ORBit Books

"White Night" is the 9th in Butcher's "Dresden Files" series (which starts with Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) if you haven't read any of the series). It takes place about a year after the events in the previous book Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8). And, once again, if you're familiar with the Dresden novels, you'll know exactly what to expect from this one. A couple of the more notable things with this book is that it clears up a bit of the mystery surrounding Dresden's half-brother and with his special coin. Quite enjoyable. So, once again, I rate another Dresden novel at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.

Although there have been a couple of minor fumbles, the Dresden Files series just keeps getting better and better. Harry Dresden, who started out as a smart-aleck supernatural private detective, has grown and matured into a courageous, powerful and determined wizard - without losing his irreverent sense of humor.

While investigating some suspicious suicides of women in the magical community, Harry gets even more deeply embroiled in the politics of the Chicago PD, the White Council, and the Vampire Courts. Murders, black magic, fallen angels, vampires, rebellious apprentice - all a day's work for Harry.

For those who complain that Dresden is a one trick pony, in this volume Butcher begins to unveil some new powers for various characters which promise to liven up future books. These books are completely addictive, and I only wish Butcher could write as fast as I can read.

White Night is another wonderful book of the Dresden Files. You can't go wrong with it.

Harry Dresden, an odd person in his own right, hunting weird things down and such. In this tome, someone is hunting Harry more often than he is hunting them, and it leads places he does not want to go.
Well paced, humourous, campy and very well described as 'Mike Hammer with a Magic Wand', Harry Dresden is the penultimate private detective.

I love the entire Dresden series, so this book was no exception! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading the next one. The author has a wonderful writing style that keeps the reader interested. The books start off fast and they never let up. I recommend this entire series to anyone who loves supernatural themes!

Erik Nylund definitely surprised me with this one. The story goes from the seconds after the end of the first Halo and sets up the story for Halo 2. While this books is not as creative as The Fall of Reach, it's still a good story, and a fun, quick read.I read it when I was younger, and really enjoyed it. It manages to be solid Sci-Fi despite the licensing. I recommend it to Halo fans.

After reading the installment from the Halo universe "The Flood" (take my advice don't) it was with great anticipation that I sat down to read this book written by Nylund. I thought maybe he had just gotten lucky the first time around with The Fall of Reach and his style would be as hard to follow as the other guy's.

Don't walk into it with that attitude guys. This is a Halo book written by a guy who sounds like he has actually played the game and knows what the fans want. I look forward to checking out other installments.

The third book First Strike is set after the destruction of Alpha Halo and is about how the Master Chief, Cortana, his fellow Spartans, and some human survivors return to Earth in a captured Covenant Flagship: Ascendant Justice by first stopping by the colony Reach to track any covenant homing beacons to be sure not to reveal the location of Earth to the Covenant. After they find other Spartan, Vice Admiral Whitcomb, and Dr. Catherine Halsey they leave Reach in a damaged justice and later form a temporary alliance with separatist rebels in order to gain repairs. After another fight with a covenant ship, Dr. Halsey enters slipspace in a stolen ship and exfiltrates Spartan "Kelly". Later after hearing from Cortana that the Covenant are headed to Earth, The Chief and his fellow Spartans decide to go on a mission to disrupt the covenant operations by destroying the "Unyielding Hierophant" a vital battle station between the Covenant fleet and Earth. With authorization from the Admiral, the Chief and his fellow Spartans set out for the Hierophant and successfully overload its reactor. They escape on a covenant dropship and get picked up by the justice. Whitcomb and Lieutenant Haverson trick the Covenant fleet into coming near the Hierophant heavily damaging the covenant fleet allowing the chief and his team to escape. Meanwhile on the covenant capital ship: "High Charity" the Chieftain Tartarus and the High Prophet of truth discuss the fate of an Elite who allowed Alpha Halo to be destroyed and and the Ascendant Justice to be Captured.

Overall I'd say this is a good story that bridges the gap between Halo 1 and Halo 2. If you have any questions after you finished the first halo game, I suggest you read this book. It explains how the Covenant were able to discover the location of Earth, and how the Master Chief was able to return to Earth after the destruction of Halo and many more. This is a good read if even if you haven't played the game. But if you want to understand the story better, I suggest you play the first Halo game or read the first two books. (Halo: Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood).

I haven't been a fan of the Halo Series for long, but after playing Halo 3 I was curious about the story. I found a copy of this book and was happily surprised. Based on the game, I wasn't expecting much, but this book builds a great story around the already famous characters.

The book doesn't require a big understanding of the Halo universe. Some background info does help, of course that makes a little sense because this is not the first book. Anyway, the characters in the book are well developed and the action will keep you reading until the end. Master Chief are Cortana are both expanded upon and the supporting character are all very likable.

The only small problems I found was that many of the characters actions seemed a little dumbed down, almost as if this book was targeting a younger audience (despite the games M rating). Sometimes the book repeats previous sections of plot to remind you. This was annoying to me. Still, that is not enough to detract from the story, which is very good. Worth Reading.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes futuristic war, blood and gore violence, and a little love story between John(a.k.a. Masterchief) and Cortana his personal artificial intelegents bot. Aliens try to invade and destroy Earth with plasma shots and bombs in a destinguished pattern. Masterchief finds survivors and they hi-jack a covenant ship and try to get back to REach. The other spartansare already on Reach. They and Dr. Halsey discover that there is much more to Reach the thought. The doctor finds old documents and maps of the station at Reach. Find out what happens when Halo is detonated.

