Book Description
Throughout the Fourteen Worlds of humanity, no race is as feared and respected as the Dorsai. The ultimate warriors, they are known for their deadly rages, unbreakable honor, and fierce independence. No man rules the Dorsai, but their mastery of the art of war has made them the most valuable mercenaries in the known universe.Donal Graeme is Dorsai, taller and harder than any ordinary man. But he is different as well, with talents that maze even his fellow Dorsai. And once he ventures out into the stars, the future will never be the same......
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-07
One of the elite Dorsai mercenary officers, after a lot of successful military campaigns, and plenty of showing up both on the battlefield and in the political arena, of his opponents realises that he is definitely more than human, and growing beyond his colleagues.
He is an 'intuitive superman', with his mind working in ways that are beyond normal humans.
A Man of Mere Intuition.......2006-12-05
Dorsai! (1959) is the third SF novel in the Child Cycle, following Tactics of Mistake. In the previous volume, Cletus Grahame sent all his available troops out to protect his gains. Before leaving Dorsai, Cletus appointed Arvid Johnson as Vice-Marshall and William Athyer as Battle Op and charged them with the defense of the planet using only the civilian population. After the forces under Dow DeCastries infested the Dorsai, Cletus returned and then Johnson and Athyer took back their world from the invading troops, employing the same battle plan that Grahame himself would have used.
In this novel, one hundred and fifty years have passed since the events of the previous volume. The family name has changed somewhat -- Graeme instead of Grahame -- but Donal Graeme is a true Dorsai. His record in the academy is outstanding, but everyone says that he is a little odd. Maybe it comes from his Maran mother and Grandmother, but he doesn't look at situations in quite the same way as everybody else.
On his way to the Friendlies, Donal encounters Anea Marlivana, a Select of Kultis, in the passageways of his spaceliner and offers to help her. She wonders what he means, but Donal explains the obvious to her. She asks him to destroy her contract, but Graeme knows that such contracts are indestructible with the resources available on the liner. He introduces himself to Marshall Hendrik Galt and later asks his advice about the situation. Eventually, Donal returns the contract to the owner, Prince William of Ceta.
Putting on a veneer of venality and foolishness with William, Donal gains a position as Force Leader in the mercenaries troops on Harmony under Commandant Hugh Killien. Despite the scuttlebutt that the advance will be a cakewalk, Donal insists on maintaining tight security measures in the advance upon Faith Will Succour. He becomes thoroughly unpopular among his own troops.
However, Donal anticipates an attack by Orthodox elite troops in time to set up an ambush with his own command. The other commands, however, are severely mauled. Commandant Killien is tried and convicted under Article Four of the Mercenaries Code.
In this story, Donal goes on to become Aide to Marshall Galt, then Staff Liaison, and later Subpatrol Chief. Despite his growing friendship with Galt, Graeme continues to have differences of opinion with Anea. She is hung up on her misunderstanding of the term mercenary and uses it as a weapon against him.
The previous volume was concerned with Tactics, the actions required to gain an objective. This novel, however, is mostly about Strategy, the overall conduct of a campaign. Of course, tactics are required to implement any strategy, but strategy dictates the tactics. Of course, both Cletus and Donal consider both aspects, but Donal plans further ahead than Cletus. Neither work covers the third component of military operations: Logistics.
This novel was the last novel by internal chronology in the initial trilogy, following Necromancer and Tactics of Mistake. Yet it was actually the first one published. Others have been written since then to fill in the gaps and even extend the plotline, but the basis of the entire series is found within these three novels.
Highly recommended for Dickson fans and for anyone else who enjoy tales of military tactics, paranormal talents, and a touch of romance.
-Arthur W. Jordin
A warrior's progress.......2005-07-24
"Dorsai!", by Gordon R. Dickson, is a science fiction novel set in a future wherein humanity has spread out to inhabit many different planets in several star systems. The different branches of humanity have evolved into a diverse group of different cultures. One of these branches of humanity is the Dorsai, a formidable warrior race. This novel follows the life and career of Donal Graeme, one of the Dorsai.
The 1993 TOR edition includes an introduction by David Drake, who notes that "Dorsai!" and Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" were both first published in 1959, and together form "the standard against which the subgenre of military SF must be judged." "Dorsai!" is certainly an enjoyable and well-written space adventure. Dickson effectively structures the story; we follow Donal as he rises up the military ranks from Senior Cadet to higher levels of responsibility. Dickson fills the book with fascinating details about Donal's world. It's particularly intriguing to get glimpses of the divergent human cultures and of the conflicts that exist among them.
Along the way the book addresses many significant themes, such as military tactics, the role of religion in a military organization, and leadership. At its best, "Dorsai!" goes beyond being just a solid adventure novel and can be genuinely moving and thought-provoking. Recommended companion text: Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War," another gem of military science fiction.
I liked it a lot.......2004-04-27
Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others
STORY: In a universe where the Dorsai are the most feared warriors, Donal Graeme stands out. He stands out because his oddities drive him to seek his future amongst the stars. This book is the story of his journeys.
MY FEEDBACK:
1) This book has the same feel as other classics like Asimov's Foundation series.
2) Gordon creates a great universe here that acts as the backdrop to the various adventures of Donal
3) This story has some elements of Dune in it (especially the ending) but not to the same dramatic suspense as Herbert's masterpiece.
4) I agree with other reviewers that a large part of the suspense was removed because Donal just wins every time. This was fun on the other hand because his solutions were logical and innovative.
5) I'm told this is the first of at least a 12 book series. This story can stand on its own if you don't care to read the rest of them.
6) I didn't leave the book feeling like I cared about any of the characters, even Donal. They either played such detached roles or in Donal's case, the reader has already been fed so many of his victories that there doesn't seem to be much left to strive for or challenge him.
OVERALL: Well written. Engaging. Action kept me going. Solutions to challenges didn't make me feel cheated. Very good read.
