Book Description
The world is a breathtakingly big place, and in this big book we have undertaken the big task of detailing as much of it as we can - every single country, many of the larger dependencies and other, smaller destinations. With the traveler's experience at its heart, this book shows a slice of life in every corner of the globe, and all points in between, engaging the reader's senses in an adventure which conjures up the sights, smells, tastes, sounds and feel of our amazing world.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic for Reference or Coffee Table.......2007-07-07
I am taking my teenager on a backpacking trip around the world, and this obviously requires a bit of research. I have to admit that I have done most of this in the bookstores, sitting with a book such as this one, and taking notes.
This book, this massive tome, though, kept calling to me every time I went in. I came up with a justification for buying it easily enough - it will look great on the coffee table! (And it does)
It impresses in several ways
1- The breadth - every country in the world - every single one - has a 2 page spread. (Only thing left out are the micronations, but don't worry, LP has a separate book just for them!)
2 - The pictures - in true LP fashion, the photos are stunning views into another place, a different culture, often taken from an angle you don't expect.
3 - The information - concise, accurate, up-to-date. Included are little bits you won't easily find elsewhere, like how much for a cup of coffee, or the best things to shop for, or unexpected experiences one may find just off the beaten path. Of course, you will also find the essential bits of history and culture to help you get a feel for the place.
I find my self turning to it time and again as I research our trip - it gives me just enough info to know if I want to further investigate a place, or if I should just leave it to armchair travel. This book, by the way, is the ultimate guide for the armchair traveller!
My son has used it for school projects. When he had to write a paper on Africa that included 5 different countries, this is the book he used to determine which countries to research.
Also, it really does look FANTASTIC on your coffee table! Your friends will pick it up as soon as they sit down - you'll see. It is such a large and gorgeous book, and at such a crazy cheap price, there's little risk here.
If your considering buying it, go ahead, you will be happy to own it. And your friends will be glad you own it, too!
Great Gift Idea.......2007-07-03
I have given this book as a gift (appreciation, birthday, etc) a number of times and each time the receipient has LOVED it!
travel book.......2007-06-28
i absolutely love this book. it's great to learn a little bit about each country in the world. it has fantastic pictures. great for the world traveler or the person that likes to dream about the world!
This is my favorite photography travel book ever........2007-06-10
I am so happy I decided to buy this. It helps me understand what other parts of the world are like the people and land. Places I never even knew existed. I have a better understand and Idea of what the world is like now. I have even become very interested in learning about other places and to visit them. It is my first resource to picking a place to go on vacation. This is a great resource if you want ideas for places to travel. My only complaint is that I wish the book listed a little more practical information on each country. They dont tell much about the countries. Also I would highly recommend purchasing the hardcover edition as the paper back in this book is so large that it quickly became unglued from the spine. Definatly get this book if you are curious about places of the world or if want to glimpse into all the countries looking for places to visit. I didnt know how many choices there are. The photographs are wonderful and real of what daily life is really like in each country. Not like the romantic touristy photos in other books. This is really healpful because you dont just see all the beautiful good places in a country. You get to see the reality wich is really helpful when choosing a vacation destination. I only give 4 stars because of the lack of information provided on each country is very small.
Great dream starter.......2007-05-14
This is a beautiful coffee-table sized book that gives the reader a "taste" of every country in the world. As a traveler, I love the pictures and the opportunity to learn about countries I read and hear about. It'a a great introduction and the references to movies, books and movies about the country are helpful too.
Book Description
With the Vatta’s War series, award-winning author Elizabeth Moon has claimed a place alongside such preeminent writers of military science fiction as David Weber and Lois McMaster Bujold. Now Moon is back–and so is her butt-kicking, take-no-prisoners heroine, Kylara Vatta. Once the black-sheep scion of a prosperous merchant family, Kylara now leads a motley space force dedicated to the defeat of a rapacious pirate empire led by the mysterious Gammis Turek.
After orchestrating a galaxy-wide failure of the communications network owned and maintained by the powerful ISC corporation, Turek and his marauders strike swiftly and without mercy. First they shatter Vatta Transport. Then they overrun entire star systems, growing stronger and bolder. No one is safe from the pirate fleet. But while they continue to move forward with their diabolical plan, they have made two critical mistakes.
Their first mistake was killing Kylara Vatta’s family.
Their second mistake was leaving her alive.
Now Kylara is going to make them pay.
But with a “fleet” consisting of only three ships–including her flagship, the Vanguard, a souped-up merchant cruiser–Kylara needs allies, and fast. Because even though she possesses the same coveted communication technology as the enemy, she has nowhere near their numbers or firepower.
Meanwhile, as Kylara’s cousin Stella tries to bring together the shattered pieces of the family trading empire, new treachery is unfolding at ISC headquarters, where undercover agent Rafael Dunbarger, estranged son of the corporation’s CEO, is trying to learn why the damaged network is not being repaired. What he discovers will send shock waves across the galaxy and crashing into Kylara’s newly christened Space Defense Force at the worst possible moment.
Customer Reviews:
Vatta book 4.......2007-08-16
Worth a read, if you like prior books as I did, but hope the next one is better- this was set up book in a lot of ways to widen the story line, imho.
Not worth the HC price in my view.
Pure light Space Opera -- nothing earthshaking, nothing really new, but good fun. .......2007-08-12
In a way there is little to say about the fourth novel in an ongoing sequence. Suffice it to say, perhaps, that Elizabeth Moon makes no major missteps in this book -- if you have been enjoying the Vatta's War series, you will enjoy this one. What else do we need to know?
To begin with, if you haven't been reading this series, I recommend going back and starting with book one. If you enjoy fast-moving space adventure, with involving characters and space war tactics and action and all... these books will work for you. They aren't perfect -- in common with most novels in this subgenre, the main characters are a bit implausibly skilled at the roles they are thrust into, in common with many series novels, the individual novels don't always work ideally on their own.
