Science Fiction Books

The stories in this book are almost all winners. Read with care or you will miss critical details. Wolfe never explains completely, and he never gives a clue twice. My favorite is "Seven American Nights," the travel journal of a lost tourist from the Middle East in a fallen America. Pay attention and you may find a second horror story behind the obvious one.

I also loved "The Death of Dr. Island," "The Eyeflash Miracles," "Hour of Trust," and "Tracking Song." Some of the really short ones, like "Cues" are extremely cryptic and seem to be jokes.

Wolfe is the best writer at work in SF and fantasy. These early stories prove just how subtle, exciting and completely riveting his writing can be. Each story is a true gem, and each is totally different. The title story (and the variants on that title) all provide insight into the human heart you cannot believe until you have read them, aand the sorcery of the writing just pulls you right into each imaginary world. Irresistable.

These being the first short stories I've read by Gene Wolfe I went into the read curious, hopeful and genuinely unsure how they'd turn out. I'll be upfront w/my bias; I think Gene Wolfe is an amazing author.

The good news: I'm even more impressed by his writing and stories than I was before.

The bad news: Not every story is amazing; such is reading short fiction collections.

Overall, I rate this as an excellent collection of short fiction, and unless you simply have an aversion to the fantastic, I would highly recommend it. And if you already like Gene Wolfe? Look for familiar devices, such as memory and sense perception. He winds such nice paths...

His Castle of Days comes at the second place.
One other reviewer called this a perfect introduction to Wolfe. It certainly is. Do not begin with The Fifth Head of Cerberus. That one might turn you off.
Wolfe is at his best in these short stories and he keeps publishing them. I hope an additional collection will appear. Even in his novels Gene Wolfe holds tight to his concept of creating tiny gems of writing. Every chapter in the Book of the New Sun could be seen as a short story. Some of them might well stand alone. Will make some weird reading, but that's Wolfe.
This is a review of this collection, so I will return to this book now. This language is one of the best prose I have yet encountered. Vladimir Nabokov is another superb stylist. If the language won't sedate you the ideas will.
This is so good! On par with the greatest of short story writers. Certainly the top of SF in general.
I'm not giving away anything. Just buy yourself a copy and start reading, slowly. Give it the time it needs. SF readers are generally not used to this kind of writing, but don't think you can't handle it. I don't think that many non-SF/F readers come here, but that's fine. They don't know what they're missing.
Other readers recommended the more favorite stories in this collection. Follow their advice. Start with them.

THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR DEATH AND OTHER STORIES AND OTHER STORIES (yes, it's supposed to be titled that way), first published in 1980, is Gene Wolfe's first collection of short stories. It brings together 14 works published in the 1970's, some of which originally appeared in Damon Knight's "Orbit" anthologies. Like with any collection of short stories it ranges widely, but the volume does contain some of Wolfe's finest pieces.

The first story in this book may make the reader wonder why exactly Wolfe receives so much praise, for "The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories" (1970) is a very immature work, an unconvincingly written tale of child whose love of pulp adventure magazines helps him escape a broken home. The next story, "Alien Stones", dates from two years later and shows a dramatic improvement in Wolfe's writing. On the surface it appears to be about a spaceship crew exploring an abandoned alien vessel, but under the surface hints at a darker story. Wolfe, like Larry Niven in his 60's hard science-fiction works, unfortunately underestimates the progress of technology---his spacecraft's computer uses CRT's and manual switches---and his far-future female character seems supiciously like a stereotypical ditz of the early 1970's. Nonetheless, the strong storytelling and intricate plot more than make up for this.

"Three Fingers" is a short diversion, an enhibition of Wolfe's droll sense of humour. "Tracking Song" is another of the high points of the volume, the chronicle of a journey on a frozen world where humanity has evolved into myriad diverse forms. The narration is reminiscent of Wolfe's first great novel, THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS.

If this collection begins with Wolfe's weakest story, it ends with one of his best. "Seven American Nights" is the record of an Iranian visiting a bizarre post-apocalyptic America for less than honourable purposes, an ironic reversal of the phenomenon of 60's hippies visiting the Middle East for drug tourism. The novella contains the hallmarks of Wolfe's finest writing: unreliable narration, casual relevations, fantastic world-building, the perpetual feeling that the reader isn't getting the whole story, and an ending that shows that all the plot's secrets were really right there in the text all along. This is a powerful work, and it is worth buying the entire collection just for it.

While perhaps not ideal for the reader who hasn't read anything but Wolfe yet, this is an excellent work to turn to next if you enjoyed one of his accessible works like The Book of the New Sun, PEACE, or THE FIFTH HEAD OF CERBERUS.

I loved this book. I read it a year ago and I still rememberparts of it, especially the day and night sides of Ryloth. It was neathow the friends kept saving each other.

Usually, in most series by the time they reach book 10 it is beggining to get cheesy and unsatifying, but this is an exception. In fact, I think that this book is even better than the other three books in the second series of Young Jedi Knights, though I generaly liked the first series better. For one thing, even though there is one more book after this one, it seemed to tie in just about all the subplots of the series into a flawless intertwining story, that is much better than most people give it credit for, just because they are kids books. Anyway, in this story, The Young Jedi Knights (Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Raynar) finally decide that they have waited long enough for Lowie (their other friend) to return from visiting the Diversity Aliance and they must assume that he has either joined them, or is being held against his will. (both bad things) So they take off to go to rescue him, but are captured by the Diversity Aliance (who is fanacicly anti-human) and thrown into the spice mines to slave out their remaining years in agony. Will they save Lowie and escape? And if they manage to will they survive in the nearly inhospitably cold exterier to Ryloth? You'll just have to read the book to find out. One thing that bothers me, is that when they ask Lusa to stay behind and cover for them saying that they went on a mission or something, well wouldn't the adults imediatly be suspicios? I mean they are just a bunch of fifteen year old kids, wouldn't the adults feel responsible if something happened to them? Yet everyone seems to simply take it in stride as a normal accurance untill Zekk and Lusa come forward and tell the truth for them. Also, these budding relationships between all the kids, while extremly innocent, are starting to get annoying. Actually, the relationship between Jacen and Tenel Ka is fine, it being fun and interesting to watch. But do we really need more than that? Now new characters have actually been created just so other characters aren't left out of this, or so it seems. Zekk in particular was never one of my favorite characters, though despite myself I am begining to like him more. I am still completly against him forming a relationship with Jaina though, despite the fact they like each other. While I suppose Jaina does like him for the right reasons, they are better as friends. Their so called relationship is not only boring, but also completly unneccacary. A poor attemp to relate to teenage girls who would be reading this book. I'm a girl, and I'm fifteen, but this still seems silly and unneccecary, as is Lusa and Raynar, and Lowie and Raaba. Well now that I'm through complaining, I'll sign off by saying once again that this is a great book that I reccomend to any Star Wars fan, especially those interested in seeing how Han and Leia's kids turned out.

