Post by MALCOLM XERXES™ on Nov 28, 2004 11:15:29 GMT -5
SUN. NOV. 28/2004/12:10 E.S.T.
While viewing a programme titled PRISONERS OF GRAVITYTM in the 1990's, I saw & heard of a book titled STEEL BEACHTM by MR. JOHN VARLEY.
Since I had just finished a series of short stories @ that time, I was in the right mood for a magnum opus by an author whom I had never read before, & MR. VARLEY did not disappoint me!
Later, while patronising a Science Fiction bookshop that had in stock a marvellous trilogy comprised of TITANTM, DEMONTM & WIZARDTM (each of which had very colourful gatefold-type covers that captured my imagination imediately, & each of which lived up to those covers, then surpassed them easily), I purchased them secondhand, devouring them within a fortnight, wondering when someone would have the courage to tackle a screen adaptation of that story.
On the strength of those books, I have since obtained everything I could find that MR. VARLEY has written, & yesterday morning, I just finished his latest novel, titled RED THUNDERTM.
This latest title seems to have been written as an affectionate parody of the writing style of MR. SPIDER ROBINSON, since it was done from First Person Subjective point of view, rather than Third Person Objective (which I tend to prefer), so consequently, I found myself somewhat alienated from the story from the start.
However, that said, MR. VARLEY is no less crafty with his writing, so I did not think or feel that I had wasted my time & energy by reading it, & SPIDER ROBINSON enthusiasts everywhere should *love* it, especially those who are disciples of CALLAHAN'S CROSSTIME SALOONTM.
Since MESSRS. ROBERT ANSON HEINLEIN, SPIDER ROBINSON & JOHN VARLEY are authors whom I respect, & whose works I have enjoyed very much over the years, the various fandom references did not go over my head, & served to make RED THUNDERTM[/b] a suitable companion to MR. ROBINSON'S THE FREE LUNCHTM, as neither book is very "heavy" in content, & somewhat fantastical in terms of the type of youth-oriented adventures being related therein, much like MR. HEINLEIN'S "juveniles".[/color]
While viewing a programme titled PRISONERS OF GRAVITYTM in the 1990's, I saw & heard of a book titled STEEL BEACHTM by MR. JOHN VARLEY.
Since I had just finished a series of short stories @ that time, I was in the right mood for a magnum opus by an author whom I had never read before, & MR. VARLEY did not disappoint me!
Later, while patronising a Science Fiction bookshop that had in stock a marvellous trilogy comprised of TITANTM, DEMONTM & WIZARDTM (each of which had very colourful gatefold-type covers that captured my imagination imediately, & each of which lived up to those covers, then surpassed them easily), I purchased them secondhand, devouring them within a fortnight, wondering when someone would have the courage to tackle a screen adaptation of that story.
On the strength of those books, I have since obtained everything I could find that MR. VARLEY has written, & yesterday morning, I just finished his latest novel, titled RED THUNDERTM.
This latest title seems to have been written as an affectionate parody of the writing style of MR. SPIDER ROBINSON, since it was done from First Person Subjective point of view, rather than Third Person Objective (which I tend to prefer), so consequently, I found myself somewhat alienated from the story from the start.
However, that said, MR. VARLEY is no less crafty with his writing, so I did not think or feel that I had wasted my time & energy by reading it, & SPIDER ROBINSON enthusiasts everywhere should *love* it, especially those who are disciples of CALLAHAN'S CROSSTIME SALOONTM.
Since MESSRS. ROBERT ANSON HEINLEIN, SPIDER ROBINSON & JOHN VARLEY are authors whom I respect, & whose works I have enjoyed very much over the years, the various fandom references did not go over my head, & served to make RED THUNDERTM[/b] a suitable companion to MR. ROBINSON'S THE FREE LUNCHTM, as neither book is very "heavy" in content, & somewhat fantastical in terms of the type of youth-oriented adventures being related therein, much like MR. HEINLEIN'S "juveniles".[/color]