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Summary: Must Read for Terminator Fans (and Arnold Fans too)
Review: The Terminator returns in a new forms. More intelligent, smart, agile and in a different sex.
The story is gripping, runs at a good pace, very different and believable.
Arnold( Our old Terminator) is BACK!... But in a different form. Perhaps in a much better form as a character.Go Buy it Now and finish it in a day!...
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Summary: T2: Infiltrator - Oh My!
Review: This book is the answer to every T fan's longing! S. M. Sterling gives a brilliant storyline with awesome characterization. The I-950 idea is brilliant and terrifying. It was hard for me to put down. S. M. Sterling even compensates for the movies' downfalls by explaining obvious questions fans may have. I always wanted to read a T novel and this book is everything that I'd hoped it would be.
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Summary: Everything I wanted and more.
Review: This book is the answer to every T fan's longing! S. M. Sterling gives a brilliant storyline with awesome characterization. The I-950 idea is brilliant and terrifying. It was hard for me to put down. S. M. Sterling even compensates for the movies' downfalls by explaining obvious questions fans may have. I always wanted to read a T novel and this book is everything that I'd hoped it would be.
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Summary: TERMINATORS AND CYBORGS - OH MY!!
Review: This new and inventive book set in the TERMINATOR movie series world is a bold and exciting romp. S.M. Stirling does a great job in entering this arena and keeping the characters alive and vibrant with new twists that does not detract from the feel of the movies. The storyline is a great read just by itself with the new characters written with flair. The new woman terminator is a whole new species of robot called the INFILTRATOR, thus the title. She goes back in time to once again try what the other terminators could not do - stop the Connor's from destroying skynet. The writer does an awesome job in not only taking us back to the terminator universe, but adding years and characterization to Sarah and John Connor that does the series justice. And then throwing a look-a-like terminator that is human into the mix and the developing love story between the two was interesting to follow. Stirling doesn't pull punches either when it comes down to the action scenes, they are well written and very much have the feel of the movie versions of taking you back to certain locations and people. The ending was interesting and left you wanting for more - what more can you ask for? Great job Mr. Stirling, please may I have another!
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Summary: THE RADICAL GRIN
Review: WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! First, this is BOOK ONE is what could turn out to be a long series of books based on and around the TERMINATOR franchise, so when starting off on BOOK ONE, be prepared to have to wade, slog and fight your way through a lot of light weight character development and emotional entaglements before you get to the action, which is all packed into the last third of the book. As for the book itself, it could have been much better. The story here is a direct rip from TERMINATOR 2: THE MOVIE, not a continuation - it's virtually the same set up, right down to Miles Dyson's brother taking the place of Miles, and Sara, John and a new player in the mix, one Dieter Von Rossbach, the spitting image and model for the TERMINATOR 101A series, getting up to speed to once again break into Cyberdyne and blow it up again (and again still, and then mostly likley again in the next book as well... and then once again after that, just to make sure, unless they need to do it again). We are treated in this story to a new TERMIANTOR, the I-950 (which, even if Stirling had tried harder, couldn't sound more like a mile of bad road), who is the next level in TERMINATOR technology - her major upgrade? She's human, almost... she's more or less a BORG, in fact, she is SEVEN OF NINE, only shorter. She's meant to come across as a professional, cold, calculating and unstoppable - which is a hoot as she is anything but... but at least she is interesting, I'll give her that. Sarah is treated very lightly here (she's not just the Mother of the Future, she's also just a Mom, and now all woman as she actually falls for Von Rossbach), and John may have grown up to the ripe old age of sixteen, but he still talks and acts like a ten year old (he uses the word "radical" so much, and often at the wrong times, it makes you wince - also, everyone GRINS in this book all the time, almost like Stirling couldn't figure out what emotion to use at any given moment and so a "grin" comes across their face no matter what happens), Von Rossbach is your cardboard superspy, and so easily turned to Sarah and John's cause that it removes any hint of suspense or danger that should have dogged him like a shadow (also, sadly, Stirling tosses off the reason behind the TERMINATORS choice of using his features as their template with a quick one off coming down to almost a mere random act, like throwing a dart at some pictures - shocking). It's all rather a mess, a very long, drawn out one as well. Nothing happen for the first third of this book and by the time it gets up to speed, the rug is pulled out from under you... sad. Should have been, and could have been, a superior read, but here comes across like cold weak tea.