Good example of military SF.......2003-06-10
This is acclaimed as a masterpiece of military SF but there are better examples in my opinion (both Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Haldeman's Forever War are markedly better) since this really has little to do with the actual mechanics of the military and the gritty life of a soldier as much as how soldiers fit overall in Dickson's Childe Cycle. At this point we're at book four in the cycle and really this seems to have the least to do with any of the other circulating themes (probably because it was written first and then revised retroactively to fit into what Dickson was building) since there's barely any mention of the Final Encyclopedia or the need to merge the Splinter Cultures. However, there is some crossover from Soldier, Ask Not, so at least we get a sense that everyone lives in the same universe. So we have to judge this one on its merit and honestly it's an entertaining novel, Dickson takes his now pretty much worked out universe and goes nuts by throwing Donal Graeme, a Dorsai who is slightly better than the average Dorsai, into the mix, letting him loose and causing all kinds of havok, the reason for which isn't of course clear until near the end. If you're not a fan of Dickson to begin with, this won't change your mind, Donal is perhaps his strongest character but he's still only an inch away from being a cipher and like all of Dickson's other main character he's so good at everything that it just sucks all the suspense right away, the book is a great read, but don't expect any dramatic tension at all . . . alas, this also makes the book a poor cousin of Tactics of Mistake (the main character was his ancestor) which had the same basic setup, guy really good at intuition outthinks everyone else to a ridiculous degree. On the plus side, we finally get to see a Scientist, even if he's not an average example, but at least they get a mention. Dickson also maintains his inability to write convincing female characters, Anea is a step forward and a step backward, she's a strong, opinionated character, it's just that all her opinions are wrong and she spends most of the book making snide judgements about Donal that clearly make her look stupid . . . plus there's hints of romance that never quite seem to cohere. All in all it's a satisfying read, albeit not one without flaws, it's a good example of pulp SF and Dickson's future history remains as fun as ever but it's not quite the masterpiece that many proclaim it to be. Go in with that mindset and you should have no problem at all.
Amazon.com
Two must-have classic novels of military science fiction are now reprinted in this omnibus edition honoring one of science fiction's most influential authors.
Dorsai, the foundation novel of Dickson's Childe Cycle, introduces Donal Graeme, a warrior in a culture of fiercely independent men and women who discovers within himself talents that will help him change the course of history. The Spirit of Dorsai tells two stories of Dorsai heroes: Amanda Morgan, who must face a military force bent on the destruction of Dorsai culture, and Ian Graeme, who struggles to avert a disaster while he wrestles with grief and rage over his brother's murder.
Dickson creates a complex and convincing political, historical, and social framework inhabited by compelling characters who never lose their blend of humanity and heroism. The Spirit of Dorsai is a smoothly written balance of strategy, tactics, and the individuals behind them that still sets a standard for military science fiction. --Roz Genessee
Book Description
Throughout humanity's Fourteen Worlds, no group is as feared and respected as the Dorsai. The ultimate warriors, they are known for their deadly rages, ferocious independence . . . and unbending honor. No one man rules the Dorsai, but their mastery of the arts of war has made them the most valuable mercenaries in the human universe. Dorsai! is the saga of Donal Graeme, the uniquely talented Dorsai who will change their future forever. And The Spirit of Dorsai, written two decades later, is Dickson's great novel of the women of the Dorsai-in particular, the unconquerable Amanda Morgan. The volume is a pair of military SF classics every fan will want to own.
Customer Reviews:
Great Military SciFi.......2007-03-14
DORSAI SPIRIT(2002) is an omnibus comprised of DORSAI!(1976), which is an expanded/updated version of THE GENETIC GENERAL(1959); and THE SPIRIT OF DORSAI(1979). Here are brief reviews of each of these two stories:
DORSAI!(1976)***** - 250 pages. This is a great Military SciFi story, which covers the early career of the Military Academy trained officer Donal Graeme, who comes from a military family, and from a planet whose main export is military mercenary soldiers. When I get a chance, I want to read the original story THE GENETIC GENERAL(1959), and see what differences accumulated in the 17 years between the release of the two stories. DORSAI! holds up well, but I would imagine that the original would be out-of-date by now, mainly due to the unforeseeable advancements of computer technology since 1959.
THE SPIRIT OF DORSAI(1979)*** - 180 pages (but little white space). Contains two shorter background stories of Dorsai characters... one from the early history of the planet, and another from later history... for some reason, the prologue, interlude, and epilog, which are provided to tie the two stories together, are descibed in italics - making them difficult to read.
A must read to understand Dickson's Childe Cycle.......2006-08-06
Dickson was a great story teller. He wrote some of the best and some of the worst fiction ever. The Childe Cycle was a great idea but was flawed in the telling. Dickson was a plup fiction writer. So his books tened to be fun and have great ideas but they were often unbelievable or had flaws that would be unacceptible today. If you read the series you will read some great books but be aware that the series has some flaws.
military science fiction.......2002-06-08
"Dorsai". Among the fourteen worlds, Dorsai provides one export that is in great demand. The planet consists of the best military mercenaries known in the cosmos. Donal Graeme is about to go off planet with abilities never seen before as humanity has taken a quantum leap up on the evolutionary path. This reviewer read "Dorsai" in the sixties and found it to be a fascinating tale. Though a powerful introduction to the Dorsai culture, the military tactics seem weak in a post Star Wars world. Still Donal is a great character struggling between his differences and his human frailty.
"Spirit of Dorsai": "Amanda Morgan". While the men go off planet to fight, women remain behind to defend Dorsai. Amanda Morgan faces an enemy with one goal in mind, the destruction of the Dorsai culture. "Brothers". Ian Graeme feels guilt for living, grief for his dead sibling, and anger for not being able to keep his brother alive. Preferring to avenge his brother's murder, Ian must first prevent a major catastrophe from occurring. This novella ("Amanda Morgan") and short story ("Brothers") provide more of a historical perspective to the Dorsai, especially Amanda's story furnishing insight into the role of women in the culture.
