History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

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.

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)

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Check and see
Suprise! Suprise!
Prescient St Augustine?
Something of a disappointment
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..

History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30

If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.

Average customer rating:

Great stuff!
Hartwell & Cramer's best BIG review-anthology yet.
Compilation of SciFi Short Stories under the "Space Opera" theme
Dignifying the Form
Excellent and enjoyable

The Space Opera Renaissance
David G. Hartwell , and Kathryn Cramer
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0765306174
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Book Description

Space opera, once a derisive term for cheap pulp adventure, has come to mean something else in modern SF: compelling adventure stories told against a broad canvas, and written to the highest level of skill. Indeed, it can be argued that the new space opera is one of the defining streams of modern SF. Now, World Fantasy Awardwinning anthologists David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer have compiled a definitive overview of this subgenre, both as it was in the days of the pulp magazines, and as it has become in 2005. Included are major works from genre progenitors like Jack Williamson and Leigh Brackett, stylish midcentury voices like Cordwainer Smith and Samuel R. Delany, popular favorites like David Drake, Lois McMaster Bujold, and Ursula K. Le Guin, and modern-day pioneers such as Iain M. Banks, Steven Baxter, Scott Westerfeld, and Charles Stross.

Customer Reviews:

Great stuff!.......2007-07-22

Just finished reading this monster, (940-plus pages), and all I can say is "Wow!" After 50-plus years of reading SF I would have thought at least one of these stories would be a re-read. No way! They were all new to me and I give a big, "two thumbs UP" for nearly every one. The editors are to be commended for an excellent job with their introductions to the stories and lots of eclectic info on the authors. I honestly can't remember reading another anthology with such a majority of very good stories. If you are new to SF and wish to know about the various definitions of the term 'space opera', or, if you are an old hand, like me, and wish to dine on a sumptious buffet of the sub-genre stretching from it's very beginnings to the present, this book should not be overlooked. I just ordered the editor's companion volume "The Hard SF Renaissance" based solely on the quality of the stories included in this volume.

Hartwell & Cramer's best BIG review-anthology yet. .......2007-03-14

I'm working my way through the Hartwell & Cramer SPACE OPERA RENAISSANCE anthology, and finding it well-done and to my taste -- I think it's Hartwell's best BIG review-anthology yet. Truly a doorstop: 940+ pages!, with a surprisingly large number of new-to-me stories.

Space Opera, as Hartwell points out in his nicely-done introductory essay and story notes, is a flexible concept. And when you get to New Space Opera, or Widescreen Baroque Space Opera -- well, no one really knows what these are. Really, space opera is what Hartwell (or whoever) points to when he says "space opera"...

Anyway, take a look at this juicy lineup:
(my faves are starred*)

Introduction: *How Shlt became Shinola, Definition & Redefinition of Space Opera, by Hartwell & Cramer

I. Redefined Writers
"The Star Stealers" by Edmond Hamilton
"The Prince of Space" by Jack Williamson
"Enchantress of Venus" by Leigh Brackett
*"The Swordsmen of Varnis" by Clive Jackson

II. Draftees (1960s)
***"The Game of Rat & Dragon" by Cordwainer Smith
"Empire Star" by Samuel R. Delany
"Zirn Left Unguarded, the Jenjik Palace in Flames, Jon Westerly Dead" by Robert Sheckley

III. Transitions/Redefiners (late 1970s to late 1980s)
*"Temptation" by David Brin
"Ranks of Bronze" by David Drake
*"Weatherman" by Lois McMaster Bujold
"A Gift from the Culture" by Iain M. Banks

IV. Volunteers:Revisionaries (early 90s)
*"Orphans of the Helix" by Dan Simmons
"The Well Wishers" by Colin Greenland
*"Escape Route" by Peter Hamilton
"Ms Midshipwoman Harrington" by David Weber
"Aurora in Four Voices" by Catherine Asaro
**"Ring Rats" by R. Garcia y Robertson
*"The Death of Captain Future" by Allen Steele