I have recenlty found to my suprise that many YA novels are very interesting. The "Young Jedi Knights" series have a lot of these novels and this particular book is easily representative of the breed. It helped that I have read some of the previous books of the series, however, otherwise I would have been completely lost in the character interrelationships.

This is a great book. one of the beast. A good part is when Jacen & Tenel Ka get lost in the ice land. "The first thing Jacen noticed was the cold. He shivered and looked at Tenel Ka,her lizard hide boots rose to midcalf, but her scaled armor only covered a minuscule portion of her uper thigh and left her arms bare. You must be c-c-cold,he said. This is a fact,said Tenel Ka. Chill wind went into the cave like knives of ice. Jacen, unable to thik of any other comfort, put his arms around Tenel Ka and pulled her to him in hopes of sharing some of his body warmth. Tenel Ka's arm slid around Jacen's waist and hugged him". so they are frezzing to death. It gets a bit more buddy buddy for Jacen & Tenel Ka. Now Jaina &Ranar are in the hot lands. " Raynar did his best to keep up with Jaina as they trudged between cracks, lept over open spaces like ovens, and hid from the heat in any shadows they could find. Now I know what a nerf sausage-- on a hot plate feels like,said Raynar. Jaina couldn't anser. Her skin was red and raw from the heat, her hands and feet had good number of blisters already. Jaina climbed up a rockface, along a cleft in the tones that heid some shade. She slipped briefly and reaching out to steady herself, touched an outcropping of rock exposed to the direct sunlight. She hissed in pain and snached her fingers away. Red burn-welts sprouted on her skin. Working it the mines is starting to sound like a vacationto me,she admitted. we don't have any waterout here, no food or protection...said Jaina". So they have to deal with the heat. This is a great book, to see what happens you got to get it.

Jacen, Jaina and group held off to get Lowie back from the Diversity Alliance but it doesn't go well at all instead they end up slaves in a spice mines leaving Lusa to come after them. Another interesting installment of the Young Jedi Knights asside from a few little details like them traveling around the Galaxy at fifteen or them telling Lusa to cover for them (like no one's going to notice they have left the planet?) I like each book better then the last. They're fun adventures and each charactor is well written. I like the little tiny crushes between Jacen and Tenel Ka and Jaina and Zekk their cute but not overly annoying nor are they the main focus of the stories and that works for me.

Scott Weidensaul writes precisely and eloquently about bird migration in "Living on the Wind", which was a nominated finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2000. In what is "perhaps the most compelling drama in all of natural history", an estimated 5 billion birds migrate annually, across continents and oceans, some without stopping to rest or eat for thousands of miles. Weidensaul tells us why birds migrate and how. He paints a picture of these extraordinary journeys and the birds that make them in North, Central, and South America. As some migrating birds are in crisis due to loss of habitat and disturbances in their breeding, stopover, and wintering grounds, the author examines the current threats to migrants and the controversies over their nature and significance.

In three parts -Southbound, Hiatus, and Northbound- "Living on the Wind" examines the journeys of migratory birds, regales us with incredible stories of a variety of species, and tells us where they go and how they live in their wintering grounds. Weidensaul has endured the cold of Monterey Bay, tromped through Jamaica's acacia forests, counted the massive migration through Veracruz with blistered thumb, banded hawks in Argentina, stood in the midst of a "fallout" near the Gulf coast, and generally traversed North and South America to see and understand migrants. He recounts his experiences with a wonder and drama that made me long to visit some of these places myself.

We also learn of birds that stay in their frigid climates, irruptive species that migrate only occasionally, birds who migrate south to wintry Vermont, and some species for whom habitat transformation has meant overpopulation, such as snow geese and Canada geese. I found especially fascinating the discussions of how migratory birds navigate, differences in the needs and fates of neotropical migrants and resident birds that co-exist in the same habitats, and the very preventable threats to migrants, such as feral cats. I was struck by how much has been learned about migrants in the past couple of decades through new technologies and broader study, but also by how difficult it is to pin down definitive data about these itinerant creatures. "Living on the Wind" is a treasure trove of information for birdlovers and thoroughly enjoyable for a general audience as well.

_Living on the Wind_ by Scott Weidensaul is a very ambitious book, one in which the author tried to convey both the science and the drama of bird migration in the Western Hemisphere, traveling for six years from Alaska to Argentina and speaking to experts as well as viewing close up an amazing variety of birds from the Arctic tundra to Central American rain forests.

The book is divided into three sections. "Southbound" focused on the fall migration as well as topics on migration in general.

Weidensaul stressed that one shouldn't view migration as moving away from something unpleasant, such as the cold, but rather as moving towards something beneficial, mainly an area where food is plentiful. Viewing migration as a simply north-south issue clearly shows a North American bias; birds in southern South America fly north to their wintering grounds, tropical birds fly relatively short distances but on migrations nonetheless in response to among other things the ripening of fruits or the blossoming of flowers, and many ocean birds undergo complex and intricate perambulations of entire oceans on an annual basis (the greater shearwater breeds in the South Atlantic but covers a 13,000 mile route every nine months, a route that includes going up past South America to Canada, then over to Europe in autumn, and then returning down the coast of Africa). Not all North American birds winter in the Americas; the bristle-thighed curlew nests in western Alaska but winters as much as 5,000 miles away in such Pacific islands as Tahiti, while the bar-tailed godwit winters 6,800 miles away from its Alaskan home in New Zealand (flying nonstop for up to five days).

