Rating: 
Summary: Radix -- Seek it out and cherish it.
Review: A. A. Attanasio is one of the most eloquent writers of this generation. Radix, his first novel, is a profound work not only by it's theme and poetic quality but by the origination of a unique yet classical style of fiction. It set a precident for deep theological examination that has continued in the author's works for nearly twenty years now.My original paperback copy of Radix is a cherished momento. Though yellowed by time and falling apart I count dozens of hands it passed through: it impacted lives almost religeously. I have saught out other copies and am currently seeking a hardcover copy for a gift. It is certainly more than your usual work of science fiction and I urge you, if you have not read it, to seek it out and cherish it.
Rating:
Summary: Competence versus medeocrity...
Review: AndyC, I read through your critiques after I read this one, and gee-whiz, you're harsh when you don't like something. "Attanasio operates well as either a hard SF writer or as a metaphysical fantasist. In this, his first book, he tries to be both at once and it doesn't quite work. "Radix" is a saga of a far-future Earth in which mutation has gone rampant after a cosmological cataclysm. Daringly, lead character Sumner Kagan starts off as a screwed-up, homicidal, obese urban teenager. Through the several hundred pages, he transforms into a battered-but-charismatic hero and troubled demigod. Kagan, the divers supporting characters and some of the Big Ideas are great: I was satisfyingly creeped out by the concept of a powerful AI spying on the world through the senses of millions of synthetic "wild animals"." Your criticism of Radix started strong, especially pointing out several of this novel's rather interesting plot points, but finished in rather poor taste as you ran out of steam, and instead, resorted to a shallow, auto-aggrandizing, speciously literate, pseudopedantic sciolist attack; meaning-the mewling of an insipid know-it-all pompous windbag. To wit: "Here, he overdoes it. Some sentences are elliptical to the point of incoherence. Pretentiously florid adjectives are piled on top of hopelessly inappropriate metaphors. The overall effect is a bit like "Covenant"-era Stephen Donaldson trying to write a Greg Bear novel by channeling acidheads from Zeta Reticuli. Appeals to some, I suppose, but I am glad he grew out of it." Dude, even I, a barely literate, uneducated American slob can see through your façade. My banal psittacistic advice: go write something meaningful, pour your heart and soul into your work, sweat blood and tears as you write every word with the intensity of a sentient mind integrating knowledge to create something new and beautiful. Moreover, when you've finished, publish it, put it up for public judgment. Then, and only then, will I take your literature critiques seriously.
Rating:
Summary: Overlooked masterpiece...
Review: Attanasio's first novel is a difficult read, but well worth the trouble. It took me several tries to finally get through it. But when I finally made a complete reading of it, I discovered a depth to it that SF novels rarely achieve. It's a real mind blower with a slipstreamy feel to it at times, hard SF at others, and an occasional hint of some New Age elements. On a future Earth where the planet has crossed paths with a beam of intense radiation from deep space (and which seems to have brought an alien influence to humanity in the form of genetic mutations), an angst ridden teenager named Sumner Kagan has taken to calling himself the "Ziggurat", and begins to take out his frustrations, vigilante style, on the gangs who menace the remnants of humanity. And as the posessor of a "white card", testifying to his clean set of genetics in this society of mutations, Sumner is allowed to breed with what are roughly the equivalent of government sponsored prostitutes. But his physical appearance (he's overweight, acne ridden and a total slob) repulses the prostitutes whose function it is to save his genetic material. Unable to find his place in life, Sumner begins a relationship with one of the alienistic mutants, called a Voor, and soon after must flee into the hellish wastelands that are all that remain of Earth after the encounter with the beam. During his journey and the trials that come with it, Sumner begins to gain insight into what he is and discovers powers that he may not be able to control. Although Attanasio's SF novels are largely out of print, and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon (what a shame...), do yourself a favor and find a tattered copy of this book, put aside a bit of time and immerse yourself in one of the most underrated SF novels of all time!
Rating:
Summary: A sweeping, life-changing work of art
Review: Attanasio's use of language, plot, and character is unparalleled in scope and depth. This book led me to an entirely new view of the Cosmos, and set the stage for my future spiritual unfolding. I strongly recommend it to anyone who is alive (or wishes to be).
Rating:
Summary: Syllabic Culinary Delite
Review: Attanasio's weaving of the sentance is more artful than any other I have ever read - except perhaps for some poets. In fact, Walt Whitman comes to mind. Like Whitman - Attanasio's craft is beguiling, but Attanasio tells a story whereas Whitman soars into the ether. Attanasio describes things as I have never heard things described. When I read his work (and am rereading some now for its pure uniqueness) I end up slowly rereading sentances - the taste they leave in the mouth of my mind makes it water. If you love the beauty of the English language and its many hues - then you will appreciate and probably become drunk from Attanasio's tapestries.