What of Command Decision, then? By this time essentially four main points of view have been established. Ky Vatta is the nominal protagonist of the series: a young woman unfairly forced out of the Slotter Key Space Academy, who joined her family space transport company and who thus was well-positioned to begin resistance when conspirators destroyed ansibles throughout human space and attacked several systems, including Slotter Key. Stella Vatta is Ky's beautiful cousin, who discovers in herself unsuspected talents for leading a business when most of the Vattas were killed and she was left the only candidate to try to keep the business going. Grace Vatta is Ky and Stella's supposedly dotty Aunt, who turns out to really be a spy, and as one of the few survivors of the attack on Vatta interests at Slotter Key is the natural choice to take a position in the new government. (No Moon books would be complete without a formidable Aunt -- after all, James Nicoll went so far as to dub her previous Space Opera series "Aunts in Space".) And finally Rafe Dunsbarger is a mysterious man, the disgraced son of the CEO of ISC, the company that controls ansible traffic, supposedly a remittance man (i.e. living on an allowance from his family) but actually serving as an undercover ISC agent.
Of these four Rafe's story is most central to this new novel. He has secretly returned to his home planet, Nexus, hoping to find his father and try to understand what's up with ISC and the ansibles. But his father (along with his mother and sister) has disappeared. So Rafe must try to find out what's up with his father -- and in the process figure out what's up with ISC. This forces him to reassess his troubled past life -- and also leads to fun but almost goofy scenes including a shootout in the boardroom.
Meanwhile, Aunt Grace is continuing to root out potential traitors in Slotter Key's government. Stella is pursuing further potentially lucrative business opportunities while still coming to terms with her personal history. And Ky is still trying to expand her fleet, this time with some unexpected help from a very romantic -- and very wealthy -- fellow. She also deals with a nasty system, complete with slavers, and she helps out the Mackensee mercenaries when they are in danger from the pirates. All this means she is faced with another difficult personal choice.
Basically, this is a middle book in a long series. Nothing is really resolved -- but nothing need be resolved at this point. There is plenty of cool action, several engaging good guys to root for in a struggle against some really really bad guys (as ever, Moon's villains are truly villainous). This is pure light Space Opera -- nothing earthshaking, nothing really new, but good fun.
Virtually Flawless.......2007-07-14
COMMAND DECISION (2007) is the fourth book of the VATTA'S WAR Series - following ENGAGING THE ENEMY(2006), MARQUE AND REPRISAL(2005), and TRADING IN DANGER(2004). These books follow the exploits of Kylara Vatta, a Space Trader with a military training background, who is forced to turn Space Privateer, in response to an attack by Space Pirates on the Vatta family Space Trading enterprise and the ansible inter-system communication network... the conflict begins to expand to a galactic war in ENGAGING THE ENEMY, and in this book, Ky takes charge of a small fleet at the center of conflicts in the enlarging galactic war.
Near the end of the book, 4 disparate groups of ships (pirates, mercenaries, Ky's new "Space Defense Force" and ISC's force) could meet up in a remote location... but I won't give away what happens - as it is the best scene out of the series.
As usual with this series, there are some overly-coincendental or contrived scenes (the magic "skull ansible" technology in Ky's head... why don't MORE people have it, if it works?) - but they really don't impact the exciting pace and overall quality of the book. While the book isn't perfect, it is very enjoyable, and it gets 4.5 stars - round it up to 5.
Command Decision (Vatta's War).......2007-06-13
I've read all the books in this series and I found them to be a read you can't put down. It kept me wanting to read the next book to see what happens. I looked up on the net to see when the next book is coming out and I can't believe it's not til next year, I can't wait that long, but I suppose I just have to.
More Skulduggery in the Spaceways.......2007-05-31
Command Decision (2007) is the fourth SF novel in the Vatta's War series, following Engaging the Enemy. In the previous volume, pirates jumped the privateer ships practicing maneuvers in a deserted system and destroyed several of the vessels. Kylara Vatta joined forces with two other ships as they fought their way out of the ambush.
Aunt Grace supervised the laying of the cornerstone for the new Vatta Transport building. Afterward, Master Sergeant MacRobert invited her to tea and then stated that she would be asked to serve in a high position within the government.
In this novel, Rafael Dunbarger lands at Nexus Center Port as Genson Ratanvi, a middle-aged Cascadian business man. He passes Customs and Immigration without problems and heads for the Ambisor where he has stayed before in this identity. After installing his baggage in the room, he goes out to make some calls.
Upon reaching Luce's, a cafe in his former neighborhood, Rafe tries his father's private number and gets a "no longer available" message. When he calls his home phone number, the call is answered by someone he doesn't recognize. Then the voice asks his business and reason for calling. After telling the voice that he is trying to reach Flasic's Bakery Supplies, Rafe is told that he has the wrong number. But then he is asked for his calling location and told to stay on the line.
After he is permitted to hang up, Rafe complains to the proprietor of the cafe about the rudeness of some people. He asks for directions to Flasic's and Luce walks over with him. He makes some inquiries, but finds the transportation costs are too high. Luce walks out with him, yet returns to his cafe. By that time, Rafe is being followed by someone else.
Later Rafe is awakened by a call on his implanted ansible. He doesn't answer immediately, but just waits. Eventually he hears voices and jacks up the sensitivity to listen to three voices. The conversation suggests that someone had gotten his number from his father.
Stella and Toby are doing well on Cascadia Station. Unfortunately, Toby has stacked electronic gear all over the apartment. Stella tries to get him to pick up the mess, but he keeps getting distracted. Since Toby is designing some interesting modifications to the shipboard ansibles, Stella can't just throw the stuff out. Luckily, she has a lead on office and workshop space for the rebuilding Vatta Transport organization.
Ky is having medical problems aboard the Vanguard. Several of her crew have ingested something virulent. Although they identify the substance and treat the crew in the medboxes, Ky needs a medical staff like the professional forces. In addition, she needs to tighten discipline, for the crew should have known not to bring anything unusual onboard without permission. She holds an all-crew meeting while they are in FTL.
Ky visits Gretna Main Station to restock on missiles and gains a bad impression of their ethics. Among other malpractices, the Gretnans have a form of slavery and Ky buys her medical staff as indentured laborers. Of course, she frees the individuals as soon as they come aboard, but she puts her crew on high alert after learning of some other Gretnan tricks from her new medics.