The reader learns some birds are "complete migrants" (they entirely vacate their breeding grounds at the end of nesting season) and some are "partial migrants" (a portion of the population remains year-round). Most birds other than hawks migrate at night, partially to avoid predators (like hawks), to free up daytime hours for finding food, because the atmosphere is less turbulent at night, and because the chillier and damper night air can help cool overheated migrating birds and work to stem moisture loss. Thanks to human activity, many birds winter farther north than they once did, whether due to backyard birdfeeders in the case of finches or specially maintained refuges for waterfowl; this phenomenon is known as "shortstopping."

The author spent a good deal of time discussing how birds find their way on migrations. A fascinating discussion, migration involves a genetic program, a time of migratory restlessness when the daylight diminishes to a certain point and the urge to fly in a certain direction sets in, coupled in some species with a innate time-distance or time-and-direction (or vector navigation) program, a set of genetic instructions that instruct the bird to fly a certain direction for a specific length of time, change heading, and then precede on another for a preset period of time. Those directions are determined mainly by celestial and magnetic orientation but research has shown that infrasound (extremely low-frequency waves of the sort generated by ocean surf, which can travel for thousands of miles) may play a role as well.

Modifying this program though are a "hierarchy of orientation clues," which serve to refine a bird's navigation on subsequent flights, often enabling a bird to find specific breeding and wintering grounds with stunning accuracy. Clues such as learning geographic landmarks, olfactory, infrasound, and local magnetic clues help the migrating bird.

The second section, "Hiatus," focused on birds and their wintering grounds, from stay-at-home year-round resident birds alongside frozen Hudson Bay to birds of steamy rainforests and the Argentine pampas. Many birds like warblers and tanagers really are tropical birds to begin with; an oriole might spend four months in its temperate breeding range but seven months in the tropics, while some Canadian warblers spend less than three months there. Some birds migrate only as far south as southern Canada or the northern U.S. to winter. Others, such as the northern finches, follow an erratic and very unpredictable pattern of migration known as an irruption, a pattern tied to seed production in their normal range that in bad years may send birds as far south as the Gulf Coast.

The author discussed research on how faithful birds are to their wintering sites, debates over whether or not they are benefited by disturbed habitat, how flexible they are on their wintering grounds with regards to food and habitat, and how some species have completely different diets and habits on their wintering grounds (in some species the males and females will winter in different areas).

Threats to wintering birds were well discussed, covering such topics as the use of pesticides in Latin American countries (tens of thousands of Swainson's hawks have died from pesticides in Argentina), habitat destruction, changes in coffee-growing practices (shade-grown coffee plantations still have a great deal of habitat for birds but sun-coffee or technified farms are "biological deserts"), and disease (wetland destruction has forced waterfowl and shorebirds into overloaded federal and state refuges, what one researcher called "bird ghettos").

The third section, "Northbound," tracked the surge of migrants through the American Southwest, Great Plains, and the Gulf Coast. Topics of discussion often center on threats to migrating birds, including loss of hardwood forests along the Gulf Coast, a vital source of nutrients for migrating birds (increasingly usurped by industrialized pine plantations and beach homes), the loss of native grassland (a trend that is "nearly apocalyptic;" Iowa only has one-tenth of one percent left, while Minnesota has one percent left) which has caused grassland birds to decline faster, longer, and over a wider area than any other type, and the tremendous threats to breeding woodland birds due to forest fragmentation, opening up formerly deep woods to predators such as cats and also cowbirds, which are rapidly expanding their ranges and numbers and are a huge threat to eastern birds with no experience with brood parasites.

The detail and fluidity of this book amazes me. The author's passion for his love of birds shines through on every page. It's a work of love.

I didn't begin to "bird" until my days in New Jersey (2000-2004) when I'd drive to the beautiful Jersey Shore and watch water fowl and migratory eagles, falcons and osprey nest along the banks of the braggish waters. I've been fascinated by raptors ever since, and the chapter "River of Hawks" had me longing for more.

The author traveled all over North and South America, mixing in some travelogue with his more scientific paragraphs. His descriptions of Patagonia, AZ (p. 59) and Monterey, CA (p. 93) were right on target even for the non-birder.

The time he spent researching, traveling, meeting with locals is astounding. He traveled to Mexico, Argentinia, Alaska, Canada, Jamaica and various places within the United States to watch the birds himself.

The book ends on a melancholy note, citing the need to preserve and conserve what natural habitat we have left in the world, not just for our feathered friends, but for fish and humans. No work on nature would be complete without a passage of hope that natural nesting areas and a habitat free of toxins will prevail.

This book is a must-read. Like a few other reviewers have stated, my only recommendation would be perhaps a picture, even a black-white picture, of the many birds mentioned in this book.

If you enjoy nature reading you will love this book. I am not a birder, but nevertheless found this book to be an eloquent and fascinating read. Weidensaul introduces and explores a world that occurs around us every day but that few of us know anything about. He writes extremely well. Overall, a wonderful book.

The information on bird migration is absolutely engrossing. However, the language Weidensaul uses is even more enjoyable. I kept the computer dictionary next to me while reading the book to check the beautiful language used to describe bird behavior and their habitats. This book is inspiring and thought provoking even for non-birders like me (I am likely classified as a computer geek).

The second novel from John Gist is like his previous novel examining and existing in a dark universe of depravity, mythological destiny and a strong believe in a true sense of nature. Gist is combining the ancient heritage of evil with the modern myth of Man. The result is a both scarrying and beautiful portrait of Man as the universal Sinner, who has to perform a physical and mental journey in search of the very archaic premises of life. I pronounce Gist to be one of the most important modern, young writers of America today.

Lizard Dreaming... takes the reader on a entertaining and thought provoking journey. Gist's ability to create engaging characters draws you into a story that explores the power of nature. If you enjoy reading a book that is both entertaining and intellectually stimulating, Lizard Dreaming will not disappoint you.

Very highly recommended reading, Lizard Dreaming Of Birds by John Gist is a profoundly written and engagingly complex novel about the human need to go back to the guidance and rhythms of the earth itself. Following one man on his physical and spiritual trek through the American West and in search of guidance, Lizard Dreaming Of Birds is an impressively transforming narrative of facing severe challenges in search of truth and enlightenment.

