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Summary: A book to read again and again
Review: A few years ago I bought a second hand copy of this book. During this time I must have read it at least once a year. I like it that much.It is a book about what humanity could aspire to become if we can put away the mistakes of the past and present. The arguments I've read that this is a unrealistic fantasy.... this is a book of fiction that portraits the thought and maybe the wishes of the author. You can agree with them or not. This is one of the few books that I would recommend to a beginning SF reader. It is not too difficult and a pleasure to read, and unlike many other books you are not left with a feeling of light depression because every main character died or had some other terrible fate happen to them. If you are interested in other works of Mr. Hogan I would recommend 'The Giant Novels' and 'The Genesis Machine'.
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Summary: Great story
Review: I find this book a great story, easy to read, diffiuclt to put out.
Of course, there are some flaws, technology moved since the book's been written, but the story does not suffer from that! I've read it several times and still come back to it from time to time. The author's beliefs in evolution and mentioned ani-God bias may tweak the noses of some (mine too a bit) but let us be honest - that's how many people see "The Institutions" ot the state and the church. And the ideal society of Chironians - ;-) ... it is good to see that some people still believe we humans can escape from our "bad nature"
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Summary: Yesteryear
Review: I have read this book several times since it was first published and find it enjoyable each time I read it. The chacarters he builds in this book are great. It's a book to read when you wish to lay back and dream about how good "US" humans are .......and how fanatical some of "US" can be. If you enjoy Mr. Hogans books you will greatly enjoy this good story. I have read all of Mr. Hogan's books and enjoy them all. I can't wait to see where his next story will take me.
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Summary: This is one of my favorite scifi-utopian novels of all time.
Review: I loved this book, and have read it many times. I especially love the quasi-utopian society it depicts. I really think that a society like that could work, at least in basic principal. The Chironians are all very decent, logical, interesting people. I do think their habit of always carrying guns, and being very free in their use of them, although only for self-defense, is a bit troubling. That would be something that would definitely require a major change in the characters of our society's individuals. But that, along with the idea of trading in respect, rather than money (as long as their are sufficient commodities to satisy everyone--and that too would take some modifications in character, which would require teaching people through media and education), I think could and would be a very good thing.
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Summary: Found it Irritating
Review: I read books for "escapism" and for the pleasure of reading. I'm not a political or social scientist, so evaluating a work of fiction on that basis is meaningless to me. Simply put... It's a very good story that is both easy to read and hard to put down. I loved it.
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Summary: Great Science Fiction
Review: I read books for "escapism" and for the pleasure of reading. I'm not a political or social scientist, so evaluating a work of fiction on that basis is meaningless to me. Simply put... It's a very good story that is both easy to read and hard to put down. I loved it.
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Summary: Utopia made possible... the best on alternate societies.
Review: Imagine a society ruled by mutual respect, with no monetary system and based on high technology.
Why would you care to work in such a society? Why, because the only payment you would get is recognition and respect for your deeds.
This book changed my life forever, together with Heinlein's 'Time Enough for Love'.
A must
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Summary: From back of book
Review: Invasion from Earth Earth seemed doomed to a fiery death so they colonized the Alpha Centauri system with children.
But not everyone perished in Old Earth's War. Decades later, a generation ship bearing a cargo of colonists- and an army to protect them- headed for the planet Chiron to reassert Earth's lawful control over the fledgling colony.
Too bad the colonists didn't see things the same way.
A deadly crash- with supermodern weapons - was inevitable as each faction sought to convert the other to the "right" way.
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Summary: Excellent blend of hard SF and social commentary
Review: On the brink of nuclear war, Earth launches an Alpha Centauri probe that contains blueprints for DNA in digital form, hoping to start a human civilization that can escape the holocaust. Now, decades later, the New American Order (which sounds pretty fascist) sends the first mission from Earth to the new colony, only to find that its society is quite different from Earth's, and in some surprising ways. This is an excellent book, featuring some very imaginative hard SF concepts and far-reaching social commentary. In essence, it amounts to a libertarian manifesto, but in some ways Hogan goes farther than that. I have doubts about how workable his concept would be with a society numbering more than a few hundred thousand souls, but it certainly sounds attractive. Hogan's writing is expert, and his ear for the voice of the military grunts who are the focus of much of the book's action is unerring--kind of an interstellar MASH or Catch-22, if you take my meaning. This is one that I really didn't want to end.
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Summary: Yee haw! Freedom wins
Review: One of my favorite books. Have read it at least 4 times. Wish I had never sold my Sci-Fi book club edition; because now I will have to pay more to get a new copy. This book along with The Healer (F. Paul Wilson) and The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress (RAH) changed my views on government and politics and freedom. It's also a damn fine story. I was up in the wee hours reading this book. Good hard SF and social commentary. Remember; reality is for those who can't handle science fiction.
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