Rating: 
Summary: Far too good to leave to the kids.
Review: Based on the dust jacket blurb I would not have cracked the spine had not the name John Varley been on the cover. The description just does not sound interesting. But because it was a Varley book I sought out the book immediately, and was not disappointed; for it is this very fact that the plot does not thrill that makes you appreciate how masterful Varley is at telling a story. Unlike his other novels, which are set in exotic locales, such as Saturn's rings or Luna's underground disneylands, that have an attraction all their own, Varley has chosen to set RT largely in Florida's redneck country. It is as if he is intentionally breaking form with his other locales. Although, on the surface, it may seem mundane this book gives nothing away to his other, more ostentatious, efforts, such as his Gaea trilogy, or the baroque Eight Worlds stories. It just doesn't seem to matter what the subject, Varley is able to engage the reader sublimely. Despite my ambivalence to the plot, I found myself, in the midst of reading, marveling at how enthralled I was by a novel that did not contain what I have come to regard as essential Varley elements. RT showcases his knack for characterization without any distractions. For this reason RT may be his most accomplished performance, demonstrating that his typical shock and awe techniques are just so much window dressing disguising the fact that he is a supreme storyteller. The characters are so expertly drawn that the reader finds himself becoming pulled into the story regardless of the initial appeal of the story line. One finds himself empathizing with the characters and then, by association, becoming involved in the sequence of events simply because the characters care about what is happening. Told in first person narrative, from the perspective of Manny Garcia, the reader first becomes attached to the protagonist through just a few key scenes that anyone with a childhood fondness for the power and the glory of manned space flight will immediately succumb. Manny is a likable guy that underachievers everywhere will relate to. Once that has been accomplished it is inevitable that his close friends will become your friends, and then their passion for the project becomes infectious, and you find yourself suddenly and unexpectedly rooting for the cast of characters, working with them on the project, and wishing you could be a part of the adventure yourself. It is really quite an event; to watch disconnectedly as you are transformed from a skeptic to a fan in the course of a few written pages. I try to be mindful of this as I recommend this book to others, avoiding plot synopses in favor of an emphasis upon the characterization and wit. Then, of course, there is Varley's trademark humor; another way that Varley pulls you in, makes you a part of the story. You know how, in life, you are drawn to the people that can make you laugh through the hard times. When life gives you lemons you make lemon-aid, or in Varley terms, when life's problems cause you to pilot a space shuttle a little too drunk and shoot a hole in your windshield with your illegal colt 45 to suck out the fire in the cockpit so you can crash-land into a herd of water buffalo in the African outback, you make it into a water buffalo barbecue and force NASA to pin a medal on your chest (35.3). He manages to coax a smile even in the most somber occasions; like when Manny is forced to plaster over bullet holes in one of his family's motel rooms so that the guests wouldn't be alarmed and their half-star Michelin rating would not be endangered (44.-4). Or when Dak's estranged mother capitalizes on his new found fame by announcing to the press that, "She was praying for Dak's safety and appearing nightly at the Riviera Room in Charleston South Carolina (317.-1)." This kind of wit is rare and fulfills the desire of many to be able to take life's struggles in stride. His characters don't take themselves too seriously, but they do make the best of things, and make you want to be there, to become part of their cordial intimacy. His characters may have problems, but they have a rousing good time in the midst of them, and they have each other to keep them company. Varley is supremely optimistic, and it is contagious. RT is a simple story expertly told. Were it not for the finely crafted characters one might be tempted to label this as a juvenile novel. Not that it is childish or immature; rather, it is so good that aspiring writers would be well advised to read it. It is not a complex tale, so readers of varying skill can profit from the reading. The plot is reminiscent of one of Heinlein's juveniles: The protagonist is a youth just out of adolescence, who stumbles upon the invention of the century. He and his friends capitalize on this invention and embark on the adventure of a lifetime. But it is there that the comparison of RT with other juvenile novels makes its departure; for though its protagonists are young and brash, RT is always in control, masterfully enveloping the reader with prose whose simplicity and clarity belies its impact upon the reader. It does have a childlike quality that one remembers fondly from reading books in youth. Like Huckleberry Finn it is accessible to children of all ages, but far too good to leave to the kids. Read it to get a taste of Varley's quality, but brace yourself, his other works, although every bit as good, are not nearly so tame.
