Politician

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly spot on!
Review: Here, in the third part of Bio of a Space Tyrant our hero goes into the murky world of politics.
If the Jupiter of Refugee and Mercenary looked like a little bit modelled on the USA of the late twentieth century it comes out here as a more direct copy! Anthony must have been a very astute observer of the 1980s, and have been able to draw his own conclusions, since the presidential campaign he describes is almost identical to the US presidential campaigns of 2000 and 2004, down to the coup-like intervention by the Jupiter supreme court!
So, here the setting and the characters are quite good. There are some deus-et-machinaes and odd throwbacks, like the atmospheric trains, that do not really fit in. Hubris's brainwashing is well developed - but why doesn't he try and get all keywords at the same time!

Rating:
Summary: great biographical science fiction [no spoilers]
Review: I've been recently reading novels from my past, especially those I recall enjoying. I felt like revisiting this series, seeing if I remember correctly.

Back cover of book:

Political Prisoner

He awoke in a tiny lightless cell, groping for memory...memory that had been erased. Hope Hubris, Jupiter governor, progressive populist, warrior hero, and presidential candidate...a "mem-washed" tool of the enemy. And if his captors' plan worked, Hope would destroy his own political career, leaving the fate of his planet in the hands of its corrupt presidential incumbent - Tocsin.

But Hope Hubris had a destiny to fulfill. He had the cunning to discover code words that could reactivate his mind...the strength to resist addiction to their drugs...the power to win the support of his countrymen, and finally the courage to make an agonizing sacrifice that would ensure his planet's future and his own destiny...

Tyrant of Jupiter

End back cover of book.

The writing is a reflective biography of Hope Hubris to what he experienced in the hands of his captors as he attempts to recall his memory. I found the volume to be very entertaining and similar in approach to the previous volume. His ability of turning a bad situation into a good outcome and utilizing a person's strength to benefit both he and the person continued to engage me late at night. As opposed to a tactical combat in a naval battle, the reader is exposed to a popularity combat in a political battle. The similarities are interesting to experience considering the background of Hope Hubris.

My primary complaint (other than the new cover art with an actual steam locomotive in space) is the code words that could reactivate his mind. I feel a code word being expressed verbally or during a vision would unlock his mind as easily as his version of reading it. As a reader, think about how many times the last word would be expressed mentally (even after the second to last word if they must be done in order) when you find out the last word. I distinctly remember a code word being expressed pages before he discovered the word. An example would be the word "tyrant". If someone were reading this review out loud and said the word "tyrant" from the back cover of the book excerpt above, I should have an unlocking of memory and consequently if during that unlocking the word "Mars" were expressed and my mind comprehended the word I should have another memory renewed. The entire code word approach is fascinating but falls short when the code words become commonly expressed outside of his method of reading and do not trigger a restoration. I do not wish to spoil the book, but hopefully you'll understand my gripe after reading the book.

Thank you.

Rating:
Summary: great biographical science fiction [no spoilers]
Review: I've been recently reading novels from my past, especially those I recall enjoying. I felt like revisiting this series, seeing if I remember correctly.

Back cover of book:

Political Prisoner

He awoke in a tiny lightless cell, groping for memory...memory that had been erased. Hope Hubris, Jupiter governor, progressive populist, warrior hero, and presidential candidate...a "mem-washed" tool of the enemy. And if his captors' plan worked, Hope would destroy his own political career, leaving the fate of his planet in the hands of its corrupt presidential incumbent - Tocsin.

But Hope Hubris had a destiny to fulfill. He had the cunning to discover code words that could reactivate his mind...the strength to resist addiction to their drugs...the power to win the support of his countrymen, and finally the courage to make an agonizing sacrifice that would ensure his planet's future and his own destiny...

Tyrant of Jupiter

End back cover of book.

The writing is a reflective biography of Hope Hubris to what he experienced in the hands of his captors as he attempts to recall his memory. I found the volume to be very entertaining and similar in approach to the previous volume. His ability of turning a bad situation into a good outcome and utilizing a person's strength to benefit both he and the person continued to engage me late at night. As opposed to a tactical combat in a naval battle, the reader is exposed to a popularity combat in a political battle. The similarities are interesting to experience considering the background of Hope Hubris.

My primary complaint (other than the new cover art with an actual steam locomotive in space) is the code words that could reactivate his mind. I feel a code word being expressed verbally or during a vision would unlock his mind as easily as his version of reading it. As a reader, think about how many times the last word would be expressed mentally (even after the second to last word if they must be done in order) when you find out the last word. I distinctly remember a code word being expressed pages before he discovered the word. An example would be the word "tyrant". If someone were reading this review out loud and said the word "tyrant" from the back cover of the book excerpt above, I should have an unlocking of memory and consequently if during that unlocking the word "Mars" were expressed and my mind comprehended the word I should have another memory renewed. The entire code word approach is fascinating but falls short when the code words become commonly expressed outside of his method of reading and do not trigger a restoration. I do not wish to spoil the book, but hopefully you'll understand my gripe after reading the book.

Thank you.

Rating:
Summary: The Fantastic Third Book in a Fantastic Series
Review: Politician is the third book in the Bio of a Space Tyrant series by Piers Anthony.

Rest assured, readers of the previous two novels (Refugee, and Mercenary), this book is just as good.

While the first book in the series dealt with the future "Tyrant's" initial journey as a penniless refugee, and the second book with his travails and adventures as a rising military figure in the Jupiter Navy, this novel deals with his entry into planetary politics and ends with his emergence as the Jupiter "Tyrant".

I loved this book. It was a fascinating look at a character who grows in popularity and power through his adventures in politcs and in life. It is just as sci-fi as his other books, and is always intriguing and compelling.

It is one of these books that is interesting from the first sit down, and one that doesn't bore you with details irrelevant to the driving plot.

I didn't feel like I had to "get through it" like I do with some "literary classics", I felt like I had to get through it like a hungry person has to get through a delicious piece of cake --because it is tasty, and because he or she wants to get on to the next bite as soon as possible!

That being said, this book is not fluff. It is an intriguing look into character and into politics. I left this book with the feeling that I just had a great time, and with the certainty that I had just learned something important about the human condition and character.

If you enjoy this series I would also recommend these 3 other Piers Anthony authored sci-fi series: Split-Infinity, Cluster, and Omnivore/Orn/Ox. All are fantastic!

(This book is followed up by the fourth book in the series, "Executive", and the fifth book "Statesman".)