Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds : (#1)

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! Brian Daley was the best....
Review: I've read almost all Brian Daley books (yeah, he's my fav author), and these come very close to my favorite (although I'm more of a fantasy fan than a sci fi fan; long live Coramonde!). While there have been a zillion alien invasion stories, this is a story about a man who lives on Earth in a post-alien invasion society where the aliens lost, but managed to totally decimate Earth: all major cities are gone, most major landmarks are gone, almost everything that we would remember is absolutely gone...Earth has fallen back on itself, wallowing in their past glory, with a xenophobic, communist/socialist government that, and it is the birthplace of outer space people that are no longer quite "human," (like Alacrity) who brave anti-alien sentiments to make a pilgrimage back to their homeworld. In the case of Alacrity, who came to look at what's left of Earth's natural beauty, he gets framed for a murder of an Earther so he can escort Hobart Floyt, Earth functionary third class, on a mission to a distant planet to accept an inheritance from a recently deceased ruler of a 12(?) planet empire. Along the way, they survive several assassination attempts, many close calls, and a reporter who uses what she learns from talks with Alacrity and Hobart to write several books about fictional adventures that they are supposed to have, that Hobart would call "penny dreadfuls" (including "Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh in the Castle of the Death Addicts," "Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh Versus the Brain Eaters of the Galactic Rim," and "Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh Challenge the Amazon Slave Women of the Supernova"). Sound theories and speculations about the future that is interesting to think about (especially how popular Monopoly still is! Many breakabouts carry around personal tokens to use, and there's a big entry fee that goes into the jackpot for the winner). Top-notch materiel!

Rating:
Summary: Diverting but unmemorable.
Review: Like too much SF, this was clearly written to set up a series. Daley's generic swashbuckler, Alacrity Fitzhugh, and his somewhat more interesting sidekick, bureaucrat Hobart Floyt, evade assassins in exotic locations as they try to collect a mysterious inheritance. Fun, but all you'll remember a week later is the Monopoly-playing alien. If you're looking for old-style space opera, go to the source and read the Lensman books by E. E. "Doc" Smith.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best sci-fi of all time.
Review: These books explore the nature of unbridled humanity better than any other works of fiction I have ever read. I believe the real value of these stories lay not only in there entertainment value (of which there is plenty) but more so in just what excesses and horrors we people are capable of. Read Nazi Germany, The Inquisition, Adi Ammin, and then throw these and other cultures into space, let em go and you have these stories. If we ever get of Earth and settle other planets on any kind of scale this is what it will be like.... Then theres the metaphysics (or are they physics) of "strange attractors". I personally believe in strange attractors and so do you. Seriously these are great books, five stars, read em.

Rating:
Summary: Regarding Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds
Review: This book is now of as good material as is being written today this year 2000. As other reviewers have commented I too find it was of good quality and am disapointed it is not still available in stores.Also is there any other books on these two caracters after the white ship book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent space opera
Review: This book is one of my all time favorites. Brian Daley creates a wonderfully large sci-fi world that makes you want to know more about it. The plot quickly draws you in with Daley's in depth style. While not only being enjoyable in its self, it sets up the next book in the series very well (which is also excellent). If you like Lois McMasters Bujold, you'll love this.

Rating:
Summary: Great series, sympathetic characters, amusing world view.
Review: This is a fascinating series with a broad and complex world view. It's reminiscent of the more recent Black Hole Travel Agency series in its response to the trend toward overly enthusiastic social control - the "what's good for you" approach to government. I see that the author is still very active. Mr. Daley, please write more. Your series is surprisingly up-to-date and I for one would love to read more about Alacrity and Hobart.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Space Opera
Review: This is an enjoyable and solid space opera distinguished by gentle humor and some on target satire. Good trip reading. Well worth a few dollars in a used bookstore.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Space Opera
Review: This is an enjoyable and solid space opera distinguished by gentle humor and some on target satire. Good trip reading. Well worth a few dollars in a used bookstore.

Rating:
Summary: Heroicly tongue in cheek
Review: This whole series of books was very easy to read and extremely entertaining. The only thing that is frustrating is that the series never really wraps up. I came to Amazon books looking to see if a fourth book was written but was disappointed to see it was not. Do not let this stop you from reading the series. All the books are fascinating and can stand without a wrapup book, but it's like watching a series on TV and saying "Yeah, but then what happened to them?"

Rating:
Summary: outstanding novel
Review: What a plesant surprise this book was. I bought it because of the darrell k sweet cover for a long bus ride. It turned out to be a fast paced sci fi epic with equal doses of humor, action, and mystery. Imagine my pleasantsurprise when I discovered itwas part of a trilogy. Recently I reread it and it wasn't quite as good as i remembered but still am must for those who don't mind lighthearted sci fi.