Rating: 
Summary: Robert Heinlein+++
Review: Take Robert Heinlein at his best, ie. DoubleStar. Put DoubleStar's actor-hero into Varley's own Future History. Add all those things Heinlein could not do or at least not do well, such as describing characters in 3 dimensions and not just 2 1/2 (the Varley's hero is also an anti-hero and part of the time a scoundrel). Heinlein could not write more than a couple of hundred pages without falling over his own literary feet, Varley has no such problems. If you are a Heinlein and/or a Varley fan this is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Sci-Fi and Theater Lovers, This is for You!
Review: The allusions to Shakespear's works and parody of early Hollywood studios make this an unusual and delightful romp through futuristic solar system. The tongue-in-cheek dialogue kept me chuckling throughout the book. I hope J. Varley writes a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Sci-Fi and Theater Lovers, This is for You!
Review: The allusions to Shakespear's works and parody of early Hollywood studios make this an unusual and delightful romp through futuristic solar system. The tongue-in-cheek dialogue kept me chuckling throughout the book. I hope J. Varley writes a sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: draws you in as you go
Review: The Golden Globe is a fairly good read. It starts off slow and then builds. About 1/4 of the way thru the book it starts jumping around in the guy's life between now (he is 90) and his childhood / adult hood. It gets confusing at times, especially when it changes from 3rd person to 1st person. However, by the halfway point, the book is defintely moving on and has you hooked. And, it has another common thread of Heinlein's The moon is a harsh mistress, he talks to sentient computers all over the place.
Rating:
Summary: Varley's best yet, which is saying something.
Review: The Golden Globe is not just hilariously funny, but deeply moving, erudite, and intelligently structured. After pining for a new book from Varley, this one made the wait worthwhile. His ability to tackle the big topics with wit and humor is a model for any ambitious sci-fi writer (indeed, any writer of any stripe). Do yourself a favor and read it sooner rather than later.
Rating:
Summary: well done but a rip-off
Review: The Golden Globe, the story of stage and child actor Kenneth "sparky" Valentine is an interesting and well written story. I throughly enjoyed reading it with only two exceptions. First, That it is really only Science fiction in a very offhand way. The backround is futuristic but story really isn't. the main problem I have with this novel is that it appears to me that this story is a blatant rip-off of the Robert Heinlein novel Double Star. The "sparky" character in the golden globe and the "lorenzo the great" character in double star draw too close a parallel to be a coincidence. also the milleu is similar. A solar system wide civilization with luna being the center of power and culture. While The Golden Globe is a good story and is in my opinion a bit more developed than Double Star (The Golden Globe is approx. three times the legnth of Double Star.)I hate to see such an obvious theft of story line.
Michael
Rating:
Summary: Golden Globe: excellent SF-action-murder-mystery-comedy fun!
Review: There is a long wait between John Varley's books, but the wait is absolutely worth it. With layers of Stanely Robinson-esque hard science, Dan Simmons's scope of vision, Heinelein-esque voice, and Orson Scott Card first-person narration, Varley cooks up a delicious read with multiple flavors of storytelling. Much in the way a sweet pastry could have meat and cheese added, this fun romp through the solar system is chock full of hard science and psychological nuance."The Golden Globe" is his second-most recent work, and it is a complex read that can be taken as a very satisfying actioner, or as a whirlwind tour through a plausible human future. Whichever way you choose to take this, The Golden Globe takes the reader from the outskirts of our solar system, through high-G boost aboard cramped freighters, to a wheelworld near Jupiter, through vacuum and zero-G space, and ultimately to Earth and Luna. Without forgetting hard science at any time, Varley blends juicy mystery and riveting action into a delightful meat pastry of a novel. This plot revolves around "Sparky" Valentine. Anti-heroic enough, Sparky is a fascinating neurotic, plagued by personal demons and a sordid past, but redeemed by a decency and courage that shows under stress. With the first-person narrative, you will get an intimate view of Sparky's mind. With an external life that compounds his internal conflicts, Sparky is a fanatic thespian who lives for his craft, and for the roar of the crowd. His ego is actually quite endearing, as it is never malign, and is always self-effacing. En route to perform in an eminent Shakespearean play, he is pursued by a demonic bounty hunter. This bounty hunter recruits the resources of an entire planet to not only bring Sparky to jail, but to also exact revenge. You see, Sparky happens to be an interplanetary fugitive wanted for murdering his father. Somehow, he also happens to kill a relative of the bounty hunter. This preposterous plot is an absolute hoot! Add in a genetically-enhanced bichon frise dog, a swiss-army luggage weapon, two romantic interests, and an interplanetary murder scandal, and you have a story that will please most anyone. Suspend disbelief, pour yourself a pot of tea, and snuggle up to this book. Guaranteed more fun than the Movie Channel, as much science as the Discovery Channel, and enough sex and violence for you action fans out there. 4.5 stars out of 5.