DORSAI SPIRIT is a compilation of two previous Gordon R. Dickson's books from his Childe Cycle. The stories remain interesting and old fans will rejoice to read them while newcomers will find the tales entertaining. Yet this reviewer wonders why the memories of Mr. Dickson as one of the standard bearers of military science fiction seem weakened at least from re-reading this part of the saga.
Harriet Klausner
Read Them All.......2002-06-07
Gordon R. Dickson, like Robert A. Heinlein, is a master storyteller. If you have never read Dickson's Childe Cycle, then buy and read them all. This is a mythic journey and one you shouldn't miss. The Childe Cycle tells the story of the human spirit, the strength of human relationships, reveals our unlimited potential, and takes you on a "hero's journey." Joseph Campbell would have love these books if he had ever read them. Perhaps he did, who can know. Your library will never be complete without these books in your collection. Both authors caused a major paradigm shift in my own life's vision, values, imagination, priorities, and appreciation for science fiction. Come and join in the journey and you will "soar on the wings of eagles.
Average customer rating:
- A worthy conclusion to the Childe Cycle
- Most satisifying book in the series yet
- For 700 pages it worth the read!!
- Better than you think
- A good book that seems to parallel another classic
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The Final Encyclopedia, Volume One of Two (Dorsai/Childe Cycle)
Gordon R. Dickson
Manufacturer: Orb Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Dickson, Gordon R.
| ( D )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0312861869 |
Book Description
The Childe Cycle, also known as the Dorsai series, is Gordon R. Dickson's future history of humankind and its ultimate destiny. Now one of its central novels return to print in a two-volume corrected edition.In The Final Encyclopedia the human race is split into three Splinter cultures: the Friendlies, fanatic in their faith; the truth-seeking Exotics; and the warrior Dorsai. But now humanity is threatened by the power-hungry Others, whose triumph would end all human progress.Hal Mayne is an orphan who was raised by three tutors: an Exotic, a Friendly, and a Dorsai. He is the only human capable of uniting humanity against the Others. But only if he is willing to accept his terrifying destiny....as savior of mankind.A towering landmark of future history, The Final Encyclopedia is a novel every SF fan needs to own.
Customer Reviews:
A worthy conclusion to the Childe Cycle.......2003-11-14
Gordon Dickson's The Final Encyclopedia is a fitting conclusion to a top-notch science fiction series.
It tells the story of Hal Mayne, who as an infant was found deserted in a spaceship among the stars. He was raised by tutors representing the three cultural "splinters" from Dickson's future world - the military Dorsai, the fanatically religious Friendlies and the mystic Exotics. In a superficial sense, Mayne draws upon his experience with all three groups to battle an opposing group (the Others) for mankind's future.
That being said...
The book is much deeper on many levels. In it, Dickson pays tribute to each of mankind's splinters and demonstrates the worthiness of each group. The Dorsai, of course, are lionized as honorable and unbeatable warriors. The Friendlies are praised for their stalwart and unshakeable faith and their willingness to endure any ordeal without flinching in service of that faith. The Exotics are valued for seeking mankind's continued development in intellectual and paranormal areas.
In Dickson's world, Mayne journeys to each of the splinter cultures and begins to realize his purpose is to ensure mankind's continued development as a culture. Opposing him are the Others, another group of humans whose heritage is drawn from a combination of the splinter cultures. The others are led by Bleys Ahrens, who sees a future in which the Others serve as a ruling class to the lesser members of mankind.
During his journeys, Mayne runs into members of each splinter culture who represent the best of that culture. For the Dorsai, it's Amanda Morgan; for the Friendlies, it's Rukh Tamani, the charismatic freedom fighter; and for the Exotics, it's Amid. Thanks to his unique upbringing by members of each group, Mayne is accepted by each group and comes to realize mankind must bring its splintered self back together if it is to develop and survive.
People who read this book expecting a strictly military sci-fi work will be disappointed. Yes, there is action in the story...no, it's not another "Dorsai" or "Tactics of Mistake." It's the conclusion Dickson's series pointed to since its inception - where are these pivotal historic soldiers taking us?
In The Final Encyclopedia, mankind has reached the point where it can bring its splintered self back together and consciously guide its own development or it can fall into stagnation and slowly die.
While it's a stand-alone book, I recommend readers first turn the pages of the rest of the Childe Cycle books before taking on The (685 page) Final Encyclopedia.
Most satisifying book in the series yet.......2003-08-20
I do have to say that there's really no reason for this novel to be split into two somewhat pricy volumes . . . the original paperback was published in one large volume so it's not like it's impossible. But whatever. This is by far the largest volume in the Childe Cycle, for good reason, because it seems that mostly everything in the series has been leading up to this volume. When last we left Donal Graeham had basically sorted out all the Cultures and brought some semblance to peace. Now the story takes place quite a while later and things are rapidly falling apart. Another quasi-Culture called the Others, led by Bleys Ahern, are taking over everything and threatening to thrust the entire human race into a period of stagnation from which it will never recover. For some reason Bleys and company are searching for a young man named Hal Mayne, who was raised on Old Earth by people from all three major cultures. When he finds he has to leave Earth suddenly, things start to get interesting. Dickson really takes the time to stretch things out to epic length here and this is probably the most in depth look at the working of his little future history that we have seen yet. By giving the series its first major challenge (and indeed it's a point he's been trying to make throughout the other books, just now he's putting a physical sense to it) he adds a sense of drama and reality to it. All his skills here are at their peak . . . his characterizations are excellent (men and women, for once the latter are better than ciphers), his descriptions of the worlds are detailed and focused, his discussion of philosophy is more or less interesting and the story moves along quickly enough. Some of his most evocative scenes are in here, especially when it echoes earlier scenes, such as the extended sequence when Hal visits the old Graeham house and sees the graves of all the old characters (Donal, Kensie, Ian, etc), all of which have died years and years before the book even started. It really gives the reader a sense of the scope of the series. Finally, the Final Encyclopedia, a minor thread that has been threatening to become a major part of the saga, takes center stage. The book is probably longer than it needs to be, although as I mentioned Dickson does keep things moving and since it follows Hal throughout the plot probably isn't as complex as it could be. Also the ending is a bit on the anti-climatic side, especially when you realize you've read over seven hundred pages to get to this point. But this is a crucial part of the Cycle and makes me curious as to what will happen next. The other books, hit or miss that they were, really were only prelude to this volume and it's nice to see Dickson's writing explode in what we see here, juggling all the characters and places and themes with the ease of a master. Based on what I've read so far I'd place it above Heinlein's Future Histories but it's not as gripping as Asimov's Foundation, which was brilliant and effortless. But this is pretty good too and SF fans should get acquainted with this near classic, which isn't spoken about as much as those other histories. But it ranks up there, easily.
