Rating: 
Summary: Typical Clarke
Review: I have been a fan of Clarke for over 35 years, and he has yet to flesh out a character. The "Concept" is the focal point. The language and sexuality was disappointing, but maybe that was Baxter who added it. Or Clarke is simply flowing with the culture. The attacks on historical figures was predictable, especially Jesus. But as the Afterword explains, sources for an alternative life of Jesus are common, i.e., the Jesus Seminar. In an uncharacteristic manner, the Epilogue destroyed the book. If the book at finished with the last chapter, it would have been appropriate, hinting at a sequal. However the theme of the Epilogue doesn't relate to the rest of the book. Since I can't reveal the ending, I will say that I had expected the Joined to become of the Matrix of Childhood's End. But the Epilogue fails because...never mind, can't do that without spoiling the disappointing ending. Up to the Epilogue, it was a very good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Against the Fall of Night
Review: I was 12 years old the day I found a copy of Against the Fall of Night in my attic. It was a tattered copy that mom mother had saved. It opened a whole new world of reading to me. This lastest book reminded me of those early Clarke books and the wonder and mystery that he handles so well. Read this book and then please go read all the others.
Rating:
Summary: OK, I haven't really read it yet but...
Review: It seems like a novel-length update of Asimov's nearly half-century old story "The Dead Past" (published in 1956!). That story relied on neutrinos (not wormholes) to view the very near present (although the device described there could NOT be used to view the truly long-dead, ancient past). The story had the same implications for privacy, warfare, etc. What bothers me is that the acknowledgements in the back of this book do NOT acknowledge Asimov's story. THAT STINKS!
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating extrapolation into the future
Review: I first learned about worm holes in Cliff Pickover's book"Black Holes: A Traveler's Guide." Since then I have beenfascinated by the concept. "The Light of Other Days" is especially notable because it makes the reader think about the moral and scientific applications of a device that suddenly destroys the notion of privacy. What would you do differently if you knew someone could easily be watching? Would this be good or bad for humanity? This book has sufficiently mind-blowing concepts to make it a worthwhile read for anyone who likes to think about the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Thought provoking but depressing
Review: I had higher expectations when I saw this was a collaboration by two great authors. The plot was sound. They did a good job of examining the implications of total and immediate disclosure of all events. The characterization was poor, however, and I felt the overall outlook on humanity was negative. I would hate to live in such a world of disillusionment.
Rating:
Summary: A pleasant few hours spent with Clarke and Baxter
Review: In my reviews of two other Baxter books - Manifold:Time and Titan - I've been somewhat negative, primarily about Baxter's ability to flesh out his characters. I'll also admit that in general I've been less than impressed by the series of "Arthur C. Clark & ..." books. However, I was pleasantly surprised by "The Light of Other Days." Isaac Asimov (I think) wrote a short story about the effects of being able to see the past. He concentrated on the effects of that discovery on the inventor and his wife. Clarke and Baxter expand on that theme and then upon that invention. Baxter and Clarke are masters at the "sense of wonder" I enjoy in Science Fiction, and that sense is here in abundance as you follow users of the WormCam through both the past and distant space through the wormholes that the WormCam opens. Obviously, there's more to the story, but then that's why you read a book, right? The story is solidly crafted though I confess that some of the turns and twists, and some of the characters' actions seemed to happen suddenly. That could be due to my inattention, a lack of characterization, or simply my being used to "novels" that span multiple books and use many too many pages in needlessly detailed characterization. Still, that's a personal nit to pick. Light of Other Days is a solidly crafted work, well worth your time. It is complete: No need to wait for a sequel to finish the story, and that's getting all too rare. It's also a case where the collaboration seems to have worked very well. If I seem to sense the feel of "Childhood's End" and "The City and the Stars" in the book, who knows if it was Clarke's direct influence or his subliminal influence on Baxter. Speaking of "The City and the Stars," I still think that it contains Clarke's best prose. Some of the story is a little dated, but it remains a book that I can read and re-read, savoring the wonderful use of the language that Clarke crafted into it.
Rating:
Summary: I think this is one of Clarke's best
Review: An entrepreneur in the spirit of the old guy in Jurassic Park proudly unleashes an invention that will have worldwide consequences. His "worm cam" allows the user to open a portal anywhere in the universe, at any time in the past. The invention and its effects on humanity are explored as they eventually unravel the secrets of the past, and alter the evolution of humans. Interspersed with this background is a human story involving a beautiful journalist, and the family of the entrepreneur including divorced wife, two sons, and their half-sister.
The Good and the Bad:
Clarke hits a home run with the science fiction end of it, and this is purely where the good rating comes from. The futuristic world seems believable, and the technology is put to use to answer a whole host of questions that we have fun asking-what really happened to Jesus? What is the track of human evolution? What would the response be to a sudden and total lack of privacy?
The human stories, however, are cartoonish and leave much to be desired. The entrepreneur is like the guy from Jurassic Park, and none of the characters achieve more depth than the characters of that movie. An attempt is made, but it is ultimately poorly done, as is a plot involving a kidnapping and a physical struggle in the climax.
What I learned:
The book is thought-provoking, and raises interesting hypothetical questions. What would it be like to strip away the lies we tell ourselves of our own past? Where in history and outer space would I travel? How much shame would I endure for my own past?
Rating: 
Summary: good idea, but thats about it
Review: I have enjoyed Clarke at times. 'City and the Stars,' or Rendezvous with Rama.' This idea here is a great one, looking back in time with the use of a worm hole. I also like his further exploration of ideas explored in 'Childhoods End.' What you have here is one of the two most important aspects of Science Fiction portrayed in all of its magnificence. A good idea to wrap the story around. But the characters or the means these two authors use to get the idea across feels academic. Because of the stiffness and secondary nature of the story, it is almost unreadable.
If you want a good story, skip this book. If you are looking for a great science fiction idea, this is a five star read.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Science Fiction
Review: This book is what science fiction is all about melding the science of tomorrow with an exciting fictional story. This one of those rare science fiction book that makes you think even long after you finish reading it. The more we learn about quantum physics the less that seems undoable or unimaginable. This book looks at the issue of time travel in a whole new light. It also deals with the social impacts of technology. Today you see teens dealing with life much differently than the generations before them. This book does a great job of showing the potential social impacts of a technology that lets people see all. I'm a bit biased Clarke fan, having enjoyed all his works I've read thusfar. This book continues the run. I strongly recommend you give this book a read. Though I haven't read it yet (it wasn't quite out when I wrote this review) you may want to also look at the next book these two fine authors have written Time's Eye.
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