V. Mixed Signals/ Mixed Categories (to the late 1990s)
*"A Worm in the Well" by Gregory Benford
**"The Survivor" by Donald Kingsbury
"Fools Errand" by Sarah Zettel
"The Shobies Story" by Ursula K. Le Guin
"The Remoras" by Robert Reed
"Recording Angel" by Paul McAuley
"The Great Game" by Steven Baxter
"Lost Sorceress of the Silent Citadel" by Michael Moorcock
"Space Opera" by Michael Kandel

VI. Next Wave (21st Century)
"Grist" by Tony Daniel
"The Movements of her Eyes" by Scott Westerfeld
*"Spirey and the Queen" by Alastair Reynolds
*"Bear Trap" by Charles Stross
"Guest Law" by John C. Wright

Some story comments:

"The Game of Rat & Dragon" (1955) by Cordwainer Smith. My favorite Smith classic, which is to say one of the best SF shorts ever, Hasn't dated one bit in a half-century. Meow!

Dan Simmons' "Orphans of the Helix" (1999, _Far Horizons_), is a tasty, atmospheric and thoroughly space-operatic travel-adventure, set in the Hyperian Cantos universe. Pure travelogue and goshwow, mind --allegedly, this started life as a TV treatment. Would have made a nice show, if the SFX turned out well....

There's a new-to-me David Brin short: "Temptation" (1999), Streaker dolphins in Jijo's ocean. Quite a nice one, and reminds me of the good bits in the Jijo books -- like the sheer audacity of (literally) scraping a technical civilization into the ocean. In theory, anyway . Those tricky Buyurs!

Donald Kingsbury's long novella "The Survivor" (1991) is set in Larry Niven's Known Space universe, during the Man/Kzin wars, and is a proxy for Niven, a Space Opera King who's notably absent. It's the first half of his Lt. Nora Argamentine saga, set just after the Fall of Wunderland. John Clute thought it one of the best stories of 1991, and so do I.

"Ring Rats" (2002) by R. Garcia y Robertson: Space pirates! --pure adrenaline rush, with some nasty bits. Strong stuff, one of his best yet.

"Spirey and the Queen" (1996) by Alastair Reynolds: which has "some of that space-war sizzle and true weirdness that we see as a primary appeal of late-model space opera" -- Hartwell

Anyway, there's a ton of good stories here, most of which you'll be happy to add to your permanent library. Check it out.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman
Review first published at SF Site

Compilation of SciFi Short Stories under the "Space Opera" theme.......2007-02-21

Large and decent collection of short story samples from a number of popular authors, compiled under the loose definition of "Space Opera". Reminds me of the cheap old double LP compilations of "almost hit" songs from various artists, such as SCHLAGERS(1970).

I suggest folks ignore the early stories (they are mostly junk). I also suggest ignoring most of the editors' attempts at defining "Space Opera", which are interspersed throughout the large book.

There are good short story samples out of David Brin's Uplift "universe", and Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan Series - which have definately got me interested in pursuing reading more books from these author's series (which I believe is the REAL intention of this book, much like the intention of the LP record compilations from the 60's/70's).

Dignifying the Form.......2006-09-10

As someone whose own work has been describe as intelligent space opera, I love this book just for the statment on the dust jacket that:
Space Opera, once a derisive term for cheap pulp adventure, has come to mean something more in modern SF: compelling adventure stories told against a broad canvas and written to the highest level of skill. Indeed, it can be argued that the "new space opera" is one of the defining streams of modern SF.
I confess I thought it was more of an academic analysis than an anthology when I bought it, but now I'm looking forward to the sampling of works from different times and tangents, instead. There is an element of academic analysis, as well, in the introduction.

Excellent and enjoyable.......2006-08-15

Presents stories from the entire history of space opera (although heavily biased toward more recent stories), with scholarly comments on each entry and a long, informative introduction. A good selection of enjoyable stories from some of the major writers of the form (although Vernor Vinge is inexplicably absent). The copyediting is uneven in spots, with missing or misspelled words.

