Customer Comments

Definitely a better book than the second one (possibly the best of the trilogy). A good amount of action and drama between Silo 18/17 and Silo 1. A bit violent at times and I wish they didn't kill as many of the major characters off. We find out the answers to many of the big questions. The characters are identifiable and well developed. A good recommendation for anyone that likes post-apocalyptic environments.

A very slow start to the book - due to mostly boring log entries. Plus I was wondering how someone apparently so average sounding, got to be the 17th person on Mars. But as Mark Watney (the astronaut left behind) has to come up with creative approaches to stay alive, some that work and some that don't, the book builds up steam. Characters could have been more deep and Mark's sense of humor to a bit weird. But by the end, it's hard to put the book down.

A techno-thriller of a book that starts out very confusing. But soon after grabs your attention and holds it throughout the rest. An interesting story in which a computer program (or something else?) slowing builds strength to essentially rule the world without many people realizing it and without anyone able to stop it. My complaint is it is very violent and doesn't get the plot done or to a great stopping point by the end of the book. This is definitely a multi-book series.

I'm a big fan of the Academy/Hutch series and after waiting a few years for Jack's latest, I couldn't wait to read this one. This is his classic space-opera that he has made his name off of. Priscilla is the main character in one, instead of a background player. Unfortunately, this is not as strong as the others. The book is mainly written as a group of short paragraphs and only occasionally does the plot fall into your typical chapter based book. The detail isn't quite as in-depth as the other six in this series. I know Jack is getting older but I hope better for the next one - I'm still a huge fan

This novel is a very large, in-need of pruning, book. Could have easily done without 500+ pages. It has a lot of cool concepts - cryptology, invention of digital computers, electronic money, more gold than Ft. Knox, intelligence agencies, etc. The evolution of cryptology was interesting. Certainly appealing nerds and techno-geeks.

I'm asking myself "Why didn't I read this book back in early/mid 90s?" This book is amazing in so many ways. His description of technology is eerily dead on to how we've progressed in the past 25 years. It's both fun and exciting (android life forms, 3D fully immersive internet, skate boarding wonders, heroic pizza deliverers/hackers). While it's mildly dystopic (hyper inflation, private enterprise running what's left of society, unstoppable assassin, floating refugee ship island, mind controlling viruses). Cyberpunk books should "try" to model themselves after this one.

If you grew up in the 80s and loved the pop-culture of the time (TV, movies, books, video games), this definitely a must read. I couldn't put it down after a bit of slow start of the book. I felt that the contest puzzles built up a nice climatically ending to the story and the characters were fun and identifiable. Definitely a modern day "Willy Wonka" type of story meets a coming of age in a dystopian future. I would love to see the movie, if and when it comes out, and hope to see another great book by Ernest Cline.

The first two thirds of the book is mainly world building, which is long and somewhat dry. The windup girl is an interesting character who is barely in the story till near the end. Definitely a different mixture of genres - bio punk? I also have a problem with a world in which they can manufacture new life - plants and animals but are unable to produce solar or wind power and even have difficulties with radio cranks. I also have a hard believing that countries would adhere to carbon limits or taxes when their people are starving and the country is on the verge of collapse.

Niven is great at his invention of aliens, their names, and their spaceships. The concept of a bartender serving various alien species isn't new - luckily the realism makes it more fresh. This book is listed a group of short stories but unfortunately it is more a group of unfinished ideas. The writing is hard to follow in many places and rarely rises above average. I'm disappointed because Larry used to be one of my favorite authors.

Harlan definitely has good writing but his ideas are much to be desired. Many of these stories are sick and disturbing - please don't read "Bleeding Stones". Like many authors of the 60s and 70s, his stories are influenced by the rampart use of DRUGS and violence. And because of this, a lot his ideas easily lose focus and never finish what he starts (maybe they make sense if you are under the influence). I don't really have a favorite in the book because I don't really identify with any of the tales. And one last thing, Harlan constantly complains that others steal his ideas while in this book he rips off Mickey Mouse and Moby Dick to name just two.