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Rating: 
Summary: My new favorite author
Review: I think I've just found my new favorite author. Mars Crossing was a page turner and Impact Parameter is like chocolate. You just got to have more. I hope a third book is in the works, because I've just got to have more.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent hard science-fiction short stories
Review: I was impressed by the author's first novel, MARS CROSSING, so I was very eager to read his collection of short stories, and I found that I was not disappointed. Many of these stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and have won awards. Landis is clearly a "hard" science-fiction writer, in that the science element in his stories is interesting and accurate, but he does not neglect the characters-- the short-short "Snow," for example, is a superb story which views the character with clarity and sympathy. Many stories are about exploration-- "Into the Blue Abyss," for example, is about exploring the oceans of Uranus---- and others are focused on humanity. Two of the stories, "Winter Fire" and "Rorvik's War", look at the future of war, with a focus on the human element.
Overall, this book is an excellent collection of hard science-fiction stories. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent hard science-fiction short stories
Review: I was impressed by the author's first novel, MARS CROSSING, so I was very eager to read his collection of short stories, and I found that I was not disappointed. Many of these stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and have won awards. Landis is clearly a "hard" science-fiction writer, in that the science element in his stories is interesting and accurate, but he does not neglect the characters-- the short-short "Snow," for example, is a superb story which views the character with clarity and sympathy. Many stories are about exploration-- "Into the Blue Abyss," for example, is about exploring the oceans of Uranus---- and others are focused on humanity. Two of the stories, "Winter Fire" and "Rorvik's War", look at the future of war, with a focus on the human element.
Overall, this book is an excellent collection of hard science-fiction stories. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Review: I was surprised by the depth of this story collection. I had Landis pegged as an 'Analog author', meaning one that writes good science but poor story. I am overjoyed to admit that I was wrong.This is a quite good story collection. Some of the stories are typical Analog fare, but the majority of them are extraordinary tales that will please any SF reader. The stories are arranged roughly in chronological order. There is some variation but the newer stories are grouped more towards the back of the volume. This allows the reader to watch Landis' growth from his humble beginnings as part of Stan Schmidt's cadre to an author who is published in diverse venues. There is no one story in this collection that stands out as 'Best of the Book'. 'Beneath the Stars of Winter', 'Winter Fire', 'A Walk in the Sun', 'Dark Lady', 'Approaching Perimelasma', and the humorous 'What We Do Here at NASA' are all mature and engaging pieces of fiction. I was slightly disappointed with the acclaimed 'The Singular Habits of Wasp', a Holmes pastiche which had a plot reminiscent of Michael Dibdin's classic novel _The Last Sherlock Holmes Story_. While reading this collection I discovered that Mr. Landis is a mature and talented author with a mastery of the art of pacing. Each of his stories flows. They reach a peak and then gently diminish. I am very impressed with this collection and will very soon begin an avid search for more of Landis' stories. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Review: I was surprised by the depth of this story collection. I had Landis pegged as an 'Analog author', meaning one that writes good science but poor story. I am overjoyed to admit that I was wrong. This is a quite good story collection. Some of the stories are typical Analog fare, but the majority of them are extraordinary tales that will please any SF reader. The stories are arranged roughly in chronological order. There is some variation but the newer stories are grouped more towards the back of the volume. This allows the reader to watch Landis' growth from his humble beginnings as part of Stan Schmidt's cadre to an author who is published in diverse venues. There is no one story in this collection that stands out as 'Best of the Book'. 'Beneath the Stars of Winter', 'Winter Fire', 'A Walk in the Sun', 'Dark Lady', 'Approaching Perimelasma', and the humorous 'What We Do Here at NASA' are all mature and engaging pieces of fiction. I was slightly disappointed with the acclaimed 'The Singular Habits of Wasp', a Holmes pastiche which had a plot reminiscent of Michael Dibdin's classic novel _The Last Sherlock Holmes Story_. While reading this collection I discovered that Mr. Landis is a mature and talented author with a mastery of the art of pacing. Each of his stories flows. They reach a peak and then gently diminish. I am very impressed with this collection and will very soon begin an avid search for more of Landis' stories. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Depth and Grace
Review: Landis has many personas as a writer. On the one hand, "A Walk in the Sun" is a classic "well made story." On the other, "Snow" is a fey, post-modern sally at our preconceptions about society. His style is elegant and transparent, his characters sympathetic, his plots full of surprises and yet not just conventionally paced genre fiction. If you liked his novel _Mars Crossing_ ( and I did) you'll want to sample this treasure trove of impelling fictions, small and large. It's a special treat in this time when it's so hard to find a volume of short fiction for the lover
of the form.
Rating:
Summary: Depth and Grace
Review: Landis has many personas as a writer. On the one hand, "A Walk in the Sun" is a classic "well made story." On the other, "Snow" is a fey, post-modern sally at our preconceptions about society. His style is elegant and transparent, his characters sympathetic, his plots full of surprises and yet not just conventionally paced genre fiction. If you liked his novel _Mars Crossing_ ( and I did) you'll want to sample this treasure trove of impelling fictions, small and large. It's a special treat in this time when it's so hard to find a volume of short fiction for the lover
of the form.
Rating:
Summary: Depth and Grace
Review: Landis has many personas as a writer. On the one hand, "A Walk in the Sun" is a classic "well made story." On the other, "Snow" is a fey, post-modern sally at our preconceptions about society. His style is elegant and transparent, his characters sympathetic, his plots full of surprises and yet not just conventionally paced genre fiction. If you liked his novel _Mars Crossing_ ( and I did) you'll want to sample this treasure trove of impelling fictions, small and large. It's a special treat in this time when it's so hard to find a volume of short fiction for the lover
of the form.
Rating:
Summary: A blend of hard science and strong characterization
Review: Landis' short stories are perfect picks for any who appreciate the short story form and a healthy blend of hard science and strong characterization. Good hard science fiction often lacks for emotional impact: not so these short stories, which blend tales of virtual reality, black holes, and invaders with solid protagonists. From an issue of death on an ocean world to a pioneer mapping three-dimensional space, Impact Parameter & Other Quantum Realities includes many different scenarios.
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