Renaissance (Star Trek New Frontier: Excalibur, Book 10)

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Like Sands Through The Hourglass
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STNF #10 Excalibur Renaissance - The story continues...
Exploring the Family Frontier...
The lives of the crew unfold!

Renaissance (Star Trek New Frontier: Excalibur, Book 10)
Peter David
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671042394
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Book Description

The ship is only a memory, but the drama unfolds....

The U.S.S. Excalibur has been obliterated. Its captain, Mackenzie Calhoun is gone. Now the surviving crew members are dispersed throughout the galaxy, seeking to forge new lives in the wake of the Excalibur's destruction. For Dr. Selar, the ship's former medical officer, that means facing a very personal crisis.

Following the birth of her child, the Vulcan doctor returned to her homeworld, determined to raise the child exclusively in the way of logic. But the child's father, the Hermat Lieutenant Commander Burgoyne, has hir own views regarding their offspring's future, and s/he intends to fight for hir paternal rights, even if it means appealing to the highest authorities of two worlds!

Elsewhere in the Alpha Quadrant, Lieutenant Robin Lefler and her enigmatic mother travel to the pleasure planet Risa where they encounter a genuine Starfleet legend....

Download Description

As the surviving members of the crew of Excalibur are dispersed through the galaxy on new missions, Captain Shelby tries to deter a war as Dr. Selar faces a more personal battle.

Customer Reviews:

Like Sands Through The Hourglass.......2005-03-03

This second book in Peter David's post-Excalibur trilogy was even worse than the first. I understand that David is trying to show us the personal lives of these characters as they deal with the loss of their ship and their captain, but was it so necessary to stoop to the level of a Harlequin romance? This entire book, once you removed the un-necessary Danielle Steel plots, could have comprised of four, maybe five, chapters of real material. The whole Selar/Burgoyne issue bordered on the absurd. The only redeeming quality of that plot was the introduction of Selar "interesting" brother and the appearance of the classic Trek character. The Robin/Morgan plotline was useless until the last chapter and the classic Trek character that appears in their story is badly written and poorly used. I look forward to finishing this trilogy. Maybe then, we can return to some real writing.

Some random comments on "New Frontier #10: Renaissance".......2004-11-06

On the plus side, this book is, for the most part, well-written, as are most of Peter David's books. The characterizations are compelling, the pacing excellent, the plots, if somewhat far-fetched, interesting.

On the down side, this is not a novel. It is, similar to the previous book in the series, two subplots in search of a plot. We are simply following the serialized adventures of the characters who were established back when there actually WAS an overriding plot that tied the stories together; there no longer is. One half of this book is a novella involving the continuing romantic conficts inherent in the relationship between Burgoyne and Selar; at least THIS subplot, while having its beginnings earlier in the series, could possibly be followed by a reader who hadn't read all the previous books, and an "ending" at a satisfactory break-point in the story. The other half of the book, however, (told in alternating chapters with the previously mentioned half) isn't even a self-contained novella; while it starts at a reasonable point, it continues David's extremely annoying habit in this series of having almost EVERY book end with a cliffhanger, as though he doesn't trust us to be interested enough to buy the next installment unless he leaves us hanging. This half of the book follows Robin Lefler and her mother, Morgan Primus, who we've previously established is actually an immortal, a genetic freak who doesn't age and who instantly heals almost any injury.

On the plus side, at least to a fan of the original series like me, we have a somewhat more than cameo appearance by Scotty.

On the down side, much to my surprise, David doesn'tr seem to do a very good job of writing Scotty's brogue; he generally transcribes "my" as "muh" rather than "m'", among other flaws. It's a tiny thing, but annoying, and I expect better of a writer of David's abilities.