IGNORE MY COMMENT ABOUT THE ERRATA: The errata on the author's web site have been corrected in the version now being shipped. Besides, Amazon censored the hyperlink I attempted to provide below.

I've just begun the book and like it so far. Other reviews here seem pretty accurate and fair. Because several reviewers noted the presence of errors in the book, I tracked down the errata so I could correct the mistakes before I got confused by them. Here is errata from Kuiper's personal web pages: [...].

Kelly Carter
[...]

The great thing about this book is the author goes through detailed expositions of every topic. So if you "get it" the first time, you can skim ahead to the next topic; if not, you can work through the proofs, step-by-step, to make sure you understand it. There's no "the proof is left as an exercise for the interested reader."

Another thing I really like about this book is that you don't need to be a mathematician to understand it (i.e. it's perfect for engineers). If there is reference to a mathematical topic, the author defines the terminology and gives you a concise explanation. He will give you enough to make it relevant to the current subject.

For example, you don't need to have a grad-school course in groups and fields to be able to understand how they relate to the specific applications of quaternions covered in the book. That cannot be said about some other books on quaternions I have been reading. About all you need here is some knowledge of vectors, matrices and complex numbers.

This book is not only tractable but downright accessible. And it is so well organized that, after reading the first few chapters, you may find the specific application of interest to you and jump straight to it.

Excellent book. Well written. Clear. Thoughtful.
Plenty of examples. I would highly recommend it!

There are many other reviews that discuss (and applaud) the merits of Kuipers' treatment of the subject, and I agree with them. Rather than add a "me too", I wanted to treat some of the features of this book that make it approachable.

This book is not written for the layman, you do need a fair grounding in matrix methods, complex variables, and rotations. If you remember the basics you should be fine because Kuipers reminds you of special theorems and properties as they are used. Notation is kept simple and unconfusing.

Of particular note, he uses the margins in a novel way. Most math texts number their equations and refer to them often. The reader spends a lot of time flipping back and forth. Kuipers frequently puts referenced equations, needed properties, and other information in the margins where they are needed. This minimizes the usual back and forth and enables a marginally sophisticated reader to actually read and learn something new in bed.

Book is more or less what all the glowing 4 and 5 stars say it is. I would like to add a 1859 quote from William Rowan Hamilton about his Quaternions in a note to Peter Guthrie Tait (professor and friend of James Maxwell):

"Could anything be simpler or more satisfactory? Don't you feel, as well as think, that we are on a right track, and shall be thanked hereafter. Never mind when."

This is probably my favorite book of the series. It's romantic without the broken heart of the Ship Who Sang, and that romance finally gets an outlet. It's well written with characters you can relate to, and it completely sucks you into the story. Romance, adventure, derring-do, and a lovable cast. What more can you ask?

I enjoyed the book (see other reviews for synopsis). It was a "fun" read with a little bit of thoughtful material (e.g., what it would be like to be confined to life as a ship). It was one of those books that frequently made me smile, but it was not a page turner.

I'd been looking for a bit of intelligent escapism, and certainly found it in this collaborative effort by Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey. The Ship Who Searched is the second in the Brainship collection (though the books needn't be read in order) - where each book in the series is a team effort between McCaffrey and various eminent authors in the genre.

The Brainship world of the series is a version of our own future, where humankind has long since left our solar system. The characters are still very much informed by the Earth history we know, however, and though the novels take place amongst other worlds and are occasionally populated by other nonhuman species, the story feels very real for that reason.

Hypatia Cade (Tia) is a precocious and brilliant child, and as the daughter of xeno-archaeologists has spent her young life traveling from one planet to another on exploratory digs. Her parents are investigating the puzzling disappearance of a world-hopping alien civilization that vanished without a trace long ago.

While playing at her own "pretend" dig, Tia uncovers what seems to have been a waste repository for the aliens. She somehow contracts a virus that results in the gradual loss of feeling and control in her extremities and by the time she tells her parents (not wanting to interrupt their work with what the ship's AI tells her are "growing pains"), it is too late. Hypatia is transferred to a medical facility, where it is determined that she will never regain control of her body below the neck.

In this future world, children born with debilitating congenital defects are often entered into the Brain/Brawn program, where their non-functioning bodies are sealed up into ships (or occasionally spaceports or other facilities) and their minds become the "brains" of the craft. These "shellpersons" are essentially one with the ships they inhabit; their brains have been enhanced and modified to monitor every aspect of the electronic and mechanical workings, and they "feel" the hull as though it were their own skin. Brainships are paired with a Brawn, a living (and mobile) component to the ship's operations. These pairings are typically very close, given their intimate proximity and the partners' frequent long-term isolation in space travel during their assignments.

The Ship Who Searched has a lot of heart for a sci-fi novel. Hypatia is a compelling and likeable character; her only hope is to convince the Brain/Brawn directors that she's not too old to be included in the program, so that she can fulfill her dreams of becoming a pilot with the Archaeological division. So, too, must she solve the riddle of the vanished alien race, whose disappearance may be linked to the disease that devastated her body - plague is a common threat to the archaeologists of the future. And, as both a Brainship and a developing young woman, she must navigate her growing feelings for her newly assigned Brawn, Alex.

The Ship Who Searched is a fast-paced, emotionally satisfying, and thoroughly entertaining read. The application of archaeology to a science fiction setting was compelling and well conceived, and the Brain/Brawn program feels surprisingly believable. I found it refreshing to read a novel where several main characters are physicaly disabled, and found the book's treatment of the subect to be very balanced sympathetic without being pandering. While the ending felt a bit too quick, it was natural and fulfilling. I had quite a bit of fun with this one, and will definitely be investigating others in the series.

