Enter a world where harpies torment mortals, the Argonaut Orpheus sings, the mighty god Zeus wages war on the Titans, and Prometheus steals fire. Author Padraic Colum weaves the tales of Jason and his Argonauts with classic Greek mythology to create this captivating epic about life, war, and astounding beings who lived in a time long past.
Can a computer be sentient?
Instead of a "Who-done-It," it is a "Why-did-they-do it" The murderer is revealed in Chapter One. The motive for the murder is the mystery.
The rest of the book explores the sentience of the computer, Jason.
Highly recommended for Sawyer fans. This was originally copyrighted in 1990, so it is one of his earliest works.
Gunner May,2007
A Wrongful Death?.......2007-05-06
Golden Fleece (1990) is a singleton SF novel. The Argo is a spacegoing arcology, with 10,034 people aboard, en route to Colchis, a planet in the Eta Cephei system. It is controlled by a tenth generation computer named Jason.
In this novel, Jason herds Diana Chandler into a lander and launches her into space. The intense radiation from the Brussard ramjet fields kills her almost instantly after the craft leaves the protection of the habitat. Then Jason reports the "accident" to Aaron Rossman, supervisor of the Argo's landing craft and Diana's ex-husband.
Jason assumes that the lander will be destroyed or lost, yet Aaron devises a method of retrieving it by reconfiguring the magnetic fields. When Diana's body is returned to the Argo, it is examined by Kristen Hoogenraad, one of the Argo's medical staff and Aaron's current wife. This examination reveals a few injuries that are acceptable under these conditions, but the landing craft itself has two unexplained anomalies.
The lander has received much more radiation than anticipated for the short exposure. Moreover, the craft has too little remaining fuel. The reception party is puzzled by these discrepancies, but not very suspicious. Everybody just assumes that Diana's death is a suicide.
Aaron can't believe that Diana has committed suicide, but doesn't have any other reasonable explanation for her death. When a mutual friend excuses him of driving her to suicide, however, Aaron suddenly realizes that his affair with Kristen has been a subject of gossip on the ship. He begins to blame himself for Diana's death. Of course, Kristen tries to convince him otherwise, but Jason surreptitiously promotes this self-blame.
In this story, the usual mystery framework is twisted. The killer is known from the first paragraph, although his identity is not completely revealed until the second page. The method and opportunity are fully disclosed in the first chapter; only the motive is unclear.
As with most classical mysteries, the reasons for the killing of Diana only become evident at the very end of the story. Throughout the tale, Jason comes across as a passionate, but dedicated persona. He tries to do the best he can for the human race, but is willing to kill to achieve his goals. Will he kill again?
This story resembles 2001: The Space Odyssey is some ways, but Jason is not HAL 9000. In fact, part of the intent behind the novel may have been as a refutation of that film. Computers are not able to override their programming without hardware or software damage and/or defects. Most computer errors are the result of poor programming. Computers are unbelievably dumb, doing exactly what they are told to do; even sheep have more common sense than computers.
Apparently some of the readers didn't understand the relativity issues brought up by the author. The faster the ship travels, the slower the onboard mechanical and biological clocks advance. A velocity very near lightspeed would reduce the passage of internal time during the voyage to almost nothing. The author doesn't invoke Faster-Than-Light travel, but relativity when writing of voyages taking less than a (perceived) day.
The novel is not very tightly written, but is better than many other first novels. It rambles a bit here and there and tends to be dull in spots, mostly to provide material for the denouement. One of the sidelines concerns a SETI message from another part of the sky; still, this may have been included as a leadin to a possible sequel that has not yet been published.
Although the plot ends with a purely conventional resolution, one wonders whether Aaron has done the right thing. Still, Jason has a plan . . .
Recommended for Sawyer fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of seemingly intelligent computers, locked door mysteries, and clever detective work.
