3.25/5 (Average)
1971 Nebula Nominated Novel
T.J. Bass’ Half Past Human is a flawed yet occasionally intriguing fix-up novel which was nominated for the 1971 Nebula Award. I found that the atrocious prose overshadowed all the work’s positives and made it a chore to read. Bass is a practicing doctor and thus apparently finds it fun to inundate his narrative with medical Continue reading
My old sci-fi book hunting grounds have proved abundant (again) — Half Price Books Austin, Texas….
1. Son of Man, Robert Silverberg (1971)
I’ve been on a Silverberg binge recently. This is not supposed to be one of his best Continue reading
5/5 (Near Perfect, a Masterpiece)
1972 Hugo Nomination for Best Novel, withdrawn (I suspect because Silverberg had another novel in the running that year, A Time of Changes)
Science fiction from the late 60s and early 70s dealing with overpopulation has always fascinated me Continue reading
Oh the joys of amazon gift cards… And perusing dusty corners of local bookstores.
Here are my latest acquisitions.
1. Robert Silverberg’s World Inside (1971) (MY REVIEW HERE)
I’ve always enjoyed semi-dystopic works about the social ramifications of overpopulation (John Brunner’s Stand on Zanzibar is my all time favorite sci-fi novel). I wonder if Silverberg was inspired by Brunner’s work. I’ve yet to read a Silverberg novel and I’ve read that this is a pretty good effort. So, those factors contributed to my purchase.
2. Doris Piserchia’s Continue reading
Here are my favorite films and books I reviewed this year. They are all highly recommended…
Brian Aldiss, Non-stop (variant title, Starship), (1958)
Starship is a top-notch 1950s work: fast, action-packed, thoughtful, Continue reading
4/5 (Good)
Big Planet is populated by Earth’s misfits. The massive landmass and low human population of the planet results in small settlements populated by drastically different cults/beliefs/social structures isolated from each other. Showboat captains ply Continue reading
3.75/5 (Good)
Barrington J. Bayley’s Collision Course (Collision with Chronos) (1973) is based on a fascinating hard sci-fi premise, the intersection of two time waves, one from the future heading into the past, and the “present”, heading Continue reading
5/10 (Average — worth watching if you like the genre)
Futureworld is the sequel to the equally campy Westworld. The chemistry between the main characters (played by Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner) is actually above average and probably saves the film from utter failure. However, I enjoyed myself despite the predictability, the absolutely silly premise, the lack of action (there’s a sword fight and that’s about it) and the anti- Continue reading
2/5 (Bad)
I’ve had John Brunner’s The Wrong End of Time (1971) for five years sitting in the to read pile — I’ve managed to get through around thirty pages the four times I’ve tried to read it over the years. However, I’ve finally got around to finishing it. And, well, it falls woefully short of any sort of greatness — especially Continue reading
Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations 