A fun read and one that was difficult to put down due to the pace and frequency of events with a murderous intent. It was sometimes difficult to underA fun read and one that was difficult to put down due to the pace and frequency of events with a murderous intent. It was sometimes difficult to understand why Ravenna didn't "get" the situation with Ethan Sweetwater a bit sooner. It seemed pretty clear to me that he was smitten from the get-go. A very enjoyable and entertaining visit to Harmony, a world where anything could and frequently does happen....more
The second in the Lost Night Files series, this one, too, has a lot of paranormal activity in the storyline. Luke and Talia, both unwilling subjects iThe second in the Lost Night Files series, this one, too, has a lot of paranormal activity in the storyline. Luke and Talia, both unwilling subjects in a paranormal augmentation test program, are now looking for facts as to their lost night. They have no memory of the experiment, only the results. Slowly their new talents and their research lead them to each other and a new off-the-charts experiment program. Both are interesting characters, there is some suspense, a few murders, and a fast-paced plot, so it is easy to read this one until it is done....more
This series seems to tie the Mystic series and the Magic series to a later date which then continues on to the California Malcolms series, so I didn'tThis series seems to tie the Mystic series and the Magic series to a later date which then continues on to the California Malcolms series, so I didn't get a feeling of completeness with this story, plus the Malcolms don't seem to be making a lot of progress in teaching and understanding their gifts. Celeste and Erran have similar talents, but with a female and male perspective. Celeste tends to persuade; Erran to order. Taking place in 1830, fifteen years after the Battle of Waterloo, at a time in England's history when there is a lot of unrest, particularly between labor and owners, the recurrent theme of women with no legal power continues added to by laborers with no vote or power and men with no vote if they have no land. Plus England is just beginning to discover industrialization. The heroine is from Jamaica. Her slaves have been set free, but slavery still exists even though slave trading has been banned. Explosive doesn't begin to cover it. Still, I felt the story was unfinished or incomplete somehow, which left me dissatisfied.
Merged review:
This series seems to tie the Mystic series and the Magic series to a later date which then continues on to the California Malcolms series, so I didn't get a feeling of completeness with this story, plus the Malcolms don't seem to be making a lot of progress in teaching and understanding their gifts. Celeste and Erran have similar talents, but with a female and male perspective. Celeste tends to persuade; Erran to order. Taking place in 1830, fifteen years after the Battle of Waterloo, at a time in England's history when there is a lot of unrest, particularly between labor and owners, the recurrent theme of women with no legal power continues added to by laborers with no vote or power and men with no vote if they have no land. Plus England is just beginning to discover industrialization. The heroine is from Jamaica. Her slaves have been set free, but slavery still exists even though slave trading has been banned. Explosive doesn't begin to cover it. Still, I felt the story was unfinished or incomplete somehow, which left me dissatisfied....more
The Zodiac and Astrology theme seemed a bit far-fetched to me, so I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others in the series. Lady Aster and Theo areThe Zodiac and Astrology theme seemed a bit far-fetched to me, so I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others in the series. Lady Aster and Theo are an interesting contrast. I like the way the man is so fascinated by the woman in these series, and Theo does a good job of honing in on Aster and ignoring everyone else. In spite of the fact that Aster is very outgoing and Theo is an introvert, they manage to concentrate on the more important things and make a great couple, where one's weakness is the other's strength and vice versa.