For those who were startled and challenged by Gist's first published novel, Crow Heart, his new Lizard Dreaming of Birds will come as a welcome extension of Gist's exploration of the dark. Not so formally tight as some might prefer, this novel is in parts both profoundly disturbing and dazzling: early in the novel, a hunting/initiation sequence carries Jubal and his father into the Wyoming wilderness, a powerful passage reminding us of Hemingway's "Big Two-Hearted River" in purity of style, of Faulkner's "The Bear" in reverential celebration of nature, of Cormac McCarthy's Southwest/Mexico-set novels in violence and darkness.

Perhaps Gist can't decide which is the more beautiful and fearsome, the wild, natural world of the American West or the hidden side of the human psyche.

John Gist's second novel is an intriguing conglomeration of mysticism and violence. Right up to the last page, it's uncertain whether the main character, Jubal Siner, is a saint in the making or a natural-born killer. Reviewers have compared the novel to Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian." In part because of the Alaska connection, I'd add Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild" and T. C. Boyle's recent novel "Drop City." The difference is that Gist has lived through Fairbanks winters. His terse narrative has a kind of authenticity the other books mentioned don't achieve. As Gist follows his characters on their journeys from green Seattle to the bleak winter days of Fairbanks and back through Idaho, the ordered streets of Salt Lake City, the high plains of Gist's native Wyoming, and on to the high desert of Southwestern New Mexico, the sense of place consistently rings true. Characters are intriguingly drawn, as they alternate between extreme self-indulgence and a strange squeamishness about food. Readers will have strong reactions to this book, but it's well worth reading, much more tightly constructed and confidently narrated that Gist's first published novel, "CrowHeart."

Sex, organized crime, academia politics, science fiction, ancient history, globalization -- this page-turning suspense novel has it all condensed in <300 pages. At times, however, the author does a poor job of painting a picture. Some settings are described vividly but others are simply stated. Also, was a large chunk of pages missing from the book? There was no pinnacle. There was build-up leading up to it, but the denoument was rushed into. Still, it was satisfying. Overall this is a great read: it's both entertaining and instructive. If you don't enjoy it you'll at least learn a few things!

This novel is an intoxicating cocktail of suspense, mystery, and action. The rich descriptions of Brazil, Peru, and Japan transports the reader through both space and time. With an ambitious approach to examine science vs. nature and the wild vs. civilization, Meyers explores the complicated relationship between man and progress. A must read across all genres.

During my recent visit to Brazil I had great pleasure to meet the author, Prof. Marc Meyers, in person. This motivated me even more to read "Mayan Mars" - I heard of the author and his book earlier. I must admit that I read his book with great interest - as soon as I immersed myself into it, my curiosity increased immensely and I wanted to discover what will happen next. The plot depicts a truly unusual concatenation of science, technology and human emotions; integrating the past, the presence and the future into a very captivating, intriguing and moving story. It is the kind of book that increasingly compels the reader to reflect on how the ways we have used to shape our past will take our civilization into the future. Are we all going to adjust our behavior to protect our descendants, or are we going to perish as most of the unfortunate people in "Mayan Mars" did? I shall now anxiously await the next sequel by Marc Meyers! There has to be one more!

This book gives us a wonderful trip to Mayan, to its history and its culture. This story combined together the ancient legends, the real life, and the fabulous imagination of future. It also makes us to think about the fate of human being.

Amazing book. The most intersting topic was the capacity of the author to connect the history of an old civilization with a modern science situation. In this manner, we can feel the possibility of the history becomes true.

I first learned of Mistress Masham's Repose during a game of charades. (Can you imagine trying to act out this title, especially since it's a book so few people have heard of?) I had already read and loved The Once and Future King, and set out to find a copy. I have read this book three times over the past 20 years. Each time it strikes me anew as such a wonderfully funny, sweet and substantial novel. It could be that the title itself is what kept it from becoming a classic alongside Wind in the Willows and A Wrinkle in Time. Read this book! Buy this book for all the book-loving children in your life!

As an American child of about 10, I acquired a battered copy of this book along with a bunch of children's books from a family friend whose children had outgrown them. As other reviewers suggest, I was mystified by much of the book (the poet Pope?) but I still found it a great adventure story and loved the illustrations. It didn't hurt that I resembled Maria myself (a bookish tomboy with glasses--thank God for LASIK). I have re-read the book with pleasure on a number of occasions and now understand the references, but I wouldn't hesitate to give this book to an intelligent American child today. Perhaps it would prompt him or her to learn more about British history and literature. I'm glad to see it has been reprinted.

As kids, both my brother and I considered this one of our favorite books - and we did a LOT of reading. I can't tell you how many times I read it. Our copy was lost at some point, so I am thrilled that it is back in print so I can now read it to my own children. My kids are 3 and 6, so still a bit young for this book, but I'll probably buy a copy now for my own pleasure, and another for my brother.
I have always loved books that lead you to another book, and I just had to read "Gulliver's Travels" after reading this one. As a kid, much of it went over my head, but I still enjoyed it. Now that I think about it, I should re-read that one too...

Although one of White's lesser-known works, to my mind it's easily one of his best (Anne Fine regards it as her favourite children's book). The concept of Lilliputians living in an English landscape garden is superb, and White develops his theme in wonderfully enticing ways - and always with his typical 'feel' for character and setting. There's so much to enjoy in this tale - still a classic after 60 years.

After finishing university T. H. White worked as a teacher in the Stowe School which occupies a gigantic former Baroque stately home: here he conceived of the idea of Malplaquet, modeled after the greatest of all British country homes, Blenheim Palace, where the Dukes of Marlborough have lived and where Winston Churchill was born and raised. Malplaquet, an imaginary dilapidated repository of all its nation's history (we find out the Princes in the Tower were executed in its medieval dungeon, which also contains the ax which beheaded Charles I), would make a wonderful setting for any book, but rather than use it for a Gothic (the obvious choice), here White had the inspiration to make it the setting for a children's fantasy. White's mansion is not only the home of the little girl Maria who has inherited the estate (and not much else) and her warders--some cruel, some kind--but also a group of Lilliputians brought over from their island home during the time of Swift, whom Maria encounters one day. Maria's encounter with the Lilliputians becomes for her a means for learning about the nature of tyranny--both that exercised over herself by her guardian the Vicar Mr. Hater and her governess Miss Brown, but also that she herself can hardly keep herself from exercising over the Lilliputian community hidden on her estate.

