Kevin Anderson Books

After reading a biography of Pol Pot I was struck by the need to grapple with the thinking of revolutionaries at the time of their crucial decision making periods, an obvious point in one way, yet crucial to any consideration of social change. There have been one too many disasters here, and the reason is defunct or dysfunctional theory. This work throws a good deal of light on the Lenin sequence, in the period just before he became such a powerful, and unexpectedly ruthless, leader.
A strong case can be made that the dialectic inherited from Hegel was the theoretical 'tragic flaw' of the Marxist left, such is the unending confusion over its usage, meaning, and significance. Correctly grasping Hegel is one thing, assessing Marx's version another, the rendition of Engels still further complicates the question. The dialectic of subjectivity versus the dialectic as natural process in Engels generates confused discourse that goes on an on. In this context Lenin is ambiguous, and the story retold here of his sudden interest in Hegel's Logic in the Swiss exile period is an important tale, for anyone trying to get to the bottom of his views, which underwent a sudden metamorphosis visible in his notes, which were not published until much later. The book makes the strong claim that Lenin was really the first of the Western Marxists, which is quite a revision of standard accounts. In any case, this history is important documentation of this quagmire subject, where a sense of profundity mixed with rank idiocy has too often vitiated leftist praxis. To posit dialectical negation in relation to revolution, with 'dialectical leaps' thrown in to give the subject a naturalistic or evolutionary justification, has always been dubious theory. This history, whatever its limits, fills an important gap in the record, although it is good to proceed with caution in this field, for there is a good chance the whole subject needs to be written off as terminal philosophic muddle.

Whether one is interested in Marxist theory or in a scholarly treatment of Hegelian philosophy, this new collection of Raya Dunayevskaya's writings on the dialectic in Hegel and Marx is a must-read. _The Power of Negativity_ is a truly compelling book for anyone who wants to delve into Hegel's thought, Marx's relation to dialectics, and the major debates on dialectical philosophy in 20th Century Marxism.

_The Power of Negativity_ illuminates all of this through a range of pieces, including detailed summaries and extensive commentaries on Hegel's most philosophically important works: the Phenomenology of Mind, the Science of Logic, the Encyclopedia Logic, and the Philosophy of Mind. It contains several expositions of Dunayevskaya's unique and thoughtful interpretation of Hegel, as well as of her analysis of "Marx's transformation of Hegel's revolution in philosophy into a philosophy of 'revolution in permanence,'" which presents her views on what is fundamental to a Marxist concept of a new society, from the breakdown of the division between mental and physical labor to the transformation of the relationship between women and men. It contains correspondence with such scholars as Herbert Marcuse, Erich Fromm, George Armstrong Kelly, Louis Dupre, Jonathan Spence, and C.L.R. James, as well as worker-thinkers Charles Denby and Harry McShane; and lectures to audiences as varied as Hegel scholars, African-American workers, and Japanese student radicals. It contains philosophic critiques and commentaries on major theoreticians such as Lukacs, Korsch, Adorno, Frantz Fanon, Engels, Rosa Luxemburg, Lenin, Trotsky, Bukharin, Mao, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty, as well as expositions of her own distinctive Marxist-Humanist philosophic standpoint.

Dunayevskaya came of age in the period when Stalin's counter-revolution, coming from within the revolutionary movement, succeeded in transforming what grew out of the Russian Revolution into its opposite, totalitarian state-capitalism that still called itself "Communism." She recognized the Russian Revolution's transformation into opposite as a fundamental challenge to revolutionary Marxism, and set about using Marx's economic categories and Russia's "five-year plan" statistics to prove that Russia had become a state-capitalist society. But she also saw that an economic/political answer was not sufficient and a re-creation of Marx's philosophy of revolution was required to meet the challenge of the age. This led to her founding of the philosophy of Marxist-Humanism, to which an "unchained" version of Hegel's dialectic of absolute negativity is central. As Dunayevskaya put it in one of the pieces in _The Power of Negativity_:

"...because Absolute Negativity signifies transformation of reality, the dialectic of contradiction and totality of crises, the dialectic of liberation, Hegel's thought comes to life at critical points of history, called by him 'birth-times of history.'"

A thorough, clear, and accessible introduction explores the relationship of the dialectic to the nature of the present moment and the relationship of Dunayevskaya's work to contemporary issues in dialectical philosophy. The introduction also gives an overview of her writings on dialectics as well as an overview of the book and its structure, after which the reader is well prepared to plunge into the rest of the book. This book makes a contribution to the clarification of theoretical issues that are central to the problem of transforming reality. One of its virtues is that it provides accessible discussions of some of Hegel and Marx's philosophic works, many in the form of lectures and informal discussions.