Also on the down side, there is VERY heavy hinting that Morgan Primus was once actually Christine Chapel; Scotty recognizes her, and she him, although she's able to convince him that he must be mistaking her for someone else. Sorry, I just don't buy it. That strains my ability to suspend disbelief WAY past the breaking point, for a number of reasons.

All in all, the plusses ALMOST match the minuses, and certainly, if one has read this far in the series, it would be a shame to stop now. But I certainly wouldn't advise anyone who HASN'T read the rest of the series to start with this one.

STNF #10 Excalibur Renaissance - The story continues..........2003-11-20

"Renaissance" is another outstanding book in the Star Trek New Frontier series and in Peter David's list of superior Star Trek novels. As furtherance to the Excalibur trilogy, this novel serves very well. Just as it is with all of his novels, his writing style and pacing is perfect to the subject, making for a very quick and highly enjoyable read.

The cover art for "Renaissance" is beautiful and it, for the first time, gives us a decent drawing of Zak Kebron. The true oddity is whose images are on the cover of this book. The story behind "Requiem" involved Soleta, McHenry and Kebron, the main characters in "Renaissance" are Burgoyne, Selar, Morgan Primus and Robin Lefler. Either way, the cover art for this title is exceptional.

The premise:

Just as the first book in the series, "Requiem" tells the tale of Soleta, McHenry and Kebron and Si Cwan and Kalinda, after the loss of Excalibur, "Renaissance" now tells the tale of Burgoyne and Selar and Robin Lefler and Morgan Primus.

The first plot of "Renaissance" entails the highly intriguing tale of Burgoyne and Selar and the strife they're going through concerning the parental rights of their son Xyon who was named after the "now dead" Captain Calhoun's son, Xyon.

The second plot of "Renaissance" carries the story of Morgan Primus and her daughter Robin Lefler who take a vacation to Risa and their meeting some "intriguing" characters there.

Overall, I've truly enjoyed how Peter David has broken down the first two books in the Excalibur series into extremely intriguing tales concerning all of the characters and what they're going through after the loss of Excalibur and the "loss" of their Captain. What makes these first two stories even more enjoyable are the "guest" characters that become deeply engrained in the story and the tie to another Star Trek series of novels that reveals itself.

I highly recommend not only this title, but the entire Star Trek New Frontier series for you will find within the pages of these novels some of the most refreshing, hilarious, intriguing and poignant stories available in the Star Trek genre. {ssintrepid}

Exploring the Family Frontier..........2001-07-11

This particular "episode" of the New Frontier series focuses very much on the ties of family. While Robin Lefler and her mother attempt to "reconnect" on Risa, Burgoyne and Selar struggle with what their roles should be in regards to Xyon, their son.

The most interesting (and often moving) passages of this book revolve around the relationship between Selar and Xyon (and, to a degree, Burgoyne). While Lefler's life always adds a bit of comic relief (I swear, she's written like the bad-luck faerie), it wasn't so over-the-top this time, and her constant talking to herself didn't come off as forced in this book. Likely, this is because I've gotten used to her character now, and she just seems to be acting normally.

There is a lot of good stuff about Vulcan culture and their passions (anti-passions?) and Burgoyne's navigation through Vulcan culture is a must-read, as is Selar's "Logical" conclusions on how Xyon should be raised.

Now, the quibbles I have with this book are the cameos. I imagine I was likely one of the only people who didn't like the TNG Episode "Relics," so you can imagine how flat the entrance of Scotty was into this book for me. Spock also makes an appearance, as does T'Pau. It was a bit much. Any one of them would have been okay.

You will not regret this book, but gosh will you hate the cliffhanger (yet again).