This is a children's book that, to be honest, will best be appreciated by adults. White imagined his readers not only familiar with GULLIVER'S TRAVELS but also with some of the history of seventeenth and eighteenth-century England: American children particularly today would be confused as to who Mistresses Masham and Morley were, or what Malplaquet is named after, or even who Gulliver was. And their patience might well be tried by White's love of Wodehousean "types": the bluff Lord Lieutenant with an obsession with horses and hounds, and Maria's mentor the absent-minded and esoteric antiquarian the Professor . But adults (and even older children) should love this book, and its well-structured narrative is a real pleasure.

When I first started this series, I was a little dissapointed. Not only was the dialogue boring and a little tedius to get through, but the characters weren't that likable from the start. BUT, as the book progressed, their were a few more things to keep it interesting. The end of the books was ok, a little abrubt. But, I can't say anything about it without giving away some of the story, so I will let the readers decide.

If 1)You are a fan of Dragonlance, 2) You are a fan of Mages in Dragonlance, then you should get this book. It takes place nearly 300 years after the Cataclysm, and really gives insight into the magical side of Krynn.

This is a great book, depicting the attempts of a young man, one Guerrand DiThon, who wishes to become a mage, despite the orders of his older brother, Cormac, and Cormac's influential wife.

But when a mysterious man wearing red robes named Belieze rolls into town and gives Guerrand a magical piece of glass that allows him to see to far places, he and his familiar, a seagull named Zagarus, both set out to the Tower of High Sorcery in Wayrenth to study the arts of magic and, perhaps, even take the Test and become a legend.

Studying under Justarius, Guerrand soon learns of a scheme that would undo the whole of Krynn. Belieze plans to enter the magical Citadel where all the knowledge of magic is stored!

Will Lyim, Guerrand's friend and Belieze's apprentice, fall victim to the evil mage's intentions? Or will Guerrand find himself in an inevitable struggle with the Master of the Red Robes? This awry tale will take you on a trip to Nuitari and back, so hold onto your hats and let Mary Kirchoff, the author of Wanderlust and Kendermore, sweep you away to a land known as Krynn.

I am in the process of reading this novel (half way done) and I came upon some ironic information. For any fan that read and enjoyed THE OATH AND THE MEASURE, I would strongly urgue you to buy NIGHT OF THE EYE. The two books both mention a 5 year period on which magic is at its peak. And while the plot of these books are different, it makes you kinda wonder about the timing of these novels. Both THE OATH AND THE MEASURE and NIGHT OF THE EYE are excellent novels to read at anytime.

I think of myself as a fairly avid fan of Dragonlance. And there are a couple of elements about the series that i like; like the fact that the some, 90+ books that have been written about the world of Krynn are, well, just that, about Krynn. What I mean is that the saga, once you're into it and familiar with the history, geography, etc, you can read a new story and things make sense. Another element that I like about the Dragonlance saga is the fantastic element (ie, dragons, chivalry of knights, and MAGIC). I like that fact that this book reassures me in both of those elements. The setting starts the book around the time slightly before the War of the Lance and the Companions, in a not-so-well known part of Krynn. And since the entire book is about magic and the study of it, it gives a very good look behind the every-day workings of magic, and insight into how and exactly what magic skills mean. Magic has always been such an elusive force in the Dragonlance world, where all they talk about is uttering of words and vague things like, "concentration" and "feeling of magic inside". This book really helps to change that.

This book was an excellent read for magic-lovers like myself, and had most of the elements that make a good Dragonlance book, like a good plot, a love interest, and and a well-developed, main character. If you like magic/Dragonlance/a good read, get this book. It may not be one of the VERY BEST DL books I've read, but it's still well worth the time, especially if you're a DL fan.

In fact, my only problem with this book was one aspect of the ending (if you haven't read the book, you may want to look away now...); Guerrand's sister is not addressed in the ending... She was perhaps my favorite character(i think it was because she seemed like such a helpless caged bird that tried so hard, and i'm really taken in for those "romantic"-type characters) in the book, and everything wraps up nicely except her... what happens to her? Why didn't she find out where Guerrand lived and ran away from home to Palanthas? Why didn't she just run away to begin with?? I know that the second book continues the story, so I'm hoping for the best....

I liked this book a lot, since I'm a mage fan and this book is completly about mages. The author developed the charactors well, like Rand's terrible, (but rather funny) family. The climax was very good, it had me on the edge of my seat. Read the other two books too!

JUST BECAUSE I'M A KID DOESN'T MEAN THIS BOOK STINKS!!!!!!!!! :-) Have a nice day.

This is a great great book. If you are familiar with the authors' adversary cycle you will know this was the last book of the six. Let me say that he saved the best for last. This book is a horrific page turner from start to finish. Trust me when I say you will enjoy.

Wilson wrapped up his entire pantheon of characters from his horror novels in this one. I first read this without having read The Touch, Reborn, or Reprisal. Although I couldn't understand all the subplots, I got enough of it to sense the enormity of Wilson's undertaking -- he was essentially plunging into Hell the world he had created and included in all his novels. Now, years later (after having read the mentioned novels), I find the story even MORE enjoyable. I gave this 5 stars even when I was a little lost -- now I wish I could give it more.

Nightworld is a seriously scary book. Not personally scary but scary for the world as we know it. Nightworld completes the Nightworld series, which consists of six books, starting with The Keep. I've read all books and until the publication of Nightworld, it was called The Adversary Series, taken from the fact that the underlying element of this series is the ongoing confrontation through eternity and through the universe of two powerful forces.

These forces are not defined by good and evil for they are not. But one force, which is called the Other in the books, is brutal and caring nothing for humanity, tends to use evil means to achieve it's goal, while his adversary though not necessarily Good utilizes humanity to thwart His Adversary, The Other.

