novel or Serial?
- PTB series
- Newcomers on Petaybee
|
Maelstrom (The Twins of Petaybee, Book 2)
Anne Mccaffrey , and
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Scarborough, Elizabeth Ann | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | McCaffrey, Anne | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | McCaffrey, Anne | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Adventure | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
-
Changelings (The Twins of Petaybee, Book 1)
-
Second Wave: Acorna's Children (Acorna Series)
-
Dragon's Fire (The Dragonriders of Pern)
-
Third Watch: Acorna's Children (Acorna)
-
Fortune's Fool (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3)
ASIN: 0345470044
Release Date: 2006-12-26 |
Book Description
In Changelings, bestselling authors Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough returned to the sentient planet Petaybee with a story of growth and transformation in the face of deadly new threats. The telepathic, shapeshifting twins Murel and Ronan found that Petaybee had plans for them as well. Now those plans begin to bear fruit with fresh possibilities . . . and dangers.
MAELSTROM
Now that Petaybee is forming a new equatorial island, the planet has agreed to harbor a group of new refugees, workers indentured to the powerful InterGal Corporation. But the mission to collect the immigrants becomes a rescue operation when it is revealed that InterGal is doing nothing to help these survivors of a world devastated by a meteor shower. Murel and Ronan set out to persuade the frightened refugees to come out of hiding, leave their world, and bring along their sacred totem animals, the gifted sea turtles called the Honus. But the twins discover that they’ve taken on more than they expected: The Honus are not the only animals sacred to the refugees. There are also the Manos, intelligent sharks who have lost none of their predatory habits–and who cannot be left behind to die.
When the Manos are released into Petaybee’s waters, a tragic misunderstanding endangers the whole resettlement operation. At the same time, the mysterious sea otters who once rescued the twins’ father are suddenly revealed to be much more than they appear to be.
Now it is up to Ronan and Murel, with the intrepid assistance of their river otter friend Sky, to smooth the waters before a maelstrom of revenge destroys Petaybee’s harmonious way of life.
But even as the twins uncover startling new facts about Petaybee’s past that will change everything they thought they knew about the planet, the forces of InterGal are gathering, preparing to strike. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Maelstrom (The Twins of Petaybee, Book 2).......2007-07-14
It kept up the pace and the story line as book 1 left off. I really enjoyed it and very much look forward to Book 3.
Fun Read!.......2007-06-26
This is the second book following the story of the selkie twins Ronan and Murel. Though I enjoyed Changelings quite a bit more than this story, this was a good sequel that kept the story going and I am now awaiting the third installment due to the cliffhanger ending. You will fall in love with the animals on Petaybee and I believe that is why I keep reading these books about the twins. Sky (an otter) is my favorite character. This book is very well suited for Young Adult readers, but can also be a good, short read for adults. I recommend reading Changelings before you pick up this book. If you enjoy these, you should read the trilogy that started it all starting with 'Powers that Be', they are terrific and I would recommend them to all fantasy lovers!
Novel or Serial?.......2007-05-15
If you don't mind cliffhangers, run, do not walk, to your local sci-fi source and get this book. You'll enjoy it immensely. The Twins of Petaybee are back and they're lots of fun.
Like Changelings (The Twins of Petaybee, Book 1), Maelstrom is well-written, intriguing, and somewhat frustrating if, like me, you prefer stories that end when the book ends. While I enjoyed the continuing adventures of the Petaybee Twins, I strongly recommend that anyone who is considering reading this book, first find Changelings and read that, then plan on reading the next installation of this serial as soon as you can get your hands on it. Better yet, wait until the final installation of this serial comes out and read all of the story without waiting a year or so between books. Eventually, The Twins of Petaybee will make a great omnibus edition.
PTB series.......2007-05-13
Another in Ann McCaffrey's PTB series. Good reading. Good for the heart and soul. If you liked the Pern books, you'll love these PTB series books.
Newcomers on Petaybee.......2007-05-02
Maelstrom (2006) is the second SF novel in the Twins of Petaybee series, following Changelings. In the previous volume, Murel and Ronan barely saved the sacred Honu from Dr. Mabo and then immediately returned to Petaybee. Their father had gone missing and Madame Algemeine shipped a load of helicopters, small submarines and other rescue equipment to search their planet. Ke-ola and the Honu were also coming with them.
Back on Petaybee, the twins soon recovered their father, alive and well, but without any memory of his ordeal. Later, the Petaybeans took Ke-ola and the Honu into the communion cave and there they received a message from the planet. Petaybee wanted to invite Ke-ola, the Honu and their people to come live on the new landmass and the twins have been selected as planetary emissaries.
