The Centauri Device

Rating:
Summary: Drug Culture Inspired Drivel
Review: ...EXTREMELY POOR DISJOINTED WRITING:
My initial impression of this 1974 novel was that this book was written on a dare from some of the author's friends while smoking. The novel is inundated with British slang terms and what appears to be a number of invented phrases that aren't referenced or explained in any manner as to give them meaning. The first chapter was a particularly bas example of this with the book's protagonist mumbling away phrases while connected with a rock group and some sort of a drug smuggling trade. Popular counter culture stereotypes abound including that the government is "the man" and all bad. At parts, I wasn't sure if the author was experiencing a drug "trip," because the writing wanders in all sorts of odd directions that little to nothing to do with the story.

Here's an example (Page 12):

"He leered at a receptionist (who sat behind the keyboard of her input terminal as long-legged and unapproachable-by losers-any ice-princess)."

UNCONNECTED PLOT ELEMENTS:
In several areas, the author mentions plot hooks and develops them only to never bring them up again. I don't know why the author wrote so many possible fruitful plot hooks to abandon them. Good editing would have taken away these annoying and unproductive plot elements.

UNEXPLAINED BACKGROUND:
The author does little to explain how the IWG and IASR came to be dominant elements of his future universe or how them came to be in opposition let alone what other political forces exist in the universe. My theory is that the author simply borrowed plot elements from the newspapers of the day (the book was written in 1974 after the news headline stealing 1973 Yom Kippur War between the Arabs and the Israelis). At one point the author mentions that his protagonist at one time worked for the IWG as some sort of bounty hunter of terrorists.

In an infuriating manner, the author constantly mentions future technologies and historical events without explaining them or even relating them to the plot. To cite one example, Harrison's Chamber gun must be a fearsome weapon, but we never hear more than its' name. No mention of it's special effects or even working is explained throughout the novel.

POORLY DEVELOPED CHARACTERS:
The three main characters Captain John Truck, IWG General Alice Gaw, IASR Colonel Ben Barka are all poorly developed and suffer from stereotypes. Truck is the most believable character, a burnt-out drug smuggler, rock musician, and utter anarchist. I believe that the author inserted his own personality, beliefs, and philosophies into this character. Gaw and ben Barka are supposed to be "evil" representatives from the Israeli and Arab governments, but both appear rather to be petty stupid thugs. Neither shows any authenticity of Arab or Jewish philosophies and even their names lack a Hebrew or Arabic language touch. We never learn more much about either ben Barka or Gaw except that they are power-hungry meglomaniacs who are guilty of numerous violent crimes and are both seeking the doomsday to destroy the other. This plot might have worked out had Harrision spent much time developing either character into people.

IGNORANCE ABOUT THE MIDDLE-EAST:
So many of Harrison's plot details are poorly thought out and lack believability. Apparently Harrison must have a very poor understanding of Islam since he rarely mentions even the slightest detail about it. His UASR is apparently just a stand-in for the USSR. The UASR has more in common with communism than any Arab government ever has. Even Arab nationalism is rarely used. The closest he really gets to any Arab culture is to have a spaceship named "The Nasser."

I feel well assured that Harrison has never read the Torah, Koran, or Bible. He has problems applying ANY of the concepts from those books to his characters. Gaw for instance doesn't appear to have read the Torah or applied any of its' lessons to her life or actions. Ben Barka doesn't have the slightest idea about the Koran despite being an Arab and Muslim (Of course, it never really was clear that he was a Muslim despite commanding a ship called "The Nasser"). Truck also appears to be an atheist completely devoid of any religions, spirituality, or even moral ideas as well as an anarchist in the classic sense of that word.

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I don't recommend this extremely poor novel even one iota.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

Rating:
Summary: First time reading this author
Review: I found the descriptions of people/places/scenes just too descriptive and I'm more used to characterisations from Greg
Bear/Peter F. Hamilton etc. So I found my mind wondering elsewhere than reading the book. Just over halfway thru this book and dont know if I will finish it. Something I have only
done twice before.

Rating:
Summary: the centauri device
Review: I found this book astonishing - completely unlike anything I had ever read before. Harrison has a remarkable, truly unique way of touching and revolting you at once - a very, very good book.

Rating:
Summary: Literary Devices A-plenty
Review: Mr.Harrison (the author) has a brilliant talent for writing. His descriptions are perfect, lingering in the mind. His characters are well-defined so you can picture them in your mind. The plot is rather unlikely, with everyone meeting up every so often in the most unlikely places in a James Bond fashion. The book is rather like a Bond book, Fleming-style. It's highly original, and is almost space-opera at points. It's quite negative with a baffling ending, but comes highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A stimulating and imaginative novel.
Review: This book shows the realistic dirty underside of the space opera story, written from the point of view of the disposessed of all history. One of the most powerful novels I've ever read - its images live on in the mind, and you can almost smell the reality of the future the author creates. Whilst the narrative is gripping, the underlying themes are attention-grabbing and, to put it mildly, the author's vision does not exactly see the world through rose-tinted glasses. It's a refugee's statement, and highly recommended.