The Anti-Other, throughout history, has utilized a human champion to battle the Other. This champion is empowered with Godlike powers and made immortal for this purpose.

In the initial book, The Keep, which I've mentioned, the earthly agent of The Other, Rasalom, was weakened and imprisoned in a specially constructed prison by a champion of a long gone age, maybe a champion named Glaeken, whose subsequent job in The Keep was to keep tabs on The Other and make sure it didn't escape.

The Keep is a marvelous story wherein, Rasalom, because of some Nazi soldiers, almost escapes his incarceration. I won't go into the story but at the end, Rasalom is vanquished and ostensibly terminated but this is not to be and through the course of two more books, Reborn and Reprisal, Rasalom is rejuvenated, recuperated re-empowered and is set to take revenge upon troublesome humanity. The stage is set for Nightworld.

Nightworld
"If thou gaze into the abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee"

What in the world is going on! Sunrise was five plus minutes late! we're in early summer, surise should be later not earlier, and then another shocker, sunset was ten minutes early! This continues on the second day etc and then a bottomless hole 200 feet across and perfectly round opens up in New York's, Central Park.

The world's scientific community, though at a loss for these occurrences, downplay these episodes and insist there is a rational explanation for these phenomenons. However, there is one who knows what's going on and he has a birds eye view of the Central Park event from his apartment.

It is the ancient warrior Glaeken, who is now in his 80s (his immortality ended after his 1941 battle with Rasalom), living under a pseudonym, Mr. Veileur. Glaeken knows exactly what's going on and he immediately sets out to gather a group of individuals to try to effect some sort of resistance, admittedly an enormous longshot but the only shot humanity has.

Main Charactersin order of appearance

Rasalom [Evil agent of the Other]
Dr. Nicholas Guinn [Physicist and friend of Bill Ryan]
Glaeken/veileur [Aged champion of the Anti-Other]
(ex father) Bill Ryan [Friend and confidant of Glaeken]
Carol Teece [mother of the reborn Rasalom]
Repairman Jack [hero of "The Tomb", a resourceful replacement for the aged Glaeken]
Kolabati [an ancient Indian Priestess who has two artifacts Glaeken needs]
Ba Nyguen [a special forces trained Vietnamese body guard for the following]
Sylvia Nash [mother of the adopted boy Jeffery]
Dr Alan Bulmer [Sylvia's husabnd and Jeffery's father]
Jeffery [a boy who has a healing power called Dat-tay-vao which Glaekin needs in his battle]

Glaeken meets with his would be recruits and of course his story is met with some skepticism, however, as Glaeken predicts, on the second night, hoards of large flying killer insect like creatures(later named by Glaeken as Belly Flies and Chew Wasps descend on an unsuspecting population and kill hundreds of people, horses, dogs etc. Also thousands of these creatures make a beeline to the home of Jeffery and his parents, in an obvious effort to kill Jeffery.

These creatures and the even more deadly creatures that follow can't stand sunlight but of course, day by day, the sunlight is slowly disappearing. In addition thousands of new holes open up around the world and every effort to cap them has been futile, with additional casualties. Humanity is quickly being wiped out and the daylight is getting shorter and shorter!

Things indeed look bleak for humanity but at least the recent horrors have solidified our cadre. Repairman Jack, with Ba in tow is off to Maui and Bill Ryan is off to Rumania, all to retrieve the artifacts that Glaeken needs to have a chance to counteract the carnage.

Can Repairman Jack and Glaeken, along with his unlikely cadre save "life as we know it", or will Rasalom rule over an Unholy Nightmare World?

Author

If you've never read F.Paul Wilson, I recommend him heartily.
He has a nice easily readable writing style and he seems to always have unusual if not unique plots to his stories. This particular book is the culmination of a series that I'm sure did not start out as such. "The Keep" was the original book as I have mentioned and is the basis for the series and as mentioned "Reborn" and "Reprisal" were definitely created to make a series out of a single novel but the resourceful Wilson managed to tie two unrelated books "The Tomb" and "The Touch" into episodes in the series in this last book and it works very well for me.

I was also glad to see Wilson reprise the ever popular Repairman Jack. Wilson has gone on to write several more Repairman Jack novels.

Reviewers Note

Because of the nature of this story. this book tends to be fairly gory and graphic about it. If this is not your cup of tea, then do not read this book. Then again, what are you doing reading any horror books?

Rarely do you come across a horror novel that truly chills you to the bone. This is one of those books. The days get shorter and creepy crawlies come out of holes that pop up all around the world. The monsters and their need for flesh make this a difficult job for REPAIRMAN JACK. Will he make it out alive. You'll just have to read it for yourself. My only critisism of this book is I thought it was rushed at the end, and the loose ends were'nt tied-up.

I just finished the Adversary Cycle with Nightworld and have read all of the Repairman Jack novels that lead up to this final novel. Unfortunately I have to say that Nightwold was a disappointing end to Repairman Jack's world as created by F. Paul Wilson. I loved all of his previous books, even "The Touch", which at the time seemed completely unrelated to any of the rest. My main gripe with this book was the final confrontation, which seemed way too easy and was clumsily written. I found it difficult to understand the scene and exactly what was happening. It also seems silly that the antagonist, while powerful enough to remake the planet to his own liking could be so easily vanquished. And finally the antagonist seemed incredibly out of character in the end. I don't want to spoil it, so let's just say that he didn't go out the way he was written through out the Adversary cycle. Worst of all, the "support" the protagonist needed from the crowd of New Yorkers in order to defeat his enemy was worse than cheesy it was plain ridiculous.

My next gripe was with continuity and was more of an annoyance than a problem. If you haven't read any on the Repairman Jack novels, particularly the newest ones, this won't be an issue for you. In Nightworld, Jack learns a great many things that he has long since known about, and as a result needs to be convinced of what is happening to the world around him. My final issue is, unlike Reborn and Reprisal, Nightworld isn't very edgy, it just doesn't have that suspenseful feeling that wouldn't let me put down either of its two most recent predecessors. Sure there plenty of disgusting scenes such as a man being gouged by a 10-foot millipede which lays eggs in his abdomen that hatch and eat him alive. But that was more gross than scary, which is true of most of the book.