Resurrection Inc. is one of the best books I've ever read. If you are fan of Mr. Anderson's work, this is a great place to continue. If you haven't read anything by him, this is a great place to start.

I purchased this book when it originally came out and it has been a fav of mine for years. When I met Mr. Anderson and his wife a few years back, I presented me copy for him to sign, and he was in shock. He hadn't seen a copy in many years and was pleased to see his older works still in circulation.

I can't say enough good things about Resurrection Inc. You won't go wrong with this book! A great addition to any collector's library!

Slan & Slan Hunter (2007) is an omnibus edition of Slan SF novels, including Slan and Slan Hunter. Slans are a mutation of humanity that have high intelligence and telepathic capabilities. Their popular name came from Samuel Lann, the man who discovered their abilities. The most distinctive difference from humanity is the golden tendrils growing from their scalp, but they also have internal dissimilarities, including a modified heart.

In Slan (1951), Jommy Cross is the son of Peter and Patricia Cross. His father had been killed by a mob of humans about four years before. Since Jommy is charged with retrieving his father's papers from the catacombs when he reaches fifteen, his mother is taking him into Centropolis to show Jommy a secret entrance into the tunnels.

Unluckily, the humans have noticed the pair and suspect that they are slans. The secret police are closing in, although Jommy is not mature enough to detect their presence until they are quite close. His mother shoves him between two other people and tells him to run.

Jommy climbs onto the rear bumper of a car that is soon moving swiftly down the street. Jommy tunes in to the thoughts of the men within the car. He has no difficulty reading the thoughts of the driver, but the passenger only shows the upper level of his thoughts.

Soon Jommy realizes that the passenger is John Petty, chief of the secret police. Moreover, the radio is announcing his flight from the area where his mother has just been killed. John Petty is realizing that his car is probably the one mentioned in the radio report.

The car is traveling too fast for Jommy to jump off and survive. Yet Petty is having the driver slow down and stop to check the rear bumper. As soon as the car has slowed enough to jump, Jommy is off the bumper and fleeing down a poorly lit alleyway. But the driver gets one good shot at him and doesn't miss.

Jommy wonders at the lassitude of his body, which is usually not tired by any effort. He is feeling woozy, but he pulls himself over a pile of boxes and inside a hole in the wall. He finds that the irritating objects under him are shards from the wall and replaces them, using mud as mortar to hold them in place.

While he is preparing his bolthole, he discovers that an evil mind is also thinking of the hiding place. Later, after the pursuers have left the area, he crawls out and is snatched by the owner of the evil thoughts. She puts him into her wagon under a smelly cover and smuggles him out of the neighborhood.

This tale also relates the experiences of Kathleen Layton, a slan female who is a couple of years older than Jommy. Kathleen is living in the palace designed and built by true slans before humans drove them into hiding. She is the ward of Kier Gray, leader of all humans on Earth.

This novel is one of the early works by the author. It was also one of the first novels published after the wartime constraints. It is considered a classic Science Fiction novel.

In Slan Hunter (2007), Davis Stewart is driving his very pregnant wife to the hospital. Anthea is in labor and Davis is in a hurry. When he reaches the emergency room, he runs into the hospital to get help and comes out pushing a wheelchair and leading an orderly.

The orderly wheels Anthea toward the delivery room while calling out to the nurses. A nurse stops Davis at the door, but Anthea is quickly moved into position. The doctor speaks calmly to Anthea and tells her to push.

The baby comes quickly and the doctor holds him up for his mother to see. A nurse cries out and the doctor shows a horrified expression. The baby has golden tendrils growing out of the back of his head. He is a slan.

Neither Anthea nor Davis show any sign of being slans. They certainly are not aware of any such possibility. However, the doctor fills a hypodermic syringe with a poisonous substance and reaches for the baby.

Davis comes into the delivery room, responding to a feeling of danger. Nurses and orderlies try to block his passage, but he fights his way through. Anthea tells him of the doctor's intention and Davis throws aside everyone between him and the doctor.

After removing Anthea and their baby from the room, Davis immediately recognized the danger of three security men and a secret policeman coming toward them. He tells Anthea to take the baby and run, then he runs toward the security men. As Anthea goes the other way, she hears the shots that signal the death of her husband.