For 700 pages it worth the read!!.......2003-04-11
First I would like to say my deepest respects to the late Gordon R Dickson who passed away in 2001. He was a great author who created the whole splinter cultures of the spectaular universe that he had created. After reading Young Bleys, I had to know who this Hal Mayne was. To my surprise I see why Hal Mayne was a vital piece to the whole Dorsai, Exoctic and Friendly universe. His nemesis Bleys was a powerful (Other) individual and Hal Mayne was his equal. I think others may feel that read this book may be slow and detailed on some parts that could of been omitted but I feel alot of detailed aspects of Hal Mayne, I think, were interesting and crucial if you wanted to understand his character. The story starts out with Hal Mayne witnessing the deaths of his mentors and running away from the killers. While reading you'll see him growing from a boy to a man that he was destined to be. Gordon R Dickson is a great story teller with great ideas. I feel alot authors out there have great ideas but doesn't know how to tell a story or know how to tell a story but doesn't have great ideas. Sadly Gordon R dickson will be missed in my eyes. This book will always be a treasure to me!
Better than you think.......2001-06-21
First off i have to say that some guy from Someplace, NB wrote a review saying the book isnt a good military novel because there wasn't any "ACTIVE" military strategy, but without saying it. It was a great novel and had a lot of strategy involved. It was the best kind of strategy in that it was all information based and avoided total war. There was action, and it was very fun to read. All in all a good book but not for military strategists who are involved in the movement of mass troops in war. More for the real militia men who avoid casulties at all costs. It is one of the better true SF books I have read. Lots of futuristic ideas that are neat but don't draw the book out longer by going into details of trying to explain them. Though it IS a bit wordy at times.
A good book that seems to parallel another classic.......2001-03-28
When I read the Final Encyclopedia, I realized that it is very similar in theme with that of the novel Dune. First off, you have a character who does not know that they will be the ulitimate leaders in society. Furthermore, you have a vast array of societies that must be brought together. Throw in a couple of genetic programs and some family secrets, and you have two parallel books.
But, this novel does have its own identity and style. For one thing, it has one of the greatest projects humans have ever built in the Final Encyclopedia. Yes, the book is long, and boring at times. But the overall picture shows the sociological impact that is present in this novel. You may want to read the other books in this series, because then you can see the real Hal Mayne in this novel This appears on the surface as a pure military novel, but drive a little deeper, and you will see this is a war of the minds. A great analogy of a chess match written in a book.
The book had great character development, especially in Hal Mayne. Furthermore, the universe that Dickson creates is unique and interesting. It can be slow and boring at times, but yet at other times it is highly intellectually stimulating. Don't just read the surface value of this novel, dive into the symbolism and meaning behind what is shown. This novel may not appeal to a person due to its size alone, but I must admit that it is a crowning achievement for a unique universe in the science fiction world. Pick it up and read it!
Book Description
On the sixteen colonized worlds, mankind had changed, evolved into something that was slightly more than human....and slightly less. Men of War on the Dorsai worlds, men of Faith on the Friendly Worlds of Harmony and Association, men of Science, the Exotics of Kultis and Mara, and the Splinter cultures which had produced even stranger new talents.Those who knew said it was the Dorsai who supplied soldiers to the sixteen worlds. The Friendlies supplied cannon fodder, common soldiers who could be relied on to obey orders at all times.But even cannon fodder can sometimes produce genius. Jamethon Black is a true soldier, and a true man of faith. Now he must face a deadly enemy--an enemy whose defeat will forever separate Black from the only woman he has ever loved.
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-07
This book is a little different, in that the superman depicted is in this case a supervillain. With his basic supermanipulationcharisma abilities he isn't throwing cars around, but can cause some really bad military conflicts.
Set in the 23rd century, that are quite a few colonised worlds and a few different cultural/political groupings for him to cause havoc on as the Dorsai and others try to stop him.
ok read.......2006-03-27
This was an ok read. I liked it and it went pretty fast, but I was left feeling like I missed something. The character was somehow flat. But I would recommend it as an OK sci fi book.
One of my all time favorite sci fi novels!.......2006-03-19
I first read this book over 20 years ago, and I read a lot of science fiction, but this is one of the few that truly stands out!
It is one of the very few I've saved to reread over and over again, and I gain different insights each time, at various points in my life. It is absolutely worth reading!
It is the story of anguish and desire for vengence so consuming that the main character sets out to commit genocide against an entire planet, to erase their line from the universe forever!
He has the power to do it too, because he learns while most people are swept along by destiny, powerless to do much about the events in their lives, he finds that he is one of the very few who has the power to control destiny, and shape it to his will.
The only thing that stands in his way is one lone soldier, Jonathan Black, a man of true faith. A man whose faith is so strong, that even if his beliefs were completely proven false, and even if he learned he had been betrayed by all his leaders, and even if his faith was completely abandoned by every other human being, he alone would still believe, and hold true to his faith.