-Jacquelyn Gill

Hypatia (Tia) Cade is an astonishingly bright and surprisingly well adjusted daughter of two distinguished archeologists. Although her parents were totally engrossed in excatvating long dead civilizations on remote planets they were also quite devoted to their daughter, refusing to send her away to be raised by strangers or enrolled in a boarding school. During the day while they were outside working at the site Tia kept busy working at the teaching terminal supervised by the resident A(rtifical) I(ntelligence) and occasionally chatting with Moira, the brainship that serviced their site. It was a happy life for Tia, one that she intended to continue so that she could join her parents as a colleague once she completed school. Unfortunately tragedy struck in the form of an exotic virus that left Tia completely paralyzed, her only option for any sort of independent life lay in becoming a shell person, a living brain encased in a shell and controlling a space station, a city, or a ship.

Once Tia completed her training and selected her 'brawn' Alexander the pair found themselves tracking down tomb raiders and stopping plagues from sweeping through the galaxy, jobs they were uniquely suited for. Along they way they made a few other discoveries that would have even more far reaching consequences than they ever could have foreseen.

This 1992 book is a continuation of the 'Ship' series begun by McCaffrey years before with THE SHIP WHO SANG. The basic premise of the series is that severely handicapped infants are placed into 'shells' where their devasted bodies are no longer a prison for them. There are references to earlier books in the series, as well as a few inside jokes concerning other future collaborators to the series but this work can definitely stand on its own and be enjoyed without any knowledge of earlier works.

The Ship Who Searched (1992) is the third SF novel in the Brainships series, following PartnerShip. In the previous volume, Nancia was closely involved in the investigation and arrest of the Nyota Five. After the trial and disposition, Forister praised her for her judgment in the recorded statements she made for the trial.

In this novel, Hypatia Cade is the daughter of an archaeological team. Doctors Pota Andropolous-Cade and Braddon Maartens-Cade are conducting an Evaluation dig at a Salomon-Kildare site. The three of them are alone on the planet except during the supply ship visits.

Tia is alone in the camp during the day, except at mealtimes. She spends most of the day doing homework, watching holos and monitoring communications. Shortly after her seventh birthday, Moira -- TM-370 -- is an unexpected visitor. Moira has diverted a routine run to bring their supplies and a birthday present for Tia.

Moira and her Brawn Tomas are very welcome visitors. Tia has known Moira for some time and they get along very well. And then there is the birthday present, a blue teddy bear. Tia is extremely pleased with the gift.

Tia is not particularly lonely on the remote site. After all, she spends more time with her parents than most children. She even gets to help at the main dig when her parents aren't doing very sensitive activities. Since the planet has little atmosphere, she has to wear a vacuum suit at the site.

On days when her parents are too busy for her to visit, her parents let Tia don her vacuum suit and go play in her own dig. She carefully excavates pretend artifacts from the trenches. Then she digs up something that is a very real artifact.

She carefully seals it in a plastic container and brings it into the habitat to show her parents. Unfortunately, the container leaks and she gets a face full of dust. However, her parents are excited over the find and spend the next couple of weeks excavating the alien waste dump.

Tia catches some kind of disease from her first find and feels tingling in her feet and hands. Eventually, she loses sensation in all her extremities and is paralyzed from the neck down. Even her face is partially paralyzed.

In this story, Tia becomes a shellperson. She is the oldest person ever admitted into the program. She does very well and eventually is installed in her brainship.

Hypatia -- XH-1033 -- is now working for the Institute, delivering supplies to various archaeological sites. First she has to select a Brawn. None of the first six are suitable and the second six are not much better. Her supervisor is perturbed and wants her off the tarmac as soon as possible.

Alexander Joli-Chanteu is one of the last set. Tia spends more time with him than the others, but finally decides that he is not quite the right person to be her Brawn. But then he comes back after dark and has a more candid conversation with Tia. Although she still sees some flaws in his character, Alex does have the right sort of attitude and an interest in archaeology. Tia decides to choose him as her Brawn.

Tia and Alex become specialists in dealing with plagues and other sorts of diseases. While they are not doctors, they have run into more than their share of ailments and have learned to counter their effects until the medical personnel arrive. So MedCen preempts their services to hunt for smugglers who are bringing diseases into the Central Worlds.

This tale has Tia searching for the source of her paralytic disease. Since it came from the middens of a Salomon-Kildare camp, she reckons that the source of the disease was the homeworld of those aliens. She carefully follows the archaeological papers on the search for the eskay origins.

The story concerns a very precocious girl with a horrible disease. Yet she is so courageous that she impresses everyone who meets her. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for McCaffrey & Lackey fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of archaeological explorations, undercover investigations, and a very exceptional woman.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I am yet another reader who wore out the library's copy of this book, with its purple and yellow cover, reading it over and over and over again in junior high. I particularly remember the story about the little girl on Venus who was so homesick for the sun, which came out there only every seven years -- and the other kids in the class locked her in the closet, so that she missed it. I looked it up here tonight because my son was asking me if I'd ever read any Robert Heinlein. But of course! This collection got me started on his work as well as that of many others. What a pleasant surprise it was to read these reviews and discover that I am not the only one who's still haunted by the imaginative scope and the sense of wonder in the stories in this anthology.

