Posted on 06/28/2009 10:00:51 AM PDT by Jotmo
This thread is for posting descriptions and reviews of Science Fiction Literature, and discussion of the same.
In order to give a sufficient amount of information if you would like to recommend a book, please provide a summation of the plot along with your thoughts, and an assessment of it’s political leanings either conservative or liberal.
An objectionable content warning would be appreciated as well for those who may not wish to encounter said content unaware.
Please limit it to one book or series recommendation per thread per person.
Feel free to offer opinions of books others have recommended, and discuss any related aspects that you may find relevant.
Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from the Sci Fi Literature Ping List.
The author is M.K. Wren and the Series is “The Phoenix Legacy”. The books are ”Sword of the Lamb”, Shadow of the Swan” and “House of the Wolf”.
In the 33rd century a mighty galactic empire ruled by several great families known as the “Concord” is on the brink of annihilation.
There is a deep unrest among the “Bonds” the servant class of the Concord that threatens to grow into an uprising that could bring about the next dark ages for all humanity.
The only hope for the future is the “Society of the Phoenix” a powerful revolutionary group that has sworn to overthrow the Concord.
By joining the Phoenix, Lord Alexand of the house DeKoven Wolf will commit the ultimate act of treason and sacrifice his own identity, and his love of a beautiful high-born lady, to help save civilization from total destruction.
Some readers may find the author syndical treatment of religion in the book to be a problem. Essentially religion is used as a tool to keep the servants from turning on their oppressors, the great Families. This is encouraged by the revolutionaries because an unorganized rebellion would most likely end in a massive slaughter of the Bonds (who are kept unarmed of course), as it has many times in the past, and if it were to succeed, civilization would crumble into anarchy.
One of the main characters in the first book set himself as a sort of profit to the Bonds, and even refers to himself as “The Lamb”. Eventually he is called upon to make a sacrifice befitting his title giving it the feel of a pseudo-Christian type religion. But otherwise there are no supernatural elements in the series
I had my own problems with the main character in the series as he professes to his great undying love for a particular lady, yet at one point visits a rich kids resort of sorts, and freely cavorts with whatever females may be at hand. His lady of course, is chaste and unswervingly faithful to him to the end. Somewhat of a double standard, but the author is a woman, so I can’t really claim it’s chauvinistic. But that kind of thing always bugs me and diminishes the character’s likability in my view.
Overall it’s well written and keeps the various plots moving along with dragging them out. One crisis is finished up just as another is developing, so it’s not the same thing through the entire series. Some may find it to be somewhat soap opra-ish but you will be gripped by the story and want to find out what happens next.
Caution. Do not stat the first book unless you can secure all three. You’ll be very bugged if you can’t finish it.
Amazon has all three available for over $20 per book for the 2001 printings, and a $12 for used books.
Mine are the 1981 editions and are quite worn out and the third book “House of the wolf, has the lamest cover art of any Sci Fi book I have ever seen. Seriously, it so bad you can’t even imagine.
Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from the Sci Fi Literature Ping List.
UBIK by Philip K Dick is excellent.
Also, I highly recommend if you can find it, “Jack of Shadows” by Roger Zelazny.
“The Disappearance” by Phillip Wylie is also very good, but not sci-fi per se, kind of alternate universe stuff.
Ping
Ping
* Star Well
* The Thurb Revolution
* Masque World
"Peelgrunt," in Masque World, is arguably the most charming invention in science fiction.
Don’t forget Robert Heinlein’s SciFi books - he wrote quite a few books.
Hope this is not off-topic but what are people’s favorite post-apocalypse novels?
I just finished re-reading Day Of The Triffids and loved it. Also same author (Wyndham) The Midwich Cuckoos which was not so good.
Don’t forget “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, to heck with it, all of Heinlein’s work!
Not really sci-fi “Lucifer’s Hammer”, asteroid hits the earth
Currently, the only Science Fiction Authors I’m aware of are Hamilton, Travis Taylor, the Benford twins, and a few others.
Further out excellent authors I’m following are John Ringo, Tom Kratman, David Weber of course (though he’s slowed down a lot of late). Alan Dean Foster, of course, but he’s almost as slow as Gerrold.
Love Eric Flint’s 1632/Grantville books, as a franchise it’s doing really well!
New Mil Sci-Fi guys are Jack Campbell (getting there), Douglas Ian, and John G. Hemry. Mike Moscoe was good, but he’s kinda faded away; Absolutely loved Lois McMaster Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan books, but she’s doing much inferior stuff these days, Dunno why.
John Scalzi writes a good schtick, Catherine Asaro’s OK, and so’s Elizabeth Moon. I like Mark Simmons stuff, and a few others, but comparatively speaking the pickin’s are slim these days.
It is an addictive little story. I enjoyed it VERY much. Now I am going to read more of them in the series...
The genre was invented, some would assert, by the guy who wrote A Canticle for Leibowitz (Walter Miller?) as an act of penance for his role in destroying Monte Cassino, the oldest functioning monastery in Europe. He was a navigator.
Lucifer's Hammer is worth reading, and re-reading. Weird things happen in stressful times, such as the proliferation of cults. (paranthetically, in Kiev in 1992, there were many hand-made posters plastered up around town recruiting for the White Brotherhood, a movement headed up by a man and wife who claimed to be the reincarnations of Peter and Paul.)
This is a topic dear to my heart. In fact, I'm working on a dissertation that compares several real-world post-apocalyptic documents, that actually looked beyond the end of the writer's world to envision, and define, the replacement world.
If anyone would like to beta read a new SF ms, it should be ready for first reviews ~Aug. 1. Please PM me for details, if interested.
Samuel Delany’s “Nova” ; classic sci-fi that would make a great movie if done right.
“Dune” is one of my all-time favorite books.
And, I agree about “Lucifer’s Hammer”, too.
Thanks for that. I just put Nova on hold at the library. I’ll check it out.
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