OK for Early Teens.......2005-09-22
Bottom line, OK for early teens but not something a more experienced SF reader would like. This is my first Gordon Dickson novel. I selected it after a review of Dickson's works in a SF anthology and the fact that it had the Hugo Award honor. I pick the book up at a used book store (great place to buy books) and I am glad I did not pay full price. I am a long time reader of SF, being in my 50s, and I was very disappointed: the book was a bit pretentious in plot and writing style. The main character was given capabilities that were not demonstrated convincingly. Other supporting characters such as the Exotics could have been better explored. The first part of the book was not very interesting, but I was traveling and had no other book to read so I struggled to the end. The later part of the book picked up a bit and in final analyses it was an OK book for early teens (13-14 year olds). The separation of the human race was an interesting plot concept, but not very well executed. The Asimov FOUNDATION series is a much better SF collection.
Getting better.......2003-06-05
The third (in theory) of the Childe Cycle books, this is the first one that feels like the series is heading anywhere, with more of the main concepts (the Splinter Cultures, the Final Encyclopedia) explained in more detail and finally a sense of direction starts to emerge. This book concerns Tam Olyn, a Newsman who has an unfortunate experience with the Friendly culture (the ultra-religious people . . . though not for nothing, it would be nice for once to see a fanatical religion that isn't directly based on Christianity, it's becoming a bit of a cliche now and it would be nice to show a little bit of imagination) and basically vows to bring their entire culture down . . . not all of his manipulations make perfect sense to me frankly (a common thing with Dickson, either I'm missing the man's logic or it's just not well thought out) but it's the thought that counts and it's fun watching his plan almost come to fruition. Tam Olyn is one of the more interesting characters to come down the pipeline but he's not as much fun as the guy from Tactics of Mistake (no sense of humor and a little too full of himself . . . Paul Formain might have been boring but at least he wasn't arrogant) but he almost makes up for it with sheer intensity and his unswerving focus provides a good amount of drive to the novel. Sometimes the supporting characters are more interesting than he is though (ie Jamethon Black, although Lisa Kant and Eileen continue the trend of having female characters who, er, don't do anything) and the few Dorsai that show up clearly steal the show, making it obvious when Dickson's loyalities lie . . . what makes this book work isn't really the main plot so much as the deeper glimpse into this future history Dickson has going, while he does steal slightly from Asimov ("ontogenetics" = psychohistory last I checked) the idea of humanity splitting into the distinct groups (and then eventually rejoining) plus the stuff like the Final Encyclopedia are all great concepts and I look forward to seeing more of them in the future books (one thing does bother me, why is no one ever mentions the Scientists, be a shame to leave them out) . . . this novel is entertaining in its own right but on it's own it's merely average . . . when placed in context with the rest of the books in the Cycle, it gains a little more importance. Dickson can't write anything totally unreadable and this is clearly more interesting than the earlier books but it's not exactly a masterpiece . . . it has enough to make you keep reading and it goes by quickly. You won't feel you wasted your time but you may not feel any desire to go back and read it again either.
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-07
The sixth book in the Childe Cycle is fairly philosophical. Hal Mayne visits the Chantry Guild, in its incarnation in this time. He spends a lot of time with them on the planet Kultis still trying to understand and spearhead the final transformation of humankind.
As before, he is sometimes opposed by those that want to stop him, Bleys specifically.
Good continuation of cycle, but definitely flawed.......2003-09-02
Following up the Final Encyclopedia was no doubt a daunting task, especially with that book's massive impact on the Childe Cycle as a whole, finally giving the series a sense of direction and the ability to head toward a definite conclusion, as well as giving purpose to the previous books, which had sort of floated along in a shared Universe sort of fashion. And yet Dickson had to follow it up to give the Final Encyclopedia any meaning, since the ending to that book was so anti-climatic that the words "To Be Continued" might have as well have been stamped there in giant letters. So faithfully Dickson gives us this book, the title teasingly implying that this might be the long awaited conclusion, with its promises of tying in to the very beginning of the Cycle (the Chantry Guild was last seen in the first book in the series, Necromancer, and apparently gave rise to the Exotic Culture). Instead, we get some furthering of the Cycle's themes but a lot of water-treading as well. Hal's victory in the last book was not a complete one and he is finding himself stymied in his efforts to make a total breakthrough and use the Encyclopedia for its true purpose. Amanda Morgan mentions that he should seek out a new incarnation of the Chantry Guild to find what he needs. So Hal does. That's pretty much it, which is pretty much the problem with this book, Dickson spends most of his time trying to do a lot with comparitively little. Hal's quest to unlock the "Creative Universe" is sort of vague and the terms of his victory against Bleys becomes more and more muddled as the book goes on. I'm not even sure how the Creative Universe will help him win, whatever it is. The bulk of the novel is taken up on Kultis where Hal tries to learn from the Chantry Guild and this is where Dickson's pacing fails him . . . it's simply too long a section of the book. Incidents that should take less than a chapter stretch out to multiple chapters, for no real reason. The main problem (soldiers finding the Guild) has nothing to do with the overall quest and the characters spend too much time focusing on who is going to track down the wild child that is roaming around outside than, you know, saving the Universe. Plus the sequence of attacking the soldiers' camp goes on way too long and features very little action. Then Hal leaves and we never hear about the people there again, anyway. Bleys puts in a token appearance simply to annoy Hal it seems and it all wraps up at the Encyclopedia. Maybe. Dickson's ending this time is perhaps more vague than the last book and just sort of leaves the reader hanging. What is good about this book? The supporting characters are well developed and Dickson's writing, when not mired in pseudo-philosophical meanderings, is an interesting as ever. And the future history is as fascinating as ever. But the sad thing is that way too important events happen to justify this book's length. While the previous book had epic scope and status quo shaking events, this plot is too much point A to point B stuff. However, it's readable and a crucial addition to the Cycle, which makes it essential if you've read this far. Unfortunately I'm not sure Dickson ever brought the Cycle to a satisifying conclusion, the next two books are mostly focused on Bleys' early life and I'm not sure if those books further the story of Hal at all. And without Dickson having now passed on for a few years, if the ending hasn't been published (or written) we're not about to see it. So this is a step down from the previous book but still interesting in itself. Just don't start here, by any means.