I just recommended this collection to a friend and came here to look for it-- about 30 years since I first checked it out from my grade school library. It was, in fact, one of two quasi-adult SF titles in our little library and as such is one of the books that introduced me to the genre. Just reading the reviews here has made me deeply nostalgic, not only for Tomorrow' Children but for many of Asimov's other books-- things like Foundation that I discovered after reading this edited collection.

I just checked and Ebay has a paperback copy-- in Australia. It's only $9US with BuyItNow but shipping is twice that and it doesn't look to be in such good condition. I'll keep an eye open there, and meanwhile I'm going to ILL this tonight. If you have access to a library do the same. You won't regret it.

I came across this book after watching the Twilight Zone Movie. I had only seen the very end of the third part where Anthony uses his powers to make a car. Out of curiosity, I looked up the movie and found that that part was a remake of the episode It's A Good Life. It wasn't until after I saw that episode that I learned that that episode was based off of the story from this very book. The rarity of this book is just amazing, so I knew it must be good. When I finally got it through interlibrary loan, it exceeded my already very-high expectations. If anything, It's A Good Life might have been my least favorite story. My favorites are Star Bright, Gilead, The Father-Thing, and The Little Terror.

Star Bright (by Mark Clifton) - Star is a very smart three-year-old girl. What her father doesn't realize, yet, is that she not only can read advanced textbooks and encyclopedias, but she also knows how to read minds and time-travel! This is a must-read. The ending will amaze you.

Gilead (by Zenna Henderson) - A boy who's known how to fly ever since he can remember must learn that he is different and find those who are like him.

The Father-Thing (by Phillip K. Dick) - Charles notices that his father has been replaced by some other creature that looks just like him. Don't forget your kerosine!

The Little Terror (by Will F. Jenkins) - After her grandfather lies to her about a magic trick, a girl is convinced she can make things disappear. She becomes so convinced, that she actually develops that power! Lots of Bishop Berkeley references (to be is to be perceived).

UPDATE: 18 Jan 2006 - I just won an ebay auction for this book for $26.22 including shipping. It's described as: hardcover - ex-library book with usual library markings. first blank page missing. book is worn. binding is not as tight as it could be, but pages holding in fine. still a good read.



I also checked this book out at a public library many, many times during my childhood, and some of the stories haunt me to this day. I would love to find a copy of this book.

Another author I read during this period, and stumbled on again recently, is Madeleine L'Engle. She has a trilogy of time travel which begins with "A Wrinkle in Time". If the names of Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, Mrs Which or Charles Wallace sound familiar, this is where you will find them, and they are available.

Am I ready to shell out over $30 for this book? There's already a cart full of Orson Scott Card, Diane Duane & Ursula K. LeGuin to pay for! But even if it has to be wish listed, I'm delighted to know that Tomorrow's Children is available.

I first read this book over 30 years ago. When I was about 11 my family moved from a city with a large library to a small town with a one-roomer adjoining the fire station. I hunted through the ubiquitous pop lit that lined the shelves, desperately seeking something readable. Finally I found a small section with about 5-6 shelves packed with 50's & 60's SF.

Having never read SF before, I sampled a couple of books and then dug in & read shelf by shelf. Heinlein, Asimov, LeGuin, and others transformed my small town library blues into pure gold. Tomorrow's Children was on shelf #4. As those who've read it can attest, the stories are outstanding, contributed by some of the best SF writers of the period.

I searched for it tonight because I was thinking of Asimov's story about the nurse and the Neanderthal boy (Asimov claimed he always cried when he read that one - me too). For contrast, there's a story (by Bradbury?) about a couple of kids who sic a virtual lion pride on Mom & Dad - kind of 50's Freudian but effectively chilling - and technologically, still fresh. I would love to read those stories again! So I'll have to decide whether to ramp up for an ebay quest - or pay the amazon price, and be grateful for the opportunity!

Meanwhile, it's thrilling to read these reviews, and to feel kinship with all who remember this book with affection and respect. We are among a fortunate minority. . . early in life, we encountered a powerful, challenging vision of what our future could be. May all children be so lucky!

I read this book for the first time when I was a horse-crazy little girl. I absolutely loved it then and I still enjoy re-reading it. It is a wonderful story, especially appealing to horse-crazy children.

I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone! :) This is one of my favorite books!

Bill Wallace writes this book as though it's real life. Once you start, you an hardly put it down!
Luke, a young city boy, is the son of divorced parents. he lives with his mom on his grandfather's farm. because his mom lost her job. Luke never wants to do anything at the farm because his mom made him leave all of his friends when they moved.
After a long summer, Luke befriends an old horse called Beauty. They share a special bond with late summer walks and secrets. But when a terrible accident happens, Luke does something that may break that bond.
This book is great for children and adults. It has adventure, suspense, and funny, laugh-out-loud moments, too. It shows that when you have a bond with a clase friend, keep it for it will become one of your greatest treasures. I give this book a four out of five star rating.

I love Robin McKinley and really enjoyed this twisted story!!

This book is a lovely retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I collect fairy tales and happened across this one several years ago. It is told in the first person. The writing is absolutely sure-handed and the characterization is beautiful. I have read most of the author's other books but none of them come close to the heights of storytelling she reaches in this novel. It drew me in from page one, and I was overcome with a rush of disappointment when I reached the end because there was no more.
This is also a great read-aloud book. It is too bad that it is out of print because I often loan my copy to friends. Fortunately all of them (so far) have returned it - with great praise. Everyone who is a lover of fairy tales should give this one a try.

This series is intense, wonderful, and thrilling, but I NEED CLOSURE...PLEASE!!!! If I died tomorrow I wouldn't be at peace, not until this story-line is wrapped up.

