Tentacles The SF Reviews newsletter, 24th September 2002

More reviews from the pile of heap of moldy paperbacks with bright covers and brown-edged pages.

I came across an interesting web page "Definitions of Science Fiction". It collects a number of definitions of SF by various notables. Pick a definition that suits the occasion. If, for example, you are speaking at the SF Reviews Annual Ball, you may wish to choose a more flowery one than that you would use to win the argument, bottle in hand, in the Kings Head. Or not.

Best Books This Month

The best books this month were, best first:

• "The Demolished Man" by Alfred Bester
• "Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang" by Kate Wilhelm
• "Days Of Atonement" by Walter Jon Williams
• "Beggars In Spain" by Nancy Kress
• "The Dispossessed" by Ursula Le Guin

"The Demolished Man" and "Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang" are both classic works of SF and should be compulsory reading.

"Days Of Atonement" was a complete surprise. I had no idea that Williams could write so well, or so differently from his style in "Metropolitan" and "City On Fire". Jolly well done, Walter Jon.

"Beggars in Spain" and "The Dispossessed" are very worthy books. I enjoyed Beggars more than Dispossessed, but the latter leaves a more powerful trace in my memory, and probably affected me more.

Worst Books This Month

These two aren't awful, just not very good, and they were both disappointing:

• "Limit Of Vision" by Linda Nagata
• "Anvil" by Nicolas van Pallandt

The problem with "Anvil" problem is that it has an essentially uninteresting plot. "Limit Of Vision" flops because Linda Negata failed to take enough time and enough care to think it through and do it properly.

This Month's Reviews

• "Chasm City" by Alastair Reynolds
• "The Demolished Man" by Alfred Bester
• "Diaspora" by Greg Egan
• "Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang" by Kate Wilhelm
• "Limit Of Vision" by Linda Nagata
• "Blank Slate" by Mark J. McGarry
• "Beggars In Spain" by Nancy Kress
• "Anvil" by Nicolas van Pallandt
• "The Dispossessed" by Ursula K. Le Guin
• "Days Of Atonement" by Walter Jon Williams

Next Month's Reviews

I've just finished reading Neal Asher's "THE SKINNER" so I hope I'll do my best to review that for the next update. Stunning stuff!

Having been roundly criticized in a recent email for failing to review any Asimov or Bradbury, I can only offer my standard excuse: I (still) don't have access to the major part of my book collection. This is distributed in hardened silos across two continents. Messrs Asimov and Bradbury, being some of the first authors I read, are (foolishly with hindsight) in that collection. However, I did give in and pick up a copy of Asimov's "Foundation" at the excellent "Good Day Books" last week, so an overdue review of that may appear real soon now.

Another Obituary

WWII veteran Dr Lloyd Biggle Jr died this month. His first SF novel, "All The Colors Of Darkness", was published in 1963. From what I can remember, this was pretty good. My personal favourite was the excellent "Monument" from 1974. He'll be missed.

Upbeat Science Note

I was immensely pleased to hear this month that Christopher Reeve has, after seven years, recovered some sensation in and control of his limbs, presumably due to the radical treatment he's recently been undergoing. This is astounding - for his particular injury, no recovery was expected. Go for it, Mr Reeve.

And also this month, Peter Sana of Honolulu, woke from a seven-year coma. Mens sana in corpore sano.

Urge to travel?

Are you fed up with where you're living now? Hate the commute? Loathe the people? Absolutely certain that neither globalisation nor environmentalism is ever going to make a damn bit of difference to the ravaged ruin you inhabit? Maybe it's time to move. Check out NASA's Mars Exploration Program Landing Sites.

Take care

Max

(max@sfreviews.com)