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Rating: 
Summary: Novel of the Year
Review: Combining the vision of 'Snowcrash'and the elegance of 'Neuromancer' with a mocking, effortless erudition (Hanuman has long been my favorite god) and wit, 'Shiva 3000' announces the arrival of an avatar in the science-fiction firmament. Whether Mr Jensen will grow into a titan only time will tell, but the birth is dazzling. An almost perfect first book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book
Review: I found this book to be a great read. It is a very imaginative use of Hindu mythology. Although, at first it might seem sacrilegious to bend Hindu mythology in so many ways, I do believe the author had a good understanding of the nature and character of the millions of participants in the Hindu pantheon and cosmos. The plot and its many facets lead to many interesting political and religious interpretations of modern Indian society should one be inclined to seek out such commentary. Unfortunately, unless one is exceedingly well versed in Indian culture and Hindu mythology, I do not believe that they will fully enjoy or appreciate this wonderful and fanciful novel.
Rating:
Summary: fantastic future fiction
Review: I read this entrancing tale in 2 days -- i could not put it down. I have never read sci-fi and I dont think that is what this is.. it is more a modern mythological quest. I found it wonderful. If you are really concerned that the characters stay true to Hindu mythology, dont read this. Lighten-up. This isnt the Gita, this is fiction and it is a lot of fun!
Rating: 
Summary: Boring
Review: I would describethe book boring. Though, i would love to read about Hindu mythology esp. in new genre of sci-fi dash fantasy setting, the book fell flat in many cases. For purely mythology point of view, i believe the author has confused the Hindu God Hanuman (Monkey God) and the Buddhist Monkey King. Not to mention, assumed Jagannath to be a large chariot while actual representation of jagannath is a small idol. The chariot festival where a huge cars are used to transport three small statues is an allegory about the weak and small in the world also have their place. It is also allegory on the efforts to create the first idols which were gargantuan and thus,huge chariots celebrate the first king who build the temple 's efforts. By misinterpreting allegories and probable willfull abuse, author is doing misservice to the genre. From religious point of view, the hindu gods even if they walked on earth still would not have any concerns for mortal matters. They only interfered after appeals which followed great sacrifices and tribulations borne by the supplicants. The idea is if a man could preform such obsequies, he can help himself. They also had clearly defined limits to their interference. A sage tests a king 's resolve for truth and dharma and despite the king being a favourite of a god, the god did not interfere in a purely mortal matter. Many times, they did interfere to balance the equation after one of them gave a boon to someone who misused it. Hinduism has no concept of evil and the demons are the ones to manage to impress gods with their sacrifices and get powers which curropts them eventually. Gods only then to redress the balance interfere pro-actively. the main idea of religion is to promote self-awareness, warns against dangers of power curropting the weak willed and has a strong moral base. If the author claims as he had on the cover, a story about Hindu Gods walking the earth. Then his representation of them especially Hanuman , the bachelor god, was very very wrong, offensive and could be contrused as insult to Hindus. Hindu gods are more like a over-government because in traditional indian sense, the people have little access or interference from govt. in their traditional life. whenever it is felt, either through an all powerful curropt oficial or "demon "or through his removal on hearing their complaints, it in a way represents the role of hindu gods in daily life. they are there as sources of comfort and promise than actual action. They do not dominate the daily life and act as catalysts for community gatherings and as moral guarantors and role figures. The author 's attempts at black humour do not look humourous from this side of the dialogue and considering his nationality the canadian, i can also offer a theory. In canada, with influence of immigrants esp from India rising, the frustrations of author at their success have found an outlet in this novel. Considering the fact that our community is also most tolerant of rants against the religion, he felt safe enough to abuse the freedom of speech.