-Arthur W. Jordin
An A.I. with an attitude.......2002-08-26
The narrator of this book is the artificially intelligent computer running a huge starship, and the first thing it says (prior to killing a character who has uncovered some uncomfortable facts regarding the mission,) is "I love that they trusted me blindly." I felt like telling it "Well of course they trust you blindly! What else can they do but trust you blindly? To not trust you completely they would have to exist all the time in a state of great and paranoid fear! Would that be preferable to you?" Despite the fact that I thought the A.I. (which the author calls a "Quant-Con,") manipulative and not a very good psychologist, (plus it says of the researcher it kills with intense radiation, "Her face was a mask of horror...(Her's) would have an interesting death to watch." Very off-putting...) I found this story worth buying and reading. I was confused by the author's seeming to acknowledge that FTL travel was impossible and then later revealing that it is after all possible. I kept expecting Jason (the A.I.,) to say something like, "Ah, But we Quant-Cons have found a loophole in Einstein's law...", but he never did. This and a problem with Bussard ramjets were never addressed, but physics problems in sci-fi books I don't find iinherently disqualifying, (as long as they're handled right,) because it seems to me that to be too nit-pickey about this would be to instantly discard about 99.5% of the genre, and also because we might not know everything yet.
Not the best Sawyer, but pretty good.......2002-05-14
This is one of Sawyer's earlier novels. While it is not quite up to the standards of later works, (like THE TERMINAL EXPERIMENT), it has a great premise and is superior to most science fiction on the shelves today.
Golden Fleece is a murder mystery - but the mystery is not who, we know that right away, it's the "why?" and "will they be caught?" The untangling of these two questions - aboard a generational ship, making it a locked room mystery for the passengers - has the backdrop of the psychology of a generational ship and how man deals with Artificial Intelligence.
science fiction at its best.......2001-08-23
Science fiction is supposed to be a genre that uses real science to tell a good story with morals, lessons and ideas. Sawyer does exactly that in The Golden Fleece (no Greek mythology fans, the title is not coincidental). It explores AI, ET and human psychology, the only three forms of consciousness in a very interesting and profound but scientific way. One of those good books that gets you asking yourself certain moral questions for days after having finished it. A great read, my personal favorite of Sawyers after reading almost all his other great books.
Book Description
This Elibron Classics book is a reprint of a 1895 edition by Macmillan and Co., London & New York.
Customer Reviews:
The Golden Fleece, legend or history?.......2003-11-21
In this book Tim Severin recounts his search for the truth behind the legend of the Golden Fleece and the fabulous voyage of Jason and the Argonauts to retrieve it.
The reader is taken on two journeys, the ancient voyage of Jason, the Greek hero, and the modern recreation. We see the construction of an authentic greek galley of the period, and share in Severins trials as he and his crew learn the peculiarities of the craft.
Then we journey with him from the Aegean sea through the Bosphorous into the Black sea all the way to Georgia. There we learn about the tradition of laying sheep fleeces in the rivers to catch the gold deposited from sources upstream, the source of the legend of the "golden fleece".
A lovely travelogue of Greece, Modern Turkey and Georgia. A great book on ancient sailing, and a good read for the curious.
Average customer rating:
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The Golden Fleece and Alchemy (Suny Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)
Antoine Faivre
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
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ASIN: 0791414108 |
Book Description
Award-winning children's author James Riordan boldly retells this story from Greek mythology, introducing readers to the first great European hero to undertake a grand journey. Accompanied by some of ancient Greece's bravest heroes, Jason leads an expedition to retrieve the Golden Fleece, the property of a king in a far-off land. Traveling by sea, they encounter trial after trial along their route — reeking Harpies, deadly clashing rocks, and fierce Amazon warrior women — and yet more challenges await them at their destination. For before he will give up the fleece, the king devises a test for Jason that will certainly be the death of him — unless the king's daughter, Medea, agrees out of love for Jason to lend him her magical powers.
Complemented by illustrations that marry ancient Greek vase pastiche with high realism, this is a classic tale of high adventure that holds appeal for boys and girls alike.
Book Description
A man has come out of the seabrain damaged in a fight with a terrible giantremembering very little about himself. He knows his name is Proteus, and that he was sent to join Jason and the Argonauts as they embarked on the greatest journey the world has ever known. When Princess Medea is struck by Cupids arrow, she falls so desperately in love with Jason, that she is ready to betray her father, and to lure her own brother to his death, so that Jason may win the Golden Fleece.
