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Science Fiction Magazine ... Read more

Product Description
Science Fiction Magazine ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Crisis III The War Machine
This was the best of the crisis of empire series, a standalone novel set in the same universe as the rest of the series.Although there are some tieins to the rest of the series this can be enjoyed on its own andconclusion does not affect the rest of the series. The main character, AlSpencer is a navel intellignce officer who has just had his life ruined bythe whims of the empire.He is picked up out of the gutter by the KonaTatsu (secret police), cleaned up, given a small task force and sent to aworld where KT agents keep disappearing. The novel deals with the problemsof understanding and dealing with an Artificial Life form (AI) while at thesame time trying to deal with his own problems.One of the booksstregenths is the personality built into the AI.Although enormouslypowerful it has its own weakness and gaps in understanding.The book takesa little while to develop its characters and situation but by a third ofthe way through it is hard to put down.Highly reccomended ... Read more

Product Description
His body badly injured in an accident, robotics expert David Bailey mindloads his own consciousness into Herbert, his home maintenance robot, only to see Herbert arrested for Bailey's presumed murder. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A situation we will soon face
The Modular man was written in 1992 about a time we have not yet reached; but that we are fast approaching. MacBride has summed up in this book the core issues of the ethical debate that is suffusing our current discussions of health care reform.

We have serious topics here but they are wrapped in a great combination of adventure and mystery.

On the one hand is the argument that everyone should have the same access to health care and on the other acceptance that the rich will always get something better. How much can and should we do for life extension? What are the ultimate implications of our decisions? Does outlawing expensive private procedures actually hurt everyone as R&D is reduced? How are these issues handled in an intensely political environment, especially where one side is committed to "winning at all costs". What can a few determined individuals do against "the System".

I bought the book because I was re-reading an old "Analog" that contained the first part of the book as a serial and I could not find the next issues. Such was the impact that I just had to get the rest of the story. I was not dissapointed! A great read!

Shows What It Means To Be Human
This is a standard philosophical sci-fi novel with little action and lots of digression.The central issue is the very meaning of humanity.Should you look concentrate on the physical 'human being' when defining a human being?How much of your body should be original before you are a legal cyborg?

A wealthy man and his wife were hurt severely in a vehicle accident and barely cling to life.The man, David, realizes he is going to die very soon and sets up a mindload into a modified cleaning robot.His robot shell is prosecuted for murder because he survived 'his' own suicide.His wife Suzanne, a trial lawyer rendered quadriplegic by the accident, takes up her husband's case using a remotely controlled body.

Personally I thought this particular science fiction novel rose above thenormal space opera and speculative futures so common in the genre.Without a science fiction backdrop, it could easily be called modern literature.The characterization of the supporting cast is a bit rigid, but 'Modular Man,' as the story of David and Suzanne, is an excellent novel.The middle may be a little slow, but the end makes the entire experience worth it.

Excellent, highly entertaining book
I thouroughly enjoyed this book.

It wasn't just science fiction, it discussed some pressing moral issues such as euthanasia and the right to die with dignity.

It discusses the social implications of immortality andthe associated hoarding of wealth (which applies today toinheritance).

It had a very positive outlook on life...my favourite quotein the whole book after a crippled woman is asked why she chooses to go onwas "because it feels good to be alive" and that about sums it upfor me. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a stirring, far-future robot novel and an invitation toAsimov's millions of fans to take part in his final vision ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Entertaining and Striking!
Calibran is a culmination of Isaac Asimov's series (not written by Asimov).This story takes place hundreds of years after robots have made everything easy for humans.The planets greatest robot scientist is found in a pool of her own blood with robot footprints going out two directions of the room.While detectives try to figure out what happened and ruling out robots because they are all three laws safe, they realize that there is much much more going on than just the standard robot development.If you enjoyed the movie I Robot and any of Asimov's books, you'll love this novel.Entertaining and full of great concepts that will leave you wondering if you should use your laptop or not.

