Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Mix
Review: A good mixed drink is a rarity, but when you find a bar that serves it, you stick with it.
Matthew Woodring Stover brings to life Hari Michaelson, an Actor, whose life inevitably led him to the art and business of killing. It is similar in tone to Heinlein's most mature works, with a sprinkling of Nietzche's Will to Power and Jack London's White Fang, but whereas Heinlein only worked in Fantasy Epic or Sci-Fi Epic, Heroes Die is Sci-Fi Fantasy Epic. It is, for all intents and purposes, the Perfect Mix.
You've read the reviews, you know the setup. Suffice it to say, this book is in my top five favorite books of all time. It is truly Epic: the fates of empires on two worlds hang in the balance. It is truly Fantasy: Power belongs to things far older and more wild than you or I, and to ask their permission to use it is to come into the presence of a god. It is truly Sci-Fi: an overpopulated, technologically advanced human civilization under a seemingly benevolent but ruthlessly anti-revolutionary oligarchy, uses a parallel Earth as entertainment for the masses.
And the sequel is even better.
This book is so amazing that I had no idea a fitting sequel could be written, but "Blade of Tyshalle" had me shaking with rage, screaming with anticipation, and reading (again) until four in the morning.
If you are feeling the weight of social pressure crushing you like an unliftable weight, Hari Michaelson will be your hero.
[Amazon.com editors, feel free to remove this link if you do not want links to external sites.] A more complete review by someone else is at:
http://deadcities.crimsonzine.com/20020729-1190.html
Rating: 
Summary: Kicks butt and takes few prisoners!
Review: A refreshing change of pace. In the future, man is entertained living the adventures of highly skilled actors that are transported to another world. These actors are in real life or death situations. The most popular actor of them all, Caine by name, is having problems with the management of the entertainment company that owns his contract, his estranged wife (another actor), and very tough going in his adventure. Relax and enjoy the ride.
Rating:
Summary: Fans Of Glen Cook Should Be Thrilled...
Review: But then again, maybe not. Matthew Stover is using the mercenary anti-hero to explore social and existential issues that Glen Cook so far has proven for the most part reluctant to pursue. And Stover's assassin-protagonist---his symbolic role loudly announced by the stage name Caine---is a conflicted character that grows in ways that Cook's cast never achieves, the players and worlds here a vehicle that blurs and pushes the boundaries of the genre, despite the similarities of fast-paced action and gritty milieu, taking this novel to a creative and darkly realized realm that by comparison is metaphorically dizzying. Few unexamined moments here, and despite the almost non-stop, grim and graphic pull of conflict and action, there's a lot more going on here than simple combat and hack and slash adventure. As has been noted elsewhere, Caine is an Actor who actually lives his role, a resident of some human future in which, creatively recontextualizing and extending earlier ideas contained in works such as "The Running Man" or the film "Rollerball," and topically reflected in the current popularity of so-called "reality" television such as "Survivor," residents live out fantasy adventures on the parallel and magically endowed world of Ankhana vicariously through virtual reality adventures of a star-system transported to a largely medieval realm. Despite the obvious entertainment value for the audience of experiencing another world instantaneously through the eyes, experiences and actions of the Actors, there is a dark side to this theater verite, a blurring of imagination and reality in which outside, invisible and largely commercially indifferent interests are controlling both the players and the set, somewhat analogous to the projected introduction of the 60's television series, "The Outer Limits." Everyone involved become just puppets in a ratings driven play, the sale of virtual adventures determining the action as well as the experiences of both participants and audience. The ultimate vision, instead of invigorating is chilling, revealing a dark and disturbing mirror onto our own potential escape into entertainment, which in part even the reading of fantasy has become. The author is