Silverberg, Robert

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SF Hall of Fame)

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Tag line does not exaggerate
Pure Gold
good book at a good price in mint condition
Mostly great
A great introduction to science fiction

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SF Hall of Fame)

Manufacturer: Orb Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Best Of The Best: 20 Years Of The Year's Best Science Fiction
The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories

ASIN: 0765305372
Release Date: 2005-01-13

Amazon.com

If you own only one anthology of classic science fiction, it should be The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume One, 1929-1964. Selected by a vote of the membership of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), these 26 reprints represent the best, most important, and most influential stories and authors in the field. The contributors are a Who's Who of classic SF, with every Golden Age giant included: Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, John W. Campbell, Robert A. Heinlein, Fritz Leiber, Cordwainer Smith, Theodore Sturgeon, and Roger Zelazny. Other contributors are less well known outside the core SF readership. Three of the contributors are famous for one story--but what stories!--Tom Godwin's pivotal hard-SF tale, "The Cold Equations"; Jerome Bixby's "It's a Good Life" (made only more infamous by the chilling Twilight Zone adaptation); and Daniel Keyes's "Flowers for Algernon" (brought to mainstream fame by the movie adaptation, Charly).

The collection has some minor but frustrating flaws. There are no contributor biographies, which is bad enough when the author is a giant; but it's especially sad for contributors who have become unjustly obscure. Each story's original publication date is in small print at the bottom of the first page. And neither this fine print nor the copyright page identifies the magazines in which the stories first appeared.

Prefaced by editor Robert Silverberg's introduction, which describes SFWA and details the selection process, The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume One, 1929-1964 is a wonderful book for the budding SF fan. Experienced SF readers should compare the table of contents to their library before making a purchase decision. Fans who contemplate giving this book to non-SF readers should bear in mind that, while several of the collected stories can measure up to classic mainstream literary stories, the less literarily-acceptable stories are weighted toward the front of the collection; adult mainstream-literature fans may not get very far into The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume One, 1929-1964. --Cynthia Ward

Book Description

The definitive collection of the best in science fiction stories between 1929-1964.This book contains twenty-six of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. They represent the considered verdict of the Science Fiction Writers of America, those who have shaped the genre and who know, more intimately than anyone else, what the criteria for excellence in the field should be. The authors chosen for The Science Fiction Hall Fame are the men and women who have shaped the body and heart of modern science fiction; their brilliantly imaginative creations continue to inspire and astound new generations of writers and fans.Robert Heinlein in "The Roads Must Roll" describes an industrial civilization of the future caught up in the deadly flaws of its own complexity. "Country of the Kind," by Damon Knight, is a frightening portrayal of biological mutation. "Nightfall," by Isaac Asimov, one of the greatest stories in the science fiction field, is the story of a planet where the sun sets only once every millennium and is a chilling study in mass psychology.Originally published in 1970 to honor those writers and their stories that had come before the institution of the Nebula Awards, The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame, Volume One, was the book that introduced tens of thousands of young readers to the wonders of science fiction. Too long unavailable, this new edition will treasured by all science fiction fans everywhere.The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame, Volume One, contains stories by such great masters of the form and includes the following authors:Isaac AsimovAlfred BesterJerome BixbyJames BlishAnthony BoucherRay BradburyFredric BrownJohn W. CampbellArthur C. ClarkeLester del Reyri0Tom GodwinRobert A. HeinleinDaniel KeyesDamon KnightC.M. KornbluthFritz LeiberMurray LeinsterRichard MathesonJudith MerrilLewis PadgettClifford D. SimakCordwainer SmithTheodore SturgeonA.E. van VogtStanley G. WeinbaumRoger Zelazny

Customer Reviews:

Tag line does not exaggerate.......2007-05-09

I've purchased this book in paperback and hardcover many times over because I keep giving copies away. This is an indespensible introduction to the art of writing short fiction, sci-fi style. Character studies, logic puzzles, future societies, deaths of civilizations, it's all in here. Emphatically recommended.

Pure Gold.......2007-05-08

My Mom had a dog eared paperback copy of this book from her college days. I remember reading and rereading it as a young boy. It, more than any other book, ignited my passion for science fiction. Every story is a winner and each serves as a jumping off point to explore the author's further work. Of all the SF anthologies, this is the best and is an essential part of any SF fan's library.

good book at a good price in mint condition.......2007-05-07

book arrive early and in new condition

Mostly great.......2007-05-04

Most of the stories in hear are fantastic. The intro also includes a listing of the 20 best voted scifi short stories, which I found myself refering to to see if I could relate to the 'experts' opinions. There are a few stinkers in the bunch, which I'm sure is inevitable, but probably not as many as you'd find as in other collections.