Rating: 
Summary: If John Varley hadn't written this, it would deserve 4 stars
Review: Virginia sez:
I was thrilled when I learned that John Varley had written a new book--I bought it immediately, and started reading it the day it arrived. It was a fun book, and I enjoyed reading it, but it just came nowhere near what I've come to expect from Varley. The characters were two-dimensional, especially by the standards of the rest of Varley's work, and the deus ex machina of the drive technology of the ship irritated me. If this is the first of Varley's books you've read, you're in for a real treat when you pick up Wizard or Steel Beach and see what he's really capable of.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good effort at working in a different style
Review: Not his best, but far from his worst. Many other reviews point out that Varley is in Heinlein mode in this novel, and there's some truth in this. Nonetheless, I was reminded of Spider Robinson more than Heinlein (Robinson was heavily influenced by Heinlein, make your own inferences). I imagine this was a conscious choice on Varley's part, as he has such a strong, individual narrative voice of his own. ("The Golden Globe", his last book, was more than a little derivitave of the novel before it, even for a story set in the same fictional world.) The plot is nothing particularly original, but as in almost all of Varley's work, it's the characters, the route they take, that will keep you turning the pages. I enjoyed the book quite a lot, and I'm looking forward to the next novel.
Rating:
Summary: He Can Do No wrong
Review: As far as I'm concerned John Varley can do no wrong when it comes to writing. Red Thunder is an excellent book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I won't go into details Re: story line,etc....the other reviewers have done a better job than I could. Mr. Varley appears to be a very private,reclusive person...not much information on the internet about him. It'll probably be a while before he publishes a new book.....hard to wait. Hope this helped.
Rating:
Summary: first rate science fiction
Review: In the not too distant future, NASA has invented space technology used by Ares Seven to travel to Mars, but it will land two weeks after the Chinese make the first red planet landing with people aboard. Manny and Dak, two college students, want to become astronauts more than anything else and they get to meet former astronaut Travis Bussard when they almost run over him in their jeep. Travis was drummed out of NASA because he was an alcoholic and he doesn't intend to change that condition until four young men and women give him a reason to remain sober. Travis's cousin Jubal, an idiot savante, invents a new form of energy that when inserted onto a spaceship, can take the crew to Mars in under a week. Jubal wants America to be the first country to walk on Mars. Manny, his girlfriend Kelly, Dak and his girlfriend Alicia agree with him. Travis thinks they are all crazy but helps them build a ship that will take them to Mars when Jubal informs him that there is a fault in Ares Seven that destroy the ship before it lands. Travis doesn't want that to happen because his ex-wife, the custodial parent of his children, is on board the Ares Seven. John Varley has written a first rate science fiction novel starring five unlikely heroes who end up doing the country proud. Jubal, the creator of the space drive, takes pleasure in simple things even though his patents are making him billions of dollars. RED THUNDER would make a great movie because it has plenty of action, romance and suspense. This work will appeal to fans of Robert Heinlein's more sophisticated works. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time
Review: This book is a departure for John Varley, which he pulls off impressively. It has the feel of the later (non-juvenile)Heinlein "juveniles" (particularly Tunnel In the Sky), and this is obviously not an accident -- a number of references to Heinlein's work are scattered throughout, and I'm not sure I found them all. As in "Jubal, this is Manny my best friend." The story is simple and outrageous -- 4 diverse twenty-year-olds stumble across a drunkard ex-astronaut, who just happens to have an eccentric genius cousin, who just happens to have invented the perfect space drive (an energy-producing device seemingly of infinite efficiency). For a number of reasons, it seems like a good plan for them to surreptitiously build a spaceship and go to Mars, hoping to beat the competing Chinese and American missions already on the way. Of course, it's never that simple, and several varieties of black hats and paranoia impede their attempt, things go wrong, people need rescuing, but all is right, and more than right, in the end. If you're looking for deep meaning or angst, look elsewhere. If you want a book to ENJOY they way you did when you were reading "Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" or "Double Star", go buy this book. A fine book for hopeful people of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Like being a kid again...