Rethinking the 3 Laws and the value of work
This is a murder mystery, as Many of Assimov's books were, but this takes on important new levels. An in depth look at the famous 3 laws from the perspective of what it does to the society attitudes and pyschology. It talks about change, risk and spends time focusing on what some of the robots think, especially the radical new robot Caliban. It speculates on what what slave owners might have thought about the propoerty that dearly depended on, and reminds us that what we do everyday can matter, at least to ourselves. The ending of the mystery was a little to convienient, that is why only 4 stars.

Better than Asimov
Superficially, at least, Isaac Asimov's Caliban is like many of the Asimov robot novels: a human investigator working with a robot partner to solve a crime against a political background. The way the story is contructed is somewhat similar, as is the restrained use of language and the "feel". But I found this book far superior to any of Asimov's novels.
A crime is committed at Leving Laboratories on the planet of Inferno. The planet's best roboticist has been assaulted, and unbelievably, the attacker seems to have been - a robot. The Sheriff of Hades, Alvar Kresh, is called in to investigate with his robot assistant, Donald. Meanwhile, the presence of Settlers on the planet, called in to assist with Inferno's failing terraforming, complicates matters . . . and the robot Caliban is awake and on the loose, with only a limited understanding of what is around him.
Allen just writes so well, and so much better than Asimov ever did. His characters, both human and robot, leap out at you as real. Alvar Kresh and Fredda Leving, the roboticist, have genuine depth and engage our sympathies. The setting of Inferno is really brought to life, both its geography and people, and we are thus given something that Asimov never gave us: a solid picture of Spacer society. In Caliban, we have the naive observer, who both drives the action and provides a useful commentary on what he sees around him. That commentary links in to the central issues of the novel: why are things the way they are between humans and robots? Is the status quo harmful to both? Fredda's responses to these questions, the actions they lead her into, and what results from them, are really at the heart of this story.
I always really enjoyed Asimov's classic robot novels, but reading Allen's has shown me how limited they are. With his superior characterisation and writing abilities, and the way he takes fresh ideas about robots to their logical conclusion, Allen gives us a more enjoyable and thought-provoking read than Asimov ever did.

Caliban: A Stranger In A Strange Brave New World
It must be daunting for any writer to pick up the threads of the popular works of a deceased author. Roger MacBride Allen, in CALIBAN, has had the nerve to write what clearly is but the first in a new series of novels set in Asimov's pre-Foundation robot series--and has pulled it off. Allen has used elements of Asimov's style and has improved on it, eliminating much of the static preachiness that so often stilted the Master's canon.
In CALIBAN, Allen writes of a new type of robot, one that is not bound by the iron-clad strictures of the sacred Three Laws. The robot Caliban is accused of murder, and since it is publicized that he is a non-Three Law robot, he is pursued so that he may be disassembled. The plot involves the intricate working out of the details that relate to his supposed guilt. The charm of the novel lies in Allen's ability to plug in the philosophical holes that Asimov left in his Robot series. Why exactly were robots built? What has caused some humans (Spacers) to rely on robots for their very lives and others (Settlers) to hate robots enough to write them out of Settler history books? And finally, what is the future relationship between Spacers, Settlers, and robots? Mr. Allen does a superb job of tying together the disparate threads of Asimov while still managing to weave a gripping tapestry of his own that can stand on its own.

Better than Asimov's Own Robot Books
I've read all of Isaac Asimov's robot novels and they all have their good points, but they also suffer from the same formulaic plots and the same stock characters.Not so with this first in a series novel.Allen takes Asimov's laws of robotics to a new level.The characters are more interesting and the plot is engaging.This is an excellent extension of Asimov's formula.A better story that is still respectful to its source material. ... Read more

Product Description
Before his death, Asimov proposed the "New Laws", laws which endow helping hands, not slaves. But the upheaval this creates produces terrible anxiety. On the world of Inferno, the no-law robot Caliban finds himself intermediary in the complex relations between robots and humans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

asimov continues
2nd is a trilogy set in the asimov universe between the robot novel series and the foundation series. If you are an Asimov fan you will enjoy this series.

Weakest of the trilogy
'Caliban', the first in this trilogy, is a good book and well worth seeking out, so is the third one, 'Utopia'. This is easily the least of the three. Although Allen tries to expand his examination of Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics by introducing New Law robots the concept is not done with any verve, pace or excitement. As noted by another reviewer it has an Agatha Christie feel to it but without the charm or style of her mysteries. It's not even a particularly interesting puzzle. There's nothing in this middle book that can't easily be caught up with in the third. And the concept of Three Law/No Law and New Law is better examined there as well. You really don't need to spend the time on this one.

