4/5 (Good)
Poul Anderson’s science fiction adventure tale, Three Worlds to Conquer, is a remarkably exciting and engaging quick read. Three Worlds is a “loose” sequel to Anderson’s short story, ‘Sam Hall’ published in the August 1953 edition of Astounding Science fiction. Both cover some aspect of post-WWIII Continue reading Book Review: Three Worlds to Conquer, Poul Anderson (1964)
1.5/5 (Bad)
Ben Bova’s second novel, published in 1964, was expanded from an earlier short story. It tells the tale of the Star Watchman Emil Vorgens, a representative of the Terran Empire that covers over half the Milky Way, sent to the rebellious planet of Shinar. The Shinarians have invited the Komani raiders (imagine greenish wookies with Continue reading Book Review: Star Watchman, Ben Bova (1964)
4.5/5 (very good)
Planet of Exile (1966) is a masterful piece of fantasy/science fiction world building for Ursula Le Guin spins her story, worlds, cultures, and each race’s animosities in flawless fashion. This novel is part of Le Guin’s Hainish Continue reading Book Review: Planet of Exile, Ursula K. Le Guin, (1966)
4/5 (Good)
C. J. Cherryh’s Merchanter’s Luck is a heady brew of redemption, paranoia, fear, endless suspicion, and more paranoia. However, this work has markedly less of the seemingly-endless (and often unjustified) political manipulation that bogs down Cherryh’s more famous novels Cyteen and Downbelow Continue reading Book Review: Merchanter’s Luck, C. J. Cherryh, (1982)
4/5 (Good)
Barrington J. Bayley, an English sci-fi writer and a member of the Science Fiction New Wave, is considered a lost great — if not for his novels as novels, but for his well of bizarre/extraordinary/ Continue reading Book Review: The Pillars of Eternity, Barrington J. Bayley (1982)
3/5 (Average)
This was the first Poul Anderson book I managed to finish (I got bogged down in one of his later novels a few years ago). The Rebel Worlds is part of a series of books by Anderson about his main character Dominic Flandry and the failing Terran Empire. The series includes Ensign Flandry (1966), A Circus of Continue reading Book Review: The Rebel Worlds, Poul Anderson (1969)
3/5 (Average)
Poul Anderson’s Orbit Unlimited is comprised of four short stories linked together chronologically and occasionally by recurrent characters. This structure is essentially a loose-form novel.
The first section describes the persecuted Constitutionalists (think Continue reading Book Review: Orbit Unlimited, Poul Anderson (1961)