Rating:
Summary: Golden Globe: excellent SF-action-murder-mystery-comedy fun!
Review: There is a long wait between John Varley's books, but the wait is absolutely worth it. With layers of Stanely Robinson-esque hard science, Dan Simmons's scope of vision, Heinelein-esque voice, and Orson Scott Card first-person narration, Varley cooks up a delicious read with multiple flavors of storytelling. Much in the way a sweet pastry could have meat and cheese added, this fun romp through the solar system is chock full of hard science and psychological nuance. "The Golden Globe" is his second-most recent work, and it is a complex read that can be taken as a very satisfying actioner, or as a whirlwind tour through a plausible human future. Whichever way you choose to take this, The Golden Globe takes the reader from the outskirts of our solar system, through high-G boost aboard cramped freighters, to a wheelworld near Jupiter, through vacuum and zero-G space, and ultimately to Earth and Luna. Without forgetting hard science at any time, Varley blends juicy mystery and riveting action into a delightful meat pastry of a novel. This plot revolves around "Sparky" Valentine. Anti-heroic enough, Sparky is a fascinating neurotic, plagued by personal demons and a sordid past, but redeemed by a decency and courage that shows under stress. With the first-person narrative, you will get an intimate view of Sparky's mind. With an external life that compounds his internal conflicts, Sparky is a fanatic thespian who lives for his craft, and for the roar of the crowd. His ego is actually quite endearing, as it is never malign, and is always self-effacing. En route to perform in an eminent Shakespearean play, he is pursued by a demonic bounty hunter. This bounty hunter recruits the resources of an entire planet to not only bring Sparky to jail, but to also exact revenge. You see, Sparky happens to be an interplanetary fugitive wanted for murdering his father. Somehow, he also happens to kill a relative of the bounty hunter. This preposterous plot is an absolute hoot! Add in a genetically-enhanced bichon frise dog, a swiss-army luggage weapon, two romantic interests, and an interplanetary murder scandal, and you have a story that will please most anyone. Suspend disbelief, pour yourself a pot of tea, and snuggle up to this book. Guaranteed more fun than the Movie Channel, as much science as the Discovery Channel, and enough sex and violence for you action fans out there. 4.5 stars out of 5.
Rating:
Summary: His best . . . after Steel Beach & Ophiuchi Hotline...
Review: This 500-page romp is one of the best sf books I've read by any author in the past couple of years. Set in the same post-Invasion universe as many of his other works, this is the story of Kenneth Catherine Valentine, known to his generation as "Sparky," and the scion of a multi-generational acting family. His domineering father, John Barrymore Valentine, possesses a towering talent and an ego to match, plus a rather mis-formed personality, which has warped Sparky in its own way. Now nearing the age of 100, the younger Valentine has spent several decades doing legitimate theater in the Outer Planets, between bouts of Punch-and-Judy performances and running cons to keep the wolf from the door. But now he has the opportunity to do Lear -- the pinacle role for a Shakespearian actor. Getting back to Luna in one piece is another question, though. In many ways, in his discursive, almost argumentative style of writing and in the multitude of ideas he spins out in the course of the story, Varley is the natural heir of Robert Heinlein. And any committed Heinlein fan is certain to like this book.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible -- as usual
Review: This book is one of those I just couldn't put down. I've been a long-time Varley fan, and he lives up to his reputation here. Although not as good as Steel Beach, it is a close second. The beginning was a bit confusing and I kept wondering what time period the story took place within his Eight Worlds universe, but that also seems to be normal for Varley novels. Advice: keep reading -- all gets explained eventually and it's worth the wait. I was also glad to see a return of Hildy Johnson (protagonist from Steel Beach). I hope his next novel continues where this one (and Steel Beach) left off!
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