In this novel, the selkie twins and Sky Otter leave their homeworld to deliver the invitation. On the outward journey, the captain of the Piaf, Johnny Green, arranges for them to learn various ship functions. They never really have time to get bored.
After reaching the Halau system, the Piaf encounters the Intergalactic Enterprises Company Corps carrier George Armstrong Custer, Colonel Zachariah Cally commanding. The Intergal crew orders them to leave, but Marmion uses her rank and reputation -- and an outright lie -- to overrule the order and land on the planet. There they find Ke-ola's hometown deserted and full of craters from meteorites.
Although the situation looks hopeless, the Honu informs them that there are survivors underground. After the surviving villagers and Honus are found, Colonel Cally asserts that there are no more survivors. Yet the Honus guide them to another nearby village where other survivors of the bombardment have also gone underground. But the twins soon discover that this village has Manos -- sharks -- as their aumakuas instead of sea-turtles.
After considerable argument and with some rationing, the Piaf returns with these survivors to Petaybee. Since the spaceport is far from the sea, the Petaybeans make arrangements to transport the Manos -- with their able-bodied people -- to the ocean. Meanwhile, the young and elderly remain aboard the Piaf, but with better meals and other supplies.
In this story, the twins and Sky have another encounter with the sea otters. Then Sky casually mentions that the sea otters have told him that the deep sea otters are still alive, despite indications that a volcano had destroyed their city. Since nobody else knows that these otters exist, the twins decide to warn them about the sharks. Murel and Ronan head out to the new island forming in the sea where the deep sea otter city had been located.
The twins also encounter a number of other creatures in the sea, including a pod of Orcas, some sea seals, and the newly arrived Manos. Murel and the Orcas have a confrontation that isn't entirely one-sided. The sea seals are helpful, but a little domineering until they meet Sean and the Orcas. The Manos are bloodthirsty, but the patriarch is rather afraid of Murel.
This story is the middle book in a trilogy, so the ending leaves the situation hanging. The sentient planet Petaybee displays some of its powers, mostly at the end of the volume. However, one wonders whether the adult Petaybeans are ever going to be able to leave the planet without dying from their planetary induced changes.
Highly recommended for McCaffrey & Scarborough fans and anyone else who enjoys tales of sentient planets, telepathic animals and precocious selkie children.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Average customer rating:
- Fantastic sequel to _Starfish_
- Everything that Wm Gibson was supposed to be....
- Disappointing Sequel
- An Intriguing Novel from One of Canada's New SF Writers
- Dark, gritty fiction
|
Maelstrom (Rifters Trilogy)
Peter Watts
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Classics | Contemporary | General | Historical | Humor | Letters & Correspondence | Middle | Old | Poetry | Renaissance | Shakespeare | Short Stories
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
-
Behemoth: B-Max
-
Behemoth: Seppuku
-
Blindsight
-
Thirteen
-
Spook Country
ASIN: 0312878060 |
Book Description
An enormous tidal wave on the West Coast of North America has just killed thousands. Lenie Clarke, in a black wetsuit, walks out of the ocean onto a Pacific Northwest beach filled with the oppressed and drugged homeless of the Asian world who have gotten only this far in their attempt to reach America. Is she a monster or a goddess? One thing is for sure: all hell is breaking loose. This dark, fast-paced, hard SF novel returns to the story begun in Starfish: all human life is threatened by a disease (actually a primeval form of life) from the distant prehuman past. It survived only in the deep ocean rift where Clarke and her companions were stationed before the corporation that employed them tried to sterilize the threat with a secret underwater nuclear strike. But Clarke was far enough away that she was able to survive and tough enough to walk home, three hundred miles across the ocean floor. She arrives carrying with her the potential death of the human race, and possessed by a desire for revenge. Maelstrom is a terrifying explosion of cyberpunk noir by a writer whose narrative, says Robert Sheckley, "drives like a futuristic locomotive."AUTHORBIO: Peter Watts lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Download Description
This is a dark, fast-paced, hard SF novel that returns to the story set up in Starfish: all human life is threatened by a disease (actually an early form of life) from the distant prehuman past. It survived in the deep ocean rift where Lenie Clarke and her companions were stationed before the corporation that employed them tried to sterilize the threat with a secret tactical nuclear strike. But Clarke was far enough away that she was able to survive and walk home, 300 miles underwater. As this book opens, Clarke walks onto shore, carrying the potential death of the human race, and possessed by a desire for revenge.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic sequel to _Starfish_.......2007-06-04
Peter Watts' _Starfish_ introduced the reader to a fascinating, very well-developed dystopian world, the sometimes wonderful but often frightening world of the mid-21st century. In _Maelstrom_, Watts shows how that world comes to an end.
