I rated this novel " D " when I read it Sept. 6, 1974.
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option buI rated this novel " D " when I read it Sept. 6, 1974.
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality.
A rating of "D" translates to a Goodreads score of 1 star. Well, actually, it should translate to a score of 1/2 star, but Goodreads said that only a dirty rat would use half stars. [For further information on the term dirty rat - consult the cover of the book]....more
***NOTE*** - this review refers to the SHORT STORY *** NOT the collection. This is a chronic problem on Goodreads - distinguishing a short story from ***NOTE*** - this review refers to the SHORT STORY *** NOT the collection. This is a chronic problem on Goodreads - distinguishing a short story from a collection, where they both have the same title. We need a solution!
Review of short story "Inconstant Moon" . . .
A top favourite! This great story comes back to me every time I am gazing at a full moon. Does it seem a little brighter than usual??
If you have a romantic bone in your body, you owe it to yourself to give this one a read.
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality....more
Favourite in that "I almost wish I hadn't read that." / "I can't get those images out of my brain." / "What is wrong with One of my favourite stories.
Favourite in that "I almost wish I hadn't read that." / "I can't get those images out of my brain." / "What is wrong with Harlan Ellison that he can create these nightmare visions" sort of a way.
NOT for the faint of heart!
Caveat legit!
If you would like to try a Harlan story that doesn't damage your soul, but is still excellent, you might try "Jeffty is Five".
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My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality....more
It is impossible to overstate the importance of Isaac Asimov to the development of science fiction. This story is a master work by the biggest of the It is impossible to overstate the importance of Isaac Asimov to the development of science fiction. This story is a master work by the biggest of the "Big Three (Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke).
You have have to do a bit of searching and sleuthing to find this one. This particular one - the original Nightfall story. It is this one - the unforgettable story of Nightfall - that you want. The fantastic story, which was originally serialized in Astounding Science Fiction.
A casual search will turn up the later one - the "collaboration" between Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg. The original story doesn't gain anything by being expanded into a great big novel. Isaac was in poor health by the time this "collaboration" occurred, so the expansion into a large novel was presumably accomplished by Robert Silverberg writing in the style of Isaac Asimov....more
I have read this story a number of times in a number of different anthologies / collections - in English I did not read the Spanish edition shown hereI have read this story a number of times in a number of different anthologies / collections - in English I did not read the Spanish edition shown here by Goodreads, but selected that edition because that is the only one that refers just to the story "Lot". (The other editions all refer to 2 stories - "Lot" and "Lot's Daughter").
The story "Lot" is remarkable - one of the very best of the "classic" stories from the rather early days of science fiction - and it still stands up well today.
It's true that we don't have the same mania today about building fallout shelters in our basements - on the other hand, you would have to pretty delusional to think that such a shelter would help you survive. There been some marginal reductions over the decades in the number of nuclear weapons, as a result of disarmament treaties, but there has also been a vast proliferation in the number and kind of deadly devices and the number of countries with such weapons. And there have been idiotic leaders on both sides who have backtracked on such treaties. And then there is that KGB leader waging war in Europe and talking about using "tactical nuclear weapons". ...more
MUCH environmental and socialist (anti-capitalist) content (Hurray!). His 18th novel - I have read all of them.
Is it a spoiler to say that we discoveMUCH environmental and socialist (anti-capitalist) content (Hurray!). His 18th novel - I have read all of them.
Is it a spoiler to say that we discover that unrestrained voracious capitalism and the relentless squandering of natural resources is bad for the planet and every single one of its species - including humans?
Vivid characters and an interesting plot BUT, sad to say, many parts drag.