Rating:
Summary: A special trip
Review: In this entertaining mix of action, exotica, and psychedelia, readers are plunged into a whirlwind Indian fantasy, a far east that has been enhanced and degraded by technology, so much that the characters believe themselves in the presence of gods. These gods tower over the landscape as huge animate beings, a patchwork of what has gone into their own creation, and (we learn) believing themselves divine. The story concerns a young man who believes he has been appointed the task of killing a popular folk hero of the land. As he travels the transformed subcontinent, he encounters an engineer with a strange gift for seeing the essence of machinery, and who has a past ensnared with those who rule the land. Together, they meet a group of Buddhist monks who have their own interest in the workings of the world and the gods overseeing it. Strangely, nobody seems to know of the world beyond the subcontinent, which leads me to wonder what has gone on to bring this strange time into being. The marvels are continuous - calculating cranes, cities built on mandala-patterns, a serpentine underbelly of the world - and Jensen's style is golden. The novel gets off to a somewhat slow start, but once the plot is rolling, it's hard for a reader to pull out. Fans of better genre material, such as the works of Neil Stephenson and Jeff Noon, will appreciate the writing and characterization. Also highly recommended for fans of Japanese filmmaker Hiyako Miyazaki, who created wonder of a similar caliber in "Princess Mononoke."
Rating: 
Summary: Patronising Psychedelic Pulp
Review: Shiva 3000 is a bizarre mixture of good old fashioned pulp fiction combined with psychedelic sci-fi and a dash of orientalist exploitation. It hasn't really got much to do with India as a real place. The 'India' of Shiva 3000 is as unreal as the Raj of Merchant-Ivory films. It is an 'orient of the mind', a western author's romantic and exotic setting for a quixotic quest. It is brim-full of ideas and fantastic devices: a plot by latter-day followers of the Kama Sutra and the out-of-control god-machines being the main examples. It is fun in its own way, but the characters are no more than ciphers, the plot is simply an excuse to pile on the next strange inventions and it is all faintly patronising to India in a way that other sci-fi or fantasy novels set in non-western settings have not been; McHugh's China Mountain Zhang being a worthy example. So, an enjoyable and inventive romp but uncomfortable in some ways.
Rating:
Summary: A surprise indeed
Review: The first few chapters are a bit opaque, and the books reads for a while like fantasy, but it turns out to be science fiction, indeed, to be as fresh and challenging as sf should be. This is really something new, lively, and beautiful. I was stunned.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting at first, but ultimately just setup for sequels
Review: This book blew me away! I wasn't expecting such a startling combo of ideas with a flashy writing style. It reminded me of how I felt upon first encountering the fiction of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, that something new was going on and I was glad to be a part of it. Jensen takes Hindu mythology as his starting point but never looks back from there, incorporating visions worthy of "Brazil" or some trippy version of those Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movies, plus speculations on far-future evolutions of a technological society, and novel ideas regarding friendship, love, sex. Some people are going to be upset when the subject is religion I guess but hey, isn't that what art is for, to explore ideas? And the society portrayed in this book is so many removes from any we know today that it's difficult to understand the criticisms some have left here on amazon... but then, "The Last Temptation of Christ" bothered people too, whereas for most, it was just a movie or a book, interesting for what it was but certainly no threat to the underlying beliefs. Hopefully people will read to the end and judge for themselves. The ending of "Shiva" is fantastic and suggests not only how the world of the novel came to be but reveals the target of the author's criticism: our too-eager rush to let technology slide into our lives. That's what the book was for me anyway, a very original look at the way we let the things around us change our ways, until we hardly recognize ourselves. I look forward the next by this author.
Rating:
Summary: A startling voice
Review: This book blew me away! I wasn't expecting such a startling combo of ideas with a flashy writing style. It reminded me of how I felt upon first encountering the fiction of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, that something new was going on and I was glad to be a part of it. Jensen takes Hindu mythology as his starting point but never looks back from there, incorporating visions worthy of "Brazil" or some trippy version of those Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movies, plus speculations on far-future evolutions of a technological society, and novel ideas regarding friendship, love, sex. Some people are going to be upset when the subject is religion I guess but hey, isn't that what art is for, to explore ideas? And the society portrayed in this book is so many removes from any we know today that it's difficult to understand the criticisms some have left here on amazon... but then, "The Last Temptation of Christ" bothered people too, whereas for most, it was just a movie or a book, interesting for what it was but certainly no threat to the underlying beliefs. Hopefully people will read to the end and judge for themselves. The ending of "Shiva" is fantastic and suggests not only how the world of the novel came to be but reveals the target of the author's criticism: our too-eager rush to let technology slide into our lives. That's what the book was for me anyway, a very original look at the way we let the things around us change our ways, until we hardly recognize ourselves. I look forward the next by this author.
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