The Foreword describes how this book came to be published. This provides a fascinating -- and dismaying -- glimpse into the Van Vogt life story. The senior author tried to produce this book, but was overcome by Alzheimer's. Eventually, the novel was put into the hands of the junior author.

Highly recommended for van Vogt fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, mutational advances, and political intrigues.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This book covers the timeline of the Star Wars Universe, from the beginnings of Yoda to the birth of Anakin Solo. It's a must-to-buy book!

i ordered this book thinking i was getting a full size book. when it came i realized that it was a small almost pocket size book. despite its small size the book does not disapoint. it was a great quick read with 3 x-files stories in it. bottom line. totally worth the 8$ total that i paid for it. i might be hesitant to buy it for more than 10$ + shipping as it is a small quick book.

In the tradition of this fine television seris,the story was excellent. Set in the jungles of Mexico,the storyline was a bit exotic and interesting. The inclusion of a military commando team and the ensuing firefight was suspense and action mixed in a well writtien AND well read story. This audio series on this show just keeps getting better and better....would love to hear another one read by Gillian Anderson..

I admit, the idea is very origonal, yet Dean Koontz (who I'm shocked had anything to do with this book) could have made this book so much better. I've read many of his novels and this is by far the worst.
The more I read the more outlandish the story got, and I found myself laughing at the end when Johnathon was running from the cops with a baby monster creature hanging half attached to the inside of his belly, as he was giving birth to it.
I did however think the storyline of the retarded boy who could only move through a series of imaginary crossword boxes was cool, but I will probably not be reading the next one. I dont even think he's going to finish the series anyway. It was scheduled to come out like 2 years ago.
Dean Koontz has always been one of my favorite authors. I just hope he's not losing his luster for writing.

This book is amazing on so many levels. It takes the traditional Frankenstein story and weaves a modern tale of secrets, deception, and corruption hidden under a thin veneer of high society. It is creepy how probable some of the things in this book are. It is a sad tale, but it pulls you in and won't let go. I would recommend this book for anyone with a healthily inquisitive mind and a bit of empathy.

I'm sure I am one of a select few that do not appreciate a story that develops great characters and great sub-plots and then ends abruptly. It's almost as though the author got bored and quit - Zero resolution on anything. It doesn't leave me wanting more because I know the same feeling of "What the Hell?" will be waiting for me in the next book.

I love Koontz' work. There it is, sorry if you don't, but put some nail-bitingly great writing together with a guy who loves dogs, and I am hooked.

This series is among his best works and I am eagerly awaiting the release of the third book in December 08 - I recently re-read the first two (on my new kindle ;) and it just made me want the third installment even more.

Great story telling, funny moments and totally believe-able repartee between the characters. Put that all together with an obvious working knowledge of the setting and you have all the makings of a superb series.

Bravo once again!

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Read this book and meet Randall 6.

Wow! I really like science fiction shows and if you like them too then I would greatly recommend this book. Antibodies is a sci-fi book filled with action, adventure, and excitement. This book is one of the best books I have ever read.

Once you start reading you can't stop. Yes, it is that good. Mulder and Scully are on the case again. Recently the Dymar lab for cancer research has burned down to the ground by animal rights group that seems to not have existed. When the rubble was cleared, all but one of the researchers' bodies was found. What were they really researching in Dymar? Is the government trying to cover it up? Read this awesome book!

The subject matter here more appropriately should reside in the realm of science fiction, but here we are, taking a technology that will someday help billions of people, and complicating it with conspiracies and paronoia. But what else would a person expect, as this is THE X FILES and a lot of rationality is out the door anyway: give the audience what they want, mind-numbing entertainment. Regardless of this, the novel here is nevertheless well worth reading as it introduces the new science of nanotechnology to many people who have never heard of it before. The story is actually very well done in spite of it's sensationalism and exaggerations, with Mulder and Scully investigating the explosive destruction of a cancer research lab under mysterious circumstances. The plot developes superbly from there and is quite good to the end. However, if you desire to learn more about nanotechnology and what it can mean to you personally, read THE FIRST IMMORTAL by James Halperin, this is informed and well-thought-out science fiction, probably eventually to become science-fact in the decades to come.

This book came over just like watching a great eposide. It has Scully and Mulder at their best.

I can't even remember where I acquired this ABRIDGED auidobook but I just re-discovered it hidden way down in the bowels of the storage compartment in my vehicle while I was searching for a missing glove (which is, alas, still missing). It rates about a four for me for keeping me entertained while on my long drive to work. My drifty mind wandered only a few times.