The lives of the crew unfold!.......2001-03-27

I couldn't stop reading renaissance! It goes much deeper into Selar's Vulcan friendship and how Robin and Morgan Lefler really fare. Their bonding trip to Risa seems to unfold the unsuspecting devious plot of Rafe and Nick. It's charecters will pull you in and the suspense of the Excalibur still hangs heavy in the air.Peter David could only grasp you like this and keep you on the edge of your seat.You will get a much better sense of Burgoyne and Selars' love feud. It's almost unbelievable what Selar will do to raise Xyon on her own and only one person has the power to knock some sense into Selar.I love how fast the books come out.While you may find it hard to attach to these charecters, you will no longer see them as backround charecters. Without Mackenzie there is the missing wit, humour, and sarcasm. Yet, you will love Robins charecter with positive wit and charm, she will lead you towards the fate of the Excalibur. This plot was well thought and as always an idealistic book by Peter David.So enjoy the book as much as I did!

Average customer rating:

A new universe
A complex, exciting, utterly immersive saga from cover to cover.
exciting military science fiction
Fabulous!
Bob Medak, Allbooks Reviews

Star Brigade: First Renaissance
C.C. Ekeke
Manufacturer: Llumina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 159526387X

Book Description

2403: Diverse and peaceful, the Galactic Union of Planetary Republics spans the stars. Now, with a radical terrorist sect dedicated to its complete destruction, the survival of this Union rests with one group. They are.STAR BRIGADE.

Customer Reviews:

A new universe.......2006-12-28

C.C. Ekeke has created a universe of terms, characters and situations in this debut novel that is meant to introduce a series. This particular volume thus is both a blessing and a curse - in Ekeke's drive to introduce so much, it is easy to get lost at times. Just like the vastness of the universe (in which is it also easy to get lost), I found myself needing to re-read portions to make sure I had gotten from it what I needed. I recall a similar feeling coming into the middle of soap-operatic types of storylines - one must get one's bearings and learn things slowly over time to keep things straight. Thankfully, there is a glossary of terminology at the front of the text, but then, this is given in part as fair warning - to read this book is an investment, and not something glanced over lightly.

Ekeke's background is certainly evident in the use of language in this text. As other commentators will note, Ekeke comes from Nigeria, and having known other Nigerians in Britain and the United States, I recognise some of the linguistic patterns in the way the English is used. I am no stranger to creativity with punctuation and grammar (as anyone reading my writings and stumbling across parentheses will know), but sometimes wondered what the punctuation and sentence construction was giving to me.

From the cover art (credited to Brice Mallier in the acknowledgements) and the construction of the plot, it is easy to get the sense that Ekeke was once a person who wanted to be a comic book artist. The interweaving of subplots actually begs for graphic representation so that things can be followed, perhaps rather like the coloured lines that guide one through a hospital, all elements sharing the same space yet leading to different destinations.

This is a science fiction adventure with military overtones, cultural discovery, political machinations and personal defeats and victories. If Ekeke continues to develop the characters and situations, perhaps some of these many elements will serve as seeds for independent lines of growth.

Certainly an imaginative start to a writing career, Ekeke's drive to get more and more into the text is evident, and will hopefully serve to produce other science fiction and fantasy novels in the future.

A complex, exciting, utterly immersive saga from cover to cover........2006-10-07

Star Brigade: First Renaissance is a debut novel that blends spacefaring science fiction, military action-adventure, high drama, and planetary politics into a lengthy epic. Set in the year 2403, when Earth's inhabitants have become a leading race in the Galactic Union of Planetary Republics that consists hundreds of different sentient species, Star Brigade chronicles the return of a brutal, warlike enemy. The formerly disgraced Star Brigade, led by Captain Nwosu, must overcome memory of past disaster and fight to protect all they hold dear from a ruthless and powerful legion. A complex, exciting, utterly immersive saga from cover to cover.

exciting military science fiction .......2006-09-30

In 2403, POW fighter pilot Habraum Nwosu is freed having been captured during the Ferronos Sector War. He does not know what to expect in terms of an assignment except probably some desk job when he comes home to Cercidale though he knew he would receive heroic accolades from the leaders of the Galactic Union of Planetary Republics. Instead to his shock he, because of his training and genetic engineered skills is placed in charge of a new elite unit, the Star Brigade consisting of the most experienced best of the best to fight invincible ever changing enemy terrorists.