I would have liked to see more scares thrown at the population of Nightworld like the antagonists ability to control the dead, not just scary insects and killer winged beasts. What I was really hoping for was a greater explanation of the to eternal opposing forces, which are fighting for the planet. No luck there.

That said, I still enjoyed the book, as it brought back characters from all of the previous adversary cycle books and my favorite, Repairman Jack. And while it wasn't the best ending to an otherwise excellent series, it still was a somewhat satisfying ending to the story arc. I just think it could have been better, and wish Wilson had waited to write Nightworld after he decides (hopefully not soon) to end the RJ Series, that way the two story arcs could have merged and ended at the same time. But if you've read the previous books in the adversary cycle you'll of course have to read Nightworld and I would recommend doing so, albeit with low expectations so that you won't be too disappointed or if you completely disagree with my review you're pleasantly surprised.

I love this book and have read it many times. Although I can't seem to find the sequal. Does anyone know the name of the sequal or where to find it?

This book was fabulous! It is an excellent fantasy tale. I wish they would make this into a movie!

Does this version include the ending of the story? I understand that one of the prints has part one and two combined. I too read the first story when it came out in the early nineties (?) and absolutely loved the book. I always wondered if part 2 ever came out and it sounds like it has.

Is this version for sale the complete story, 1 and 2?

I've read the book and it's awesome. To person in Philly, yes there is a second book, i got mine as a birthday gift so i don't where you can get, but it's out there somewhere.
Please make all the books into movies if someone who reads this makes movies. It would be an awesome edition to the LOTR fantasy world.

I first read Book One "The Oneprince" when it first came out in 1992, at the age of 12; I loved it, eagerly awaited Book Two "The Hidden City," and, when the second volume was not forthcoming, eventually the book got tucked away on my bookshelf and temporarily forgotten. Occasionally I would wonder if the sequel had come out yet, but it was not until 2003 that I discovered the author's web site at http://www.infonline.net/~rapideye/bill2/ and found out that a joint edition of both the volumes had finally been published. I have just now finished reading the dual-edition, and it's so wonderful! Essentially, folks, what we have here is a sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes fairy-tale, sometimes burlesque, and sometimes quite cinematic little parable of the Very Word. See, it doesn't take an astute reader long in Part One to realize that the Oneprince of the title--son of the Oneking Above--is the Christ, as incarnated (or however the logistics work out) in this fantasy world of Redaemus, with its Humans and Rats and Badgers, its Laws and its Demons, its King Pentatutinus and its squabbly Hidden City of Yerushela. It's not a perfect parable, not a direct analogy, but that is all the better as it deftly foils your constant games of guessing which character should be Judas, which Peter, which Mary Magdalene...really, they all take turns fitting one role or another. But you know one thing for sure: This delightful, unforgettable Oneprince, now that they've finally found him, is going to turn their world upside down! In a good way. I highly recommend the book to fans of fantasy, especially of the Narnia variety. Now that I've finally managed to read both volumes of the story, it's taken a permanent place on my list of favorites.

What would you do if there were a way to bring back a loved one you had lost? A child? A beloved spouse? What lengths would you be willing to go to in order to hold them again; to kiss them again; to bring them back into your life? These are the questions the main characters in Mark LaFlamme's The Pink Room, must grapple with.

Theodore Currie was widely acknowledged as a modern-day Einstein whose life's work was unraveling the mysteries of the physical universe. The day he lost his beloved daughter, Angel, in a horrible house fire, was the day his universe fell apart. A grief-stricken father, he decided to put his theories to work to concoct a miracle - the resurrection of Angel. On a hill-top in rural Maine, where forces both natural and supernatural combine with astonishing power, Currie built a house. In that house he created an exact replica of the pretty, pink room his daughter lived and died in - the very room he hoped to bring her back to. However, Currie himself died a freakish death in the Maine woods shortly after the room was completed.

One year later Jonathan Cain, a successful horror writer, makes arrangements to spend the summer in the abandoned Currie house with the purpose of finding out the truth about the events that transpired before Theodore Currie's death. He has told his agent that he is researching and writing a new novel. But his real reasons for being in the Currie house are much darker. Cain has experienced the loss of a loved one too. He recently lost his young wife, Kimberly, to the rapid progression of an in-operable brain tumor. Cain has come to the Currie house with the hope of finding out if the house can actually work the magic that Currie was sure it could.

However, Cain is not the only one interested in the Currie house. The U.S. government is also very interested in getting their hands on Currie's papers and formulas. There are soldiers and a government scientist stationed in the Maine woods in order to keep an eye on Cain and the Currie house. Right now Olivia Currie, Theodore's mom and current owner of the Currie house, is keeping the government goons at bay, and off the Currie land. All that could change when Olivia Currie unexpectedly dies.

Following that setup, the story becomes a virtual thrill ride starting right from the first page of The Pink Room which doesn't let up until the book is finished and closed. LaFlamme writes a well-paced, descriptive, riveting narrative you will not want to put down. He has done a masterful job of combining actual scientific theory, spine-tingling chills, nail-biting suspense, realistic characters, a dash of wry humor, and even a slight nod to that other well-known Maine author. The Pink Room is going right onto my list of horror favorites and I will be eagerly looking forward to reading more from this author.

Angel Currie's bedroom is something that would please any young girl. Decorated all in pink, the room holds a lovely dollhouse, as well as a pink snow globe that plays the enchanting "Fur Elise." As if that weren't enough to captivate a little girl, the fuzzy toys strewn about are all pink, and they spend their days lounging about on a soft, pink bed. Yes, no little girl could resist a haven as lovely as this. Not even Angel Currie...and she's dead. Angel's father, on the other hand, is very much alive - yet insane with grief. Theodore Currie had it all. A beautiful daughter, and recognition for being the world's top physicist - working on formulating the Theory of Everything. But that all changed when Angel died. Now, Theodore has begun using pink enticements to lure his daughter back to the land of the living, from a place that is utterly unreachable - even for a man of his education. When the Currie home becomes abandoned, a writer named Jonathan Cain takes up residence behind its doors. His wife has just passed on, and Jonathan needs a place to grieve in peace, and find out the secrets about Theodore Currie. No one knows exactly what happened to the crazed genius as he conducted his experiment within these walls, and Jonathan plans to spend every moment trying to uncover what type of foul play occurred to cause the scientist to disappear. Now, as government agents trample all over the Currie residence, Jonathan begins putting together missing pieces of the puzzle to find the answers to all of his questions. And, as he enters the pink room, he realizes that there is a kind of magic floating within. A magic that could drive the sane mad, and return loves lost back home.