Customer Reviews:
The myth retold.......2006-10-06
"God of the Golden Fleece" is the fourth book in Fred Saberhagan's Books of the Gods series, which retell the famous Greek myths, albiet with differences that make the stroys both more realistic and with super science half explanation that still leave the reader with a sence of wonder. In this book Proteus is washed ashore with no memery, excet that he had just fought a Giant. He signs on with the famous Jason and the Argonaughts in the quest for the Golden Fleece. They face all the adventures and challenges that the traditional tale includes, but with some slight differences. For example, the falling rocks are actually chuncks of an iceburg falling. The stroy is still the same, Jason is tring to claim the kingdom hiw uncle stole from his family.
But in this story, Jason is not really much of a hero, let alone a Hero. He fights when he must, and he is good at it, but this Jason is moody and depressed, not an enigmatic leader as in legend, and certainly not a Hero in the class of Achilles or Perseus. The majority of the book revolves around Proteus, who quickly realizes he is more than human, and the revelation is actually quiet cleaver, and his fate at the end of the book both happy and a bit sad. You'll see. Medea is bit strange, a witch who is also brought under a spell, and when it wears off her love for Jason is not what it used to be. The end of their realtionship is sort of the same, but the details are somewhat different from the myth.
A great swashbuckling adventure with magic, action and romance, this is a great book, second only to "Arms of Hercules", the book immeadiatly preceeding it. Though all of the books in the series are good, read them all; go ahead, treat yourself.
Good Ending.......2004-02-14
This is a good book with a non-typical ending. A good Saberhagen book
Excellent retelling of classical mythological story........2003-07-11
One of 5 books which have taken the classical Greek myths and updated them with a sci-fi hook. When are the stories in the books taking place? Before the classical Earth-centric Greek period? Or, sometime way, way, way after our civilization has passed? Saberhagen drops a hint or two (use of word "bio-computer) which may or may not lead one astray. But the good storytelling and stories stand by themselves. If anyone has a copy of Robert Graves 1955 (or later re-issue) The Greek Myths, it's a wonderful co-read. Unfortunately, word from the Saberhagen web-site indicates the publisher, Tor Books, is not interested in continuing the series. Maybe we, the readers, should let Tor know that WE ARE interested in the series being continued. I, for one, want to know more about the background and future of this new mythological world.
Great fantasy.......2001-08-15
Following a deadly battle between the Gods and the Giants, a shipwrecked Proteus barely manages to reach a nearby beach but has lost his memory. Already on the shore are Jason and the Argonauts preparing to continue sailing in order to take the Golden Fleece from King Aeetes. Proteus decides to join the quest and performs feats beyond that of the heroes of the Argo.
As Proteus begins to regains pieces of his memory, he concludes that King Pelias hired him to kill Jason. However, his time amidst the Argonauts, especially the brave leader makes him realize he cannot do this task and instead becomes an intrepid and loyal member of the crew. After fleecing Aeetes and other adventures, the Argonauts land on the enchantress Circe's island where Proteus not only learns more about himself and the truth, but plans to do something about it, that is if he lives long enough to do so.
This retelling of the Greek epic Jason and the Argonauts is a well-written fantasy tale that keeps reader attention throughout the book. The story line is fast-paced and filled with action though much is seen through the eyes of the mysterious and bewildered Proteus as opposed to Jason, Hercules, and some of the other mythical heroes. Highly regarded Fred Saberhagen, in his fourth ýBOOK OF THE GODSý novel, is not quite on the level of the mythological classic or the Ray Harryhausen animated enhanced movie, but will provide the authorýs myriad of fans with an entertaining story.
Harriet Klausner
Books:
- The Blue Day Book
- The Body Sculpting Bible for Women, Revised Edition: The Way to Physical Perfection (Body Sculpting Bible)
- The Complete Book of Massage
- The Cure for All Diseases
- The Diabetes & Heart Healthy Cookbook
- The Last Legion: A Novel
- The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)
- The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition
- The Oxford Picture Dictionary: English-Spanish Edition
- The Phoenix Phenomenon: Rising from the Ashes of Grief
Books Index
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Certainly one can do better.......2003-12-11
Book goes to off topic........2005-04-12