Rating: 
Summary: Ambitious, cosmic-scale-but-flawed first novel
Review: I am glad that I read the later, harder-SF "Centuries" before "Radix". Attanasio operates well as either a hard SF writer or as a metaphysical fantasist. In this, his first book, he tries to be both at once and it doesn't quite work. "Radix" is a saga of a far-future Earth in which mutation has gone rampant after a cosmological cataclysm. Daringly, lead character Sumner Kagan starts off as a screwed-up, homicidal, obese urban teenager. Through the several hundred pages, he transforms into a battered-but-charismatic hero and troubled demigod. Kagan, the divers supporting characters and some of the Big Ideas are great: I was satisfyingly creeped out by the concept of a powerful AI spying on the world through the senses of millions of synthetic "wild animals". However, the highly metaphysical treatment of the nature of once of the species, and of "life force" generally leaves something to be desired, the "Love Reigns Supreme" moral is a tad heavy-handed, and the pseudoscientific rationalisations that appear here and there are bogus enough to break belief for any reader with any scientific nous. Then there is the writing style. Later Attanasio is lyrical and reads beautifully and easily. Here, he overdoes it. Some sentences are elliptical to the point of incoherence. Pretentiously florid adjectives are piled on top of hopelessly inappropriate metaphors. The overall effect is a bit like "Covenant"-era Stephen Donaldson trying to write a Greg Bear novel by channeling acidheads from Zeta Reticuli. Appeals to some, I suppose, but I am glad he grew out of it. NB: the extensive esoteric internal dialog of some characters, and the names-dates-and-glossary appendix. I can see why some readers are reminded of "Dune"...
Rating:
Summary: Ambitious, cosmic-scale-but-flawed first novel
Review: I am glad that I read the later, harder-SF "Centuries" before "Radix". Attanasio operates well as either a hard SF writer or as a metaphysical fantasist. In this, his first book, he tries to be both at once and it doesn't quite work. "Radix" is a saga of a far-future Earth in which mutation has gone rampant after a cosmological cataclysm. Daringly, lead character Sumner Kagan starts off as a screwed-up, homicidal, obese urban teenager. Through the several hundred pages, he transforms into a battered-but-charismatic hero and troubled demigod. Kagan, the divers supporting characters and some of the Big Ideas are great: I was satisfyingly creeped out by the concept of a powerful AI spying on the world through the senses of millions of synthetic "wild animals". However, the highly metaphysical treatment of the nature of once of the species, and of "life force" generally leaves something to be desired, the "Love Reigns Supreme" moral is a tad heavy-handed, and the pseudoscientific rationalisations that appear here and there are bogus enough to break belief for any reader with any scientific nous. Then there is the writing style. Later Attanasio is lyrical and reads beautifully and easily. Here, he overdoes it. Some sentences are elliptical to the point of incoherence. Pretentiously florid adjectives are piled on top of hopelessly inappropriate metaphors. The overall effect is a bit like "Covenant"-era Stephen Donaldson trying to write a Greg Bear novel by channeling acidheads from Zeta Reticuli. Appeals to some, I suppose, but I am glad he grew out of it. NB: the extensive esoteric internal dialog of some characters, and the names-dates-and-glossary appendix. I can see why some readers are reminded of "Dune"...
Rating:
Summary: Edgy, Dark, and Damn Interesting
Review: I don't read for enjoyment often enough. When I do it's SciFi and I try to stick to the tried-and-true-crew of writers. I veered off course with Attanasio and found myself in a world filled with INTERESTING and complicated characters, a wild and dark storyline, and visuals I haven't seen since I ingested chemical compounds in high school. I see here that some very well read and articulate reviewers found much to criticize with this book, and it may all be true, but if I were YOU, I wouldn't pass this book by without reading it cover to cover at least once.
It was a read I will never forget.
Rating:
Summary: Simply one of the best
Review: I first read about this book on Amazon. They didn't have it. So I lookedand looked, finally I found it in the book section of my favorite storefor under 3 dollars. What a deal. This book is simply one of the bestbooks I have ever read, and my friends I have read a lot ofbooks. Sumner Kagan has to be one of the most complex main charactersI've seen in a long time, and I still have yet to finish the book.Attanasio does a wonderful job of creating a world that is extremelycomplex and fascinating. It isn't a regular tale: characters that areintroduced and play somewhat of a large role in the story are killed offwithout thought in less than a paragraph. I recommend this book toanyone who enjoyed Frank Herbert's DUNE series, or any other series in theSciFi/Fantasy genre. It's a classic.
Rating:
Summary: Reprint it!
Review: I loved this book when I found it in oversized format back in 1981 while still in high school. As an adult, it still holds a special place, as does Dune. If you liked Radix, take a look at Wyvern. It possesses many of the same qualities.
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