Rating: 
Summary: Visionary science fiction.
Review: I have thought of this book almost every week since I read it four years ago. For me it fulfilled the highest requirements for a good read: visionary views of the future and gripping narrative. I so very rarely come across a book as good as this. I wish that Vinge was more prolific!
Rating:
Summary: I've liked everything I've read of Vinge
Review: I liked the Deepness novels perhaps a little better, but just when I thought the Marooned was going nowhere it through me a surprize and got very interesting. Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: I've liked everything I've read of Vinge
Review: I liked the Deepness novels perhaps a little better, but just when I thought the Marooned was going nowhere it through me a surprize and got very interesting. Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Something special and worth reading
Review: I loved this book (or compilation.) I purchased it a few years back at an airport newsstand, looking for a little easy reading. Short of one ar two other SF novels, I can say I have never read a better story. Mr. Vinge has invented a heck of an idea in his "bobble" In fact I spent many a moment thinking how the world would be a different place if such an item existed. I believe the caliber of a novel can be determined by how much time you spend thinking about it.....this book does just that. In fact both of Vernor Vinge's new novels are quite excellent as well and I can't tell you how excited I was to see them sitting on the shelf at my local bookstore.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I read two of vinge's novels before I've started this one. So my expectations were very high from the start. and I wasn't disappointed for one second! The book contains two novels: 'Peace war' and 'Marooned in reatime'. both were interesting, entertaining and really, but really good.
English is not my native tongue, and it is hard for me to write a literature review - But please get the message that goes beyond my poor writing: You should read this excellent book that stand on the same level of Vinge's Hugo's winner books.
Rating:
Summary: Hard Science Fiction At It's Best
Review: I shall not bore you with another rehash of the outline of this novel, other than to say it is a sweeping saga spanning millions of years. Vinge really illustrates how we rely on our technology, and have largely lost our survival skills to cope with nature on an individual basis. Could we survive as a species if there were only a few hundred humans left? Vinge is a scientist by trade and it shows, he definitely makes you think! This novel has a very good base of scientific fact mixed with a great plot and excellent character developement, and can stand up to anything well known writers such as Asimov or Bradbury or Heinlein ever wrote, and that is saying a lot. As I began to read this book, I read perhaps ten or twelve pages a day, but I became so entranced by the story that later I found it hard to put down, it was so good. I loved the ending of the book, especially the last few paragraphs.
Rating:
Summary: An evocative and touching story
Review: I should start off by saying that I read this in its original
installments, "The Peace War" and "Marooned in Realtime."
It's my understanding that this edition contains these two
books, plus a short story linking them.
Any way you
read it, this ranks among Vinge's best work, capitalizing
on the concept of "borrowing from the future" and showing
how technology can be diverted from its original purpose.
I was especially struck by "Marooned in Realtime,"
which tells the story of a woman left to struggle on her
own while her companions "hibernate" across the eons. The
woman's diary forms the centerpiece of the story, and is
the catalyst for some deep insights into the human capacity
for love and compassion -- and also for cruelty.
Rating:
Summary: Elusive classic
Review: I think it's incredible that this book -- like many of Vinge's books -- is out of print. Hopefully Vinge's winning the Hugo for _Fire Upon the Deep_ will bring the publishers to their senses and lead them to reissue this marvelous book.Two caveats about this book. One: some editions leave out the short story "The Ungoverned"; make sure you get the right one. Two: at least in the edition I have, the presentation of the various sections of _The Peace War_ is very scrunched together compared with the version of _The Peace War_ that's sold separately.
Rating: 
Summary: Murder...He Wrote
Review: I'll be honest, this review is solely on "Marooned in Realtime", I acutally bought a copy of that book separately in a used book store. It seems from the reviews I've read that some people really love "The Peace War" and hate "Marooned" and others love "Marooned" and don't like "Peace War". I would probably fall somewhere in the middle. "Marooned" is a decent sci-mystery book, not really great, but it moves along well enough to be a good read. Short summary: one of the most prominent of the last survivors of humanity is murdered and former cop Wil Brierson is put on the case. Ultimately there's a huge conspiracy to co-opt and destroy the tiny human colony, which Brierson and his allies unravel. The story itself is pretty bland, but the background technology and concepts are more interesting. The reason that most of humanity disappears is unknown, but some people managed to unwittingly survive by putting themselves in stasis bubbles called "bobbles". More than a mystery, this also provides a sociological look at how to rebuild a fallen civilization. Overall, like I said, it's not great, but it's good. Read "Marooned" or "Peace War" separately or together, but "Marooned" is worth the money. P.S. - If you like sci-mystery, check out "The Icarus Hunt" by Timothy Zahn, the science end may not be as great, but I thought the mystery end was better.
Rating:
Summary: Murder...He Wrote
Review: I'll be honest, this review is solely on "Marooned in Realtime", I acutally bought a copy of that book separately in a used book store. It seems from the reviews I've read that some people really love "The Peace War" and hate "Marooned" and others love "Marooned" and don't like "Peace War". I would probably fall somewhere in the middle. "Marooned" is a decent sci-mystery book, not really great, but it moves along well enough to be a good read. Short summary: one of the most prominent of the last survivors of humanity is murdered and former cop Wil Brierson is put on the case. Ultimately there's a huge conspiracy to co-opt and destroy the tiny human colony, which Brierson and his allies unravel. The story itself is pretty bland, but the background technology and concepts are more interesting. The reason that most of humanity disappears is unknown, but some people managed to unwittingly survive by putting themselves in stasis bubbles called "bobbles". More than a mystery, this also provides a sociological look at how to rebuild a fallen civilization. Overall, like I said, it's not great, but it's good. Read "Marooned" or "Peace War" separately or together, but "Marooned" is worth the money. P.S. - If you like sci-mystery, check out "The Icarus Hunt" by Timothy Zahn, the science end may not be as great, but I thought the mystery end was better.
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