Rating: 
Summary: Theme similar to "Calculating God"
Review: "End of an Era" is a fast, pleasant read. A bit fuzzy on some logical points, which are quickly glossed over as quantum mechanical weirdness. The story posits the strangest scenario for the K-T mass extinction (short of Gary Larson's "Far Side" suggestion that the dinosaurs died from cigarette smoking). The theme is similar to Sawyer's "Calculating God", a better novel, in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: A Sci Fi Fan's Dream
Review: End Of An Era has it all for Sci Fi fans: time travel, alternate time lines, alien vistors, multi-planetary space wars, an explanation of the end of the age of dinosaurs, a solution to the riddle of dinosaur gigantism, fist fights, blue slime, Jamaicans and a Jeep. What more could you ask?But what makes this book worth reading is that it isn't just another sci fi story. Sawyer lays out the plot line so that is a combination mystery, soap opera, and suspense novel. His writing style is very streamlined - no extraneous characters, words, or plot lines. It is written in the perspective of Dr. Thackery, and we share his fears, self-doubts, tortures, and conquests. In this sense, the author forces us to share in his experiences first hand. Sawyer is also quite adept at adding humor. Some spots managed to be laugh-out-loud funny. Imagine talking to aliens who have learned your language, but cannot distinguish slang and insults from deadpan serious truth. Sawyer also pits his two main characters against each other - former best friends turned rivals in love and career. This is a well-written story, full of humor, tension, and surprises. Truly something for everyone here. I loved it!
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Summary: Best Dino book I read (jeff)
Review: End of an Era is a great book about two scientists who go back in time to see how the dinosuars died. It has some mystery, and theories on how the dinosaurs died. This book has aliens, dinosaurs, and two humans that will fight to stay alive in half gravity. I think it is a great sci-fi book and is fun to read. On a scale of one through five I would give this book a five star rating. This is a good book in my opinion for ages eleven and up.
Rating:
Summary: Time Travel with a Twist
Review: END OF AN ERA is a time travel novel back to the era of dinosaurs. Not only do we find dinosaurs but the galaxy itself is active with sentient beings - including Martians. It's hard to give too much of a plot description without giving away some surprises. Suffice it say, Sawyer gives us a very unique twist on a familiar theme.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Take on the Jurassic Era
Review: END OF AN ERA is a time travel novel back to the era of dinosaurs. Not only do we find dinosaurs but the galaxy itself is active with sentient beings, with the real surprise being a full Martian culture. It?s hard to give too much of a plot description without giving away some surprises. Suffice it say, Sawyer gives us a very unique twist on a familiar theme.
Rating:
Summary: Rollicking fun
Review: End of an Era is rollicking fun science fiction with many twists. Plots and ideas come naturally to Sawyer but the seams pop when he attempts modern characterization. Give him credit for trying, though. While I love his page-a-minute ideas, his explanations of mundane events strain credibility. For example, why was the time travel venture so low budget they needed to buy second-hand goods (p. 53)? His explanation of a world recession (p. 95) is ridiculous - Sawyer has never been good at economics but this just made me laugh. Meanwhile, Sawyer would have us think a time travel venture needs good PR (p. 53). Also, why were 2 rivals (only 2 for this mission?) sent back in time? The explanation on p. 148 was hardly satisfying (i.e. mission control spent a lot of time debating it). Finally, why doesn't Thackeray identify himself as a doctor to a fellow scientist (p. 78)? The scientist refuses to listen to him until Thackeray mentions he's a doctor on p. 132. The reason for the delay, of course, is to have the resolution of this plot line occur later in the novel. Despite these minor quibbles, the novel's far-fetched ideas had me smiling throughout the book. The writing is crisp and the twists hooked me until the end. Sawyer's knowledge of paleontology and physics kept the science fiction elements believable. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking fun science fiction. Like many of the reviewers, I also enjoyed other Sawyer books such as Terminal Experiment and Starplex.