In this story, Rafe continues his masquerade as a Cascadian businessman while gaining assistance from his former classmates to find his family. Toby learns how to connect shipboard ansibles to system ansibles and Stella starts a patent search. Aunt Grace becomes a very high personage in the Slotter Key Defense Ministry.
Ky recruits three other ship captains to her System Defense Force squadron. Captain Ransome and his fellows are much too romantic -- in the swashbuckling sense -- to be trusted fully, but their ships are small, fast, armed and highly maneuverable, making good scouts. Indeed, the crews have some experience boarding pirate ships. Best yet, Ransome is very rich and actually *buys* the shipboard ansibles that he installs in his ships.
This story continues the evolution of a multisystem defense force to fight the pirates. Ky has some setbacks, but also gains much more experience and some influential friends, including stronger ties with the MacKensee Mercenaries.
Highly recommended for Moon fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of naval conflict, corporate intrigue and personal combat.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Average customer rating:
- Hell Hath No Fury (Multiverse, Book 2)
- A great series continues
- A very good Rich Weber book
- A great read
- Going From Bad To Worse
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Hell Hath No Fury (Multiverse, Book 2)
David Weber , and
Linda Evans
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Weber, David
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Adventure
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General
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Space Opera
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ASIN: 1416521011 |
Book Description
It began with two men. They came from very different worlds¿entirely different universes, in fact¿and they met in a virgin forest on a duplicate planet Earth. Neither of them had expected it, both of them realized how important the first contact with any other trans-universal human civilization might be. But something went wrong. Neither side knows who shot first. But both the magic-using civilization of Arcana and steel-and-steam age Sharona, with its psionic Talents, think it was the other side. And it doesn't really matter, now, because the original incident has snowballed. Both sides have additional dead to mourn; both sides have additional wrongs to avenge. Both sides have additional military forces moving towards the front. War between the universes is the last thing responsible leaders on either side want. But the fury of their respective populations, xenophobic fear of the unknown, and cries for "justice" (or vengeance), are all driving both sides towards the brink. The actions of local military commanders and diplomats may well determine the final outcome, and unscrupulous, power-hungry men¿and Arcana and Sharona alike¿have agendas of their own. The fuse has been lit, and a war stretching across the universes, across an endless succession of identical Earths, fought between dragons, spells, and crossbows and repeating rifles, machine guns, and artillery is about to begin in white-hot rage and fury. Where it will end¿and how¿no one knows.
Customer Reviews:
Hell Hath No Fury (Multiverse, Book 2).......2007-07-05
A good follow up though a little weak in maintaining interest at some points. It is still a good read for Weber fans.
A great series continues.......2007-06-11
The conflict between two civilizations that span multiple parallel Earths (Sharona, based on technology and psi, and Arcana, based on magic) that started in Hell's Gate (Multiverse, Book 1) continues, blown into war by a power hungry faction of Arcanans, who are contemptuous of the abilities of barbarians unaware of the use of magic.
Several threads are present to be of later importance - the dolphin alliance with Sharona (from the first book, but not referenced since), the Voice (telepath) from Sharona with her husband and the honorable Arcanans escorting them into Arcana, the newly unified Sharononian government at pseudo-Constantinople and, of course, the soldiers of both civilizations (with a developing conflict between those Arcanans who knowingly fabricated the war and those who are finding out the truth). An additional intriguing occurrence is the gradual discovery by those of each side who've penetrated the other's territory of the nature of their own skills in a vastly different environment (that's a little cryptic, but to say much more would be spoiler). There's also a bit of a cliff-hanger ending each of the books.
There are glossaries that help overcome the sense of disorientation of unfamiliar names for familiar locations (I used a map for book one and wrote names as I read through the book) and to keep track of the large number of characters. The atlas glossary could use some editing - e.g. one region is referred to as being both "west of India" and "containing China" and another area is referred to as belonging to the opposite civilization from what's stated in the text. It is still very useful, despite a little carelessness.
There is so much material that this series should last for several more books. If not, there will be a lot of unhappy fans.
A very good Rich Weber book.......2007-06-01
In a world where trans-dimensional rifts allow movement between parallel universes, two mighty empires have arisen. One uses magic uses a highly-developed magic, while the other is based on steam technology and psionics. And when they came together, conflict was probably inevitable. In this, the second book of the series, war has now come, and Hell hath no fury like this war across the multiverse!
I am a big David Weber fan, and I couldn't wait to get this series. Overall, I like the way that the author handled the two disparate technologies (magic developed to the point of technology and psionics also developed to the point of technology), and the war scenes are pretty realistic and gruesome. Overall, I found this to be a very good Rich Weber book, one that I do not hesitate to recommend.
A great read.......2007-05-17
The first book in the series was good even though confusing with the introduction of all the characters and places. This one really clicked. I could hardly put it down. The action was great, the characters well developed, and the story flowed smoothly. I am so looking forward to the next one.
Top-notch combat action. The usual Weber detailed political intrigue.
Going From Bad To Worse.......2007-05-15
In HELL'S GATE, David Weber and Linda Evans created an interesting new series of universes in which to play and posited a first contact scenario between the two civilizations as a botched effort, rife with misunderstandings on both sides and tragic violence. In this second volume, the situation just gets worse as misunderstandings proliferate and people with ulterior motives and hidden agendas do their best to promote themselves at the expense of their societies.
One of the civilizations under scrutiny is fairly backward from a technological point of view and could best be described as pre-industrial. To make up for this lack, they employ genuine magic, complete with fire breathing dragons. Since the other side has no conception of this, it is difficult to fight.
The other side has a Victorian industrial base but supplements itself with various psionic powers. This too proves formidable for their opponents who have no conception at to how this might operate.
In this installment, the magical side has launched an offensive cloaked by negotiations in an order to gain the military high ground. The campaign is being run by officers in the area and their high command has no idea of what is going on or even that a war has broken out. This book takes us several months into the conflict and the line of communications is so long that the home world has not yet even found out about it. This leaves the in theater commander free to wreak havoc for his own personal agenda and that of his ethnic group.
