Compass Reach

Rating:
Summary: Compass Reach
Review: "I picked up COMPASS REACH last year after seeing it on the short-list for the Philip K. Dick Award, and discovered a sophisticated novel about interstellar civilization, aliens, and the humans who are trying to come to terms with a universe they know little about. At face value, that description may sound like standard fare, but this book isn't. And that's because of the characters and the way Tiedemann reveals them. I've always been drawn to the strange, imaginative worlds of possibility that comprise the science fiction genre, but what makes me a fan of Tiedemann's universe, in particular, is the beings who inhabit them. He writes about the human condition with an immediacy that makes you feel the world he's depicting is real. Instead of the neat political and ethical boxes that usually comprise 'space opera', he embraces ambiguity and talks about life as it is and how it might be under fully-realized future conditions.

"He's very visual, too. From the tortured landscape of the opening chapter to the startling evocation of Earth at the end, the world of COMPASS REACH is vivid and rich, equal to the intellectual and emotional explorations of the book--which are all multifaceted and fascinating. He addresses questions I've always wondered about when reading or watching traditional science fiction. Questions like, What would life be like for the people on the bottom of the economic pyramid in an interstellar culture? How would "wealth" be determined in such a system? How would interactions with alien civilizations change the way we see ourselves? What are the ramifications of--?

"Well, you get the idea. This novel is a sleeper. I hear it is on the preliminary ballot for the Nebula Award. I hope it wins! It's a refreshing twist on old ideas, liberally laced with some new ideas, but with a central power and drive that rewards close reading. The images stayed with me long after the last page. I don't have a lot of time to read for fun, so I'm a little behind, but I'm starting PEACE AND MEMORY, the third book in Tiedemann's Secantis Sequence, right now. This is a writer to pay attention to and enjoy for a long time to come.

Rating:
Summary: The Good Stuff
Review: As a long time reader of science fiction, it's always a pleasure to discover a new author with genuine talent. Mark Tiedemann is such an author, and Compass Reach is a genuinely good book. As hard as it is to imagine, he has created a believable space opera. There are no stereotypical heroes or villains here, no mock heroics, no paint-by-the-numbers galactic empires. Instead, there are heroes who have doubts, make mistakes, get confronted with sitations they can't deal with...and yet, somehow they manage to survive and overcome. There are villains who are villains for believable reasons...Mr. Tiedemann makes you understand why they behave the way they do, and even empathize with them (not an easy trick!) And those inscrutable aliens...just what are they up to? It's all set against the background of a very well-realized galactic civilization, with supporting details that bring it to life in a most convincing fashion. After finishing this book, you have the feeling you have been somewhere and done something. Kudos to Mr. Tiedemann for creating such a memorable novel. I recommend it most highly.

Rating:
Summary: The Good Stuff
Review: As a long time reader of science fiction, it's always a pleasure to discover a new author with genuine talent. Mark Tiedemann is such an author, and Compass Reach is a genuinely good book. As hard as it is to imagine, he has created a believable space opera. There are no stereotypical heroes or villains here, no mock heroics, no paint-by-the-numbers galactic empires. Instead, there are heroes who have doubts, make mistakes, get confronted with sitations they can't deal with...and yet, somehow they manage to survive and overcome. There are villains who are villains for believable reasons...Mr. Tiedemann makes you understand why they behave the way they do, and even empathize with them (not an easy trick!) And those inscrutable aliens...just what are they up to? It's all set against the background of a very well-realized galactic civilization, with supporting details that bring it to life in a most convincing fashion. After finishing this book, you have the feeling you have been somewhere and done something. Kudos to Mr. Tiedemann for creating such a memorable novel. I recommend it most highly.