The sequel should have been better, but was not
While the murder mystery was well set up, the ending was more of Agatha Christie ending, with a parlor room scene and a head shaker of a perpetrator. The political intrigue which should have been the height of this story was not focused on well enough. This is a society in the grips of an awful set of diriving forces that should have rocked the foundations of the planet. But you didn't feel that pain from the governor. The 4 law Robot introduced isn't given the same exploration that Caliban was in the first book. You do not get behind his head. The pain of transition should have been brought to bear hear as their are real world examples all around us. This missed the boat.

I feel sorry for Isaac Asimov.
If he were alive to see what Allen did to his Robot Universe, he would strangle the guy. This is a perfect example of why Allen should've stuck to those Little House On The Prairie sequels. The basic idea of Inferno (Just like it's predecessor, Caliban) is the creation of two new kinds of robots: The New Law robots and the No Law robot, and their effect on the society of the planet Inferno. The New Law Robots are freer than the original Three Law robots in Asimov's books, but have their own share of problems; Caliban, the only robot created with no laws, is of course the most free, but is far from human. This is all well and good, and in a more capable writer's hands would have been interesting, but Allen takes his one or two good ideas and throws them in a turbine. I'm sorry, Mr. Allen, but I don't really care about the intimate details of Tierlaw Verick's body, or anyone else's, for that matter. Whatever happened to "don't tell, show"?

Inferno
This book reads like a middle ground book, which it is. It is the connector between Cailban and Utopia. It's a good book and expands a little more on the Spacer/Settler interaction on the planet Inferno through the vehicle of Chanto Grieg's murder. Lot's of interesting touches like theforced conscription of robotic labor that help define the society and dressthe stage for Utopia. A very good book if not as good as the first. ... Read more

Product Description
Returning to his home planet for a trade summit, Han Solo finds the five worlds of the sector on the brink of civil war as the agents of the New Republic Intelligence plot a mysterious and deceptive plan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (66)

Enjoyable light reading for Star Wars fans
Something is wrong on Han Solo's home planet, Corellia. New Republic Intelligence knows that, but they do not know enough about the threat to deal with it. In fact, they don't know enough to justify objecting when Chief of State Leia Organa Solo plans to combine diplomacy with a much needed family vacation. So they send an operative to warn Leia's husband, who will transport his family aboard the Millenium Falcon, even though it's only in the vaguest of terms.

Han Solo has not returned to Corellia in many years. He finds it disappointingly changed, with the prosperity he remembers gone and the peaceful interaction among the system's three species - Human, Drall, and Selonian - also only a memory. A "Human League" parade crosses his path almost as soon as he's off his ship, and things don't get better after that.

This is the first book in a trilogy, and it is an exciting, well paced start. The apparent subplot, in which Lando Calrissian enlists Luke Skywalker's help as he sets out to find and wed a rich wife, seems unrelated for awhile; but it comes together with the main plot as the story develops, and it does so in a way that makes sense. Enjoyable light reading for Star Wars fans, although I doubt this one would appeal much to mainstream science fiction readers.3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of 2005 science fiction EPPIE winner "Regs"

decent but not very satisfying
This book is easy to read and has a simple plot. The target audience seems younger than previous novels (like the Black Fleet crisis). The book ends without any resolution to the storyline, which is expected since this is another trilogy.

This far along into the post-movie storyline, the books are starting to feel the same. Part of that feeling comes from the characters being mostly static. Previous adventures don't change the characters. For example, Han approaches troubles in this book in the same way that he did in the earlier books, and Lando is just as care-free and trivial as ever. The stories would be better if the characters matured as time progressed.With characters that never mature and a basic plot, this book isn't all that satisfying for adult readers.

