OtherRealms A Fanzine for the Non-Fan "Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life" Part 2 Pico Reviews by Our Readers Ratings: [*****] A classic, must read book [****] Well above average, don't miss [***] A good book, probably worth reading [**] Book has its moments, but is flawed [*] Not recommended, flawed [] A book to avoid ARTHUR'S BRITAIN by Leslie Alcock [*****] Pelican Books L4.50UK A wonderful reference book, this is a scholarly study into the post Roman times of Britain in an attempt to discover whether Arthur really existed. This work offers a wonderful view into how historians and archaeologists work and a lot of information about the period of time that was critical to the formation of the English as well know them today. An English book, probably hard to find in America, but critical for anyone thinking of writing Arthurian Fantasy or interested in studying that time period. -- chuq von rospach THE BANE OF LORD CALADON by Craig Mills [*] Del Ray Fantasy, $2.40, 1982, 218 pages. Ho hum. Another go-on-a-quest-to-get-something-to-kill-the-dragon, and meet-interesting-people-and change-their-lives book. No surprises. _The Curse of the Witch Queen_, by Paula Volsky, was better, if you like this sort of thing. -- Carl Hommel masscomp!carlton BARD III: THE WILD SEA by Keith Taylor [***] Ace Fantasy, $2.95 Continuing the saga of Felimid mac Fal, bard and lover of the pirate Gudrun Blackhair, this book is a conservative extension of the previous two books. Lots of fighting, lots of adventures, lots of love, but the characters don't grow and nothing really changes. Solid but unexciting fantasy. -- chuq von rospach A BAROQUE FABLE by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro [****+] Berkley Fantasy, 214 pages, $3.50 In the mood for something funny? Yarbro's latest book is a master stroke of a parody of the Fantasy genre, much better than _A Malady of Magick_. If you can imagine Gilbert and Sullivan doing King Arthur, you've got a good idea of what this book is like. Follow the frantic frolics of our fearlous friends: the bored princess, the gallant knight, the absent-minded wizard, the nasty witch, the crumpet maker and a cast of dozens singing and tripping their way though a complex set of maneuvers and mistakes. If it is obvious, they'll never think about it. Never fear, all live happily ever after in the last four pages, just as it should be. -- chuq von rospach BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard [**+] Bridge, $4.95, 1984, 1066-count-em-1066 pages Hey, I liked it. So he was Mr. Dianetics, he could still write good stuff. The first 50 pages dragged, but the last 1000 had me up three nights in a row. The ultimate genre writer explores the western, detective, spy, adventure, romance, alien invasion, and high finance themes. The last two sections rival _Startide Rising_, by David Brin, for its us giving the aliens their comeuppance. -- Carl Hommel masscomp!carlton BUS 9 TO PARADISE by Leo Buscaglia [**] Slack, $16.95 hardcover A collection of Buscaglia's newspaper columns, this volume lacks the focus and the punch of his other works, coming across as confused and unsure of itself. -- chuq von rospach CALLAHAN'S SECRET by Spider Robinson [****-] Berkley Science Fiction, $2.95 The third and final book in the Callahan's Bar series, this book contains the last four stories to be published in Analog about Jake and his friends. Two of the stories (_The Blacksmith's Tale_ and my favorite, _Pyotr's Story_) are superb, but the finale (_The Mick of Time_) takes great pains to ruin the wonders that Robinson has built over the years (See 'Callahan's Barred' in 'OtherRealms V1.4' for my comments on that story). Buy the book, but skip the last story. -- chuq von rospach THE COLOUR OF MAGIC by Terry Pratchett [*****] St. Martins Press [SFBC] There has been a lot of funny Fantasy around, and this is one of the best. Pratchett sets out to make fun of every Fantasy novel ever written, and comes close to succeeding. No matter what you like, from Conan to Pern, from Lovecraft to Leiber, it is in here, and will keep you giggling long after the last page. I picked it up for a change of pace, and was up until the wee hours with it. -- chuq von rospach A DARKNESS AT SETHANON by Raymond E. Feist [****] Doubleday Books [SFBC] Hardcover The finale of the Riftwar Saga. The Enemy, brought back to Midkemia by the Rift that created the problems in _Magician_, strives for ultimate control of the planet. The first half of the book is another classic quest, the last half of the book is an epic battle the likes of which I haven't read since Tolkien. Parts of the book are a little uneven, but nothing detracts for the splendor of this volume or the series in its entirety. I've read a lot of good Fantasy recently, but Feist's work is the best of the best. -- chuq von rospach DEALING IN FUTURES by Joe Haldeman [****] Viking Press [SFBC] A collection of Haldeman's short works, including an alternative story from _The Forever War_ that hasn't previously been published. Some really strong stories, including _A !Tangled Web_, _Blood Sisters_ and _More Than the Sum of His Parts_. -- chuq von rospach DEATH IS A LONELY BUSINESS by Ray Bradbury[****] ISBN 0-395-54702-0, 1985 This is an excellent mystery. It combines the basic plot of a pulp mystery with strong character development and powerful imagery. It can be read at many levels. The simplest is as a basic mystery story where the author and a detective solve a series of bizarre killings. It is also a psychological novel about the growth of the two main characters. It is imagery and symbolism evoking a place and time. Often novels that attempt such variety, and particularly those with such intense use of imagery and symbolism, fail to work at all of these levels. This novel is a striking success at whichever level you choose to read it. The author attracted my attention to this non-SF book and it was well worth it. -- Rob Horn wanginst!infinet!rhorn DRAGON TALES edited by Isaac Asimov, M.H. Greenberg [***] and Charles G Waugh. Fawcett Crest, $2.95 Yet Another Anthology of Dragon Stories. Not nearly as good as the two book set _Dragons of Light_ and _Dragons of Darkness_ by Orson Scott Card, but about on a par with _Dragons!_ Some of the stories (specifically McCaffrey's _Weyr Search_ and Dickson's _The Dragon and the George_) are overly familiar, but in general it is a good solid set of works. Whether you buy it depends on how much you like to read anthologies about dragons. I think it is getting to be too much of a good thing. -- chuq von rospach DRAGON'S EGG, by Robert L. Forward [****] Del Rey, $2.25, 308 pages Life in 67 billion G's can be pretty interesting. Forward takes us along on a scientific mission to a neutron star, and what do they find? Life on the surface! The story is well-paced and fascinating, although Forward isn't exactly a master writer. He sometimes gets bogged down in needless technical trivia, but this is still a must for hard-SF fans. -- Gary Fritz {ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz THE DUELING MACHINE by Ben Bova [*****] Berkley Science Fiction, $2.50 The 1969 classic by Ben Bova, the dueling machine is the story of technology's affect on society. Dr. Leoh has invented a machine that allows two people to fight a duel in their minds, revolutionizing societies way of dealing with interpersonal conflict. It is, of course, only a matter of time before the ambitious and the insane find ways to use this technology for their own gains, as a rival planetary government attempts to take over its neighbors. The book is a race against the clock between the forces of good an evil as they attempt to get the technology under control before the galaxy explodes in turmoil. Wonderful, simply wonderful. -- chuq von rospach ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card [*****-] Tor books, $3.50, 357 pages Card's story of children trained for stellar war is tense and gripping, but portrays the title character as a mixture of ruthless warrior and confused child. I read this book in one sitting, finishing at 2 AM, which I have not done in years. Only an anticlimactic ending (with obvious hooks for a sequel) keeps me from giving it a full five stars. -- Gary Fritz {ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz ENGINE SUMMER by John Crowley [****] Crowley shows us a wondrous post-holocaust world through the eyes of Rush that Speaks, a young boy on the brink of manhood. The plot lines were a bit thin in spots, but Crowley's writing and characterizations were so great I didn't mind! -- Gary Fritz {ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz EYES OF AMBER by Joan D. Vinge [****] Signet. $2.50 Six stories from Joan Vinge, all classic wonders. The title piece is superb, but _The Tin Soldier_ will stay with you forever. Vinge is one of the few authors that I'll read anything they publish. -- chuq von rospach FLIGHT OF THE DRAGONFLY by Robert L. Forward [***+] Baen, $3.50, 376 pages (including 43 pages of appendix) An exploration team to Barnard's Star discovers a fascinating (but, it seems to me, highly unlikely) binary planet. In the course of examining it, they get into trouble and discover an unusual lifeform. Not world-class writing, but an interesting story. Some ideas, like the Christmas Bush and imps, are particularly clever. Good hard-SF. -- Gary Fritz {ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz FUZZIES AND OTHER PEOPLE by H. Beam Piper [*] for writing, [***] for historical interest Ace, $2.95, 1984, 216 pages. The manuscript was literally lost in a trunk for 20 years, and there it should have stayed. The sequel to _Little Fuzzy_ and _Fuzzy Sapiens_, it cries out for an editor's firm hand. Ewok cuteness, contrived difficulties, and a lack of characterization that made the first two novels interesting plod this turkey into the ground. _Fuzzy Bones_, by William Tuning was much better. Buy only if you are a completist. -- Carl Hommel masscomp!carlton GREATHEART SILVER by Philip Jose Farmer [***+] Tor Books (Jim Baen Presents) $2.75 A compilation of Farmer's action adventure parody series about Greatheart Silver, Blimp pilot and adventure hero. The stories were originally published in _Weird Heroes_, an anthology series during the mid-70's. It is funny stuff, but if you don't have a good background in classic pulp and comics, a lot of the jokes will go over your head. -- chuq von rospach INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE by Anne Rice [****] Ballantine Books, #3.95 The story should be dry and dull, but it isn't. The reader is a silent partner in a monolog interview between the vampire and a boy and his tape recorder. Anne Rice makes the premise live as she tells the story of the seamer side of the undead. These aren't the haughty aristocracy of Stoker or Yarbro, these are the blue collar vampires, working the wrong side of the tracks from day to day through eternity. A very depressing book, but a well written and fascinating one as well. Highly recommended. -- chuq von rospach JOB, A COMEDY OF JUSTICE by Robert A. Heinlein [**+] Ballantine, $4.50, 439 pages Heinlein is up to his old preaching tricks again, though not nearly as badly as in _Number of the Beast_. Our Hero is jerked around in a series of strange and annoying adventures (with the requisite beautiful and sexy female companion) but never gives up his strong fundamentalist beliefs. Heinlein makes some very pointed remarks about organized religion along the way. RAH fans will enjoy it, but others can probably save the effort. -- Gary Fritz {ihnp4,hplabs}!hpfcla!fritz THE JOHN W. CAMPBELL LETTERS, VOLUME 1 [*****] by Perry A. Chapdelaine, Sr. et al AC Projects, Inc., 610 pages, ISBN 0-931150-16-7, $5.95 A self published labor of love, this book will be hard for most people to find. Anyone interested in the history of SF should make the effort, though, as it gives an insight into the single man responsible for bringing SF out of the Pulp ghetto. Using very tiny type, this book contains thousands of letters written by Campbell on every subject imaginable. The best work published about the master, by the master. A must read, my only gripe being the artwork, very uneven in quality and out of place. -- chuq von rospach MIDAS WORLD by Frederik Pohl [****+] St. Martins Press, hardcover, $12.95 An anti-Utopian novel with a twist -- humanity suffers with a surfeit of everything, and wealth is shown by the lack of goods. An interesting premise, well developed and a good read. -- chuq von rospach MERLIN'S MIRROR by Andre Norton [**] DAW Books, $2.95 A fascinating twist on the Arthurian Fantasy genre, unfortunately flawed. Norton attempts to tell the traditional Fantasy as Science Fiction, with the Old Gods being star beings and the Crystal Cave full of the technology they use to teach Merlin. She unfortunately glosses over the justifications for Merlin's