Rating: 
Summary: Great story and a distrurbing vision
Review: Bear can be a master story teller, and this is one of his best. The plot moves quickly and presents an idea that although now new (see "War of the Worlds," presents it in a new light that will make you think. The sequel is even better.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good, but very Depressing also
Review: I have to say I really liked Forge of God. It was really well written, and I thought the concept was brilliant. I think that it showed the truth that if there is an alien race out there that is advanced enough to reach us there wouldn't be much we could do to stop them from doing whatever they wanted to us.
The book does get very depressing as it goes on. You realize that the Earths fate has been sealed and there is nothing we can do to stop it.
I thought the book had a few slow parts and, the ending was bleak but, there is sequel out there so I hope we get our revenge. I will be reading it and hoping.
I recommend Forge of God to any sci-fi junkies out there.
Rating:
Summary: A classic from the eighties
Review: The eighties produced a lot of really good science fiction. It was perhaps a third wave in the modern genre, anfter the blind belief in progress of the fifties, and the dystopian visions of the sixties and seventies. Greg Bear is but one great name of that era. He wrote several very different books. Perhaps Forge of God is one of the best. Bear is here reminiscent of Clarke with his vision of a wast uncaring universe which impacts on an unsuspecting humanity. He does introduce hope, as a few humans are saved - not out of any altruism, but as recruits in the hunt for the shadowy civilization that runs amok among the stars.
Many characters in the book die. I think he wants to stress that hope and success go hand in hand with failure and disappointment. And, sometimes, being a little person, your part tend to be little, but it is still an important part.
This book has served as an inspiration for the fim Independence Day.
Rating:
Summary: Superbly realized. Extremely disturbing. (SPOILERS)
Review: (SPOILERS) This has to be one of the most convincing and well-executed end-of-the-world fantasies ever written. The physics is very believable, the characterization is good (although there are a lot of characters to worry about!). The description of the end of the world, viewed from Yosemite National Park (among other vantage points), is so well done that I went back and reread it. And it saddened me again. If Greg Bear's vision is accurate, then the Universe is a dangerous place. Brrrrrrr! Some beautiful touches. The US President's "Fire and Brimstone" attitude curtails humanity's ability to respond to the threat. The scientists studying the problem argue about attribution of the research into the imminent end of the world - as if it will matter! The bad aliens two-pronged attack on the Earth's deep oceans and core - ouch. The only quibble I had is that the motives of the "good aliens" (who attempt a rearguard action to save representatives of Earth and its cultures) are not exactly clear. But it was nice to have some hope at the end of the book! Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: takes you there
Review: This is a fascinating book by an author who consistently draws the reader into an intricate universe that any reader can enjoy. Of the 100+ Scifi novels I've read, Greg Bear's always rank among my favorites. Right up there with Arthur C. Clarke, Asimov, and Orson Scott Card, he persistently puts the reader into a perfectly realized world that can't help but intrigue the hardest of sci-fi fans while fascinating the casual reader. As a reader, you find yourself empathizing with both primary and secondary characters. Bear is a master of putting the reader right next to his characters. They are real people caught in seemingly real situations. You're right there with them.
Some of the best end of the world visualization that I've read. You really feel that you would put yourself in the same situation given the circumstances. Check out Stephen Baxter's "Moonseed" for similar feelings. I Haven't read the sequel yet, but I've decided that everything that Mr. Bear does must be of superior quality and "Anvil of Stars" is among my "books that must soon be read" list.
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