Almost a decade later a weary defeated Habraum goes home to mourn his wife's death in a horrific cargo freighter incident and to wallow with guilt as a sneak attack wiped out his Star Brigade unit. He takes full responsibility for the latter as she should have been prepared so he plans to rusticate while raising his son as a single dad. Without him, the Star Brigade cannot function so when the Korvenite Independence Front (KIF) begins assaults on Union planets, the leadership asks Habraum to rebuild his unit with mostly soldiers not battle tested to fight the deadly KIF, users of WMD.

Though somewhat overwhelming as author C.C. Ekeke combines too many subplots (easily could be three interrelated novels), FIRST RENAISSANCE is a fun military science fiction that sub-genre readers will enjoy. The story line is loaded with action and adventure (much more than described above as there still remains for instance the Kedri Imperium-GUPR trade negotiations) that never ends from the moment that the new Star Brigade is formed that serves as the basis of readers believing in the Ekeke twenty-fifth century universe. Habraum is a fine star figure holding this future together even as he struggles to hold him self together. This is an interesting tale making sub-genre readers want to join the Star Brigade.

Harriet Klausner

Fabulous!.......2006-09-29

By the year 2403, Terra Firma or Earth, the original home planet of human beings, is gone...destroyed by the actions of a tiny terrorist cell, whose members came from an telepathic alien race, the Korvenites, but their extreme views and actions are unrepresentative of the overwhelming majority of the Korvenite species. The Korvenites were not alien to Terra Sollus, humanity's new "home" and seat of the Galactic Union of Planetary Republics, an alliance of several sentient species, including humans, but excluding the Korvenites, who have been shunted aside and their issues ignored. After the terrorist attack on Earth, all Korvenites were rounded up and shipped to "Internment Protectorates" off of Terra Sollus--for their own safety, of course--faster than you can say Japanese-American Internment Program.

To protect and defend the Galactic Union there are many resources available, but none has proven as able, courageous, well-trained, or unwavering in the performance of their duties as the Star Brigade Special Forces. Unfortunately, the Star Brigade and its specially talented and enhanced Brigadiers are under attack by enemies that transcend the stars and the boundaries of species...politicians and bureaucracies. If the Star Brigade is to survive, they will need their most able Brigadier to return to active service. Sadly, that Brigadier, a human, Habraum Nwosu, hasn't been going through the best of times, either.

While the Star Brigade is having its painful dramas, Maelstrom, a telepathic and telekinetic Llyriac (priest) of great psionic strength, who would free his exiled and captive fellow Korvenites and reclaim Terra Sollus, after ridding it of all non-Korvenite filth, especially humans, is becoming strong enough to make his power and threats felt within the Galactic Union; even reaching out to touch Chouncilor Ari Bogosian, the leader of the Galactic Union. The timing, in political terms, couldn't be worse--it is the eve of the signing of a trade agreement with the Kedri, a large non-human species and a powerful empire.

Tough times call for tough measures and the Star Brigade is called to reconstitute, reorganize and serve the Galactic Union, only to have its own leaders wonder if, with the ranks desperately thinned of experienced and capable Brigadiers and plagued by the interference of political manipulators, they can accomplish their missions. Their new commander, Habraum Nwosu, has a hold card, Marguliese, a cybernetic organism who saved his life, even though they were on opposite sides, during the Ferronos Sector War War, but her/its presence and her/its effects on the outcome of the Star Brigade missions and the internal morale of the Brigadiers are questionable.

Can Habraum, Honaa (a reptoid Rothorid), Sam (a totally female Earthling), Liliana (a human female physician) , Khrome (an almost indestructible Thulican), and the rest of the Star Brigade evolve into an effective and formidable combat unit and save themselves and the Star Brigade, much less the Galactic Union and the sentient species of which it is composed? Who is the enemy...Maelstrom and his band of Korvenite followers or are there other enemies? What is justice and how will the Brigadiers react to attacks on their moral courage, something that most never thought would be an issue? If the hook isn't firmly set and you aren't searching for ways to get a copy of the space opera Star Brigade: First Renaissance as soon as possible, then I have done C.C. Ekeke an injustice with this synopsis.