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Summary: He's back! Ummm, kind of. WARNING *SPOILERS*
Review: Well, after a long hiatus, Skynet(Pesky thing just will not die) is back again, and after those rascally rabbits, I mean the Connors, and we are treated to a well written lazy weekend yarn to boot. Skynet, getting clever in his old age designs half human cybors called I-950's which are actually humans at their core, born and bred by Skynet, and fanatically loyal to Skynet, with the ultimate goal of the extermination of the human species in the future after Judgement Day. Even though the Connors beat Skynet again in the T2 movie, it manages through some monkeying around with temporal anamolies (Kind of glossed over in the book) to send back it's top of the line I-950 model named Serena to the present. Here S.M. Stirlings fans (I am one) will find many pleasant and disturbing similarities with Gwen the female atagonist from his incredibile "Draka" series. She quickly sets up shop here in the present and starts working hard on hunting down the Connors, and getting Cyberdyne systems back on it's feet again. Extremely well written, all main characters are very engaging, and it is interesting to see how much Sarah Connor has mellowed over the years. Stirling exercises a bit of tounge in cheek, as one of the Connors human allies is an Austrian national, who was used as the template for the Terminators in the future. Also check out Sarah's horses name, if you're paying attention, you'll get another inside joke. John Connor is seen at sixteen, while intensely vulernable in some ways, we are being given strong glimpses of the leader he will become no matter what Timeline eventually occurs. Well thought out and researched, Stirling has provided a very strong platform for a series based on the films. I can only hope that the sequel, if not written by him, will be as enjoyable a read. (As a nonrelated item, this is the only sci-fi book I have ever read where some of the action takes place in Wilmington DE, my hometown. Just thought it was kind of neat.) Buy this book, you will not have wasted your money as you would with so many of the Star Wars, and Star Trek novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Good T, mediocre SF
Review: Well, it has enemy robots who turn out to be heavy-weapons-bait. It has a fairly vague time-travel backstory. It has "Hasta la vista" and "I'll be back." Perhaps most importantly, it has-- throughout-- a solid, plausible depiction of what it's like to be a Connor. So if you liked the Terminator movies, don't let this book go by, because it's both faithful to the films and willing to create new elements. But it doesn't have the beauty and intensity of really good science fiction, and you know the good guys can't lose, so if you're the SF fan, not the Terminator fan, go ahead and let Infiltrator go by after all.
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Summary: T2 And A Half
Review: When it was announced that Terminator III was going to be made for a Summer 2003 release, I had at least one question, how was a much older Arnold to be believably inserted in to the story once again? This book handled that question in a very credible manner and placed a different enough spin on what is essentially a fairly repetitive storyline to keep the reader interested. There were also several pieces of information that help explain why Skynet ultimately runs rampant, and why its sentience was essentially poisoned. The evolution of the Terminator was at the heart of the second film and again is a critical part of this book. More time is spent in Skynet's future than has ever been revealed in the past. The Terminatrix in this installment is again a quantum leap from molten metal shape shifter that ILM brought to the screen in 1991 with Terminator II Judgement Day. However if you want to know what this story offers the book must be read, for while the movie is going to have some of this book's idea's, T2 Infiltrator is not what is being made for the screen. John Connor is 16 in this book and in the movie he will be in his early 20's. And just like this book Terminator III will not end the story as it has already been announced there will be a Terminator IV. For those who enjoyed the movies you will certainly enjoy this book as well. The next film will clearly not presume that everyone has read this novel and will present an entirely different tale.
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