_Maelstrom_ begins right where _Starfish_ left off. Lenie Clarke and Ken Lubin, "rifters," people modified to work at a deep sea power-generating station (practically cyborgs in some respects), are the sole survivors of an attempt to contain the deadly pathogen dubbed Behemoth, discovered at the deep sea geothermal vent where Bebee Station was located. As the reader learned in _Starfish_, the strange and extremely deadly microorganism lived at that particular vent and was isolated until humans set up shop in its habitat. Aware of the unbelievable risks posed by the microbe, the government of North America used nuclear weapons to destroy the potentially biosphere-ending benthic organism at the end of _Starfish_, hoping to destroy the vent, the station, the rifters, and anything remotely associated with Behemoth. The resulting tsunami and earthquakes - made worse by the very nature of the smart gels assigned to handle the Behemoth problem - killed millions.
Unfortunately, Behemoth was not contained. Not only had it already spread to the North American Pacific coast, it was being carried further inland by Lenie Clark. Quite angry at the betrayals and lies she had been subject to, she journeyed inland to seek answers and revenge of a sort, unfortunately sowing the seeds for North America's if not the world's demise. Wherever she went, she spread Behemoth.
Lenie Clarke became far more successful than she had any right to be, owing to an unusual concentration of forces and alignment of events in her favor, as Clarke became not only a societal force but also a force of sorts in Maelstrom, the whirling, chaotic, violent successor to the modern internet, a place dominated by increasingly intelligent and dangerous "wildlife," rogue computer programs, future descendents of today's computer viruses but much more troublesome. The author's description of the evolution of such electronic organisms and the conditions prevalent in Maelstrom in the mid 21st century were fascinating and chilling. It made me very concerned about my virus protection software on my computer (not that any modern program could hope to prevail against the monsters of Maelstrom)!
Other major players include two members of the "Entropy Patrol," two "'lawbreakers" by the name of Achilles Desjardins and Alice Jovellanos. Given enormous power to react quickly, ruthlessly, and efficiently to mounting global crises, they are information experts, able to interpret, analyze, and quickly act on mounds of data in any field, be it economics, ecology, disaster management, or any other sphere (aided by the fact that they were given incredibly enhanced intellectual reflexes and pattern-matching skills). At first the Entropy Patrol was designed to act quickly and globally in an era of quarantines, diebacks, and crop failures, acting to quickly contain diseases and invasive organisms as they spread over the world as to well as to contend with other things such as global terrorism, they increasingly came to include in their sphere other sources of concern, with the power to instantly ruin millions of lives economically or to even physically end lives with powerful weapons (as long as it served the greater good of course). More powerful than any despot or emperor ever dreamed of being, only one thing stood to keep them in check, a biochemical fix known as Guilt Trip, which prevented `lawbreakers from acting against the greater good. Derived from chemicals used by parasites to control the behavior of their host, Guilt Trip paralyzed anyone with guilt - literally paralyzing them - if they ever sought to do something against the greater good. Guilt Trip was the only way anyone would ever sleep soundly knowing people like Desjardins had such enormous power at their fingertips.
Other players included Sou-Hon Perreault, a botfly operator (botflies are remotely operated flying machines, able to hover or speed to trouble spots and bring to bear as needed a battery of sensors, instruments, and in some cases weapons) and Patricia Rowan as well (a "corpse" - or corporate executive - from the first novel).
An interesting and well-written book, it was a little dark at times though generally never truly disturbing. You can see the large amount of research the author has put into this novel (but not to such an extent that the action drags or characters come off as flat or anything).
Everything that Wm Gibson was supposed to be...........2005-09-19
I finished Maelstrom over the weekend. In case you didnt' know, its the sequel to Starfish and number 2 of 4 in the Rifters series. The third and fourth parts are two halves of one book that have been published separately because together it was more than 110,000 words, an obscure number in publishing that means the book can't make enough to be worth publishing alone.
Starfish was one of the more imaginative sciece fiction novels that I've ever read. If you remember the hype that surrounded William Gibson when he wrote Mona Lisa Overdrive, you might also remember how disappointing those books were. More about style than substance. Peter Watts delivers both style and substance in an elegant and beautiful writing style. His books are HARD sci fi. You'll have to pay attention but its very much worth the trip. Watts delivers what Gibson was supposed to...in spades.