You never know what will happen when you go home
The time has come for Han Solo to go home to his homeworld of Corellia.He along with Leia, Chewie, and his children go for an important trade summit.But a New Republic Intelligence agent, Belindi Kalenda warns him of the unknown situation on Corellia.Once there, the situation escalates, as none of the major species (human, Drall, and Selonian) can stand each other.
Meanwhile, Lando (with the aid of Luke) has a different mission in mind...one that could make him comfortably rich for the rest of his life.
NOTE: This is a review based on the audio book and what I remember from reading the actual novel years ago.

I Liked:
The new characters.To be honest, earlier Star Wars novels (minus the Thrawn Trilogy and the X-Wing series) have generated mediocre or lousy characters, some of which include Prince Isolder, Admiral Daala, and Kueller.Here, I found I loved the new characters, particularly Belindi Kalenda, Ebrihim, and Tendra Risant.
Belindi initially struck me as a woman that was good to look at but far from drop dead gorgeous.So that, and the fact she gets a part of the action, means I was instantly drawn to her.I love how we get to be with her for her crash landing, how she is part of the NRI, and how Han helps her escape Corellia to send an important message to Coruscant.
Ebrihim is one of the few aliens I've actually enjoyed.Maybe it's because I don't understand most aliens, maybe it's because most aliens feel too human or maybe it's because aliens tend to be written too boring.Anyway, Ebrihim is cool because A) he is a mini-Wookiee (Okay, so a skinnier Ewok, but I'll just pretend Han said shorter Wookiee), B) he is no-nonsense, and C) he isn't intimidated by either Leia's popularity or her kids' wise cracks.I almost envision him as a hairier (if that is even possible) Gimli.
Lastly, Tendra Risant.Another woman I can relate to!She is slightly overweight (despite how she is drawn with perfect curves in her Wookieepedia profile) but very kind, and generous.I am very glad that Lando found her.She was a perfect doll.
The main characters come off very well as well.Han and Leia in particular are excellent, namely Han.It was enjoyable to watch him return to Corellia, to see him roam the streets.And you can really feel the romance, the love between these two, which is sometimes sorely lacking in these books.
Lando and Luke are present too (I absolutely adore the conversation Mon Mothma has to Luke), but I want to focus on someone else not seen often enough: Mara Jade.She reappears in this book, to deliver a message to Han and Leia.I love how she comes back (even if I am not fond of the idea of her having her own business--I just don't like how "hasty" and "slipshod" it feels, but that would be Anderson's fault, because he introduced that idea first in his Jedi Academy trilogy).
As for the story, I was stunned.It is so interesting!Initially, Han and Leia are going to Corellia for a trade summit, but then they run into a huge conflict between the species of the Corellian system.This is such a unique story, such a cool conflict!And yeah, it ends up including a stupid superweapon, but somehow, that isn't so annoying at this point.At least the enemy isn't the Empire!And who could hate a story set on a planet where Han was born?

I Didn't Like:
The wallbanger moments in this book are pleasantly few and far between.The only noteworthy one was Lando's mission.You see, Lando's latest scheme is to marry into money.Yeah...that's...nice.While it is interesting to see a man try it instead of a woman, I still was a bit perturbed at how it takes away from an otherwise amazing story.And would Luke really try to help Lando marry someone for money?In fact, it seem odd to me that Mon Mothma actually encourages Luke to join Lando.I know she wants him to cultivate his more political/diplomatic side, but how is helping with the courting process going to do that?

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Little to none.
There is chemistry between Han and Leia.Lando seeks out a wife, one of which feeds off her mate's life essence.
Han runs headlong into a Human League march, which lands him in jail.Belindi crash lands on Corellia.

Overall:
This was another of those books I read when I was a teen and vastly enjoyed.After all the other books that haven't quite favored as well in my adult eyes, I was pleased to find this one enjoyable once again.Yes, it's still a bit silly in places, but I think the characters are well-done and the plot shows thought.A good read.

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

Padded start to the Corellian Trilogy
Roger MacBride Allen's Ambush at Corellia is the first volume of the Corellian Trilogy and was published in the heyday of the Bantam Spectra Star Wars license in the 1990s. Set fourteen years after Return of the Jedi, this story sets up a conflict in the Corellian system, which comprises five planets and three distinct sentient species. Han Solo is a native Corellian and a trade conference brings him and his family back home after many years away. Overlooking an early warning of danger brewing in the Corellian system, Han and Chief of State Princess Leia, along with Chewbacca and their three children, all travel together to attend the summit. Events start building towards a crisis and by the book's resolution, full-out war threatens the entire system.