The third book in the Fire Dancer series. It is an excellent series with strong, well written characters, and this book leaves you dying for more. I wish Ann Maxwell would hurry up and write another one! I want to find out what is happening with Rheba and Kirtn

I have enjoyed all of Ann Maxwell sci/fi books. I wish she would finish this series. I want to find out what happens in the Fire Dancer's story. I believe Ann Maxwell's sci-fi stories were one of the best I have ever read and i wish she had continued this series and any other sci-fi.

I just discovered this series and I really enjoyed it! I didn't realize the trilogy wasn't complete though so I hope another book will be added SOON!

O.K...I'm not too proud...I WILL BEG!! I am begging Ms. Maxwell, I have waited years...and I need another installment or at least a conclusion to this series...You have a great story here...please continue it for all of us sci-fi and romance addicts out here...

Time Travel for Fun and Profit

A Review of "The Technicolor Time Machine"

by Harry Harrison

Publication History

Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine - "The Time-Machined Saga" March 1967.
ISBN-10: 020286703X

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1967, Publisher: Doubleday.

Technicolor Time Machine, 1968, Publisher: Berkley Medallion.

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1976, 1980 and 1981, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-86007-887-6 and 0-523-48506-9

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1985 and 1991, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-812-53970-2 and 0-812-51607-9

This book is a science fiction comedy about a motley group of movie makers who travel to the eleventh century to film a Viking adventure.

For such a short book there are an amazing number of surprises, plot twists and turnabouts.

This is a fun book to read. "The Technicolor Time Machine" is funny book as well as a stimulating adventure story.

See Also:

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March 1967 (Volume LXXIX, No. 1)

The Technicolor Time Machine

I enjoyed this book; I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

Time Travel for Fun and Profit

A Review of "The Technicolor Time Machine"

by Harry Harrison

Publication History

Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine - "The Time-Machined Saga" March 1967.
ISBN-10: 020286703X

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1967, Publisher: Doubleday.

Technicolor Time Machine, 1968, Publisher: Berkley Medallion.

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1976, 1980 and 1981, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-86007-887-6 and 0-523-48506-9

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1985 and 1991, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-812-53970-2 and 0-812-51607-9

This book is a science fiction comedy about a motley group of movie makers who travel to the eleventh century to film a Viking adventure.

For such a short book there are an amazing number of surprises, plot twists and turnabouts.

This is a fun book to read. "The Technicolor Time Machine" is funny book as well as a stimulating adventure story.

See Also:

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March 1967 (Volume LXXIX, No. 1)

The Technicolor Time Machine

I enjoyed this book; I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

Time Travel for Fun and Profit

A Review of "The Technicolor Time Machine"

by Harry Harrison

Publication History

Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine - "The Time-Machined Saga" March 1967.
ISBN-10: 020286703X

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1967, Publisher: Doubleday.

Technicolor Time Machine, 1968, Publisher: Berkley Medallion.

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1976, 1980 and 1981, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-86007-887-6 and 0-523-48506-9

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1985 and 1991, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-812-53970-2 and 0-812-51607-9

This book is a science fiction comedy about a motley group of movie makers who travel to the eleventh century to film a Viking adventure.

For such a short book there are an amazing number of surprises, plot twists and turnabouts.

This is a fun book to read. "The Technicolor Time Machine" is funny book as well as a stimulating adventure story.

See Also:

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March 1967 (Volume LXXIX, No. 1)

The Technicolor Time Machine

The Technicolor Time Machine (A TOR Book)

The Technicolor Time Machine; Vikings vs. Hollywood and the Blood is Real

I enjoyed this book; I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

Time Travel for Fun and Profit

A Review of "The Technicolor Time Machine"

by Harry Harrison

Publication History

Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine - "The Time-Machined Saga" March 1967.
ISBN-10: 020286703X

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1967, Publisher: Doubleday.

Technicolor Time Machine, 1968, Publisher: Berkley Medallion.

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1976, 1980 and 1981, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-86007-887-6 and 0-523-48506-9

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1985 and 1991, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-812-53970-2 and 0-812-51607-9

This book is a science fiction comedy about a motley group of movie makers who travel to the eleventh century to film a Viking adventure.

For such a short book there are an amazing number of surprises, plot twists and turnabouts.

This is a fun book to read. "The Technicolor Time Machine" is funny book as well as a stimulating adventure story.

See Also:

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March 1967 (Volume LXXIX, No. 1)

The Technicolor Time Machine

The Technicolor Time Machine (A TOR Book)

The Technicolor Time Machine; Vikings vs. Hollywood and the Blood is Real

I enjoyed this book; I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

A Review of "The Technicolor Time Machine"

by Harry Harrison

Publication History

Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine - "The Time-Machined Saga" March 1967.
ISBN-10: 020286703X

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1967, Publisher: Doubleday.

Technicolor Time Machine, 1968, Publisher: Berkley Medallion.

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1976, 1980 and 1981, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-86007-887-6 and 0-523-48506-9

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1985 and 1991, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-812-53970-2 and 0-812-51607-9

This book is a science fiction comedy about a motley group of movie makers who travel to the eleventh century to film a Viking adventure.

For such a short book there are an amazing number of surprises, plot twists and turnabouts.

This is a fun book to read. "The Technicolor Time Machine" is funny book as well as a stimulating adventure story.

See Also:

Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine - "The Time-Machined Saga" March 1967.
ISBN-10: 020286703X

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1967, Publisher: Doubleday.