Starfish was about adapted humans living in the deep sea vents, mining geologic heat to convert into energy for the world above the waters. They have been modified to be able to live underwater (I want to be one!) and they're psychotic.
Maelstrom picks right up where Starfish ended and turned up the dial about a thousand percent. Wow. What an amazing read!
If you like science fiction, you'll love these books. They are the gold nuggets that we will read a thousand books to try to find. Save yourself the nine hundred ninety nine books and go get this one.
Five stars, which I'm not sure I've ever given before.
Disappointing Sequel.......2004-01-14
I bought this sequel to Starfish, and to be frank, was disap-
pointed. Narration seemed disjointed, couldn't follow it very
well-may have been too cyber-punk for my tastes. I ended up skipping to the very end to read the conclusion, and it still
disappointed me. I don't think I'll keep it, either, that's how
disappointing it was to me. Too many disaparate strings of the
story just did not seem to be resolved in a satisfying way. Too
cool and too hip a story for me. Needed better editing, perhaps
not enough resolution to keep me interested very much.
An Intriguing Novel from One of Canada's New SF Writers.......2002-10-05
I inadvertently picked up "Maelstrom" at a local library recently and found it hard to put down. Peter Watts is a splendid, hard science fiction writer whose technological descriptions rival many I've seen from the likes of Gregory Benford and Greg Bear, among others. Unfortunately, his characters are not nearly as well fleshed out as theirs, often resembling one dimensional figures whose existence merely serves to advance the plot. Nor is his writing as lyrical as theirs, which I found rather surprising since one of his acquaintances is Canada's best young writer of science fiction, Nalo Hopkinson. Yet fans of technological science fiction will undoubtedly find "Maelstrom" quite intriguing, even if it only resembles in tone and substance, genuine cyberpunk fiction.
Dark, gritty fiction.......2002-02-19
First off, if you haven't read Peter Watts' first novel, "Starfish", don't start with "Maelstrom". While this is theoretically a stand-alone novel, the reader unfamiliar with "Starfish" will miss out on a tremendous amount of back-story and character development. ...
As for "Maelstrom" itself, Watts has easily cleared the high bar he set with his first novel. All too often, sequels are rehashes of old conflict, but that is not the case here at all. Watts takes his already complex characters from the first novel and adds several more layers of texture; at the same time he adds just enough new characters to keep things interesting. These characters are equally well developed, and overall, Watts' writing is even sharper than in the first book.
The writing has to be sharper, because this is a much more complicated novel than the first. While "Starfish" took place in the relatively limited space of a deep ocean outpost, and dealt primarily with human interactions, "Maelstrom" sprawls across the Pacific and North America and a significant portion of the action takes place in cyberspace. Moreover, the plot is significantly more complicated. I don't want to get into it in too much detail, as doing so would ruin much of "Starfish" for those who haven't read it. But the general theme of this novel, like its predecessor, is the impact that the unforeseen consequences of exponentially growing technology can have on humans as a species and on the planet as a whole. In a dystopian setting of environmental havoc and human violence, two new scourges have emerged. One is spawned by nature, the other, inadvertently, by man. The result is a bizarre, but believable synergy that threatens the entire biosphere. It was particularly interesting how Watts explored the nature of consciousness by subtly comparing the burgeoning life of a piece of code with the flawed memories of the main character.
By now you may have guessed that there is a lot of science in this novel, and you'd be right. There is a great deal that is cutting edge, and even more that is purely speculative. Watts makes use of some pretty heavy biology and AI science that may intimidate readers at first blush. It would be a mistake to avoid this novel for that reason because the science is just there to set the stage for the story. If you understand the detail of it, it definitely adds many intriguing twists; but if you only understand it at the surface level, you could still easily follow the story. That's the beauty of Watts as a writer: he's pigeon hold as hard-SF, but the SF is just a means to the end of writing incredibly complex, beautiful characters struggling with problems we can easily empathize with. Finally, Watts has included an appendix discussing the key science in some detail, and also provides a bibliography of sources he used.
"Maelstrom" is an outstanding novel set in a believable, terrifying future. It was undeniably entertaining and I tore through it at a breathless pace. It also left me thinking about technology and its impacts in some new ways. Watts is no technophobe, but he makes a strong point about the lack of responsibility in many arenas of scientific endeavor. "Maelstrom" is a must read for anyone who enjoys a great story, rich characters and a thoughtful message.