The opposing side is remote but not as remote from the point of contact. They have been ambushed and are mad. They are mobilizing for total war but again, they are hampered by personal agendas.
We are only a few months into the series and it promises to be a long affair. I look forward to reading about it.
Book Description
At the end of Frank Herberts final novel, Chapterhouse: Dune, a ship carrying a crew of refugees escapes into the uncharted galaxy, fleeing from a terrifying, mysterious Enemy. The fugitives used genetic technology to revive key figures from Dunes pastincluding Paul MuadDib and Lady Jessicato use their special talents to meet the challenges thrown at them. Based directly on Frank Herberts final outline, which lay hidden in two safe-deposit boxes for a decade, Sandworms of Dune will answer the urgent questions Dune fans have been debating for two decades: the origin of the Honored Matres, the tantalizing future of the planet Arrakis, the final revelation of the Kwisatz Haderach, and the resolution to the war between Man and Machine. This breathtaking new novel in Frank Herberts Dune series has enough surprises and plot twists to please even the most demanding reader.
Customer Reviews:
The conclusion to the great Dune Saga.......2007-10-10
The book wraps up and finalizes the series started by Frank Herbert and finished by his son and Kevin Anderson. All the parts from the machine war trilogy and the dune saga are brought to close.
Disappointed.......2007-10-10
This book was horribly disappointing. I only bought it to get closure on the series.
The writers seemed to me to not understand what DUNE was all about. The story is shallow, uninspiring and very bland.
Go back and read Original DUNE, you'll feel better after reading this trash.
Sandworms...a magical conclusion?.......2007-09-30
If you've bought and read Sandworms of Dune--you must be a REAL Dune fanatic--I am. And for the most part, I've been totally on board with Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson continuing the saga. And you have to suspend a certain amount of belief with any sci-fi, but even moreso with "Sandworms." This book, more than any of their efforts seems to lose steam and even its "Dune" credibility with the "magical" wrapup at the end. If you've made it this far in this series...you HAVE to buy it; it just hasn't brought me back for "re-reads" like most of the others. But hey, genius and creativity aren't bottomless wells.
Excellent continuation of a classic story.......2007-09-27
It must be very difficult to write a continuation to a well-loved sci-fi classic even if your Father did write the original. Brian Herbert has succeeded, along with co-writer Kevin Anderson, to build on the original in an almost seamless manner. I have a few nagging doubts about certain developments but all in all this is the culmination of an excellent series of books. Brian and Kevin - well done!
An Editor would have been nice.......2007-09-27
Thank god (leto or duncan?) I'm done. In the end I was entertained, which is the purpose of reading. That being said, it was a tedious effort to get through this final, maybe?, chapter of Dune. There was a good story to be told in the end, but, it seems the authors were being paid for a word count. An editor should have reigned in the repetitiveness. How many times must they say the names of the reborn gholah's? They have a built in reader base that did not need the retelling of plot lines from five, six or nine books ago. The casual reader will not be reading this. KNOW your audience! It would have been much more compelling to have fleshed out characters (pick a ghola, any gholah..) than to keep retelling what the reader already knew by rote.
Others have posted on the many timeline/plot inconsistencies, but, the one I haven't seen is this....most "plot lines" were tied up in the epilouge save one....whatever happened to Paulo who was in a trance on the floor in synchrony? Is he still there in a trance? Did they rebuild around him? He just kinda got left there. Ooops. Indicative of the book.
I was entertained though.
Book Description
Hunters of Dune and the concluding volume, Sandworms of Dune, bring together the great story lines and beloved characters in Frank Herbert's classic Dune universe, ranging from the time of the Butlerian Jihad to the original Dune series and beyond. Based directly on Frank Herbert's final outline, which lay hidden in a safe-deposit box for a decade, these two volumes will finally answer the urgent questions Dune fans have been debating for two decades.At the end of Chapterhouse: Dune-Frank Herbert's final novel--a ship carrying the ghola of Duncan Idaho, Sheeana (a young woman who can control sandworms), and a crew of various refugees escapes into the uncharted galaxy, fleeing from the monstrous Honored Matres, dark counterparts to the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. The nearly invincible Honored Matres have swarmed into the known universe, driven from their home by a terrifying, mysterious Enemy. As designed by the creative genius of Frank Herbert, the primary story of Hunters and Sandworms is the exotic odyssey of Duncan's no-ship as it is forced to elude the diabolical traps set by the ferocious, unknown Enemy. To strengthen their forces, the fugitives have used genetic technology from Scytale, the last Tleilaxu Master, to revive key figures from Dune's past-including Paul Muad'Dib and his beloved Chani, Lady Jessica, Stilgar, Thufir Hawat, and even Dr. Wellington Yueh. Each of these characters will use their special talents to meet the challenges thrown at them.Failure is unthinkable--not only is their survival at stake, but they hold the fate of the entire human race in their hands.
Customer Reviews:
Hunters of Dune.......2007-10-04
First, I read Battle of Corrino by curiosity, a very bad book, the feud Atreides-Corrino very weak, the war machines and humans very long, and finaly , when the ship leaves the planet with a copy of Omnius, it was clear the link to the 7th Dune Book.
It was very convenient for the authors to "find" the manuscript of Dune 7, and wait several years to increase the curiosity of Dune fans.
I waited one year to decide to read Hunters of Dune, very disappointing, a lot of violence, planetary genocide, for Honored Matres and Bene Gesserit alike.
It is absurd to kill a 100 000 Honored Matres for 20 new members to the New Sisterhood. Destroying the Matres to fought the Enemy, what is the reason?.
The Symek empire waiting for the attack of the Matres to retaliate against the humanity?. They did'nt need a reason.
The authors are using Dune 7 to introduce as many of their own
creations as possible, like Omnius and Erasmus in the new novels.
Now is the season for Paul gholas, every one can have their own. How many Pauls are going to be created simultaneously?. The gholas acting and reasoning as adults?. It is not possible
Don't lost your money and time reading this book, the next, Sandworms of Dune, or any of the Dune books of Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson.
it's okay.......2007-09-26
i haven't had time to read it completely yet,but it looks okay.