Despite the action implied by the plot summary, I found this book a slow read. At its core, it felt like an elongated setup for the next two books, one that could have been condensed into a few chapters. It's mildly interesting learning more about Corellia, and the system itself is one of the more intriguing of the galaxy far, far away. Its mix of three species plus various outside influences from the Empire and New Republic creates a potent stew of simmering tension. This material is good background and perhaps will pay off in the next two volumes, but taken on its own there simply wasn't that much to this story.

The Solo family is at the center of the novel, especially with the revelation of the identity of the Human League's Hidden Leader at the climax. Leia continues to be a sympathetic and inspiring figure as she deals with balancing work and family life. We explore some of Han's emotions as he revisits his past on the Corellian trip, but this exploration doesn't illuminate anything significantly new about his character. The three children are frequently present but don't get the limelight as often as they did in The Crystal Star. One oddity in the portrayal of the children is Anakin behaves more like a toddler than a seven-year-old, both in speech and in actions (at least, based on my own 2.5 year-old daughter, who talks quite a bit like Anakin in this book).

The "B" plot follows Lando, Luke, R2-D2, and C-3PO as they embark on a quest to find Lando a rich wife. This is as silly as it sounds. I can understand that Luke might need a break from carrying the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders, but a Jedi Master wasting time on a trip like this is a lot to swallow. Lando is a good character but surely Mr. Allen could have found something more meaningful for him to pursue: this plot would have been better left "off-screen," as it were.

Ambush at Corellia is not a difficult read or particularly long. It simply felt slow because of the dragged-out storyline. The stage is set in the climax for the rest of the trilogy to accelerate significantly, so it will be interesting to see what follows.

The Corellian Trilogy, Book One
Ambush at Corellia is the first book in The Corellian Trilogy. In this initial story, Han and his entire family plus Chewie go back to his home world of Corellia for a trade summit and a vacation. Han also plans to show his kids the world where he grew up many years ago. The level of excitement in the family is high. However, as usual, things are not as simple as they seem to be.

Shortly before the trip, Han is visited by an operative from New Republic Intelligence who informs him that many things are going wrong in Corellia and that he needs to be careful on the trip. The warning is couched in mysterious terms. Han decides to go ahead with the trip against his best judgment. On the approach to Corellia he realizes that things are in fact going wrong, and the problems escalate from there. The five inhabited worlds of the Corellian Sector are on the brink of civil war and the once peaceful co-existence of the three leading races - human. Selonan, and Drallan - has come to an end. By the end of the book Han and Leia find themselves trapped on a world about to explode in violence unless they can meet a fanatical Rebel leader's impossible demands.

All of this sounds good, but I kept feeling that nothing much was actually happening. Possibly the next two books in the trilogy will pick up. I also had significant problems with a venture that Lando and Luke are involved in, i.e., finding Lando a rich wife. None of this rang true at all to me. I cannot imagine Lando being a part of such an effort, and I don't know as yet why we should care.

Time to move on to the second book, Assault at Selonia.
... Read more

Product Description
Thomas B. Allen’s expertise in military history and strategy is combined with Roger MacBride Allen’s knowledge of technology to reveal a lesser-known yet fascinating side of the 16th president of the United States. Their authoritative narrative reveals Lincoln as our nation’s first hands-on Commander-in-Chief, whose appreciation for the power of technology plays a critical role in the North’s Civil War victory over the less developed South.

Readers meet Lincoln as he exchanges vital telegraph messages with his generals in the field; we witness his inspection of new ship models at the Navy Yard; we view the president target-shooting with the designer of a new kind of rifle; and we follow Lincoln, the man of action, as he leads a daring raid to recapture Norfolk, VA.

The book’s historic sweep also sets Abraham Lincoln in the context of his military era: we learn about the North’s Anaconda Plan, the South’s counter strategies, and how the concept of total war replaced the old Napoleonic way of fighting. Readers will come away with a rich sense of a leader who lived through one of the most exciting ages of technological and social change in America. With archival photographs, artwork, and maps, Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War brings alive a time when the railroad brought soldiers and to and from the battlefields, when hot-air balloons were used for surveillance, and when ironclad warships revolutionized naval warfare.