Book Description
In an age of tyranny, one evil rises above all others.
The Summer of Chaos swept its devastation across the world of Krynn. In its wake, foul dragon overlords of immeasurable power conquered Ansalon and remade the lands in their own image. But Malystryx, the greatest and most evil of all the dragons, is no longer content with ruling her domain. She wants to ascend to godhood, and only one band of stalwart heroes stands in her way.
Customer Reviews:
A good book but the ending left me unsatisfied........2004-04-12
All in all this book was decent. Certainly was not one of the best Dragonlance books I have read. Some parts of it kind of dragged along without a whole lot of suspense to the point that I nearly put it down. It ended very blandly without a true and proper conclusion. As this book was the third and last of three books in a set it would have been better to end the whole adventure. Instead Jean Rabe pushes it even further to three more books in which after this one I truthfully am not looking forward to. This is still a good book to read I enjoyed many parts of it though so it is still worth a look.
The Eve of the Malestrom.......2003-04-11
This is likely one of the greatest dragonlance books ever written. Any one who misses this great addition to the dragon lance seris will be truely sorry. READ THIS BOOK!
Best book of the trilogy.......2003-03-13
As the trilogy progressed, Rabe's writing just got better and better. It went from being awkward and stilted in the first book to very smooth flowing in this last book. It actually felt like a true Dragonlance book and made for some very enjoyable reading. Yes, some of the characters needed to be fleshed out more and they seemed to get mortally wounded and overcome unbeatable odds more than they should have, but those seemed like minor things.
The last half of the book seemed like fight scene after fight scene with minimal rest in between. Rabe has a knack for writing suspenseful battles, despite the fact that they can be a little unbelievable at times (5 people taking on 3 dozen Knights of Takhisis and winning). Her handling of the dragons and the intrigue among them in this book was very well done. I especially enjoyed the introduction of the shadow dragon. There was also an interesting exploration of the undersea kingdome of the sea elves, Dimernesti.
The conclusion, however, seemed a little flat. It seems as if the author wanted to set up another book, be it one of hers or some other author's in the Dragonlance saga. Maybe it continues almost directly into Weis & Hickman's War of Souls or into her own Dhamon Saga. Guess I'll find out when I get to those books.
My only complaint was the need for some serious proofreading. Typos, missing words, incorrect words ("to" instead of "too"), and missing punctuation got to be really excessive. I was surprised at how bad it was. There were pages where I found three or four of these. Of course, this was the previous edition that I read, so maybe they fixed these in this new release.
All in all, a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Even if you hated the first book, I think you'll like this one (just make sure you read the second installment as well).
An interesting ending..........2002-06-24
The Eve of the Maelstrom, by Jean Rabe is a fine conlusion to an otherwise intresting series. Rabe does a great job bringing the heros together to fight against something that has been a problem throughout the whole trilogy: The Overlords.
I happened to find this trilogy exciting and worth the read. It definately leads nicely into Wies and Hickman's War of Souls Trilogy. Granted, Krynn is different in these books. But that doesn't make it any less interesting. In fact, I found these books just as interesting as the Chronicles trilogy that started the Dragonlance world. While these aren't AS good as previous Dragonlance books, they are still quite entertaining.
If you pass up these books cause of the poor reviews that it gets, then you are going to miss an exciting series. The adventure and action seems to never stop in these books. New mysteries are revealed, while others are solved. Finally the heros strike back against the massive Overlords. This book is definately worth the read. Don't pass it up. It sheds light onto the new face of Krynn. A Krynn without the gods.
Disappointment.......2001-12-06
After reading most of the Dragonlance books, I finally bought this trilogy. I wasn't expecting much, and I didn't get it. It's a bad sign when your book has 15 pages left with no resolution in sight. Or when you have a "slideshow" telling what happened to the characters because you ran out of space. How many times did these paperdoll characters get burned, scarred, run through and mortally wounded just to get revived by the healer? How many times did we get detailed descriptions of their new outfits but not real personalities? Despite the good idea of dragon overlords, how come no one deals with the problem of food? At the rate they eat, Ansalon should have no people or livestock left. But that, along with so many plot points, is just part of the mystery. Maybe that mystery is why five dragons let a band of humanoids poke, prod and wound them, then let them leave. It's too bad Jean Rabe had to introduce unbeatable, unkillable monsters and found them more fascinating than the characters we had to read about for three books.