Good that the writters remind us of past stories in the previous books.
Lettertype was a bit small,but that's because it was a pocket edition.
I like the cover art well !
Reading time you never get back..........2007-09-14
Simply put, it's trash. As a long time reader of Frank Herbert's novels (not just his Dune work), I've come to expect a certain standard in the writing. As a writer, I've learned to be more cirtical in my reading of fiction. This book in no way meets the minimum standards Dune fans should expect from someone who actually puts "Herbert" on their work.
Phrases like "they collided like asteroids" are indicative of the authors limited imagination and tell us something about his discomfort with prose.
The authors inabiity to properly pace his stories, his knack for foiling epic drama in a single paragraph, and dragging out cliche and trite banter for unending pages, makes the whole experience stomach turning.
Taking the intricately woven universe of his father's books, and lacking imagination to come up with his own characters, Brian Herbert (and to an extent Kevin Anderson) employ the cheapest technique ever: Let's clone them!
Now, I could even believe, that in this far flung culture where Gholas are, if not common, at least not unheard of, that they might Ghola a Hero or two to help them out in the battle. But they actually Ghola Dr. Yueh? To give hima chance to redeem himself or to steal another one of Frank Herbert's excellent plot points? It's just not well thought out.
On top of the authors obvious lack of mastery in his craft, it's just not a very good story.
Would it have been better if this book hadn't been written?.......2007-09-14
The urge to read Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's continuation of Frank Herbert's Dune series is a bit like the urge to purchase a lottery ticket. Buying the ticket makes sense because what you're gaining is the thrill of anticipation. What makes very little sense is checking your numbers as your chance of being disappointed is infinitely greater than your chance of actually winning. Checking your numbers is frankly a complete waste of time.
Almost.
Frank Herbert died in 1986, one year after his sixth novel in the outstanding Dune series, Chapterhouse Dune, was published. Chapterhouse ends with a cliff hanger - it's clearly not intended as the end of the series but death has a way of stuffing up good intentions. Twenty years later Herbert Jnr and Anderson's Hunters of Dune picks up where Herbert Snr left off.
In the Authors' Note to Hunters of Dune we're told that in 1997 Brian and Kevin had discussed writing the fabled Dune 7 but that with no extant notes by Frank they would need to base the work solely on their own imaginations. For a number of reasons they decided to write a three book prequel to the series - House Atreides, House Harkonnen and House Corinno. Somewhere along the way, we're told, they made the serendipitous discovery of two safe-deposit boxes containing notes by Frank Herbert for Dune 7. And thus from the master's notes we have Hunters of Dune and its companion Sandworms of Dune (due out in August 2007).
I doubt whether Tor's marketing division could come up with a better idea than the serendipitous discovery of the note books, an implausible (but not impossible) story: in an infinite universe I'm sure there are several good reasons why an author would keep the notes for what was presumably a work in progress in a safe-deposit box with not even a single copy around the house in case he had a desire to do some writing.
Hmmm.
Hunters of Dune was released in August 2006 and for several reasons it's taken me almost a year to get around to reading it. For a start I hadn't read the Dune series for more than a decade and I was keen to read the whole thing from beginning to end. And the verdict: the whole series stands up extremely well. Dune itself really does deserve its ranking as the greatest SF novel of all time.
That was one reason it took me a while to pick up Hunters of Dune.
Another is that I'd already been burned reading House Atreides, the writing duo's first offering and one that I'd read with great anticipation on its release in 1999. And the verdict: I haven't been game to read House Harkonnen and House Corinno or, until now, anything else the duo has done in the Dune universe. To be fair to Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, it's a tough task to pick up where the master left off, particularly as there are so many devotees of the master's work. Expectations are high and perhaps unrealisable even if you do a good job.
Unfortunately they don't even do a good job. Their writing is often poor and the complexity of plot, of ideas and of character that typified Frank Herbert's work and made the reading experience so satisfying is, frankly, absent. This is not the criticism of a Dune purist or conservative fan, jealous of Frank Herbert's legacy: if the new works were good, I'd be delighted.
My hope was that after honing their skills on six prequels (the three in the Prelude to Dune series and three others in the Legends of Dune series) Brian and Kevin would have improved enough to produce a worthy conclusion to the series. And there is definite improvement but in the end there really is only one thing to recommend Hunters of Dune and its companion Sandworms of Dune. I'll get to that one thing in a moment. In Hunters of Dune the prose is often flat, frequently reading like a stilted report about the protagonists. We're not invited to get inside these characters, and in any case they'd need to have an inside first: these characters might have the same names as they had in Chapterhouse, but they've lost the immense depth that Frank Herbert had bequeathed them and there's only surface left.
Also lost is any complexity and intellectual sophistication. Take this example of a discussion between mentat Miles Teg (a human computer) and Garimi, a Bene Gesserit. They've discovered a planet formerly belonging to the Honoured Matres, devoid of life although the infrastructure of civilisation is untouched (except by time). It's known that the Honoured Matres who invaded the Old Empire were fleeing something and that they wanted knowledge from the Bene Gesserit about how to manipulate and control their immune functions. So we have a planet with no living people but no obvious signs of destruction and a people seeking to control their immune functions as the Bene Gesserit do in order to overcome any pathogen:
Garimi held up one finger. "The whores came to the Bene gesserit demanding to know how we control our bodies. They were frantic to understand how Reverend Mothers can manipulate our immune functions, cell by cell. Of course!"
"Speak clearly, Garimi. What do you mean?" Teg's voice was abrupt, the hardened battle commander.
"She tuned a sour look on him. "You are a Mentat. Make a prime projection!"
Teg did not bristle at the scolding. Instead, his eyes became glazed for just a moment, and then his expression returned. "Ahh. If the whores wanted to learn how to control immune responses, then perhaps the Enemy attacked them using a biological agent..."
Frank Herbert's Miles Teg was a genius. Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson's Miles Teg is a moron. A Sinclair ZX81 (circa 1981 with a huge 1K of memory!!) could have pulled that one out of the box.