directing his social criticism and commentary not only at our own entertainment industry, but in many ways at the genre itself. This is at once ironically entertaining as well as thought-provoking, the title of this novel itself hinting at the author's desire to debunk not only the human illusion of the heroic reflected over and over in movies and television, but the conventions of high fantasy itself. This is in part an examination of escapism, while at the same time a dark examination of society and an exploration of more existential and philosophical issues disguised within the garb of heroic fantasy. As an earlier reviewer has noted, the author does not always take these explorations to a full or satisfying conclusion, at times hinting at ideas to come that never actually arrive. Nonetheless, the author is to be applauded for exploring ideas and topics not usually found in the typical fantasy, bringing to the genre a conceptual weight and substance usually found lacking. This is not your usual quest or tale of magic: the author's aims are far more literary and complex. I was referred to this novel by a new column offered on the sfsite, contributed by Gabriel Chouinard. This column is being used to present readers with works written by what the columnist calls "The Next Wave," a reference to writers such as Michael Moorcock, Philip Jose Farmer, and Philip K. Dick that were hailed in the 60's and 70's as the "New Wave" for their creative and often revolutionary impact upon the stale tropes coming out of 50's speculative fiction. Whether one agrees with Mr. Chouinard's opinions or not---I personally continue to enjoy the better offerings of high fantasy, despite its well-worn conventions---his column offers recommendations of newer and significant authors whose work is less well-known, and whose aims are well beyond that of the epic, more conventional doorstopper fantasy of Jordan or George R.R. Martin. These newer authors, such as Matt Stover, Michael Swanwick, Paul Witcover, to name a few, or especially, in my opinion, China Mieville, should be on the reading lists of anyone seriously interested in speculative fiction, regardless of their personal tastes or preferences. Mr. Chouinard's column offers an excellent reference and discussion. While "Heroes Die" is written as a stand-alone, I have noted that a sequel has been released, "The Blade of Tyshalle." I for one certainly intend to read it in the near future.
Rating:
Summary: Great - but not suberb
Review: Heroe's Die is very similar to the 'Adept' series written by Piers Anthony. Two worlds one dominated by technology the other by magic - the key elements that Stover has going as an author are his ability to write a thrilling battle, and the fairly unexpected bonus that his hero 'Caine' does tend to get hurt [although the effects of his being hurt never quite translates into the next battle]. A sequel is quite possible here as questions of ethics and philosophy based on each worlds systems are raised but never quite resolved. If you want a semi-original 'swashbuckling' adventure this is a fine book to read. Its no 'Armor' by John Steakley, but its still a nice read.
Rating:
Summary: Caine Lives
Review: Heroes Die is an interesting twist on the SciFi meets Fantasy genre. Hari Michaelson is an actor on a future version of Earth where society is split into castes with a very defined hierarchy. The role Hari plays and actually becomes is that of Caine, an ultraviolent mercenary/assassin on the Overworld, which as I understand it is some kind of alternate dimension Earth, with an ancient/Fantasy setting. The character of Harry/Caine is what makes this book shine as he is dealing with many issues throughout the book. On Overworld the story is pretty much nonstop, hardcore fantasy action with many violent battles and a godlike ruler that Caine must bring down. The futuristic setting is where a lot of the characters motivations are explained through scenes with his imprisoned dad, his wife, and the studio executive that controls Hari's career and his life. I highly recommend this novel by Matthew Woodring Stover to anyone who likes good fantasy, SciFi, or action/adventure. Be sure to hold on for a wild ride!
Rating:
Summary: I wish there was more!!!!!!
Review: I am just getting into the reading fantasy books, and what a great way to start. I couldn't get enough of this book. The characters were totally believable. I hope we see more of Caine in the future.