Book Description
This acclaimed series serves as a biography of the U.S. Constitution, offering an indispensable survey of the congressional history behind its development. In a rare examination of the role that both the legislative and executive branches have played in the development of constitutional interpretation, The Constitution in Congress shows how the actions and proceedings of these branches reveal perhaps even more about constitutional disputes than Supreme Court decisions of the time.
The centerpiece for the fourth volume in this series is the great debate over slavery and how this divisive issue led the country into the maelstrom of the Civil War. From the Jacksonian revolution of 1829 to the secession of Southern states from the Union, legal scholar David P. Currie provides an unrivaled analysis of the significant constitutional events—the Wilmot Proviso, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and "Bleeding Kansas"—that led up to the war. Exploring how slavery was addressed in presidential speeches and debated in Congress, Currie shows how the Southern Democrats dangerously diminished federal authority and expanded states' rights, threatening the nation's very survival.
Like its predecessors, this fourth volume of The Constitution in Congress will be an invaluable reference for legal scholars and constitutional historians alike.
Customer Reviews:
Exceptional.......2006-01-10
Exceptional
Book Description
Star Trek: The Next Generation kicked off a whole new era of Starfleet exploration and adventure. Now the crew of the Enterprise-D continue their mission in these great comics collections!
In Maelstrom, an interplanetary peace treaty is threatened when Chief O'Brien falls under the control of a devious telepath; Riker and La Forge are taken captive by a dangerous gang of Ferengi profiteers; and the Enterprise investigates a vortex that launches them into the neutral zone — and the sights of two Romulan Warbirds!
Featuring rare interviews with LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge) and Michael Dorn (Lt Worf), these adventures are essential reading for any Star Trek fan!
Book Description
In the nightmare future of Warhammer 40,000, mankind teeters on the brink of extinction. Into the Maelstrom is a storming collection of a dozen action-packed science fiction short stories set in this dark and brroding universe.
Customer Reviews:
A glimpse into the universe of Warhammer 40K........2006-07-08
This is a compilation of short stories in the dark future of Warhammer 40K, when the human empire has reached its peak and are challenged on all sides by relentless enemies. As with all 40K fiction, these stories are full of brutal carnage and non-stop action in a universe without limits. Follow federation soldiers, space marines, inquisitors, aribites, naval officers and all other manner of emperial servants on quests to fight evil and sustain the empire.
These stories offer a great glimpse into the universe of Warhammer and would be a great place for someone to start reading WH40K literature.
A collection of Warhammer 40,000 short stories.......2003-10-15
This book is a collection of Warhammer 40,000/Black Library publications. It contains some of the earlier short stories orginally printed in "Inferno" a bi-monthly magazine that showcases several short stories each and every month. This book has several good short stories. Here is a rundown of a few of the stories you will read if you buy this book.
The First Story is "Salvation". Its a story of a forgotten Ultramarine who was stranded on a planet after a tyranid cleansing; where he is was injured and considered MIA. The Ultramarine has no memory of who or what he truely is. He is taken by a family in a small farming community, and starts his life anew, as a simple farmer. But, some things are not meant to be, for there is something lerking in the woods. Something that must be dealt with.
"Into the Maelstrom" is a Twisted tale surrounding one of the divious and dangerous characters in the warhammer 40,000 universe, "The Blood Reaver"; the leader of the Chaos space marine pirates known as, Huron Blackheart. There is a plot to kill Huron Blackheart. But somethings are easier to plot than to achieve.
"The Black Pearl" is the story of Uzziel, a Interrogator-chaplin of the Dark Angels space marine chapter. Durning a Interrogation of one of the traitorous "Fallen", Uzziel falls upon knowlege of a ancient and precious artifact. "The Lion Sword" was the property of their Primarch Lion El' Jonson, and had been lost since the battle with luther. Will this information lead Uzziel and the Dark Angels to "The Lion Sword" or into a trap. Look for the Eldar to play a major part in this tale as well.
"Hell in a Bottle" is a story about a man made training planet, which is powered by the "Mimesis engine". The caretaker of these huge training vacility is Tydaemus, a instructor-sergent of the Iron Heart space marine chapter. A Chaos Prince named Kargon "The Seed bearer" and his hoard of Bloodletters has mistaken this planet of machine parts, gears and holografic material for a real planet, and has marked it for planting its "Seed of Chaos". The only person who can stand up to this demonic hoard is Tydaemus.
"In the Belly of the Beast" takes you inside a Tyranid Hive ship, along with a squad of young space wolves lead by sgt. Harkon. What will they find?? You'll have to read "Into the Maelstrom" to find out.
