The News At SF Reviews

Welcome

Quite a few reviews have been uploaded to the www.sfreviews.com this month. They are mostly of new books - the old stuff is temporarily inaccessible, but securely-stored, back in Wings One and Two far, far away from where I am now.

The absolute best books this month were

o "Falling Stars" by Michael Flynn o "Marrow" by Robert Reed o and the old classic, "Wizard" by John Varley"

I've been waiting most of this year to get hold of "Falling Stars" the concluding book in Flynn's magnificent series. It was well worth the wait. You must read this series.

"Marrow" by Robert Reed was a total surprise. I had expected something along the lines of "Sector General" by James White, but after about an hour of inattentive reading realised that it was a stunning work, and it will become a classic of SF. There's so much invention packed into this big, exciting book. The novel gives such an amazing sense of scale, both in the vast size of the ship itself and in the immense time span over which our heroes, including the lovely Washen, persist.

"Wizerd" is the second novel in the Gaea trilogy. It's the best, but it has to be read as part of the series. It's a mere twenty-two years old but certainly holds up better than I do.

This month I've been a little amused to see the marketing for "K-PAX" movie. I read the book last year and didn't think much of it. I guess it's an SF story for people that don't read SF. It'll probably turn out to be another ET, and people will discuss it at dinner parties, and I'll sit there silently thinking "read some real SF so you know what you're talking about and where the hell's the Tequila anyway". The latter part being pretty normal for me at dinner parties, as it happens.

As for the web-site itself, I've made some minor changes primarily to improve it's display on Netscape and Opera browsers. The site is undergoing a redesign to drag it into the 21st Century, or at least brighten it up a little. I've been stung into action by faithful subscriber "Jane" who commented on the "murky green" background.

OK, here are the latest uploads. If some of these links appear to be broken, it is probably "line-wrapping", so either widen your window to display the URL on one line, or cut and paste the two parts into the browser window.

"Rim" (1994) by Alexander Besher "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Alexander%20Besher_1994_Rim.htm" "The Light Of Other Days" (2000) by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Arthur%20C.%20Clarke%20and%20Stephen%20Baxter_2000_The%20Light%20Of%20Other%20Days.htm" "To Fear The Light" (1994) by Ben Bova and A. J. Austin "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Ben%20Bova%20and%20A.%20J.%20Austin_1994_To%20Fear%20The%20Light.htm" "Privateers" (1985) by Ben Bova "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Ben%20Bova_1985_Privateers.htm" "The Madness Season" (1990) by C. S. Friedman "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/C.%20S.%20Friedman_1990_The%20Madness%20Season.htm" "Mars Crossing" (2000) by Geoffrey A. Landis "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Geoffrey%20A.%20Landis_2000_Mars%20Crossing.htm" "Millennium" (1994) by Jack Anderson "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Jack%20Anderson_1994_Millennium.htm" "The Coming" (2000) by Joe Haldeman "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Joe%20Haldeman_2000_The%20Coming.htm" "Wizard" (1979) by John Varley "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/John%20Varley_1979_Wizard.htm" "Demon" (1984) by John Varley "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/John%20Varley_1984_Demon.htm" "Thunder Rift" (2001) by Mathew Farrell "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Mathew%20Farrell_2001_Thunder%20Rift.htm" "Sewer, Gas & Electric" (1997) by Matt Ruff "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Matt%20Ruff_1997_Sewer,%20Gas%20&%20Electric.htm" "Falling Stars" (2001) by Michael Flynn "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Michael%20Flynn_2001_Falling%20Stars.htm" "Shadow Of The Hegemon" (2000) by Orson Scott Card "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Orson%20Scott%20Card_2000_Shadow%20Of%20The%20Hegemon.htm" "The Secret Of Life" (2001) by Paul McAuley "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Paul%20McAuley_2001_The%20Secret%20Of%20Life.htm" "Starfarers" (1998) by Poul Anderson "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Poul%20Anderson_1998_Starfarers.htm" "Marrow" (2000) by Robert Reed "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Robert%20Reed_2000_Marrow.htm" "Donnerjack" (1997) by Roger Zelazny and Jane Lindskold "http://www.sfreviews.com/books/Roger%20Zelazny%20and%20Jane%20Lindskold_1997_Donnerjack.htm"

Well that's all for now. Let me know what you think about the reviews and the site.

Take care

Max

max@sfreviews.com