I must confess that my four star rating likely reflects the fact I am a huge gigantic fan of Kim Stanley Robinson. If you enjoy his novels, be sure to check out his short stories. You may also wish to find "The High Sierra: A Love Story". You don't even have to be a geologist to enjoy it. Or an environmentalist. Or rational - but it probably helps....more
The page count for this book includes 18 pages of appendices - A catalogue of Fifth Seasons; a Glossary (both are the same as in volumes 1 and 2); andThe page count for this book includes 18 pages of appendices - A catalogue of Fifth Seasons; a Glossary (both are the same as in volumes 1 and 2); and Acknowledgements. This page count felt a bit like padding.
SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT The text below includes spoilers.
The novel was interesting BUT I do NOT like teleporting around the planet. Also - I do NOT like the stone-eaters very much at all. The imminent apocalypse makes it all seem rather pointless. It is a bit like our current situation - I am diligently cataloguing my books on Goodreads / rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic - while the average global temperature of my home planet creeps up toward and past the apocalyptic 1.6 degrees.
The process of getting to the moon in the novel was asinine. Was this really the best the author could do??? If so - leave it out altogether!
Being a geologist, I really enjoyed the first novel of the series, and found it very thought-provoking. When it arrived, at the about the same time as Naomi Novik's excellent fantasy "Uprooted", I was torn between the two - undecided over which was the better of the two. As with a great many (most?) series, the general trendline of the Broken Earth series quality was downward - with a rather abrupt drop-off (for me) between the second and third novels. All the more surprising, then, that this third novel won a Nebula as well as a Hugo.
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Incidentally, it is noteworthy that that every single novel in this trilogy won a Hugo Award. This is apparently the first time that it has happened. This is a major achievement, and I want to state clearly that I fully acknowledge her success, and have no wish to detract from it.
However, if you were to judge by the clamour over this event, you would misjudge what has occurred. The big, striking record overall for Hugo Awards for novel is the fact that Robert A. Heinlein won an astounding four in his career - more than anyone else ever. And he did so way back in 1966 (only 13 years after the awards were instituted)! Were the commentators who were obsessing over N.K. Jemisin’s 3 Hugos unaware of these facts – did they not have access to a search engine/computer/smartphone? Even a quick check of Wikipedia would have set the record straight.
If we pull back and focus on the big picture, I look at which novels have won one or the other of the two biggest awards each year – namely the Hugos and the Nebulas. A total of 106 novels have won either a Hugo and/or a Nebula Award (begun in 1966), as of Aug. 1, 2024 – it might increase by 1 next week). I think the vast majority of SF & F fans (at least in the west) would regard the Hugo and Nebula as the 2 of the major awards (and it really is not clear that one or the other takes precedence). On that score, only 1 author has won 5 awards (Lois McMaster Bujold), 3 authors have won 4 awards (Ursula K. Le Guin, Kim Stanley Robinson, and the aforementioned RAH). When you go one step further – to authors who have won an award for 3 different novels – there are FOUR authors – namely Joe Haldeman, Vernor Vinge and Connie Willis – in addition to N.K. Jemisin.
Winning a Hugo Award for every novel in a series is important, but it is equally important to place this feat in context.
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality. I rated this book C+. This translates to a Goodreads score of 2 stars.
Absolutely wonderful!!! Paolo Bacigalupi is one of the best and brightest of our new science fiction wonders. This is one of the very best novels to hAbsolutely wonderful!!! Paolo Bacigalupi is one of the best and brightest of our new science fiction wonders. This is one of the very best novels to have ever won a Hugo OR a Nebula! Also be sure to check out his wonderful collection: Pump Six and Other Stories, and many stories in Gardner Dozois' Year's Best Science Fiction Collections, etc.