Great........2001-09-13
This and Dark Imperium are a collection of short stories. If you think 40k is for you this will give you an all round view that can't be beat. Some of the stories were exceptional but with short stories they can't all suit you. I liked both and would recommend them to anyone.
Welcome to the world of Warhammer.......2001-07-16
Warhammer is a universe that is constantly at war. Humans, chaos soldiers, dwarves, elves, ogres, dragons, tyranids, griffons, eldar, daemons, mages, and countless other beings make up this world. Into the Maelstrom is a gritty collection of twelve short stories that are all set in the fantastic universe of Warhammer. The good thing about short stories is that they are straight to the point. There are not any boring paragraphs because most of the stories are less than thirty pages. Each story(except one) kept me entertained and I can't wait to get my hands on another Warhammer novel.
Just OK.......2000-09-28
Warhammer 40K stories have been more about the setting than the story. It's interesting to see some of the background, but for the money you're better off reading something else.
Average customer rating:
|
Maelstrom: Maelstrom
Llewellyn
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
British Detectives | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
-
Death Roll
-
The Iron Hotel
-
Deadeye
-
Blood Knot
-
The Sea Garden
ASIN: 067178997X |
Book Description
78-year old Ernie Johnson, experienced yachtsman, dyed-in-the-wool leftie and pacifist, sails toward Ireland aboard The Worker's Paradise. When Customs Inspectors board the boat, they find a huge cache of arms and whisk Ernie away to face the music. His nephew Fred Hope, 'conservation's Che Guevara' with his own reputation as a wild man, visits the old man in prison, only to find that he appears to have forgotten who he is. What follows is a compulsive tale of international treachery, Russian Mafiosi, stolen art treasures and political ghosts from the past - set against the freezing backdrop of the Norwegian Sea in winter.
Customer Reviews:
The Cloak of the First Pilot .......2004-08-28
Maelstrom's Eye is the third book in the Cloakmaster Cycle series, which consists of six (6) books in total. Picking up from where Into the Void left off, the book continues to shed light on Teldin Moore and his ongoing quest to find out more about the magical cloak he carries a.k.a. "The Cloak of the First Pilot" and eventually be free of it.
The book does not waste time, instead it rushes to answer some of the questions that have been left lingering/unanswered from the first two books e.g. the changing of the cloak's colors, the ability to comprehend languages, the Reigar race to which the fallen she-captain from Beyond the Moons belonged and more...
This time round, Teldin has changed both physically and mentally; less trusting, longer hair, mustache etc
Ability-wise, he is maturing, becoming more and more experienced and able as a fighter as well as in learning the secrets of the cloak and thus better able at controlling and handling its immense power. He is able to cast Haste, Magic Missiles, and set up protective magical barriers among others.
The book opens with a bang, immediately catching the reader's interest and attention.
The amazing tour of the exotic Rock of Bral and the graphic way that Vorr dispatches the goodly party leave the reader enthralled! The book immediately becomes captivating, to the point that it cannot be easily put down.
The graphic slaughter of noble heroes is surely to get one's attention and develop hateful feelings towards the perpetrators.
The plot as a whole is excellent! The book is so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to another plane of existence and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. Moreover, Roger Moore does a great job of presenting the distinct culture and civilization of the space faring peoples, especially the elves, the gnomes, and the scro. He has done a great deal of research in order to provide such an accurate and lucid description of these people.
Neogi, umber hulks, elves, gnomes, space battles, intrigue, betrayal, and swordfights are all about.
In addition, there are some new and interesting races/creatures like the Fal and the scro (space goblinoids) that really do spice up things.
Furthermore, there is a strong sense of Star Wars and Star Trek with the motley collection of aliens that one encounters in Wildspace and on the Rock of Bral in particular, though a map of the Rock would be extremely helpful.
Finally, it is truly wonderful to be provided with so much more information regarding the Spelljamming world.
On the negative side, there is still the question from the first book that is left unanswered as to why Teldin seemed as being a draconian to the draconians while at the SAME TIME as himself to his human companions (there must be some kind of magic from the School of Illusion at work that has not been explained). Hopefully this will be dealt with in one of the other books further down the line.
Secondly, a "charmed" Teldin could convince Aelfred to mutiny against his captain (Estriss) with little, almost no difficulty after 3 and a half years (!!!) service aboard the Probe, but he could not get him not to hire Gaye, the half-kender girl, whom he'd never met before as a new crew member! Hmm...
