Rating: Summary: Another Good Book Review: This book isn't exactly a sequel to Steel Beach. It's sort of a follow on. Part of it takes place before and during the time of Steel Beach, while most of it takes place afterwards. The vast majority of the book happens elsewhere, though. That out of the way, it's a good book. I think I prefer Steel Beach to it, but it's close. The Golden Globe revolves far less around sex and the decadence of the society and more around one person and his flight from his own life. It's a big book and isn't exactly an easy read. But, still, it's worth the time.
Rating: Summary: Another Good Book Review: This book isn't exactly a sequel to Steel Beach. It's sort of a follow on. Part of it takes place before and during the time of Steel Beach, while most of it takes place afterwards. The vast majority of the book happens elsewhere, though. That out of the way, it's a good book. I think I prefer Steel Beach to it, but it's close. The Golden Globe revolves far less around sex and the decadence of the society and more around one person and his flight from his own life. It's a big book and isn't exactly an easy read. But, still, it's worth the time.
Rating: Summary: Varley is still the best Review: This definitely has the most complex narrative structure of any of Varley's novels, combining a race-for-your-life present time plot with a biography told in flashback. I liked it better than Steel Beach, which I felt wasn't up to the standard of Varley's earlier work (though it was fun). WARNING: The publisher should be shot for putting a major plot spoiler in the dust-jacket blurb!
Rating: Summary: Superlative world-building AND character development Review: Varley does it again!!! Very few SF writers, past and present, have the ability of both giving us hardcore SF with amazing, consistent, well crafted world-building, and at the same time create flesh and bone characters with a soul--good, evil, rapacious, and greedy, generous and curious, all the shades and nuances of personality are there. 'The Golden Globe' is the very definition of a page-turner, and Sparky Valentine (as much as Hildy Johnson in 'Steel Beach') is a character that conquer us--nothwithstanding any personality flaws--, with its candid and honest depiction of life and death in the Eights Worlds universe. Travelogue, psychologycal description, adventure, humor and even a classical courtroom scene a la Perry Mason. Can you ask for more? I hope that Varley will write the next installement to 'Steel Beach' and 'The Golden Globe' faster. Four to five years is an eternity to wait for more of Sparky Valentine or Hildy Johnson.
Rating: Summary: Varley or Heinlein? Who Cares! Review: Varley? Heinlein? Who cares! The Big Three of the Golden Age of Sci Fi were Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein. Have you re-read any Asimov or Clarke lately? Me neither. I tried, but.... Good in their time, but in hindsight the technology of Asimov and the vision of Clarke just fall flat (except for 2001). In retrospect, however, the works of R.A. Heinlein are still relevant. Of all the Golden Age biggies, he was the most human, and his characters and the situations they encounter continue to compel and instruct, and remain relevant to everyday life. So, John Varley "filed the serial numbers off and repainted" Heinlein's _Double Star_? Who cares? He took an already complex character and made him more complex. He constructed two parallel story lines, presented in media res and in flashback, that twine together in a most satisfactory manner. There's lots of fun, and Shakespeare, along the way ("Classicists Unite! You have nothing to lose but your TV!") Some fight scenes, vicious luggage (bet that trunk never gets lost at DFW), practical space travel, fight scenes, mystery, acting, fight scenes, cute dogs, love, and finally war. And all from an optimistic pessimist's point of view against the vast sweep of space and the human spirit. What more can you ask for from a sci fi novel? This just lends more credence to the peculiar theory that RAH and John Varley share more than just a literary style and a point of view. Is this perhaps part of the Masquerade?
Rating: Summary: This book is torture Review: Well, folks, Kenneth Valentine (Sparky!) has done it again. Ever a legend in his own mind, he has assaulted us once again with an autobiography. Golden Globe is the kind of book you could enjoy the way you can enjoy watching a car wreck! Please! Die already! ~The Galactic Times Can't get enough of Sparky Valentine, question mark? Well, read his incredible (explanation point) book - The Golden Globe. You thought the trial was strange, the book is even worse (or better, wink, wink). Period. Comma! Get involved and find out how sick and twisted people can be. You will laugh. You will cry. You finally finish! ~protock the inevitable. Ouch! ~one second reviews by Lunatic Lunarian Got a long flight between planets? Well, this is the book for you. Your friends will say they loved it, but then you will wonder why you love your friends. This book is torture from page one all the way to page 517! This is the worst kind of book - the one that is just good enough (barely!) to keep you from just stopping midway and using it to start your next fire. Isn't 100+ years of Sparky enough! Do yourself a favor, put the book down and go for a walk! ~Lovin' Forkful
Rating: Summary: A Rollicking good time was had by all Review: What a book! Reading this was such an enjoyment. The writing is creative, quirky, hilarious and we get the story from 1st, 2nd and 3rd person perspective. The writer obviously admired Heinlein and his libertarian philosophy of small government, economic liberty and few laws. It is not often that a story captivates the reader from the start but in this case that's the only words to describe it. The science fiction is incidental only - aliens destroy all life on Earth and only humans living off the planet survive. This is the story of Kenneth Valentine, a boy wonder whose father drilled the theater into him from the day he was born. He finally grows up and his adventures and misadventures are as fun to read about as they are to do. There is almost nothing to criticize as we journey from young lad to superstar to man on the run to the frantic escape from the bad guys. The dog, though silent, was an added bonus as was the imaginary friend who he seemed to have finally banished at the last. The ending, though expected, was "staged" perfectly. Bravo!!!
Rating: Summary: A Rollicking good time was had by all Review: What a book! Reading this was such an enjoyment. The writing is creative, quirky, hilarious and we get the story from 1st, 2nd and 3rd person perspective. The writer obviously admired Heinlein and his libertarian philosophy of small government, economic liberty and few laws. It is not often that a story captivates the reader from the start but in this case that's the only words to describe it. The science fiction is incidental only - aliens destroy all life on Earth and only humans living off the planet survive. This is the story of Kenneth Valentine, a boy wonder whose father drilled the theater into him from the day he was born. He finally grows up and his adventures and misadventures are as fun to read about as they are to do. There is almost nothing to criticize as we journey from young lad to superstar to man on the run to the frantic escape from the bad guys. The dog, though silent, was an added bonus as was the imaginary friend who he seemed to have finally banished at the last. The ending, though expected, was "staged" perfectly. Bravo!!!
Rating: Summary: Don't believe the hype! Review: What a waste of money! It looked really good and if you like pyschobabble and a lot of exploring the inner workings of a wacko this is the book for you. I must be old fashioned but this book was all about the social and political views of the author. I am usually pretty good at spotting these kinds of authors but I guess I fell for good packaging. If you get this book as a gift my advice is to read the present tense only and skip the jumps to the past. Then this book would be a good 1 star short story.
|