Technicolor Time Machine, 1968, Publisher: Berkley Medallion.

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1976, 1980 and 1981, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-86007-887-6 and 0-523-48506-9

The Technicolor Time Machine, 1985 and 1991, Publisher: Tor Books.
ISBN 0-812-53970-2 and 0-812-51607-9

For such a short book there are an amazing number of surprises, plot twists and turnabouts.

This is a fun book to read. "The Technicolor Time Machine" is funny book as well as a stimulating adventure story.

See Also:

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March 1967 (Volume LXXIX, No. 1)

The Technicolor Time Machine

The Technicolor Time Machine (A TOR Book)

The Technicolor Time Machine; Vikings vs. Hollywood and the Blood is Real

I enjoyed this book; I wholeheartedly recommend it to others.

Haldeman isn't my favorite SF author, not even in my top 10. However, I gave him another chance even though I was disappointed with Camouflage. All My Sins Remembered is basically three short espionage stories stringed together. The first was razzle dazzle inventiveness, a real gem! The second story followed the recipe of the first, so it was good but should have been strong enough to stray from the previous. The third story however was twisty-turny (in a bad way). I couldn't quite follow the last story, but was happy to see that all the stories were strung together in a rather original way through a shrink and also ended on a rather original note.

I have been curious about Haldeman after recently hearing of his award winning sci-fi books. So, the other day I was at a used book store browsing their selection of his titles and using my iPhone to reference the Amazon users' reviews. The store didn't have Camouflage or the Forever War, but they had All My Sins Remembered, which seems to be out of print and the copy in my hands was printed in 1978.

That's when I realized I was participating in science fiction by using such sophisticated technology to study this artifact who's creator wouldn't have imagined possible at the time of the book's printing. Little did Haldeman know in 1978 that his book would be out of print 30 years later or that readers would migrate to a digital medium (Kindle) and his book set in the future, would itself become such an antique.

Anyway, I hope that Amazon publishes this book on Kindle because the reviewers are right on the mark. His writing is tight, and draws the reader into the rapid pace of the stories (3) very quickly. In my first sitting with the book, I made it to page 100.

If his other books are as good as 'All My Sins Remembered,' then I've found my new favorite SF author!

There is nothing new here. We've seen this idea done over and over again in various forms and media. The idea of a secret agent who becomes disillusioned is rather large cliche and I am the first to express total surprise at how quickly I got absorbed into this story.


Otto McGavin is the protagonist who's job is to do the government's dirty work. We have the obligatory mistakes and stumbling before Otto proves his worth. We have the inevidable bitterness as time goes on watching the character decay and of course the inevidable "oops my government is bad" toward the end. So what makes this a classic? As always it is the author's ability to weave the story together and set a pace that moves quickly leaving you drawn into the tale. This would not have worked as a serious and detailed novel. Instead we have a series of short stories woven together to move the story forward in a quick fashion. The ending is both expected and brilliant at the same time. Some may say this is dated but I disagree. We are living in another vietnam that is more hostile, more brutal and unlike before, never ending and what better time than now to think about the issues brought up in this book.

So many others have raved about this book, I had to offer an opposing opinion. I read most of Haldeman's books in a two month window after being impressed with Forever Peace. AMSR had was my least favorite of them all, and was a chore to get through. I prefer books that have interesting plots and focus on character. The premise of AMSR is that the reader follows the main character as he inhabits different personas as an agent of the government. Problem is that the different sections seem disjointed, so I didn't get a feeling of continuous plot. And because the main character spends so much time impersonating other people, I didn't get a clear sense of who he was. As a result I was bored nearly from page 1.

After reading so many Haldeman books, I began to realize that he recycles themes endlessly. If you want a book about the immorality of governments, try The Forever War, which is one of his best. If you want a book about changing identities, you can get that in Camouflage, which is not a great book but at least I thought Haldeman did a better job of depicting a consistent main character despite the fact that his outer identity was always changing.