Thirdly, the gypsy-like half-kender is really not that great nor that interesting as a character and unless she has some kind of higher mission in the next book (s) there isn't really a good enough reason to have her included in the first place. As for the "relationship" that seems to be in the making...
Fourthly, the main villain, a scro general, is really too strong/powerful to the point that I don't really know if Teldin and company were up to the task of defeating him. (Gods DO NOT have 100% Magic resistance!) He wiped out a party made up of elves, dwarves and humans including priests, fighters, cavaliers and wizards without as much as breaking a sweat!
Finally, as to WHO and HOW succeeds in killing Vorr, the characterization "far fetched" is an understatement, if I ever saw one! (Unless again there is more than meets the eye that will be revealed down the line.)
Roger Moore does a FANTASTIC job of conveying the sheer power and evil of the Scro, especially after reading: "He buried bones that were burned, bones that were broken, bones that were gnawed upon."
In conclusion, my question is why did Roger Moore not write any more books along the lines of Maelstrom's Eye?
Maelstrom's Eye.......2003-07-23
Compared to any of the other books situated in the Dungeons and Dragons universes, I have enjoyed the Spelljammer stories quite thoroughly. I recommend this book highly to anyone that likes Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Darksun, Greyhawk, or Planescape.
Delightful! The best installment in the series!.......2001-07-14
I warmly remember The Maelstrom's Eye as one of the best TSR-novels I read as a teen. Roger Moore gave his debut as a novelist, displaying a quite surprising talent for writing, given that he was primarily a game designer. He managed to elevate the up to then solid but not captivating Cloak Master Cycle to new heights, delivering a story as complex as it was intriguing. Elaine Cunningham came close to matching him in this, but after that, the series sadly dropped off. Don't miss the appearance of the dreaded space hamsters!
Reunions..........2001-03-17
These are the ONLY novels written before TSR cancelled the Spelljammer AD&D campaign:
In this, the third novel of a 6-part series, the main character (Teldin Moore, a native of Krynn, the Dragonlance world) meets with the Elven Imperial Navy to get help in determining the properties of his mysterious cloak, which is said to have ties to the Spelljammer ship itself.
As the story develops, he is emroiled in a conflict with the elves and the Scro, an intelligent orc race, who both want to obtain his cloak (as does an undead neogi). Along the way, he is reunited with a character from the first book (a hippo-man named Gomja) and is joined by a native of his homeworld, a female half-kender (as he would say, "Great Paladine!").
Well-written and in-depth, this continues the series of novels about the Cloakmaster. Each novel is written by a different TSR-native author. The story, so far, has meshed well and each author well-defines the broad scope of the unique Spelljammer setting.
This entire series must-buy for a fantasy fiction lover tired of the traditional "Earth-style pseudo-medievil world-walker" campaigns.
Orcs backward? Luckily it improves from there........2000-02-10
A good fast paced book that keeps you guessing. I missed the first two in this series and this one just didn't flesh the main character, Teldin Moore out enough to really make you root for him. However, it was really nice to see a normal person fighting the good fight (Ahem, R. A. Salvatore take note,)all in all a very worthwhile read. I definitely want to see where Teldin and Gaye (a half-kender female - kind of kinky I'll admit)end up.
Books:
- Year's Best SF 11 (Year's Best Sf)
- Your First Year in Network Marketing: Overcome Your Fears, Experience Success, and Achieve Your Dreams!
- 1,000 Places to See Before You Die Traveler's Journal (Travel Journal)
- 15 Books in 1: L. Frank Baum's Original "Oz" Series. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl Of Oz, Little Wizard Stories of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow Of Oz, Rinkitink In Oz, The Lost Princess Of Oz, The Tin Woodman Of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and Glinda Of Oz.
- A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest
- A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League
- A Summer of Kings
- As You Like It (Folger Shakespeare Library)
- Bad Bargain (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- Bartender's Black Book, 7th Edition: 2,700 New and Classic Recipes
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances
- Sisters
- Holy the Firm
- History: Fiction or Science
- Laura's Album: A Remembrance Scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Standard and Microscale Experiments
- The Fall of Constantinople 1453
- Famous for Fifteen Minutes: My Years With Andy Warhol
- Handbook of Common Methods in Limnology
- Gandhi: Against the Tide
Emerson: The Mind on Fire (Centennial Books)
Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death
Henry Thoreau: A Life of the Mind
Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature
William James : Writings 1902-1910 : The Varieties of Religious Experience / Pragmatism / A Pluralistic Universe / The Meaning of Truth / Some Problems of Philosophy / Essays (Library of America)