I rarely read horror novels. However, from reading the back cover of Mark LaFlamme's THE PINK ROOM, I was instantly drawn inside the psychological thriller, and knew that there was no way I would be able to put it down. LaFlamme has woven a tale filled with intricate characters, and a plot line that crosses boundaries. The terror and fear that he builds up within the reader as each page is read is incredible, and enough to leave you with nightmares. Each character is driven, and possesses strange quirks that make them appealing. From Theodore Currie's mad scientist-like ways; to Jonathan Cain's compulsive behavior to find out the truth, and learn everything he can about the Pink Room; and even to Angel Currie, whose spirit-like presence within the room is eerie, to say the least, and literally sends shivers up your spine as you read about the young girl. A chilling debut from a masterful new voice in horror.

Erika Sorocco

I was browsing Booklocker's website one day when I happened upon a guy named Mark LaFlamme whose insomnia compelled him to write books. It was something about his writing style that drew me. In addition to that, it was something about his insomnia that gave me this visual of a man sitting up at the creepiest hours of night typing away as his lack of sleep fed his muse, so I had to read his book. What impressed me the most about LaFlamme was his words. They flowed so easily that they reminded me of music. His words illustrated meaning without being overly descriptive. Yet just when you think that this book is only going to lead you on with its well-expressed descriptions of scary noises and creepy dark rooms, this dead girl shows up and scares the mess out of you! What I appreciated most about this child was that she wasn't your typical zombie who mindlessly stumbled around as if her only purpose among the living was to just look scary. LaFlamme gets original and creative by making her unpredictable and threatening, which makes you wonder what she's going to do next. And if that doesn't keep you riveted, consider the constant state of bewilderment you'll be in as you wonder how the plot with his dead wife will unravel. Will he bring her back to life? Can he? And if he does, will she come back as the loving wife he remembered her as, or has death turned her into an unbelievable horror that cannot be undone?
I'm not a horror book reader, because when I think of horror, I think of disturbing. I don't like to be left with troubling thoughts, yet this book left me more fascinated than anything. You know that a writer is talented when he can attract readers outside of his targeted audience. LaFlamme had me analyzing death on another level. He had me dwelling on the power of physics and his novel gave me a tingle at the possibility of man tapping into other realms. There was one part in his book that reads, "No soul would rest with the avaricious hand of man in control of powers he had long thought beyond his grip." Now that was powerful. And speaking of powerful, the ending was mind boggling! After reading this novel, I couldn't help but wonder why I haven't heard of this book before. Have I been living under a rock since it's been on the market? I mean, this guy is good. So at the risk of sounding impatient, I have to say that Mark LaFlamme would be doing the world a disservice if he doesn't come out with another novel soon!

"The Pink Room is a place where lost loves come home. And you can't send them back."

The Pink Room presents a strange mix of suspense, horror, and science both real and fictional. The story is a bit slow, but builds to multiple climaxes through out the storyline, filling the reader in a little more as the overall plot progresses. Some of the minor storylines may seem insignificant at first, but LaFamme does a great job of bringing all of the little pieces together by the end of the book, drawing a scarily complete picture of what could happen when science and religion collide.

The world's top physicist dies after conducting strange experiments at an isolated country house. A lonely writer, morning his wife and looking for a story, gets permission to stay in the house and try to learn its secrets. At the same time, the U.S. government has agents in the area, watching the writer, and with an unknown agenda.

Quantum physics forms the base of the story. But don't worry, what little science is discussed is easily absorbed by a layman. The book starts off with an event almost a century in the past, and instantly catches the attention of the reader with the strange tale. This historical reference lends credence to other events through out the book and will definitely stand out in the mind of the reader.

Mark LaFamme has done an excellent job of taking cutting edge science and molding it into a believable as well as enjoyable tale. With a well crafted plot and characters that will remind the reader of people they know, memories of "The Pink Room" will linger with the reader long after the last page is finish. I highly recommend this book for anyone that enjoys a bit of science mixed with their suspense or for someone looking for a title a bit off the beaten path.

Do you enjoy a good scary story that weaves elements of science and horror yet stays traditional without too much techno slang? If yes, then this is the book for you. In The Pink Room, talented author Mark LaFlamme takes cosmology, quantum mechanics, and the string theory and mixes them with the supernatural to create a compelling scenario that will both pull at your heart strings and chill your blood.

The story begins as the protagonist, well-known horror author Jonathan Cain, moves for the summer to a mysterious Second-Empire-styled house bordered by woods in the small town of Mulberry, Maine. Though most believe that the author is there to write, Cain has his own hidden agenda.

For a short time, the house used to be the home of the world's top physicist Theodore Currie, who had built it himself following some very detailed and strange specifications, complete with the turret tower--or the `pink room'--which happens to be an exact replica of his little daughter's room before she died. Currie also had a hidden agenda--he believed he could bring back his beloved little girl. That is, until his dead body was found filled with bites in the woods nearby the house...

Now, Cain is sure he can succeed at what Currie failed, and that is to bring his beloved Kimberly back from the dead and make her stay....

The Pink Room is one of those books you won't like to read alone at night. It will make you look over your shoulder and go jumpy. The little town, the dense woods, and especially the house all add to create an excellent atmosphere of darkness and threat. The novel touches the reader intellectually and emotionally, making it all the more terrifying. Though LaFlamme uses the science to add depth, he doesn't let it get in the way of the story with too much heavy vocabulary. The pace is fast, the characters' motivations real, and the suspense doesn't let down. LaFlamme has a real talent for knowing what resides in the mind of the horror author. This novel will be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of the genre, as well as by horror authors themselves. Highly recommended.