Merged review:
The Zodiac and Astrology theme seemed a bit far-fetched to me, so I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others in the series. Lady Aster and Theo are an interesting contrast. I like the way the man is so fascinated by the woman in these series, and Theo does a good job of honing in on Aster and ignoring everyone else. In spite of the fact that Aster is very outgoing and Theo is an introvert, they manage to concentrate on the more important things and make a great couple, where one's weakness is the other's strength and vice versa....more
You get a little of everything in this book, murder, a failed murder which I found more interesting than the murder, Eve's and Roarke's personal livesYou get a little of everything in this book, murder, a failed murder which I found more interesting than the murder, Eve's and Roarke's personal lives and family, the minutiae of checking out all possibilities to catch the correct culprits even when Eve's gut is telling her who murdered the ex-cop but not why, plus an in-depth look into IAB and what the cops who work there have to go through to get rid of dirty cops. It is an eye-opener, for sure. Lansing struck a false note, however, in that he seemed to come out of nowhere with insufficient data as to why and what little is there makes no sense really. Also, Eve's final interview with the killer left something to be desired, since the killer rolled over way too quickly, given the killer's lack of emotional depth. ...more
Evidently, this is the first in a series of Robot books. It takes place after Aurora and Solaria and several other worlds have been colonized, but befEvidently, this is the first in a series of Robot books. It takes place after Aurora and Solaria and several other worlds have been colonized, but before Solaria becomes isolationist and Aurora becomes the head of the Spacer worlds in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. It kept my interest, and I didn't have any trouble reading for large segments of time. There is some anxiety, but perhaps not as much as there should have been, given the situations depicted. My main problem was the lack of complete resolution of the crime at the end of the book. For so many murders, there should have been more arrests of the colluding criminals. However, that might impinge on the "series" concept. I like characters continuing into other books but not so much the bad guys. I prefer that those guys reap what they sow. Immediately....more
A series of short stories, some of which appeared in Nine Tomorrows, showcased the talents of Mr. Asimov and his imagination. No matter how I tried toA series of short stories, some of which appeared in Nine Tomorrows, showcased the talents of Mr. Asimov and his imagination. No matter how I tried to second guess where he was going with each story, my imagination fell short every time. I love short stories, because they are complete and can be read in one sitting and then put down until the next. It is harder to put down a book until the end, which takes a lot longer and more out of one's day. Short stories are the answer for people like me. I particularly liked the last story, Lest We Remember. Asimov was a marvel!...more
Of the nine short stories in this book, two or three were spectacular and the others very interesting. Every once in a while, I am reminded of a TV shOf the nine short stories in this book, two or three were spectacular and the others very interesting. Every once in a while, I am reminded of a TV show that came to be more than forty years after these stories. Perhaps they provided the inspiration for Person of Interest and a few others. Well worth reading. My favorite in this one was definitely, "I'm in Marsport without Hilda". Really terrific....more
Although it contained interesting arguments on whether one consciousness or individual consciousness would be better as a future governing tool, I fouAlthough it contained interesting arguments on whether one consciousness or individual consciousness would be better as a future governing tool, I found them unnerving and unconvincing. I am stuck on the original Star Trek's episode where aliens prevented anything violent from happening on their world by not allowing guns to fire or fists to connect, etc. The worst thing Mr. Asimov had to say about individuality was that individuals tended to want to take over and tell everyone else what to do. No violence allowed would take care of most of that. I definitely did not go for the group mentality future. ...more
The First and Second Foundation chase through the Galaxy after Golan Trevise. When things come to a head, and Trevise makes a decision, one would thinThe First and Second Foundation chase through the Galaxy after Golan Trevise. When things come to a head, and Trevise makes a decision, one would think that everything is concluded. The final words, "The End (for now)" give one hope, because the different worlds that are depicted are a bit disappointing for 22,000 years in the future. I didn't go for the last world (Gaia) either. I happen to think that individuality and privacy are very important. Robots crop up tangentially, but there is not much about them other than a hypothesis, so on to the last in the series to see what happens. ...more
So far most of these books have dealt with supreme rulers, otherwise known as despots, which I was finding distressful. This one also deals with a wanSo far most of these books have dealt with supreme rulers, otherwise known as despots, which I was finding distressful. This one also deals with a wannabe despot, but the behind-the-scenes manipulation and maneuvering were much more interesting, especially when it involves a fourteen-year-old girl. Asimov does a good job of describing her internal thinking, which is pretty much dead-on. She dreams of glory and heroics and being extraordinary in her own times. Pretty typical. Sometimes the reader loses patience with her, but mostly because it is so unlikely to happen.