The story reminds me very much of something Dean Koontz could've cooked up (I love the way the Koontz writes even when he gets over-the-top silly and meanders off into pages and pages of mind numbing description). This book is fast paced (this author apparently doesn't share Koontz's proclivity for longwindyness) and tells a story of a boy and his dog infected with a cancer, gun-shot wound, burnt to a crisp curing, form of nano-technology. Don't ask. My pea brain can't comprehend it. Anyway, one of the scientists who worked on this technology is also infected with these nano-critters. But he went and infected himself with the bad kind (duh!) and instead of fixing whatever ails him they make him break out with big tumorous lesions and whomever he touches dies of plague-like symptoms. Why? Ya got me. Plague-man is desperately searching for the boy and his dog because he believes their blood will cure him (boy, dog and their mom are hiding). Along the way he touches a few people and grossness occurs. Scully, Mulder and The Smoking Man make a few appearances but this story doesn't bring them to life in any exceptional way and it lacked Mulder's morbid sense of humor (the book would've rated much higher if these characters came alive a bit more). Overall it was interesting, a little icky and very sad at times reminding me of a classic X-Files episode without the Mulderisms.

When DyMar Laboratories is destroyed by protestors, no one gives it much thought. But when the security guard at the wreck site dies from a sudden infestation of tumors it becomes an X-File.

Antibodies trots out a familiar sci-fi standard, the infected victim. In this case the man is infected with nanorobots that can kill a human in minutes, and completely dismantle the world in hours. That is if they get the chance to mutate. Apparently only an assassinated scientist's pet dog holds the key to a cure. Kevin J. Anderson's third (and looking to be final) X-File novel recycles concepts used in Dean Koontz's novel Midnight as well as Greg Bear's classic Blood Music (of which Anderson injects a sly reference to). End result? An entertaing weekend diversion that won't strain your brain. Recommended.

While I did like this book there was a glaring ommission as far as I am concerned. Years before writing this book or the other Young Jedi Knight books Mr. Anderson wrote three full length novels telling about the formation of the Jedi Academy. However with a threat to the Academy by an army of dark jedi Luke makes on call for help to the older knights. No Kyp Durron, no Kenth Hammer, no Cilgal. The only two are Luke and Tionne. It is one thing to forget other author's work, but not your own. Shame on you Mr. Anderson. I would have given four stars but because of this it only gets three.

While I gave the first book a good reveiw, by the time this book rolled around, I realized how silly these books are. I know they're for young adults but still...

While the characters were likeable, I got tired of them using the same phases over & over. Em-TeeDee especially got on my nerves(I've always hated how Star Wars writers have written C-3PO). And these Dark Jedi that are suppose to take over the galaxy, please! They never once resembled a threat. Lightsabers was the best one.

I love the star wars books series I have read them all. These books got me into the star wars series. And I still read them.

In the Lost Ones Jacen and Jaina return to Courscant and are excited to see Han, Leia, Anakin and their friend Zekk who lives on the streets. Things aren't exactly the same though Zekk sees how much his friends have changed and how they have a future ahead of him and he has nothing. The Dark Jedi Brakiss is also on Courscant to find new recruits for his Shadow Academy including Zekk. Can Jacen and Jaina save Zekk from the Shadow Academy? Once again another great book in the Young Jedi Knights.

I first saw STAR WARS in 1991, I was seven. When this book came out in '96, it was the first Star Wars book I'd ever read, and was the conduit between fan and fanatic. Granted, most of it didn't make a lot of sense as I hadn't read the previous five books in the series yet, but it was still a page-turning read. 'Jedi Under Seige' wraps up the 'Shadow Academy' series of Young Jedi Knights. This series was done as a series of individual events that all tied together in 'Seige'. The second sub-series, 'Diversity Alliance', is one long adventure divided into five major events. A third sub-series, 'The Gallandro Trilogy', is more or less a waste of time. But 'Seige', alone or in context, delivers the goods.

Kavin J. Anderson has probably never had an original idea in his life. He's written numerous Star Wars novels, co-written three Dune novels, at least three X-files books, but only a precious few original stories whose plots seem suspiciously like old episodes of Star Trek. Anderson's wife, Rebecca Moesta, has even fewer credentials. However, Anderson and Moesta both have solid skills at characterizing, plot-development and visualizastion, though sometimes their dialogue falls flat.

Despite all of the down-falls that would seem to make this book a waste of time, it's not. The few hours spanned in the story move faster than real-time with action, emotion, and some genuinely witty dialogue here and there.