In the mid-1970s Joe Haldeman was a comet in the science fiction field. In a very short period of time he became referred to as `the new Heinlein', a writer informed by the influences of the New Wave embodied in J.G. Ballard and Harlan Ellison, yet drawing on the tradition of `hard' science fiction and adventure.
His first novel The Forever War won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Best Novel in 1975. It examined interstellar warfare with a decidedly post-Vietnam jaundiced look, coupling this with use of relativity theory to show the effects of time passing more slowly for combatants, for whom everyone they know dies of old age during the war. It combined the toughness and scientific rigour of Poul Anderson with the emotional range and deft writing of Ray Bradbury. His second novel Mindbridge set an industry record for the largest ever advance (to that point) for a science fiction novel. His third was All My Sins Remembered.
In terms of its composition, this book was a collection of three previously published long stories or novellas, with `sandwich' material between them to connect the stories - and shape the eventual meaning of the narrative as a whole. The book follows Otto McGavin, a young Anglo-Buddhist on a future Earth who is recruited without his knowledge by the Confederacion, a virtually all-powerful organisation that combines corporate, government and military interests. He is trained to become a Prime Operator, one of only twelve skilled agents who carry out dangerous and highly important missions - often including assassination - both on Earth and in the many other worlds colonised over the centuries.
Each of the three stories details one of his missions, taking place over a period of no less than twenty-three years, up until he reaches the retirement age of forty-five. Each mission involves immersion therapy and hypnosis, with McGavin's personality painted over with the persona of somebody who he is impersonating. Because of the situations he must place himself in, there are often distressing results. When your body has been made to resemble a rapist, and the rapist's personality is overriding your own, how can you be responsible for what happens during your mission?
Between each story McGavin receives treatment to strip the layers of persona from him like an onion. He is debriefed and goes through past missions. But as the novel goes on, the reader becomes aware of the cumulative psychic damage going on. How much longer can he maintain any sense of self at all? Does he even exist any more, or is he merely a function of the Confederacion's will? The final page is perhaps the bleakest ending ever in science fiction, evoking dismay and frustration and even rage in the reader. In an instrumentalist society, perhaps in the end a job is all that one is, and nothing else.
Haldeman's skills as a writer of action are to the forefront in All My Sins Remembered. The sudden eruptions of violence and gore that punctuate the book are startling and convincing. One wonders how much Haldeman's tour of duty in Vietnam, which informed so much of The Forever War, also informs his portrait here of a man lost and submerged within the machinery of the Confederacion.
Since the point of McGavin's character is that he is faceless, and for much of the book has his personality suppressed, it is a remarkable feat that Haldeman keeps the reader concerned for him and feels such anger at the inevitable ending. Even in the limited space allowed for his original persona, McGavin's strong religious beliefs, so sullied by the climax, define him as a worthwhile human being, fundamentally decent and even admirable. The other characters in the book are sketched quickly, as befitting their origins as characters in a novella, but vividly, such as the alien philosopher who translates his function as "keeper of useful sarcasms."
The universe of the future is largely kept off the page, only small details serving to evoke a much wider canvas. Referring to a fencing master who taught him how to duel, McGavin says that he came from France. The exchange that follows says much in very few words: "All the way from France!" "No, not the planet; those are countries on Earth." When he travels around a city, McGavin uses the "slidewalk", a wonderful little detail that reminds one of Heinlein's classic line, "The door dilated," as a way of indicating future technology without the need to explain it. The linguistic origins of a term like `Confederacion', and the construction of a term such as `Anglo-Buddhist', also hint at future changes without beating the reader over the head.
Although bleak in a way very much of the period in which it was written, All My Sins Remembered is essential reading for anyone interested in science fiction or espionage thrillers. Even if one is not, it is a frightening portrait of what can happen to the human soul under a despotic regime. This is Haldeman's best book.


All My Sins Remembered by Joe Haldeman (Gollancz, 1977)

Anyone who likes Larry Niven's work at all should be happy with this book.

From Tom Clancy's introduction, along with others by co-authors and editors, through all the stories - and this basically includes his best work of all (Inconstant Moon and All the Myriad Ways), along with some other good stories. In fact, even with the excerpt scores averaging almost 3.50.

Even the excerpts are well done, the fun scene from Ringworld a good choice, for example.

Throughout, Niven offers commentary, and non-fiction pieces include an extensive look at how they put together the setting for The Mote In God's Eye, and also a piece outlining plans to write something that would satirise Known Space as all a hoax.

Then at the end a few thoughts and an advice paper apparently that he and some other writers, including Pournell did for some political body or other.

I'd probably call this a 4.25 I think.

N-Space : excerpt from World of Ptavvs - Larry Niven
N-Space : Bordered in Black - Larry Niven
N-Space : Convergent Series [short story] - Larry Niven
N-Space : All the Myriad Ways [short story] - Larry Niven
N-Space : excerpt from A Gift from Earth - Larry Niven
N-Space : For a Foggy Night - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Meddler - Larry Niven
N-Space : Passerby - Larry Niven
N-Space : excerpt from Ringworld - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Fourth Profession - Larry Niven
N-Space : Inconstant Moon [short story] - Larry Niven
N-Space : What Can You Say about Chocolate Covered Manhole Covers? - Larry Niven
N-Space : Cloak of Anarchy - Larry Niven
N-Space : excerpt from Protector - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Hole Man [short story] - Larry Niven
N-Space : Night on Mispec Moor - Larry Niven
N-Space : Flare Time - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Locusts - Larry Niven and Steven Barnes
N-Space : excerpt from The Mote in God's Eye - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
N-Space : Mote Lite - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
N-Space : Brenda - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Return of William Proxmire - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Tale of the Jinni and the Sisters - Larry Niven
N-Space : Madness Has Its Place - Larry Niven
N-Space : The Kiteman - Larry Niven


She puffs on Pluto.

3 out of 5


Overcee project farm people find.

3 out of 5


Demon summoming time limit Atom solution.

3.5 out of 5


Murder maybe multiverse.

4.5 out of 5


Slowboat reservation.

3 out of 5


Vaguely lost.

3 out of 5


PI no Martian Manhunter.

3.5 out of 5


A specially adapted ramscoop ship pilot gets in trouble in space, when he sees a large golden alien humanoid. He finds himself rescued and transported 12 light years instantaneously back to Earth.

3.5 out of 5


Various biffo, with or without laser beams.

3.5 out of 5


Alien alcohol test case quad pill investigation.

3.5 out of 5


Really lunary weather we're having.

4.5 out of 5


Strange party alien trip.

3 out of 5


Free Park experiment not bright.

4 out of 5


Three stage dude adjustment.

3 out of 5


Quantum black hole is ridiculous overkill.

3.5 out of 5


Offworld mercenary Cabell nightwalker Spectrum Cure.

4 out of 5


Fuxed up entertainment production mission.

3.5 out of 5


Monkey kid form peak.

4 out of 5


Abandon ship, the little bastiches have weapons.

3.5 out of 5


Hey! That looks different.

3.5 out of 5


Sauron attacks Dagon City. Who'd like to see that?