Rating:
Summary: great fun with serious undertones
Review: I bought "Heroes Die" on a trip after I ran out of other reading material; I was bored and found the title intriguing. I didn't expect more than a standard, entertaining slash-em-up, and am delighted at how wrong I was. "Heroes Die" follows anti-hero Hari Michelson, an Actor (the capital is warranted; this is not the acting we know) in an unpleasant, caste-bound future whose job is, basically, to kill people in another reality for the entertainment of the rich Leisure caste on Earth. On Overworld -- a gritty medieval fantasy setting -- Hari is Caine, a legendary assassin and warrior; his excessively bloody adventures have made him immensely popular back on Earth. As the book opens, he is estranged from his wife Shanna, an Actor who plays magician Pallas Ril. On Overworld, she poses as Simon Jester (a nod to Heinlein), champion of the lower classes. However, she has vanished from the studio's tracking systems and will soon fall back to Earth, fatally and uncontrollably. Hari is sent to Overworld to rescue his wife, depose the suspiciously godlike emperor of Ankhana, and revive the studio's fortunes. The story includes betrayals, mysteries, megalomaniacs, daring escapes and rescues, gods, magic, gobs of violence, and a climactic final confrontation. "Heroes Die" works beautifully as a straight adventure, but also contains much more. The characters are well-developed (though the villains are occasionally a bit two-dimensional) which gives weight and meaning to their ordeals and changes. And the entire adventure is colored by the ethics of the studio system and the political situations in both worlds. But the story is not flawless. Stover dangles some portentious hints and ideas that unfortunately never amount to much. He also never resolves his ethical and political dilemmas to my satisfaction. After taking the trouble to set them up, he shunts them aside or tries to subsume them in Hari's struggle with the studio head and his relationship with Shanna. Given that little changes on Earth, the ending seems unreasonably upbeat; it's also a letdown after the government's grave concern that Hari's subvocalized political musings might affect the people who live his adventure with him. Despite the loose ends, Stover does a fantastic job bringing plots strands together while maintaining suspense and a breakneck pace. He integrates serious issues without making his story one bit less enjoyable. I honestly think he could have resolved even the dangling bits and still made everything work. I wish he had; it would have transformed a very good book into a great one.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolute trash
Review: I can't believe the reviews I'm seeing. This novel reads like it was written by a Dungeons and Dragons geek who is embarrassed to be be writing fantasy (because he won't be considered a "real" writer) so he tries to make it more "mature" by adding lots of profanity, contemporary themes, and endless heaps of senseless violence. I really thought I'd be in for a treat after all the hype I read, but by page 50 I found myself disgusted and bored. Hey, Mr. Stover: ultra violence and curse words do not mature reading make, and, contrary to your inflated opinion of yourself, this book is part of the reason why today's fantasy market is glutted with such trash. This book is an utter bore best suited to adolescent males eager to idolize the silly, tough guy protagonists you enjoy creating. In all, yet another reason why I am embarrassed to be seen reading fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Absolute trash
Review: I can't believe the reviews I'm seeing. This novel reads like it was written by a Dungeons and Dragons geek who is embarrassed to be be writing fantasy (because he won't be considered a "real" writer) so he tries to make it more "mature" by adding lots of profanity, contemporary themes, and endless heaps of senseless violence. I really thought I'd be in for a treat after all the hype I read, but by page 50 I found myself disgusted and bored. Hey, Mr. Stover: ultra violence and curse words do not mature reading make, and, contrary to your inflated opinion of yourself, this book is part of the reason why today's fantasy market is glutted with such trash. This book is an utter bore best suited to adolescent males eager to idolize the silly, tough guy protagonists you enjoy creating. In all, yet another reason why I am embarrassed to be seen reading fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Jesusgod this was good
Review: I finished Heroes a week ago, and finished Blade an hour back. As a standalone story, Heroes Die is deceptively complex, working multiple levels of theme and characterization through the Earth/Overworld and Caine/Hari dualities. The action is described so lucidly, so lovingly, that reading either novel feels close to second-handing a Caine adventure. This is in many ways a classical epic. Caine makes a journey, but more mental than spatial. His underworld is a state of mind. The things he endures for love of his estranged wife could easily justify writing the story from a different perspective, in which Caine is a villain. Of course, Stover manages to include that perspective, especially in Blade. Regardless, his willingness to burn the world for one woman is hard not to understand. Stover's gift to readers is Caine's simple but shocking (for a novel's protagonist) perspective, looking in on society and impersonal humanity as the enemy.
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