So, the one thing to recommend these books: they are a continuation of Herbert's work, purportedly based on his notes and the loose ends will therefore be tied up. And sadly, that's sufficient reason to read them.
Although some (Leto II for instance) might argue that the uncertainty of non closure is preferable.
(This review first appeared on www.sffmedia.com)
Hunters of Dune.......2007-09-13
Very satisfying for fans of the Dune series with interesting plot twists and, of course, a cliffhanger to the next novel Sandworms of Dune
Average customer rating:
- Not Free SF Reader
- Fascinating and provocative
- Haunting and horrifying
- Embarrassingly bad
- Great Book
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The Sparrow
Mary Doria Russell
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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The Shadow of the Wind
ASIN: 0449912558
Release Date: 1997-09-08 |
Amazon.com
In 2019, humanity finally finds proof of extraterrestrial life when a listening post in Puerto Rico picks up exquisite singing from a planet which will come to be known as Rakhat. While United Nations diplomats endlessly debate a possible first contact mission, the Society of Jesus quietly organizes an eight-person scientific expedition of its own. What the Jesuits find is a world so beyond comprehension that it will lead them to question the meaning of being "human." When the lone survivor of the expedition, Emilio Sandoz, returns to Earth in 2059, he will try to explain what went wrong... Words like "provocative" and "compelling" will come to mind as you read this shocking novel about first contact with a race that creates music akin to both poetry and prayer.
Book Description
ONE OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
"A NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT . . . Russell shows herself to be a skillful storyteller who subtly and expertly builds suspense."
--USA Today
"AN EXPERIENCE NOT TO BE MISSED . . . If you have to send a group of people to a newly discovered planet to contact a totally unknown species, whom would you choose? How about four Jesuit priests, a young astronomer, a physician, her engineer husband, and a child prostitute-turned-computer-expert? That's who Mary Doria Russell sends in her new novel, The Sparrow. This motley combination of agnostics, true believers, and misfits becomes the first to explore the Alpha Centuri world of Rakhat with both enlightening and disastrous results. . . . Vivid and engaging . . . An incredible novel."
--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"POWERFUL . . . Father Emilio Sandoz [is] the only survivor of a Jesuit mission to the planet Rakhat, 'a soul . . . looking for God.' We first meet him in Italy . . . sullen and bitter. . . . But he was not always this way, as we learn through flashbacks that tell the story of the ill-fated trip. . . . The Sparrow tackles a difficult subject with grace and intelligence."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"SMOOTH STORYTELLING AND GORGEOUS CHARACTERIZATION . . . Important novels leave deep cracks in our beliefs, our prejudices, and our blinders. The Sparrow is one of them."
--Entertainment Weekly
SELECTED BY THE BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
A bad book by a mundane religiously focused writer trying to be a science fiction writer, and failing, in general. Obvious, tedious, and worse than mediocre. This sort of thing has been handled many times before to considerably better effect. The religious preaching is so overt it causes you to grit your teeth and groan.
Fascinating and provocative.......2007-08-08
A fascinating and wholly original imagining of first contact with extraterrestrial life. A suspense story that builds patiently, dropping tantalizing crumbs along the way. Most profoundly, a meditation on the hard questions about God's involvement in our daily affairs, and his responsibility for evil in the universe.
I'm surprised to read so much praise for Doria Russel's characters, as they are the only aspect of the novel that keeps me from giving 'The Sparrow' a five-star rating. I found secondary characters like Voelker, Anne and Supaari to be more believable and fully imagined than the protaganist Emilio Sandoz, and his cardboard attraction Sofia. That aside, this is a powerful novel you will not soon forget.
Haunting and horrifying.......2007-08-05
My reaction to this book was much the same as "Reader's." The book is beautifully written, and the author crafted characters about whom a reader can truly care. I was mesmerized by a tale so wonderfully and deeply original, and I could not put the book down. But as the story progressed toward its ending, it changed into something sinister -- filled with shocking images and events. A bright promise and a fantastic read turned into a tale of unimaginable savagery. It was as though two different authors had written the story. Like "Reader, "I could not wait to physically separate myself from this book. My father taught me a deep respect of the written word, but this novel sickened me so much I was actually compelled to throw this book away. My apolgies to the author, but she has the talent to do better than to taint her work with graphic horror and sadism.
Embarrassingly bad.......2007-07-13
A sophomoric concept hamfistedly executed, with a cast of characters you just keep hoping will die already. Not remotely good enough to take itself as seriously as it does.
Great Book.......2007-06-28
I wouldn't hesitate to suggest this to anyone. It's themes are universal and it touches them all well.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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Similar Items:
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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Book Description
Climb the snow-capped peak of Volcán Chimborazo, the most distant point from the center of the Earth. Get up close and personal with capuchin monkeys in the central plaza of Misahuallí. Step back in time at Ingapirca, Ecuador's finest example of Inca architecture. Take in the surf scene on the south coast. Sophisticated cities, glaciated volcanoes, the lush Amazon Basin - our inimitable guide gives you access to all the treasures of exotic Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands
o GO WILD - special chapter on Galápagos wildlife by noted nature writer David Andrew helps you identify the many species unique to the islands
o VENTURE OUT - expanded focus on activities, adventure and ecotravel, plus a dedicated Itineraries chapter to help you explore this compact yet varied country
o GET SMART - comprehensive History and Culture chapters provide insight into Ecuador's volatile political landscape and vital indigenous communities
o WALK THE WALK - discover the colonial charms of Quito and Cuenca with our detailed maps and walking tour
Customer Reviews:
Nice.......2007-09-15
Excellent book to give you an idea of Ecuador and help you plan your trip.
Superb Guidebook.......2007-08-07
I went on a one-week long trip in Quito and its surroundings. It was my first trip to South America, also to a country where I do not speak the language fluently. This one had accurate descriptions of places I wanted to see, and it also gave precise directions on how to get to the places that are outside Quito. I have visited extensively the capital and other near areas, and from little-known corner eateries to magical trees, everything is noted in this book. Lonely Planet never failed to amaze me again in this one.