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Summary: END OF AN ERA: Seiun winner; HOMer winner; Aurora finalist
Review: END OF AN ERA won the Seiun Award, Japan's highest honor in science fiction, for Best Foreign Novel of the Year. It also won the CompuServe Science Fiction and Fantasy Forum's HOMer Award for Best Novel of the Year, and was a finalist for Canada's Aurora Award. ROGER MacBRIDE ALLEN, author of RING OF CHARON: "Robert J. Sawyer strikes again, with a wild journey through time and possibility. I promise you have never read a time travel story like this one. END OF AN ERA serves up an exciting ride through a past -- and future -- that are not what they seem to be. Read and enjoy." TOM EASTON in ANALOG: "I enjoyed it, and I think you will too." THE BAKKA BOOKIE SHEET: "Sawyer's skill likes in his ability to bring science to his fiction with apparently effortless ease. Sawyer's most ambitious work to date; an excellent read." THE EDMONTON JOURNAL: "Audacious -- Sawyer has reached far beyond the grasp of the standard SF time-travel story. END OF AN ERA would have to rank as one of the finest Canadian or American science fiction novels I have read in the last 10 years. Definitely a better book than Jurassic Park -- faster paced, avoiding the expository dumps that Crichton uses, and supplying us with much more believable characters. Faced with a staggering amount of possible loose threads, Sawyer manages to tie things into one of the tightest knots possible." CHARLES de LINT in THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION: "A wonderful evening's read. Sawyer tells his story with that same sense of fun and adventure that sf had in its so-called Golden Age. The difference is he writes from a modern sensibility and his speculations are based on solid research rather than making things up as he needs them, so really, what we're getting here, is the best of both worlds." GEOLOG (newsmagazine of The Geological Association of Canada): "What can I say? This is a great book. A science-fiction book that is set in Canada, involves Cana! dian scientists, is written by a Canadian, has a great plot, and on top of all that has the science and the geological inferences right! Naturally, I ended up buying this book in the United States, but as we all know, success in Canada is only recognized after it is recognized in the States. A great read and, although improbable, one of the better dinosaur extinction models." THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: "A time-trip to a previous age when science fiction was young and brash and just plain fun; an inventive, wonder-filled adventure novel." JACK McDEVITT in THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF SCIENCE FICTION: "Works extremely well -- three-dimensional characters, an extensive bag of tricks, and the man can set a scene. When the prehistorical pollen flies, the reader will sneeze. By the way, the title refers to something altogether different from the disappearance of the lizards. Sawyer keeps several balls in the air, and does it with eclat." QUILL & QUIRE (starred review, denoting a book of exceptional merit): "Audacious, informed, and compelling -- displays the author's breadth of imagination and humanity. It's not too much to say that this is one of the most accomplished SF novels of the last 10 years." SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE: "Sawyer has captured many of the best aspects of SF adventure here: wondrous events, weird aliens, a scientific puzzle to be solved, and a likable protagonist to conduct us on the tour. There's a neat solution as well, which I won't spoil be revealing here." SFRA REVIEW: "END OF AN ERA seems at first a lightweight tale, but Sawyer is very deft at tossing in surprising insights that widen the novel's scope while darkening and deepening its texture. END OF AN ERA turns out to be a surprisingly character-driven novel for all the sf themes spinning like a tableful of Battling Tops. At the same time, the action moves along rapidly, vividly, and reasonably; Sawyer plays fair in setting up a problem and its solutions." Sp! ider Robinson, Hugo- and Nebula-Award winning co-author of STARDANCE: "END OF AN ERA is one of those rare sf novels that should bring equal pleasure to a `hard-science' fan, a `rousing good yarn' reader or a `lit'ry' type." THE TORONTO STAR: "Leading the pack, as he often does, is Toronto's Robert J. Sawyer with a delightful time-travel romp. Lean writing, strong characters, and a firm basis in hard science make END OF AN ERA a superlative adventure." UNDER THE OZONE HOLE: "A fast, furious read -- and great fun. Go buy it, already." ANDREW WEINER, author of THIS IS THE YEAR ZERO: "An exhilarating romp, full of that old-time sense of wonder. Exciting, touching, and at times hilarious. I enjoyed it immensely."
Rating: 
Summary: Very Odd
Review: I was expecting more of a "Jurassic Park" novel, so thid was a bit of a surprise. It's an OK read, but the characters are one-dimensional. Iliked his Hominids books, but this was sort of strange.
Rating:
Summary: Very Odd
Review: I was expecting more of a "Jurassic Park" novel, so thid was a bit of a surprise. It's an OK read, but the characters are one-dimensional. Iliked his Hominids books, but this was sort of strange.
Rating:
Summary: Very Odd
Review: I was expecting more of a "Jurassic Park" novel, so thid was a bit of a surprise. It's an OK read, but the characters are one-dimensional. Iliked his Hominids books, but this was sort of strange.
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