SF Signal: Reviews of the 1975 Do-Over Project: A Klausnerian Effort

Reviews of the 1975 Do-Over Project: A Klausnerian Effort

Whew, it took me a while, most of the afternoon, but I finally polished off all the books. John, mark me complete!

I've collected all their reviews here in a single post for everyone to enjoy...

REVIEW: The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. Le Guin

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Shevek, a physicist, sought to his planet full of anarchists out from isolation while giving up his family and quite nearly, his own life. He realizes that the flames of change will come from a journey to the utopian planet of Anarres. MY REVIEW: PROS: Brilliant written, a real page turner CONS: Too short of a book -- when I got the end, I thought "Wow, what a wonderful read!" BOTTOM LINE: As Harriet would say, "I LOVE IT!"

REVIEW: The Inverted World, by Christopher Priest

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Amazon didn't have a dust jacket summary, so I can't really write a review for it. But, noone goes home unhappy, 4 stars!! MY REVIEW: Do I really have to read it to enjoy the book? PROS: Probably would have been be a real page turner, most likely to be very well-written! CONS: Missing dust jacket BOTTOM LINE: It's a good book! I won't let not reading even just a summary get in the way of my review!

REVIEW: Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said, by Philip K. Dick

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: In a day's time, Jason Taverner went from a prime-time host to a someone who has never even existed because there's no proof of his existence. MY REVIEW: It was very long and hard read... PROS: One of the biggest of Dick's writing! A must-see! CONS: Dick's biggest is also his thickest -- it took me way too long to digest this one! BOTTOM LINE: As Harriet might say, "It's so good, that I can gag!"

REVIEW: The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle

REVIEW SUMMARY: MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: An epic tale of man's initial encounter with alien life. MY REVIEW: Very epicky! PROS: Wonderful read! CONS: The title seems confusing, there wasn't anything really about God... BOTTOM LINE: If they changed it to "The Mote in Alf's Eye," it would have made more sense!

REVIEW: 334, by Thomas M. Disch

REVIEW SUMMARY: MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: A confusing novel about a housing project with psychedelic images of body snatchers and drug addicts. MY REVIEW: Was this social satire disguised as science fiction? PROS: Wonderfully confusing; hypnotically disjointed story CONS: hypnotically confusing; wonderfully disjointed story BOTTOM LINE: Since I can't make sense of it, it must be very good!

REVIEW: The Godwhale, by T.J. Bass

REVIEW SUMMARY: MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Larry Dever was put on suspended animation who was revived twice into very different worlds. MY REVIEW: What the heck is a godwhale anyway? PROS: Could be better, if there was a whale in it. CONS: Spent too much time looking for that whale. BOTTOM LINE: Where's the whale?

REVIEW: Fire Time, by Poul Anderson

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Centaurs on a planet fight for survival when their sun comes too close to their planet making it unhabitable. MY REVIEW: My hands are still sizzling! PROS: It's really really hot! CONS: It's really really hot! BOTTOM LINE: This one is smoking!