Beyond the Veil of Stars

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, mature Sci-FI
Review: Mr. Reed is one of the better "new" sci-fi writers in the field... if you like original ideas, shape-shifter plots, or that "high lonesome" feeling of old Bradbury novels, this might be for you.

Don't bother applying if you feel sci-fi is best as a "blaster wielding, green alien slug fest"... this novel and its follow up will make you ~think~, and perhaps dream, of alternate realities.

After reading both books in this (so far short) series, I have been completely haunted, and have re-read both books numerous times since. Quite original - devastatingly believable.

Rating:
Summary: makes the reader think about his real purpose in reality
Review: "beyond the veil of star" a book solely for those who haven't forgotten what dreaming was all about. The world of dreams has no defined landscape exept the mind which is limitless, robert reed takes me back to a childlike state in the nostalgia of this book.

Rating:
Summary: Posing as SF
Review: Good writing and characterization but not much on plot and definitely no action. Don't be fooled by the interesting looking cover. The surprises didn't surprise. It's like a 1st contact story that condenses the contact to 10 pages after 300 pages of setup and then ends abruptly with nothing happening in between.

Rating:
Summary: Great characters no surprises
Review: Good writing and characterization but not much on plot and definitely no action. Don't be fooled by the interesting looking cover. The surprises didn't surprise. It's like a 1st contact story that condenses the contact to 10 pages after 300 pages of setup and then ends abruptly with nothing happening in between.

Rating:
Summary: Posing as SF
Review: This novel did not work for me. The plot was built around a silly premise, and several idiotic notions. Cornell, as a character, seemed like a two-dimensional cardboard cut-out, and gave me absolutely no sense of feeling for him. At the end, I felt like I had been stuffed full of too much Sweet 'n' Low - the book had a few good ideas and themes stuffed in behind the rest, but not nearly enough to constitute anything of any real worth. However, out of everything bad I've said about the book, it earns an extra star because of the author's writing style. While I didn't enjoy the book, I did like the style of writing the author used to elaborate on those ideas. Unfortunately, this is one of Reed's better novels. Which isn't saying much.