Poorly edited and difficult to follow.......2002-07-16
I was given this book a few years ago by a friend, and finally picked it up to read this summer. I have not read any other books in the "Childe Cycle" that this book is apparently part of, which perhaps is a big part of my reason for my poor impression of it.
At a basic level, there is an editorial sloppiness to the book. There were far too many sentences that clearly are missing words, as well as a couple of places where entire phrases were inadvertantly repeated in the same paragraph. Yes, it's a minor annoyance, but distracting just the same.
The author also does a bad job of giving background to readers who haven't read the previous books. I realize that coming into the middle of any series can be challenging, but even some basic introduction to important elements in the main characters' backgrounds is typical. I once made the mistake of picking up a relatively late book in Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series (Crown of Thorns) as my first, but I felt I eventually understood most of what I needed to in order to appreciate that book as a story on it's own. Not so with The Chantry Guild... Dickson is very haphazard about background, and as a result, the primary struggle in the book, the protagonist's (Hal's) effort to reach the "Creative Universe", is baffling and ultimately incomprehensible.
Or perhaps I'm being too generous by giving Dickson that out... even if I had read the rest of the series, I'm not sure it would make sense. Too much of the book is spent in rambling third-person narration describing Hal's internal monologue and thoughts as he grapples with this intangible metaphysical goal. It is hard to read, bogs down the other plots, and proves ultimately unsatisfying in that, despite being told over and over again that this task is the main character's life goal and is somehow tied to the fate of humanity, why or how is completely unclear. Perhaps by this point in the series we are supposed to be so attached to this character that seeing him achieve something very important to him is supposed to be satisfying to us by itself. But as a new reader, I didn't find myself caring about this guy much, and I want to know what the point of all the navel-gazing was and how it might actually help save humanity. In some ways, this plot is very derivative of Paul Atreides' messiah quest in Dune, and Dickson's work in this book suffers badly in comparison.
The more traditional plot in the book is not particularly noteworthy either. Dickson spends *130* pages on what is basically a small-scale action sequence that takes place over a day as the secret village Hal stays in is first threatened by enemy search parties and then caught up in rescuing a few of their own who are caught by the bad guys. The story moves excruciatingly slowly. Worse, all of the struggle and effort we are dragged through ultimately serves no clear narrative purpose, other than to physically exhaust the protagonist to the point that he can get a good night's sleep and have a breakthrough in his metaphysical journey. The "enemy" even finds them anyway as the result of very casually-noted aerial surveillance (setting up a highly contrived visit by the arch-nemesis), and the characters being rescued are discarded so quickly afterwards that we are never given the resolution of their personal stories, which Dickson had spewed many pages setting up.
Of course, it's not all bad. The "world" this story is set in is well-conceived and interesting, and there are some really innovative aspects of the protagonists' backgrounds. Refreshingly, relatively little time is spent on technology, and when he chooses to, Dickson can describe this world with clear and vivid images that one can easily imagine making a transition to a movie screen.
Overall, this is a weak book that, while potentially interesting to those who have become engrossed in the rest of the series, should be avoided by anyone else. It would be much better if it were a 100 pages shorter and provided a better explanation of what came before and the significance of the "Creative Universe".
A Weaker Novel of the Childe Cycle.......2001-06-18
Gordon R. Dickson's 'The Final Encyclopedia' is easily one of the greatest novels of science-fiction. The novels that precede it in the series are also all first rate works. But sadly, the three novels that follow, 'Young Bleys,' 'Other,' and 'The Chantry Guild,' are considerably weaker. While 'The Chantry Guild' does give some reward to the readers who've followed the series for years, it still lacks the final resolution that we've waited for, (no doubt Dickson is planning more books in the series), and the bulk of the work is just plain uninteresting. If you're a fan of the series then you probably should give this one a look, if you're new to the Childe Cycle you might want to start with 'Tactics of Mistake,' of 'Soldier, Ask Not.'
Gripping and powerful.......2000-10-22
The Canadian Gordon Dickson is, in my opinion, the greatest SF writer of all time. His Childe Cyle novels are the finest Sf series that has ever been written, in my humble opinion. These novels are gripping, and with a depth and scope that is unmatched in the history of SF. There have been many great SF series with scope and depth, but none with the over all vision of Dickson. He knows where he is going in these novels and each seamlessly integrates with the previous, and with each other. The Chantry Guild continues the story of Hal and elaborates on the universe Dickson has created, all the while elegantly commenting on the human condition. The depth and power of these books is consciousnes raising, but at the same time they are really fun to read. That is a combination that is nearly impossible to attain, but Mr. Dickson has done it.
Customer Reviews:
A must for Dorsai fans.......2003-04-05
If you haven't been introduced to this book, find it. It is a combination of Lost Dorsai and the Spirit of Dorsai with a lot of extra material on the Dorsai and the Childe Cycle as well. I think they are re-releasing Lost Dorsai with the extra information, but I'm not sure, as it's being billed as a new release- or, at least an unpdated version. Having come out in 1986, before Young Bleys or the other latter novels, that is most likely the case. Perhaps it would be wiser to purchase Lost Dorsai with the new info and get Spirit seperately. At any rate, the short stories are still first rate, and they are all about the Dorsai. What more can you ask for?
Average customer rating:
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Lost Dorsai
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dickson, Gordon R.
| ( D )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0441493025 |
Customer Reviews:
Another Dorsai novel.......2000-12-22
This is another Dorsai novel that further follows the image created by Dickson of a superior military warrior. This novel centers around the Dorsai warrior Corunna El Mann. He is supervising the transport of an important dignitary to a planet that is undergoing some internal conflict. When El Mann gets to the planet, political chaos occurs.