***** If you're getting the feeling that Star Brigade: First Renaissance is not just another cookie-cutter, formula driven science fiction novel, you right. It's layer after layer of superb science fiction by first time novelist C.C. Ekeke...a real treat for this book reviewer.

Ekeke has spent a long time developing the characters and getting this plot of Star Brigade: First Renaissance the way that he wanted. In a telephone interview with this charming and passionate man, he shared more on the process than is available on the Star Brigade website. I was impressed with his desire to create a universe that is so much richer and interesting than the often trite, human and male dominated, diversity lacking universes in the jejune novel tales often thrust upon science fiction readers.

Ekeke succeeds in his goals. His "good guys & gals" are far from perfect and his bad guys are not caricatures of evil who lack moral justification for their ire. Human and aliens both have depth of character that is deliberate and this is often lacking in the work from many first-time science fiction novelists. Humans are a part of the Star Brigade universe, but they do not overshadow the other species. The subplots are intriguing, ambrosial and leave the reader craving more, and more, and more.

As I read and then reread Star Brigade: First Renaissance (it's one of those books that is almost impossible to put down once you get into it), I found myself comparing C.C. Ekeke to David Weber, C.J. Cherryh, Orson Scott Card, David Drake, et cetera, and firmly believe that, if he continues with this quality of work and can meet the demands of potential publishers and a loyal following of fans, C.C. Ekeke is going to be a new and very large voice in the genre of science fiction. I eagerly and anxiously await the next novel in the Star Brigade "space opera" series and recommend Star Brigade: First Renaissance wholeheartedly to science fiction lovers (buy it and treat yourself to a good read...you deserve it). I hope that the powers-that-be at publishing houses, e.g. Toni Weisskopf and the people who work for her at Baen Books, really give C.C. Ekeke a hard look. If he has what it takes to go the distance and they miss out on getting C.C. Ekeke into their stable of authors, I suspect that they'll regret it more than people who didn't buy Pfizer stock just before the FDA approved Viagra. You don't have to be an astronomer to see the birth of a star, and, in my opinion, the arrival of C.C. Ekeke into universe of science fiction literature is the dawn of a star who, with continued hard work, appropriate grooming and a bit of luck, will mature into a stellar science fiction phenomenon. *****

Reviewed by Dr. Phil Rhyne for Huntress Reviews.

Bob Medak, Allbooks Reviews.......2006-08-18

The book begins with "Union Terminology (A shortened glossy of terms you'll see in this book)"
I appreciate this as a reader. It doesn't slow me down with terms.

Follow the story of Habraum and Jennica as they reunite after a long separation. You'll have to read the story to find out about the separation, and more.

The character descriptions are well written. A reader can easily visualize them. The plot is well conceived and delivered. If you are into Sci-Fi, you might like this debut novel by C. C.

C. C. is Nigerian-American (1st Generation). He was born in 1979, in Rockville, MD. C. C. Ekeke lived in Missouri, Georgia, California, New York before the age of 21. He graduated from Syracuse University in 2002. His character sketching began in elementary school. His characters were created from his imagination, triggered by his love of science fiction and action/adventure cartoons. He created his own characters, rather than draw ones form his favorite shows. C. C. now resides in Los Angeles, California.

I found the use of brackets, italics, em dashes, ellipsis and different point text--which seemed somewhat inconsistent and incorrectly used--unnerving as a reader. I know there is a time and place for the use of each of these, but I found their use almost haphazard. It made reading a bit difficult. At least for me. I'm afraid this took away from the story, making it hard to read with any fluidity for me. I would have liked the novel more--with more consistency, not having to figure out some of the dialogue, or who was speaking. I can only give this novel an average rating.

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