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality....more
One of my absolute favourite novels. Despite the grim subject matter here, Connie Willis has an amazing sense of humour, which shines through in all oOne of my absolute favourite novels. Despite the grim subject matter here, Connie Willis has an amazing sense of humour, which shines through in all of her work. Three of her novels (or four, if you count Blackout/All Clear as two) have won the Hugo Award and/or the Nebula Award for Science Fiction & Fantasy. There are only 4 authors who have exceeded this record. She has also won a number of Hugo and Nebula Awards for her short fiction....more
Read the original story by Asimov, instead of this rewrite / novelization, essentially all by Robert Silverberg. The original is remarkable - like theRead the original story by Asimov, instead of this rewrite / novelization, essentially all by Robert Silverberg. The original is remarkable - like the good doctor himself. Accept no substitutes. The original is well-paced and gripping, typical Asimov. The novelization stretches the story out far too much. As is often the case, a fantastic short story may not make a good novel at all.
See also The Ugly Little Boy and The Bicentennial Man, by Robert Silverberg (and ~~~Isaac Asimov~~~). You definitely want to check out the original stories by Asimov - not the novelizations by Robert Silverberg. Of these 3 novelizations, I would say that Nightfall suffers the most from being expanded into a long novel, instead of a concise story.
If you want to read some of the great work by Silverberg, check out his Nebula-winning novel "A Time of Changes" (1971), or his great short stories, like "Passengers" - excellent!!!; "Enter a Soldier, Later, enter Another", and "Nightwings". I know that there are a number of other excellent novels by Agberg, but it takes eons for us slow readers to get through our extensive reading lists....more
Parts of the novel are very good, lots of concepts, but falls down seriously in latter third. Lots of great concepts that don't quite pan out. BETTER Parts of the novel are very good, lots of concepts, but falls down seriously in latter third. Lots of great concepts that don't quite pan out. BETTER than Century Rain.
I question using the genre tag "space opera" when we are only dealing here with a single planet in the entire narrative.
Not my favourite by Alastair Reynolds - I am huge fan, have read absolutely everything - and cannot recommend it highly enough. If the novels seem a bit daunting, try his shorter fiction.
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality....more
This haunting novel is one of those books you almost wish you hadn't read - an intense portrayal of a hopeless world that is so real that it hurts. ThThis haunting novel is one of those books you almost wish you hadn't read - an intense portrayal of a hopeless world that is so real that it hurts. The protagonist and other main characters are vividly drawn. You are left with the feeling that you have survived "the troubles" in Ireland, only to suffer a fate much much worse.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough - but don't say I didn't warn you!
If you find that you have a taste for Frank Herbert's unflinching realism, try Soul Catcher.
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality....more
Some (such as critic David Pringle) will cast disfavour on the "bestseller - page-turner" style - but hey, I loved it. It isAn absolute top favourite.
Some (such as critic David Pringle) will cast disfavour on the "bestseller - page-turner" style - but hey, I loved it. It is the only SF novel that I can recall that elicited any interest whatsoever from my non-SF friends and family. They actually wanted to know what was happening with this or that character - did they make it out alive, etc.
Not surprising, as this is the sort of SF that would even appeal to non-SF fans, people who don't want any weirdness about aliens, etc. etc. It's just a simple straightforward what-if that could happen tomorrow. A large object (in this case a comet) arrives and smashes into the earth. Then Larry Niven does what he does best - extrapolates the logical consequences and outcomes of that impact (oops, I should say "they", as he does it along with his co-author Jerry Pournelle).
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality....more
Absolutely stunning. Not for the faint of heart, though - it is relentless. If you enjoy this one, you should be sure to check out Parable of the TaleAbsolutely stunning. Not for the faint of heart, though - it is relentless. If you enjoy this one, you should be sure to check out Parable of the Talents
It was a tragedy of the first order that we lost such an amazing talent in her prime.
My rating system: Since Goodreads only allows 1 to 5 stars (no half-stars), you have no option but to be ruthless. I reserve one star for a book that is a BOMB - or poor (equivalent to a letter grade of F, E, or at most D). Progressing upwards, 2 stars is equivalent to C (C -, C or C+), 3 stars (equals to B - or B), 4 stars (equals B+ or A -), and 5 stars (equals A or A+). As a result, I maximize my rating space for good books, and don't waste half or more of that rating space on books that are of marginal quality....more
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