It seems that the soldiers that were trained to defend a fort have deserted to help the revolutionaries. As a result, this leaves a handful of people left to defend this fortress. There are a total of five Dorsai, one of which is opposed to using weapons. This person is named Michael, and he is in charge of the band.
As the days unfold, this novel is really a book centered around the development of characters. There is not much action going on this this novel, except for the final battle scenes. This novel acutally plays more on in the internal conflict of one individual who battles what his morals are, and what his training would have him do. As a result, the book is a great study in socio-ethical conflicts located within an individual. It is easy reading, without a lot of intense descriptions. Overall, it was just an average novel.
The book also contained the short story "Warrior". The story is very easy to read, and should be used in conjunction with other Dorsai novels. The main purpose of this story is to develop the character of Ian Graeme, and further solidify his image. Again, this is easy reading, but you catch a glipse of the unique and intelligent thinking processes that Ian contains.
Book Description
There are many legends on the planet of the Dorsai, the breeding ground for heroes. Here are two of them.Lost Dorsai: The New Dorsai Companion contains the Hugo Award winning novella, Lost Dorsai, and Dickson's classic short story "Warrior."Plus, the New Dorsai Companion contains, for the first time ever, an all new Concordance of the Childe Cycle--a roadmap of Dickson's massive and brilliant creation. The Concordance will let you know not only in which books or stories a person or place is mentioned, but will give you a brief history or biography that explains their significance in the Cycle. It's a Who's Who of the future--and no science fiction reader should be without it.
Customer Reviews:
Not bad for a dollar.......2005-04-12
In short, the novella Lost Dorsai was gripping and believable, but the short story Warrior was too vengeful and the plot was too hard to swallow. Lost Dorsai and Warrior were the first two for me, but apparently Dickson wrote several of these Childe Cycle stories. The absence of fantasy and magic reminds me of SciFi I read, and liked, in the 60s. Warrior is dated 1965, while Lost Dorsai is dated 1980.
But unlike, say, the grunts of Starship Troopers, the Dorsai are military savants who are too superior to be seriously challenged by their opponents. Dickson writes them into situations where they are overwhelmingly opposed, but they are still somehow in control. But even though they are very close to being comic book superheroes, in Lost Dorsai they have a certain dignity and restraint that makes it all sort of work. In Warrior, I couldn't sympathize with the "mission."
Highly entertaining addition, but not required reading.......2003-07-22
Like "The Spirit of Dorsai" before, this volume fills in some elements of the overall Cycle and gives us some insight into some of the smaller details, but if you skip it you really won't be missing out on too much when you consider the overall picture. Basically this is two stories, one fairly long and the other fairly short. The first one "Lost Dorsai" is actually quite good, showing the flipside of the Dorsai philosophy, about a warrior who refuses to fight, but Dickson makes the interesting argument that being a Dorsai isn't a switch you can flip on and off and sometimes having to fight doesn't mean you need to use weapons. It's one of the best written portions of the series and even if it has little bearing on the rest of the books, the book is worth the read just for that story. Also, the tale finally delves into the relationship between the famous Graeme twins, Ian and Kensie. In other reviews I've pointed out that Dickson almost milks the brother Ian to death, showing us how he suffered in the wake of his brother's death, without really showing us what he was like while Kensie was still alive. Finally we get a story that not only has both of them alive but working together and while they are still kept at arm's length to some extent, it's a better look than we've had before and more than welcome. I doubt they'll be anymore Ian/Kensie stories but this one was just about what I was looking for. The other story in the book "Warrior" mostly showcases Ian (again, before his brother died, so while he's gloomy, he's not the epitome of death he would become later) going about his duty and dispensing some justice. It's good insight into the way his mind works, although it relies too heavily on a lot of weird things happening and Ian going, "Well I planned for all of that to happen" which is a rather annoying Dorsai trait. I do have to admit his plan is clever and shows some good insight into human psychology. So while it's not essential at all, it's an entertaining way to spend a half hour or so (that's all it took me to read that story). The illustrations that accompany the first story are also interesting, and help set the mood without literally depicting what's going on on the page. My version also has a medium size essay by a SF critic that is mostly gushing praise (some of it deserved, though at points it gets a little much) but also makes an attempt to bring up themes and such in the Cycle that even Dickson might not have originally envisioned. Oh, it also has an excerpt of "The Final Encyclopedia" but I'd rather just read the book itself. So overall, like I said, it colors in some of the lines of the series and showcases those always entertaining Graeme twins, but as far as the main thrust of the book is concerned, it's not exactly essential. That doesn't mean it isn't good (it is) but don't expect any major revelations or twists. That's all.
a compilation for the fans...........2000-06-05
....crowned by "Lost Dorsai," the story of a warrior who will not fight--and yet triumphs.
It's a great addition to the amazing Childe Cycle series.......1999-11-21
The series is extremely well written, as well as the book. Much better off reading the whole series first.
Book Description
Life on Earth is good. Disease is checked, hunger ended, and war and suffering abolished, with liberty and justice and a high standard of living for all.But Paul Formain, a strangely gifted young engineer, doesn't believe a word of it.So he comes to Walter Blunt's Chantry Guild, whose motto is "Destruct!" and whose stated goal is the end of civilization. There are Alternate Laws at work in the world, says the Chantry Guild; Walter Blunt has pledged his life to them, and to the principle of destruction as a positive force.Even more disturbingly, the Alternate Laws appear to work.After centuries of hope and progress, and the triumph of science, something strange is happening to mankind. And whatever it is, it's going to be big.
Customer Reviews:
Super Reader.......2007-08-07
This is not a direct sequel as such. No zombies, either. A man loses an arm in an accident when he fails to take heed of his 'danger sense'. He then gets involved in an organisation that has 'Alternate Laws' they believe in, and tell him he can regenerate his arm.