Review: This book really took me back to the Heinlein novels I (like every other S.F. fan of my generation) read when I was a kid. Unlike Heinlein, though, this novel is loaded with homages-- to Heinlein himself, and to Florida-based writers like John D. MacDonald and Carl Hiaason (don't know why Dave Barry didn't make it). Watch for characters named Jubal, Manuel, Travis and McGee, and the Rolls Royce-pickup truck parked up on blocks. Although chunks of the book succumb to what MacDonald might have called "a case of the quaints and the cutes," it's highly readable and a hell of a lot of fun. But, Mr. Varley, sir, if you're reading this-- more Eight Worlds stories! Please!
Rating: 
Summary: just terrible
Review: I love Varley. His Titan trilogy stands as one of the finest works in all SF. That's why this is --so-- disappointing. As others have pointed out, this is vaguely reminiscent of Heinlein's juvenile SF, but it is not nearly as good. This isn't appropriate for juveniles and I don't even think they would find it interesting. The first half of the book is about the variously messed up lives of some uninteresting teenagers. The character development is poor, the dialog is wooden. The "washed up ex-astronaut" and the events that led to his disgrace are implausible and the "character" is very poorly developed. The novel is supposed to be filled with coon-ass cajuns from south Lousiana. Well, I grew up in New Orleans, and these characters are completely hollow, with no authenticity. I can't recommend this book at all. Read Titan/Wizard/Demon or the short fiction by this author, but this book is one to avoid.
Rating:
Summary: Derivative
Review: The Amazon.com reviewer, Cynthia Ward, is almost correct that this novel is patterned on Robert Heinlein juvenile novels. This is a considerable understatement. This book is essentially an updated version of Heinlein's Rocket Ship Galileo. Strip away the contemporary window dressing and the story is that of a group of talented, and somewhat alienated teens, developing a space craft and beating opponents of America to another component of our solar system. This is Rocket Ship Galileo. Varley has also used several of Heinlein's typical plot devices. Many years ago, an intelligent critic commented that almost of Heinlein's heros are "practical men," intelligent and capable individuals with useful skills but usually not scientists or intellectuals. Several of his novels, notably the juvenile novels, are bildungsromans featuring the maturation of a practical man under the guidance of an older mentor. He used this device in some of his adult novels, including his best book, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, in which the maturing practical man is a sentient computer system. This plot device this the central instrument of character development in Red Thunder. Varley even imitates some of Heinlein's characteristic stylistic methods, including first person narration and the somewhat smart alecky tone of the narration. Varley is a competent writer and his prior books show that he is capable of considerable imagination. He can certainly do better than knockoffs like this.
Rating:
Summary: WANT FRIES WITH THAT?
Review: I can't imagine that anyone who enjoys the work of John Varley would not enjoy this book. And while many people see parallels with Heinlein, I'm surprised none of these reviews mention Samuel Pepys.
Like Pepys, much of Varley's book seems obsessed with food: I lost count of the number of meals -- one at about four or five page intervals in Part the First -- the types of meals, the reaction of those eating, feeling the need to eat, feeling hunger pangs, feeling satiation, types of flatware, types of table coverings, cooking styles, number of servings offered, number of servings accepted, dietary preferences ( fried chicken = good, tofu shakes = bad ) how much beef to use in hand-made hamburger patties, family recipes, the warmth experienced while eating with family, the effects of a full tummy on sexual desire, sleeping on a full tummy, waking up hungry, dandelion greens, abundance or lack of access to Krispy Kreme donuts in various parts of the U.S., picnics and the affect being outdoors has on appetites, times of day best suited to eating, which is to say any time of day is a good time to eat.
Every time it seemed that some sort of action should propel the story forward, our cast sat down to a meal. Like the array of esoteric, fantastic cars and million dollar bank accounts the kids have access to, the food is always ready, always hot, and always a gastronomic revelation. And just as we learn about places "where human hand had never set foot", the fixation on eating gets to be pretty funny.
Which is really what this book is, pretty funny. The people get along famously. The technology performs at the necessary level of magic. The characters are familiar archetypes. They overcome their own flaws, they overcome enormous odds, they overcome alcoholism -- pretty much. They overcome racism, religious fanaticism, body facism along with any other number of behavioral and emotional problems. They embrace their differences and celebrate what is shared between them. They have a capital "A" adventure. In short, they inhabit that utopia reserved for the young -- where the kids are always alright. But as risky as their trip to Mars must seem, I can't stop worrying about their eating habits.
|