prophecies, and in the end, only went half way towards telling a SF story. It has its moments, but not enough. -- chuq von rospach MYTHAGO WOOD by Robert Holdstock [*****] Berkley books, $2.95 A fascinating work, more a study of the precepts of Fantasy than a Fantasy work itself. The Mythago is a race memory, brought to reality by warping the magic of the old wood by a susceptible mind. It is a wonderful exploration of what Fantasy really means, as well as a wonderful story. Highly recommended! -- chuq von rospach REBELS IN HELL created by Janet Morris [**] Baen Books, $3.50 The second volume in the _Thieves' World_ clone set in Hell, it is an improvement over _Heroes in Hell_ but not by much. The standard is set: each volume has one good work by a name author (Benford in the first volume, Silverberg here) and a lot of Journeyman to Pedestrian quality words around it. Silverberg's _Gilgamesh in the Outback_ stands alone as a pearl among oysters, although There are _No Fighter Pilots Down in Hell_ by Martin Caidin is also worth reading. The rest is forgettable at best, and _Hell's Gate_ by Bill Kerby is simply bad. If you're fascinated by the premise, pick it up. A better bet is the _Liavek_ series by Shetterly. -- chuq von rospach THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME, VOLUME IV [****] edited by Terry Carr, Avon Books, $4.95 The Nebula Winners for the years 1970-1974 in all categories except novels, you won't find a bad story in the bunch. A great way to keep the great works together, well worth adding to your library. -- chuq von rospach SHERLOCK HOLMES THROUGH TIME AND SPACE [***] Edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin Harry Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh, Bluejay Books, Trade Paperback, $8.95 Heaven for Holmes' fans, this collection of the best of works using the Great Detective within the SF genre. -- chuq von rospach SILVERTHORN by Raymond E. Feist [****] Doubleday Books [SFBC] Hardcover The second volume of the Riftwar Saga Trilogy. A change of pace from _Magician_, we follow Arutha into the very clutches of his mortal enemy in search of the cure of his beloved Anita. A classic quest novel, and one of the best. -- chuq von rospach SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT by J.R.R. Tolkien [****] Ballantine Books, $2.95 Of interest primarily to English scholars, this book contains three previously unpublished translations of traditional English epic poems. Very well done, if a bit obscure for the average reader. -- chuq von rospach SONGMASTER by Orson Scott Card [**] Dial Press [SFBC] An interesting premise that just didn't click. The Songhouse is an institution that teaches people to sing. Occasionally, a singer appears that becomes a Songbird, someone who is to sing the song of their master. This is the story of Ansset, Songbird of Mikal, emperor of the Galaxy. It is well written, but I just couldn't buy into the premise. -- chuq von rospach THE SORCERY WITHIN by Dave Smeds [****, a first novel] Ace Fantasy, $2.95 Not just a good first novel, _The Sorcery Within_ is a great novel. Feist works a number of seemingly unrelated subplots together with great skill. It is not until he is ready that you realize how everything ties in together. The author shows a maturity of style well beyond his years. The story ends with an opening for a sequel, for once I'm looking forward to it. -- chuq von rospach SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD by Orson Scott Card [*****] (Part of SFBC title _Enders War_) Much better and much different than its prequel _Ender's Game_ (a good book in its own right). Ender has become a Speaker For the Dead, his Xenocide and his identity 3000 years in the past. He, through time dilation, has aged little, and travels from planet to planet speaking the final eulogy of those who die. He travels to Lusitania, a planet where the first intelligent species since the Buggers has been found, and Ender, looking for a new beginning for the Bugger Queen in his luggage, must deal with the fears of humanity about any being that could be a threat to it, the fears of the others about humanity, and humanities fear about itself. Stunning. Both _Speaker_ and _Ender's Game_ stand alone, neither is complete without the other. -- chuq von rospach TALES FROM THE "WHITE HART" by Arthur C. Clarke [**] Del Rey Books [SFBC] Before Callahan's Bar, Arthur Clarke did a series of stories in a bar called the "White Hart." These are cute stories, but time has dated them and they aren't as interesting as they might once have been, except as a curiousity from the past. -- chuq von rospach TEA WITH THE BLACK DRAGON by R. A. MacAvoy [*****] Bantam Books Tea with the Black Dragon is a true classic. It evoked clean and pure emotions like an opening flower or a zen koan. This is an unusual reaction for me. -- David Sher sher@rochester seismo!rochester!sher TELEMPATH by Spider Robinson [****] Orbit books (UK), 95p Spider Robinson's first book, of the post-apocalyptic sub-genre. Civilization has fallen, for a strange reason -- the sense of smell has been magnified until the stench of humanity is no longer tolerable. Very well written, a fascinating plot, well carried out. This is the British edition of the book. -- chuq von rospach TIK-TOK by John Sladek [*****] DAW Books, $2.95 Isaac Asimov on acid. Sladek has taken the Robot societies that Asimov made famous and turned it on its edge. Sladek has a razor sharp satire of the Grand Master at his finest; he also has a book that works wonderfully on its own. Wonderful stuff! -- chuq von rospach ULLER UPRISING by H. Beam Piper [***] Ace, $2.75, 1983, 187 pages. Another "lost" work, but much more satisfying. I had read the earlier novella, but the extra 50 pages now printed made the work come alive. Evil and good aliens, forthright military generals, and nukes. Want to see the major influence on Pournelle? -- Carl Hommel masscomp!carlton VOYAGERS II: THE ALIEN WITHIN by Ben Bova [***] Tor Books, $15.95 hardcover Keith Stoner has been awakened after being frozen in an alien space ship 18 years ago. He, and something that has melded with him, go on a one man quest to solve all of the worlds problems. Set in an unstable time of hunger, war, and political and corporate intrigue, he has his hands full. The book has its problems and the second half runs into a Messiah Complex, but Bova skillfully moves things forward and writes a pretty good yarn. If you haven't read Bova recently, you've overlooked a skilled veteran of the genre. -- chuq von rospach THE WAY THE FUTURE WAS: A MEMOIR by Frederik Pohl [****] Del Rey books, hardcover The memoirs of Fred Pohl, one of the original Futurians, a SF group that included members such as Isaac Asimov and Donald Wollheim. This group was the foundation of SF Fandom and many of its members went on to help build the Golden Age of SF in the Forties and Fifties. Interesting to those who want a taste of the way it was. Not as good as the Campbell book, but still an interesting read. -- chuq von rospach THE WORLD INSIDE by Robert Silverberg [***] Doubleday [SFBC] Originally published in 1971, this book appears to be a Utopia novel using a background of Free Sex, Free Drugs, and no birth control. Like Del Rey's _The 11th Commandment_ and Saberhagen's _Love Conquers All_ this book turns into an anti-Utopia that attempts to show the problems inherent with the breakdown of morality that occurred in the 60's. It turns into a rhetoric against the 60's, and isn't as good a work as it could have been. -- chuq von rospach WRITING THE NOVEL: FROM PLOT TO PRINT by Lawrence Block [****] Writers Digest Books, $8.95 A down to earth discussion of the mechanics and philosophy of writing a novel. The book assumes you want to be a writer -- if you aren't sure, nothing will help. Anyone interested in writing longer works should read this book -- his techniques may not work for you, but he will help you find the ones that will. -- chuq von rospach Books marked with [SFBC] are available from Doubleday's Science Fiction Book Club. Books are assumed to be paperback unless otherwise specified. This issue is Copyright 1986, by Chuq Von Rospach All Rights reserved One time rights only have been acquired from the signed or credited contributors. All rights are hereby assigned to the contributors. Reproduction rights: Permission is given to reproduce or duplicate OtherRealms in its entirety for non-commercial uses. Re-use, reproduction, reprinting or republication of an individual article in any way or on any media, printed or electronic, is forbidden without permission of the author.