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Summary: A science fiction classic
Review: Jane, pampered, protected, and stifled by her controlling mother, leaves her home in the clouds to live a bohemian life with her lover in the slums of a city wrecked by frequent earthquakes. Her lover, Silver, is one of a new line of robots designed to do anything humans can do -- and to do it better. If the premise sounds frivolous, the novel is anything but. The characters are deftly drawn, complex creations, and the novel's denoument, as Jane realizes her own independence and strength, is genuinely moving.Most of Tanith Lee's brilliant early fantasy and science fiction (which precedes her recent move into writing primarily horror) has been out of print far too long. Hopefully the republication of Silver Metal Lover is a sign that her other early work is soon to follow.
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Summary: Wow
Review: There are three kinds of books out there in my opinion - those that make you laugh, those that make you cry, and those that leave you so stunned by their beauty that all you can say is "Wow." This is the rare book about which I would circle all of the above. You must read this book - it will change forever your view of life, of love, and of what it means to be human.
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Summary: Science fiction of the heart...
Review: Having just recently discovered Tanith Lee, I am avidly reading everything of hers that I can get my hands on. So far, "The Silver Metal Lover" ranks as one of my favorites. I have not yet read the Paradys tetralogy, which I have been told is superb, and a friend has promised me "Faces Under Water", so this book may be outclassed...but somehow, I think that would be hard. One of the things I love most about "The Silver Metal Lover," besides the compelling characterization and the fully realized and believable setting, is Lee's writing style. It changes with each section of the book, mirroring Jane's growing maturity, so that the style of the first part is completely different from the style of the last. I find this an extremely talented turn of writing; as well as being fun to read, it's impressive. I usually avoid love stories. If romance is a sub-plot to a larger story, fine, just don't give me a love story and nothing else. I have had to break my rule with "The Silver Metal Lover," and have done so with absolutely no regrets. The story feels real; you care about the characters and follow them as avidly as if they existed in our place, our time. Although I can't rate it as a love story, I can certainly say that it is one of the best science fiction books I have read: it focuses not on the future setting, not on the technology that can produce Silver and the Sophisticated Formats, but on the characters that populate the world. They are made very real, and for that reason I am now re-reading this book for what must be the third or fourth time in two weeks. What else can I say? I highly recommend it!
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Summary: Smooth and seductive, Lee sweeps the readers into her world.
Review: This is the first Tanith Lee I've read, and now I know I have been missing something. Her characters are well developed, and their emotions are raw and pure. This is the first time a fantasy book has brought me to tears. I have a feeling that this will join the ranks of the "well-thumbed" on my book shelf. Read it, be it, love it!
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Summary: Gorgeous Ideas & Gorgeous Prose Make This Testament To Love
Review: So Perfect. This is more than a love story, but also the story of a young woman's journey to independence. Set in a post-apocalyptic land, Jane, the daughter of a wealthy & controlling woman, purchases a robot that is so totally lifelike she falls in love with him. The limits and nature of love are tested through their ensuing relationship, revealing its transformative powers. Lee has managed to make what seems a trite subject so real and beautiful that I was sobbing by the end.
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Summary: Lee's best.
Review: Tanith Lee's coming-of-age tale is one of the best I have ever read. Every character is vividly drawn. Not one detail is incidental. The economy of her writing here takes my breath away. Those of us who met Jane and Silver, Clovis and Egyptia, in the early eighties, will welcome them like the old friends they are. Newcomers to the book are in for a treat.
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Summary: Words are not enough...
Review: A friend lent me this book and promised me I would be a complete mess after having read it. I just finished it about 20 minutes ago, and my god was she right! I'm still shaking and trying to get a grip of myself between tears and laughter. As soon as I was fit to stand up I threw myself in front of the computer, to find a copy of my own of this wonderful book! Tanith Lee has managed to capture the essence of love on a sheet of paper(!), something I never thought possible, and as I still shiver from the last three hours of reading I know I shall never look at the world in quite the same way as before. For your own sake, read this book! Cry, laugh, mutter, smile and scream together with the poor maiden who fell in love with a robot. In short, rejoice in the narrative skills of this wonderfully talented author!
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Summary: A must read book for any student or Fan of SF!
Review: I read this book decades ago in a book club edition, and when asked for a good book, I've always recommended this title. It is number 9 on my top ten list. This is cyberpunk, before there was the term. This is SF in the style of Delany and the great masters, one of which is indeed Tanith Lee. This is a story which paints wonderful characters, and packs a huge emotional wallop. This book can change your life by giving you a bittersweet taste of true love. Read it.
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Summary: hopefully this is the first of many reprints
Review: For those of you who haven't sought the old yellow spined daw publications of tanith lee's books, you're in for one heck of a treat (I can only hope that reprints of The Tales from the Flat Earth, the BirthGrave, and Don't Bite the Sun are not far behind.) The Silver Metal Lover paints an astonishing picture of a future earth, as well as telling a story of true love. Trust an old truphan. don't miss it.
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Summary: YEA!!!!!! FINALLY, it's about time!
Review: This is SOOOOO GOOD! I hate gushing but this certainly book deserves it. Beautifully written; it's definitely a must read. Thank goodness it's back in print!
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