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Summary: ONE of the BEST in SCI FI
Review: WOW! I'd constantly seen this book in stores and read the short synopsis in the back but I figured it would probably be a bore. Then one day I finally decided to check it out and I was extremely surprised. So much of science fiction books nowadays try to be difficult and impend some sort of sciecne fictional philosophy on the reader just to confuse and bore the reader( I could give some examples but I wouldn't LOL! ) all at once. EXPENDABLE is a novel in which you find yourself hooked with the main character(s). The style of Gardner's writing is great. There's not a dull moment. If so, it so the characters will develop more. A treat that's very rare. Read it now! Enjoy it! And thank me later!
Rating: 
Summary: A Matter of Character
Review: *Expendable* is a good science fiction novel, driven by clever writing and fast plotting. Its virtues have been sung by other reviewers here, with whom I mostly agree. But I also see some faults that, for me, diminished my enjoyment of the book. First, elements of the plot struck me as contrived. For example, Festina (the protagonist) needs to be convinced that she must remain on Melaquin (a planet of permanent and secret exile), and so she's presented as believing that she is a murderer (by the laws of the League of Peoples, a kind of trans-stellar federation of really smart species, murders cannot leave the surface of their planets lest they be executed). But given the circumstances of her murder, and her own character, it's highly implausible that she would believe this about herself. My other gripe focuses on Festina's character. In the course of the novel she undergoes experiences -- betrayal by her superiors, being marooned on a "death planet," accidentally killing her partner, discovering that the man she has loved from afar is a psychopath, among many others -- that would surely have been transformative for any normal person. Yet she does not evolve, or even change -- she is exactly the same at the end of the book as she was at the beginning. In not working out how her experiences would have reformed her, Gardner has here missed an opportunity to write a novel that would have had much deeper resonance, and more lasting impact.
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Summary: An interesting story...
Review: I've only just gotten back into reading sci-fi books, and I have to say that this was an interesting story. The characters lead a sad life, but of course all is vindicated in the end. The plot took a twist after they landed on "the planet" (one that I wasn't expecting, I might add), then it became somewhat political, but I still enjoyed it. I'll more than likely read the other books that are part of the series.
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Summary: Slightly disappointing
Review: This book had a great premise, very untriguing ideas and a very well-drawn protagonist. However, the story quickly lost pace about halfway through. The author builds great anticipation throughout the entire book, just to finish it off with virtually no culmination and little explanation to the events. I found the ending rather pointless. I believe J.A. Gardner has a great deal of talent with creating believable environments and characters, yet lacks in the plot department. But I think he deserves to be given credit.
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Summary: a wonderful first book
Review: This is the first book in the League of Peoples series by James Alan Gardner, the next ones being Comminment Hour, Vigilent, and the forth coming Hunted. I have to say this is one of the best books I've ever read, the character of Festina Ramos is very complex and the setting is astounding, I'd recommend this and every book by James Alan Gardner
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Summary: My Waterloo
Review: This book simply changed the way I looked at books. I can't describe how it changed me, but let 's just say I found myself saying "That's what 'expendable' means," daily.
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Summary: very very Bad
Review: This book was one of the slowest and stupid books I have ever read
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Summary: An entertaining book with some interesting views of society
Review: SF is an excellent vehicle to explore aspects of our human nature or of human society. Expendable examines the definition of "humanness", the nature of bigotry, and the underpinnings of official corruption. The author creates a future in which people with appropriate physical defects are denied available medical care, and become second class citizens assigned to unpleasant and ultimately dangerous work as Explorers in the human interstellar fleet. Explorers make first contact with aliens and sometimes fall victim to injury or death due to misunderstandings. Because Explorers are physically unattractive, other members of the interstellar fleet can accept death or injury of these people (or almost people, in their eyes) more easily. A dark secret is that the Admiralty uses an apparently hospitable planet as a dumping ground for undesirables, since for unknown reasons, no one apparently survives or returns.Gardner creates an interesting tale that has moral underpinnings without preaching to the reader. The book is well-written and flows nicely. He builds smoothly to a climax and the characters, including some distinctly alien beings, are people who you care about. I did wonder why the marooned Explorers, who have no close attachments in the way of family or friends, are so anxious to return to an institutionally corrupt society that has discarded them. A nice Earth-like world where one could live in peace seemed a pretty good alternative.
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Summary: A very, VERY good book
Review: EXPENABLE I thought was a very good book. I normally don't like science fiction but James Alan Gardner is a very good author. EXPENDABLE is truly one of the best books I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written and engaging
Review: Expendable is a truly remarkable book that grabbed me from the moment I started reading. Gardner's smooth prose and his fully realized protagonist carried the book, even through places where the plot sagged. He did a very nice job of telling the tale through a woman's point of view without sounding ridiculous, as some men do. Festina Ramos is a wonderful character, and I look forward to reading more about her in his other books.
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