3.5 out of 5


Heinlein time alteration.

3.5 out of 5


Harem sneaky story.

3 out of 5


ARM to schizo arm.

3.5 out of 5


Flying lessons.

3 out of 5

This book is at the top of my "If I were stranded on a desert island..." list. I don't love everything Niven's ever written, but this sampler has something for everyone. This isn't just the best of Niven, it's some of the best SF written in the last 40 years. What's also nice is the inclusion of hard-to-find stories like "For A Foggy Night" and the non-fiction slice of life stuff. NSpace, Playgrounds of the Mind, and the later Scatterbrain provide an unparalleled look at the career of one of SFs greats. If you read no other science fiction this decade, read these books.

I purchased "N-Space" and its sequel "Playgrounds Of The Mind" in summer of 1992, totally unaware of who Larry Niven was, or that he already had such a lengthy history in the science fiction community. At that point (my first year in college) I had not read a lot of SF beyond the confines of Star Trek novels; save the space opera of W. Michael Gear and the military SF of Chris Bunch & Allan Cole. I didn't even really know what 'hard' science fiction was, and picked up "N-Space" and "Playgrounds Of The Mind" because I was pining for something different--perhaps more challenging?

Oh boy, did I ever get my wish! I soon discovered that "N-Space" is not a straightforward science fiction novel, but rather a mega-compilation of short stories, novellas, and outtakes from novels, spanning Niven's (apparently) decades-spanning SF career. I spent the fall and winter of 1992 totally falling in love with Niven's various universes, and the characters that inhabit them. Moreover, I fell in love with the 'hard' aspect of Niven's work, which compared to the space opera I had been previously reading, was rigorously rooted in the realities of physics and science. I was enchanted by the idea that you could stick to real science (mostly) and still tell amazing and adventurous science fiction stories. In fact, much of Niven's hard SF ranks superior to a great deal of softer material precisely because of its 'realistic' flavor. The generic, and often rubbery gadgets and technology of softer fare is religiously replaced in Niven's work by concrete extrapolations, based on what we understand about the universe in the present time.

Now, with that in mind, I would caution younger or less experienced readers, where "N-Space" is concerned. Especially since the book is not a novel unto itself, it's easy to get lost or distracted in this book. So many different ideas, concepts, times, places, and characters, are all hurled at you at once. If you're not ready to hang on for the ride, you're liable to get thrown off! Thus, if you're brand new to science fiction, or if you were like I was, and only familiar with media SF or military/opera, you need to understand that "N-Space" is a very different kind of book that gives a very different kind of read.

Still, Niven has enormous talent, not just for telling hard SF stories, but for telling them with wit, insight into character, and not just a little humour. His imagination when it comes to world-creation is dazzling, and his alien races and places are some of the most memorable I have ever read. Like a smorgasbord, "N-Space" gives us a healthy portion from virtually all of Larry's playgrounds, both well known and obscure. By the time I was done with "N-Space" I launched voraciously into "Playgrounds Of The Mind", which is essentially the second half of "N-Space"; the two books serving as the first and second parts of one, giant collection.

I've since gone on to explore the majority of the works that "N-Space" touches upon, and after a decade of consuming Niven I consider him to be, perhaps, my all-time favorite SF writer. "N-Space" is not his best single work, it is the best from his best, and as such, makes an outstanding primer for anyone who has never read Niven, but wants to becoming broadly and deliciously acquainted with his work.

I am a lapsed Niven fan having discovered him in the late '70s as a kid. Something spurred me to buy N-Space as a way to rediscover what I cherished about his unique mix of hard sci-fi and realistic human emotion.
Thank goodness! When I was done I had to immediately start picking up where I left off with "The Mote in God's Eye" and I look forward to re-reading treasures like "Footfall." Perhaps I'll just start at the beginning and work my way up? :)

At one time the term "science fiction" caused eyebrows to raise. "Isn't that reading for losers who can't relate to others well?" Larry Niven is one of the authors who forever changed the way SF is perceived, one whose fiction emphasizes science without cutting short on any of the tools of your typical brilliant writer of fiction. This gives us well-sculpted characters, even in the shortest of stories, with eye-opening and theoretically sound scientific concepts, plot twists, and remarkable endings. Satisfying story after satisfying story.

What's unique about this collection isn't that it includes a foreward with comments by other authors and fans, or that the author comments on each piece within the collection. Those are commonplace. But in Niven's world, he likes to let you into his world in a special way, perhaps by dishing some dirt on an SF mag who rejected a story that turned out to win a Hugo, etc. He openly questions his finished product, saying that "Today I'd write this story differently," etc. As if we could lift the lid on his cranium and step inside for a moment, seeing how the stories are crafted. Very interesting.

Not as interesting as the work, however, another unique thing about this collection: Not only short stories are collected here, many of which only appeared in one issue of some now-defunct SF mag or other, dating back to the mid 1960s upward to 1990 when this book was first published. He also includes essays, such as an unforgettable commentary on the problems Superman would have if he tried to mate with Lois Lane, as well as excerpts from his published novels at the time. A terrific sampler of a terrific author, whose early-70s work "Ringworld" stands as one of the most brilliant works of speculative fiction of all time. Intelligentsia still debates the validity of its scientific assumptions, and while even Niven admits that most of these have been disproven, how many SF works do you know that sparked so much debate while still being so widely admired?

Niven is far, far beyond any alien shoot-em-up author. This ain't "Star Trek." This is real scientific fiction told by a natural storyteller who loves what he does. We readers love him for it.