They have plans for him and his talent, they think they can use him as an agent to destroy the technologically assisted utopia they live in, that is still full of problems.
A Bridge to the Dorsai.......2003-08-16
Necromancer is the second published novel in the Childe Cycle, following Dorsai!, but is actually the first volume in internal chronology among the published works. This novel was intended as a bridge between the projected (but never published) historic volumes in the Cycle and the near future novels of the Dorsai series.
In this novel, Paul Formain is a mining engineer who has an accident that tears off his left arm. Although he has regeneration treatments, the arm does not grow back. He is told that the problem is purely psychological, so he consults a therapist, but only learns something that he already knows: he is unusually resistant to hypnosis.
Taking another approach to the problem, Paul tries the Chantry Guild, an organization created by Walter Blunt after being the only survivor of a hunting party caught by a freak early-winter blizzard. While the others died of exposure, Walter walked out to shelter wearing only the lightest of hunting clothes and arrived warm and rested. Chantry Guild literature claimed successful regrowth of missing limbs even in the treatment of resistant individuals. Paul meets with Jason Warren, the Guild Secretary, and is provisionally accepted in the Guild. He finds the training to be weird, but effective, and becomes a Necromancer.
This novel shows Paul developing certain skills in the Alternate Laws, but otherwise seems to lack any forward movement. The reason for his passivity is implied by the continued concern over a sailing episode five years before. Paul had been caught in a small sailboat by a severe storm and nearly died of exposure, much as Blunt had come close to death. Paul has a continuing vision of dying in that boat. At the end of the book, Paul visits a body wrapped in chains far below the surface of the ocean near the location where he had been rescued; this scene will be shown again in other stories in this series.
The author exhibits an intense interest in hysterical strength and other superhuman phenomena. This interest is reflected in his other works, but is central to the Childe Cycle. The author often pairs such extraordinary skills with a strong sense of responsibility and an unrelenting perseverence.
The pivotal character in the Child Cycle is Donal Graeme, the "genetic general" who has the main role in the Dorsai! novel. Donal has the ability to see the future ... and the past. Moreover, he has other abilities that he keeps concealed from most people.
This novel sets up the interstellar political situation in The Tactics of Mistake, the next novel in internal sequence. It depicts the initial separation of the Exotic and the Friendly Splinter Cultures from the mainstream of humanity. The origin of the Dorsai Culture is described in the next volume.
Highly recommended for Dickson fans and for anyone else who is interested in the evolution of mass movements, cultural differentiation, and the role of individuals within society.
-Arthur W. Jordin
A Fun, Fast Paced, Unique, Fantasy Thriller.......2003-08-13
I read this book as an adolescent and flew through it. I picked the book solely on the title, which was never really explained in the story. It has alot of action in it. It has major plot holes, and at one point the author forgets that the main character is missing an arm. The plot involves magic, psychological manipulation, and halucinations. The environment isn't well-developed, but like many 10 cent paperbacks, has a few intriguing concepts and stimulators that make it a fun read. I'd compare this book with one of Andre Norton's minor books. It's a great escape!
Necessary to get the Childe Cycle ball rolling.......2003-05-28
I have no idea what order the Childe Cycle (aka that series with Dorsai) was published in . . . I'm reading them in the order listed on the back of the Final Encyclopedia, which gives this as the first book and so off we go. It's a slim, slight book with a seemingly straightforward plot that starts to go in all kinds of weird areas very quickly, almost too quickly. Paul Formain is a guy with not so good luck who loses his arm and can't have it replaced because none of the grafts will take. But some people tell him he has some ability with the "Alternate Laws" and so the Chantry Guild, led by Walter Blunt, decide to take him in and train them. Little do they know what it leads to. And neither does the reader, apparently. Dickson is too good a writer to not make the book any less than interesting and readable but some of this stuff doesn't seem worked out too well, the Alternate Laws remain kind of a catch-all and after reading the book I still have absolutely no idea what they are supposed to do. Other than Paul, none of the character have anything other than thin personalities (the lady, Kanteele is never developed at all and her at times strange behavior never really explained) and even Paul isn't that interesting since in grand SF hero tradition he mostly reacts to stuff and overcomes obstacles mostly because hey, why not? A lot of stuff happens toward the end that basically serves as a prelude for everything that comes after, which is where this book becomes essential. While if you skipped it, the rest of the Cycle probably makes perfect sense, this lays down the foundations and while not a spectacular book on its own, when fitted in with the rest of the series, it takes on a different resonance altogether. Even with those flaws, Dickson keeps the story moving, his science may not be ready for a doctoral thesis but the philosophy is always interesting (a highlight in most of his books) and the result is never less than entertaining, even if it is far from a masterpiece. Read this only to move on to the next books.
Dull and lifeless.......2002-09-07
This book reminded me a lot of Moorcock's Elric series. It's extremely brief, the characters are lifeless, the world is poorly described, and it takes itself way too seriously.
The protagonist, Paul Formain, is so cold and lifeless that he makes Elric seem emotional by comparison.
One expects a sci-fi novel to have lifeless and cliched characters, but there's usually a cool interesting scientific idea to counter the lack of character development and story. Necromancer has neither. In fact, it's more of a fantasy story than true sci-fi. The characters have magical abilities which are never explained in any kind of logical or scientific way.
Now I have no problem with fantasy, but as a fantasy novel Necromancer doesn't hold up either. A fantasy story should have interesting characters and a well developed fantasy world. Necromancer has none of this.
I really have nothing good to say about this book.
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Soldier, Ask Not: A Novel in The Chide Cyle (Dorsai/Childe Cycle)
Necromancer (Dorsai/Childe Cycle)
Lost Dorsai (Dorsai/Childe Cycle)
The Chantry Guild (Dorsai/Childe Cycle)
Other (Childe Cycle)