New 7th Edition Offers Important Updated Information.......2006-12-15
I purchased the latest edition of this book shortly after it's release on November, 30 and was very impressed with it's significant improvements over the 6th edition. I bought the previous book 2 years ago and, even at that time, was struck by how out of date and inaccurate some of it's information was. My wife grew up in Ecuador, still has family living there and goes back every year to visit (I go there with her every 2 years). So we, especially she, have a pretty good idea about what is happening in the country in terms of politics, prices and other information relevant to travellers. But we were disappointed how the previous book barely mentioned the major impact of dollarization on the Ecuadorian economy and the substantial increase in prices it has caused. So much so that most Ecuadorian families now have at least one or more family members working overseas in order to send money home just so the family can survive.
Fortunately, the 7th edition provides much more up to date information on this subject and others. Of course, prices for travellers are also more accurate since this edition is "hot off the presses". The book does a good job of covering all regions of the country - the Andes mountains, the Pacific coast and the Amazon rainforest. Lonely Planet, as usual, includes not only the big cities and major tourist attractions. But also small towns and other "off the beaten path" places that may be of interest for those exploring the tremendous natural beauty and cultural diversity that Ecuador has to offer.
Lonely Planet is still among my favorite publisher of travel guides. But, this book, like many LP guides, seems to have moved away from the free-spirited, adventurous approach to travel that characterized it's early years. Nowadays, the guides seem much more inclined to politically correct lectures - no hitchhiking, no intoxicants, be a good little backpacker, blah, blah, blah. Of course, I understand the importance of being respectful towards the environment and local culture, making safe and responsible decisions, etc. But I also feel that LP's writers sometimes have their own political agenda to push and take an overly self-righteous tone that is more indicitative of Western values than Ecuadorian ones. Heck, I'm part of an Ecuadorian family myself now and I know that they would find alot of LP's advice and commentary about "how to behave" to be exaggerated and ridiculous. Ecuadorians are generally a very laid back and fun loving people. Of course, you should be respectful of Ecuador's beautiful nature and diverse cultures. But also relax, enjoy yourself and don't let LP's excessively "politically correct" attitude bog you down.
Still the 7th edition is a big improvement over the 6th and I recommend it for those travelling to Ecuador in the near future.
6th edition 3.5 stars... time for update, guys.......2006-03-26
I'm a Lonely Planet addict who knew better than to blindly buy this edition (if you order one now -6th edition, as I did, you'll get 2003 info), but addicts usually are not known for using their heads.
Quito is rather different nowadays, bus lines are new, and there are different security issues.
At least I can say that 6th ed authors err on the side of caution (eg it's risky to expect to book last minute space on Galapagos boats; or take a taxi at night even if you're going one block), but the exceptions to these dicta are too great to accept that this edition is up-to-date. The errors in museum hours and bus info (Mitad del Mundo, for one) need revision.
Worst thing about ANY Lonely Planet is their system of maps. Reader never gets text of an attraction or restaurant or hotel referenced to map location. AND if you need reading glasses, just forget about using these maps when you're in a dark taxi or dark restaurant (often the places you need to read them). Bringing a magnifying glass is not always easy.
Another grouse... while authors want to tell the traveler that the most conveniences are in the Mariscal Sucre area (gringo landia), they don't leave it at that. They list almost no restaurants & resources outside that area. I thank the authors for including my fringe area hotel in the book, for I can walk to grungy backpacker-ville any time I want to, BUT there is a true pressure towards a kind of "this is where you will stay because most travelers do." Get off the beaten path, fellas!
So, thanks for the tips, but I'm glad I used travelwise.com and other resources. Lonely Planet system may be a thing of the past soon.
You can take it with you.......2006-02-24
I've used LP before for trips. Once you get the book, you are invited to go on-line for up-dates. There you are directed to "The Thorn Tree" forum. I used it just about every day to keep well-informed and prepare for the trip. The guide is an easy ready and full of useful information. Prior uses were very accurate.
Average customer rating:
- understandably slow.
- Great Concept, Slow Development
- Lordy, this is awful!
- Ok as long as there's more coming.
- Clash of two very different human cultures
|
Hell's Gate (Multiverse, Book 1)
David Weber , and
Linda Evans
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Evans, Linda
| ( E )
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Weber, David
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ASIN: 1416509399 |
Book Description
The Union of Arcana has expanded through the portals linking parallel universes for over a century and a half. In that time, its soldiers and sorcerers have laid claim to one uninhabited planet after another¿all of them Earth, and in the process, the Union has become the most powerful, most wealthy civilization in all of human history. But all of that is about to come to a screeching halt, for the Union¿s scouts have just discovered a new portal, and on its far side lies a shattering revelation. Arcana is not alone, after all. There is another human society, Sharona, which has also been exploring the Multiverse, and the first contact between them did not go well. Arcana is horrified by the alien weapons of its sudden opponents, weapons its sorcerers cannot explain or duplicate. Weapons based upon something called . . . science. But Sharona is equally horrified by Arcana¿s ¿magical¿ weapons. Neither side expected the confrontation. Both sides think the other fired first, and no one on either side understands the ¿technology¿ of the other. But as the initial disastrous contact snowballs into all-out warfare, both sides can agree on one thing. The portal which brought them together is Hell¿s Gate itself!
Customer Reviews:
understandably slow........2007-10-04
This book does seem to drag along for quite a while. It never quite gets "boring" but then, it's never quite edge of your seat exciting either. This book is cramed with world building which is some times tedious, but things REALLY pick up in book to. I reccomend you get this, even if only to understand the later books in the series.
Great Concept, Slow Development.......2007-10-02
While I have only read a handful of the works by David Weber I was in an airport bookstore and saw this and thought to myself, why not? Unfortunately at times I found myself wondering, why did I?
As many people have already commented the book is a bit how do you say...slow on the get go. Honestly it was really really boring and there was so much character development and back story that you sometimes forgot what happened at "Fallen Timbers" or to Sir Olderhan and his Shardoni throughout the book.