The idea that people can alter the mindsets of other people is now what I am finding distressful. The building blocks and decay of civilizations is fascinating, however. I wish I could see fewer signs of these things happening in our own country, both historically and today, but it has crossed my mind, thanks to these Foundation books, that our country is in decline, and I'm not sure I can ignore it as fiction....more
Interesting take on which way psychohistory could go and not work, or does it? Seldon is expecting one thing, but they get another, except that it isnInteresting take on which way psychohistory could go and not work, or does it? Seldon is expecting one thing, but they get another, except that it isn't forever, so maybe psychohistory will get back on track. So far, the different social structures Asimov describes do nothing for me. It seems somewhat horrific that the galaxy cannot exist without some despot running things. Over and over and over. ...more
Relatively slow-paced for an Asimov book, at least until the end. It does show how the robots evolved and came to the Zeroeth Law and what happened toRelatively slow-paced for an Asimov book, at least until the end. It does show how the robots evolved and came to the Zeroeth Law and what happened to Earth by the time the Empire books start. I was very happy in Elijah Baley's role, even one hundred and sixty years before, in developing the Zeroeth Law in Daneel. I think the early robot books will remain my favorites, but we will see....more
Once again, five stories loosely held together by the Seldon psychohistory founding of the Foundation on Terminus show how a society is formed and groOnce again, five stories loosely held together by the Seldon psychohistory founding of the Foundation on Terminus show how a society is formed and grows, meets several crises and solves them, first with "book" knowledge, then with religion, then with trade. Only the first 160 years are covered, so we are left wondering what will happen during the next 840 years that Hari Seldon predicted it would take to have a growing empire again. It is still in decay at this point....more
Set up in five sections, which cover approximately ten years of Hari Seldon's life and work in each, it is almost like a series of short stories. As tSet up in five sections, which cover approximately ten years of Hari Seldon's life and work in each, it is almost like a series of short stories. As they unfold, psychohistory progresses. Hari and his friends eventually determine how to forecast future events as a probability rather than a possibility. At the end, Hari comes up with the second Foundation idea. In a way, it was a sad book. The Galactic Empire slowly crumbles as does Hari himself as he ages. There are losses and gains, but somehow the losses seem to outweigh the gains. At least there is hope at the end, if nothing else....more
This book reads like Gulliver's Travels. There are 800 sectors on Trantor, and Hari Seldon visits four of them. Their different "tribal" customs wouldThis book reads like Gulliver's Travels. There are 800 sectors on Trantor, and Hari Seldon visits four of them. Their different "tribal" customs would be hilarious if they didn't make one so uncomfortable because one is forced to realize to what lengths a people will go to make themselves different from and, in their eyes, better than the other "tribes" surrounding them. It struck a little too close to home in many ways. Hari's ongoing research into how to make his vision of psychohistory work was fascinating, but there is always a feeling of doom hanging over the book that is slightly off-putting....more
A stomach-churning thriller set on Earth thousands of years in the future, the book holds you in its grip all the way through. It also appears to be aA stomach-churning thriller set on Earth thousands of years in the future, the book holds you in its grip all the way through. It also appears to be a warning of what will happen to Earth if we continue to flirt with atomic power. An accidental fission resulting from a chemist's mixing uranium with other things causes a widening shot of energy to burst through the lab. By the time it reaches the retired tailor Shwartz, it has grown big enough to envelop him entirely, only slicing through a portion of his shoe tip as he steps forward on a street in Chicago. The next thing he knows he is thousands of years in the future in Chico on a radioactive Earth. If that isn't enough, things get more and more bizarre for Schwartz as he tries to figure out what has happened to him. An exciting read....more
Very cleverly done, the story kept one in a state of anxiety and fascination from the beginning. I found it hard to follow at times, but the numerous Very cleverly done, the story kept one in a state of anxiety and fascination from the beginning. I found it hard to follow at times, but the numerous surprises were outstanding. Mr. Asimov did an excellent job of portraying Biron at 23 as an immature young man with no experience behind him, but as the book progresses Biron grows and matures rapidly. Wonderful characterization. Just as one gives up hope, something happens to cause a complete reversal....more
A bit chopped up as the reader jumps from one character to another, but very telling in which character one identifies with. For me, it was Townman TeA bit chopped up as the reader jumps from one character to another, but very telling in which character one identifies with. For me, it was Townman Terens. I worried most about what would happen to him as the story built. Samia could have been another I could identify with, but she was a little disappointing in the end. Asimov does a great job of building suspense bit by bit, and the reader wonders if there is any way that it will end well. Thank goodness for the Epilogue!...more
My favorite of the first three books, it was published much later than the first two in the series. Lovely twist at the end, and the robots Daneel andMy favorite of the first three books, it was published much later than the first two in the series. Lovely twist at the end, and the robots Daneel and Giskeard are much more sympathetic characters. Lije Baley has come a long way from his early Outside-fearing, robot-hating stance. I wasn't as pleased with Gladia's role in this book, since I feel extra-marital activity is a very low form of cheating, even if you are worlds apart, literally. ...more