The Allens’ detailed study demonstrates why Lincoln’s appreciation of the importance of technology, his understanding of the art of war, and his mastery of military strategy were key elements in the winning of the American Civil War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A stunning insight into technological warfare during the Civil War!
The industrial revolution would transform lives, but prior to that Lincoln's ancestors experienced little change, if any.His father and grandfather's generations all accomplished things in the same, predictable manner, but in Abraham Lincoln's time things began to change.Inventions began to change the world.Even Lincoln owned a patent, "A Device for Buoying Vessels Over Shoals."

During the Civil War the use of new technology was of the essence as crisis showed Lincoln "the importance and difficulty of handling logistics-the art and science of getting troops, weapons, and equipment where and when they [were] needed."The Pony Express was out, the telegraph was in as he needed to keep in touch with his troops.He learned Morse code and wrote and read messages to and from his troops.Observation balloons were sent aloft to spy on the Confederate troops, even if they were difficult to control.

The "Merrimack" was turned into an ironclad ship, the first of many.The race was on to develop innovative warship designs.By land or by sea, the war was in a technological race to win the war!The Civil War was called the "last ancient war" and "the first war in which railroads played a major part."The rails would move the troops into battle or out of harms way.As weaponry became more sophisticated, the casualties mounted. A huge explosion blew up a Confederate fort.Where would this technology lead us?Was there no end?

This book gives stunning insight into the technological advances that Lincoln and the troops used during the Civil War.The usual imagery is one of hand to hand combat, not one of increasingly sophisticated warfare.This book is very well written page turner. The book is set up in double columns, has numerous pertinent boxed materials, is amply illustrated, has an excellent bibliography, an index and many additional online resources.This is a ten star book and well worth the asking price! ... Read more

Product Description
The world's first Time Capsule, filled with artifacts and documents that tell the story of 1930s America, was buried at the site of the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair. Time Capsule II was buried ten feet away at the 1964-1965 Fair. Together, the two Time Capsules comprise a message to the future, meant to be opened by the people of the year 6939 A.D. But what if, by that date, all knowledge of the Fairs, of New York City, of the English language itself, has been lost in the mists of time? How were the Futurians to find this hidden trove of knowledge, or know what it contained? The simple but wildlyambitious answer: The Book of Record of the Time Capsule--a treasure map in book form, intended to teach the Futurians our language, tell them who we were, and lead them to the buried treasure that awaits them. Time Capsule: The Book of Record precisely reproduces every page of the text typesetting and illustrations of the original Book of Record, and includes a brief but detailed history of the Time Capsules and the original Book of Record, brief biographies of the men who created The Book of Record, and a full index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Married and still heroic
This is one of my "keep and re-read" books that I have worn the paperback covers almost off of. A space action yarn, but with the unusual twist that the heroes are a happily married couple. Mac is the self-confessed comic-book-like hero and commander, while his wife Joslyn is the Brit spacecraft pilot, and a surpurbly skillful one ('hot pilot' - books own description - in the best sense). They are members of a new Survey service, but their first survey voyage is interrupted by drone sent from their base, which has the alarming warning that a planet called New Finland has been attacked by a (human) group calling themselves The Guardians - in fact, the very tough Finns have apparently already lost. There is a hint that at least one other survey ship, presumed lost, might have been captured by The Guardians. Mac and Joslyn are give the option of investigating this impossible invasion, or not, as they choose. Of course they go for the gusto, and a great space/military adventure begins...

Very clean writing, with no explicatives to marker-out, and married romance instead of steamy sex. Would that they all came that way...

I agree with the other reviewer that there are more sophisticated & thought-provoking SF books out there, but THIS one is "comfort food" for the eyes. Buy it if you can find it, and cozy up to the fire with a mug of hot chocolate.

The sequel was just as good, and also worth the read.

Good example of SF
I don't think this book can be considered a masterpiece of SF,but it's certainly a good and involving book,and I think it's difficult to dislike it.Good reading ... Read more