While admittidly it was slow in the beginning, after having now read the second book in the series I understand why things were done they way they were in this first book. The character development is some of the deepest I have ever come across in a book and you really begin to feel some pretty deep connections with the main characters by the end of this story.
However while following main characters is one thing, they have gone and personified the civilizations of Andara and Sharona in of themselves. It's difficult to pick which side you really want to win because of all the similarities to human history and fantasy.
Ironically though some of the deepest aspects of this novel have everything to do with the development of the readers link with each civilization and the political, and human response to such a meeting. In the end I would have to say that this really was a great read!
Lordy, this is awful!.......2007-10-02
I like David Weber. A lot. But this, this is just terrible. Page after page of people peering into one another's eyes. All of the female characters bursting into tears at the drop of a hat....again and again, and again. Heroic male characters who the average trooper wouldn't follow to the local waste water treatment plant, let alone into battle. Spend your hard earned money elsewhere.
Ok as long as there's more coming........2007-08-08
Now despite being billed as "A War between Science and Magic," it would behoove the reader to know that the last battle between these two cultures occurs on page 350 thereabouts. The problem is, its an 800 page book, and the only thing that happens for the rest of the 450 pages is a severe amount of preparation in character backstory and motivation for the rest of the series. Knowing Weber, this is to be expected for him to plant seeds here that wont pay off for several books down the line, as he does that unceasingly annoyingly in his Honor Harrington novels, making the reader wait YEARS to see where things are heading (while pumping out about 5 OTHER books between each Harrington novel). For this book, as a reader, I was constantly thinking, "Thats Ok and all that, but where's the war?" Then we get to the horrible disappointment of the ending, to find out that there ISNT one, and we have to wait for Book 2 to see anything interesting.
GOOD NEWS IS, that Book 2 will hit you like a thunderclap, with the big showdown between the dragons and the howitzers that we were promised in Book 1 finally arriving in a huge flying monster vs industrial war machine free-for-all. This should have been the ending to Book 1, and judging by the size of Book 2, only HALF the size of this one, it very well likely may have been, becoming a 2nd book in the editing process.
Just keep 'em coming at a quick clip. I can handle these waits as long as we get a steady stream of sequels. Book 2 had better have been short for a darned good reason, such as Book 3 being 800 pages or more... Dont keep us hanging for hangings sake.
Clash of two very different human cultures.......2007-05-28
Start with the very standard idea that a multiverse exists in which the universe has repeatedly separated into different alternates in which the same event has different outcomes. Now add a much rarer twist - contact is possible between universes with common history tens of thousands or more years in the past, but not with more recent ones. Gone are the "Nazis won WW II" or "Roman Empire still lives" contacts. Instead, humanity finds a chain of Earths in which there are no humans, but which are in an "Age of Mammals" which is pretty much as on our Earth.
Such a scenario allows for contact between (and clashes between) two human cultures which have developed in vastly differing manners - one discoverted technology and the other magic. Each approach blinded its adherents to even the possibility of the other way of life.
Further, to make things more even, the technology people have not yet achieved flight or radio communication, but do have railroads, steamships and late 19th century artillery and machine guns. Further, they have some psi "Talents", which may eventually balance the "Gifts" of the magical adepts.
Both civilizations have been actively spreading through the chain of alternate Earths, without meeting other humans, until they meet in a world newly discovered by both and far from the home world of either. A clash ensues, started by accident, but fed by paranoia, incompetence and egotism.
A interesting twist is the existence in the technology world of a pseudo-British Empire (headquartered in Ireland, so not quite British) whose past resembles Rome and its Byzantine avatar (including a clone of Constantinople as its past capital) - they even have "joint" sovereignty over pseudo-Gibraltar - and a psuedo-Ottoman Empire ("Othmaliz") whose Constantinople-clone capital is the site of the world conference called to address the crisis resulting from the clash of cultures. Why create a history very different from ours and then copy details of our history into the new history? Since that is what happens, I suggest the reader label a blank world map with the local names from the story to keep track of what's happening on "technology Earth" ("Sharona" - incidentally, Weber's wife's name is "Sharon").
The early section of the book, is, as other reviewers have mentioned, disjointed and hard to read. I almost gave up. After the first 50 or so pages, the story becomes much more interesting and is hard to put down.
The scenario has potential for a long series of high quality stories.
Average customer rating:
- Magic school bus does it again!
- This book rocks (asteroids)!
- Lost in the Solar System
- The Magic School Bus
- Magic school bus "lost in solar system"
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The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System (Magic School Bus)
Joanna Cole
Manufacturer: Scholastic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0590414291 |
Book Description
The fieldtrip to the planetarium is foiled when the museum turns out to be closed, but Ms. Frizzle saves the day. The Magic School Bus turns into a spaceship and takes the class on a trip zooming through the atmosphere, to the Moon, and beyond! With up-to-date facts about the solar system, revised for this edition.
Customer Reviews:
Magic school bus does it again!.......2007-02-06
All the magic school bus books are fantastic. This one is no different.
It is great for learning about the solar system.
This book rocks (asteroids)!.......2006-02-10
This book is a blast (no pun intended)! Mrs. Frizzle and her class travel to every planet in the solar system. The bus breaks down in the asteroid belt and the students have to find Mrs. Frizzle on a very cold planet. You'll love all the colorful pictures and Arnold's crazy cousin! Blast-off to this book and learn a lot about space in a fun way!
Lost in the Solar System.......2005-12-10
I like this book because it makes me wonder about the solar system and everything happening in it. I love imagining what things are like in other places and this book makes me think but it also taught me stuff about the solar system too. This book makes me want to visit the solar system myself.
Alyssa Seifferly
The Magic School Bus.......2004-02-12
This book is about a class who goes to the musuem but it is closed. So they see it up close. Janet was bragging about everything. After the trip they had learned a lot
I think the book is about being nice. The book is about learning new things. Learning new things is part of life. The book is saying to learn. The book is telling us to try new things.
I think the book is nice. The book has a series. It teaches you stuff. It also is funny. It's my favorite. It's fun to read.
Magic school bus "lost in solar system".......2004-02-04
I like this book because it has to deal with the solar system and i like to learn about space. It does a very good
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