Rating:
Summary: Good stuff!!!
Review: Compass Reach was an awesome book. I have the feeling that Mark Tiedemann is going to become well known in the next few years. Very thought-provoking and highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: We're more than we think we are.
Review: I'm an optimist. Even at forty-eight years of age, I haven't been able to shed that outlook, which others might see as a character flaw. I suppose I have a "Star Trek" point of view. While "Compass Reach" is not remotely "Trekkian", it does evoke that which is the real human spirit, the will to survive, the need to "do the right thing" even in the face of adversity. In over forty years of voracious reading, not restricted to any one genre,I am occasionally rewarded with a story that touches a really thought provoking chord. This is a great read which expresses the paradox of being a hero--which is that those who truly are never seek to be. Fargo just wants to survive, he's far from perfect, and in the beginning, he doesn't even know himself...how's that for real! This is what science fiction is truly capable of--a believable human drama sparked from the encounter with the new, the alien, the future.

Rating:
Summary: We're more than we think we are.
Review: I'm an optimist. Even at forty-eight years of age, I haven't been able to shed that outlook, which others might see as a character flaw. I suppose I have a "Star Trek" point of view. While "Compass Reach" is not remotely "Trekkian", it does evoke that which is the real human spirit, the will to survive, the need to "do the right thing" even in the face of adversity. In over forty years of voracious reading, not restricted to any one genre,I am occasionally rewarded with a story that touches a really thought provoking chord. This is a great read which expresses the paradox of being a hero--which is that those who truly are never seek to be. Fargo just wants to survive, he's far from perfect, and in the beginning, he doesn't even know himself...how's that for real! This is what science fiction is truly capable of--a believable human drama sparked from the encounter with the new, the alien, the future.

Rating:
Summary: Space Opera the Way It Should Be
Review: In Mirage and Chimera, Mark Tiedemann showed that he could tell a gripping story at novel length, and wasn't just a talented short fiction writer. In Compass Reach, set in the mid-23rd century in an FTL universe, he avoids two of the major traps of modern space opera. To wit: this book faces the possibility of powerful AIs that may become sentient, and it has aliens in it that aren't just humans in rubber suits. Besides that, it tries to come to grips with some of the inherent fallacies of our economic systems. There is good storytelling here, and a wide-ranging adventure experienced by a character who is neither a super-hero nor an out-of-work ninja...which is a refreshing change from much of what passes for science fiction these days. My only real complaint about the book is that the copy-editor (one Teddi Stransky, according to the copyright page) needs to learn that "for awhile" is neither grammatical nor defensible. Four stars.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: In Mirage and Chimera, Mark Tiedemann showed that he could tell a gripping story at novel length, and wasn't just a talented short fiction writer. In Compass Reach, set in the mid-23rd century in an FTL universe, he avoids two of the major traps of modern space opera. To wit: this book faces the possibility of powerful AIs that may become sentient, and it has aliens in it that aren't just humans in rubber suits. Besides that, it tries to come to grips with some of the inherent fallacies of our economic systems. There is good storytelling here, and a wide-ranging adventure experienced by a character who is neither a super-hero nor an out-of-work ninja...which is a refreshing change from much of what passes for science fiction these days. My only real complaint about the book is that the copy-editor (one Teddi Stransky, according to the copyright page) needs to learn that "for awhile" is neither grammatical nor defensible. Four stars.

Rating:
Summary: you gotta read this book
Review: The first thing I have to say about Tiedemann's work is that once I begin one of his stories I don't want to put it down.
Whether it's a new Asimov Robot Mystery or his Secantis series, this author keeps you turning the pages. Compass Reach is crisply paced, with richly drawn characters and a compelling story. Tiedemann cooks up a spicy stew of Bradbury mystery with Asimov's galactic scope and a dash of Heinlein's humor. Watch for Metal of Night, the 'second' in the series, and Feel the Impact When Worlds Collide!

Rating:
Summary: Space Opera the Way It Should Be
Review: The inside title page says Volume One of the Secantis Sequence. If this is the opening foray into this universe, I can't wait for what's to come! Too many far future stories these days rely on virtual superhero protagnonists and just about everyone else in the book is from Lake Woebegone--you know, "above average"--as if ordinary people have disappeared or the writers have stopped believing that ordinary people can have adventures. The fallacy of course is that in extraordinary circumstances, people become extraordinary. Tiedemann shows us how this happens and then dazzles us with one of the most compelling adventures I've read in a long time. This is the way this stuff should make us feel! Exceptional work! More! More!