A great introduction to science fiction.......2007-03-22

A lot has been said of this volume, and most of it excellent, but I would like to add some new thoughts to this list of reviews, if I may:

The truest beauty of this book is the casual way it allows the "non sci-fi fan" to lose themselves quickly and easily in any of the wonderful stories contained herein. You can (if you so desire) simply open a page at random and start reading that story. This makes this text an excellent bridge into the fantastic realms of futuristic stories that have been shunned by many a fiction reader as being "too nerdy." each of these stories is engrossing, but all of them are quick, and to the point. They capture your imagination and then send you on your way forever touched by their visions of the world around you.

Great fiction is just that: a great story, whether it is about a North-Going Zax meeting his nemesis, an orphan boy in an abusive home learning of his secret magical powers, or a genius who invents a machine to travel time only to find the hideous fate of humanity that looms in our future. We need more books like this, books that bridge the gap between reading cultures, to allow more avid readers to expand their awareness of great tales.

I strongly recommend this book as a gift to any reader of fiction, as it provides easy access to a variety of new authors (albeit giants in the industry) without much time commitment on the part of the reader. This book is most definitely one that will be passed on several times, from one reader to the next - and that is the very best compliment any author could ever receive.

Greenberg's Text-Atlas of Emergency Medicine

Average customer rating:

Greenberg's Text-Atlas of Emergency Medicine
Michael I Greenberg , Robert G Hendrickson , Mark Silverberg , Colleen Campbell , and Anthony Morocco
Manufacturer: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Atlas of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
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Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide 6th edition

ASIN: 0781745861

Book Description

Featuring more than 1,100 full-color illustrations, this atlas is a visual guide to the diagnosis and management of medical and surgical emergencies. Emergency medicine depends on fast, accurate interpretation of visual cues, making this atlas an invaluable tool.

The book is divided into sections on prehospital management and resuscitation, organ system emergencies, and multisystem emergencies. For each specific emergency, the authors present both clinical photographs and illustrations of significant diagnostic test findings such as specimens, radiographs, endoscopic images, and ECGs. The succinct text accompanying the illustrations covers patient presentation, diagnosis, and clinical management.

The Best Of The Best: 20 Years Of The Year's Best Science Fiction

Average customer rating:

Very Good
Not perfect, but good enough
Don't you believe it
Good but should have been great
This is a wonderful book!

The Best Of The Best: 20 Years Of The Year's Best Science Fiction

Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America (SF Hall of Fame)
The Year's Best Science Fiction Twenty-Second Annual Collection (Year's Best Science Fiction)
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Members of The Science Fiction Writers of America (SF Hall of Fame)
Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century
The Year's Best Science Fiction Twenty-third Annual Collection (Year's Best Science Fiction)

ASIN: 031233656X
Release Date: 2005-01-13

Book Description

For years, The Year's Best Science Fiction has been the most widely read short science fiction anthology of its kind. Now, after twenty-one annual collections, comes the ultimate in science fiction anthologies, The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction, in which legendary editor Gardner Dozois selects the very best short stories for this landmark collection. Contributors include: * Stephen Baxter * Greg Bear * William Bigson * Terry Bisson * Pat Cadigan * Ted Chiang * John Crowley * Tony Daniel * Greg Egan * Molly Gloss * Eileen Gunn * Joe Haldeman * James Patrick Kelly * John Kessel * Nancy Kress * Ursula K. Le Guin * Ian R. MacLeod * David Marusek * Paul McAuley * Ian McDonald * Maureen F. McHugh * Robert Reed * Mike Resnick * Geoff Ryman * William Sander * Lucius Shepard * Robert Silverberg * Brian Stableford * Bruce Sterling * Charles Stross * Michael Swanwick * Steven Utley * Howard Waldrop * Walter Jon Williams * Connie Willis * Gene WolfeWith work spanning two decades, The Best of the Best stands as one of the ultimate science fiction anthologies ever published.

Customer Reviews:

Very Good.......2007-05-14

"The best" is a interperative phrase. Dozois leaves out many worthy stories but if he included all that desrved it the book would probably be 5000 pages long. All in all he has made good descisions for this anthology, it is very worthy of owning.

Not perfect, but good enough.......2006-08-04

First of all, let it be known that I bought this collection for one story by one of my favorite authors: "The Wedding Album", which did not disappoint. Of course, I had to get my money's worth by reading the whole thing.

There are some real gems in this collection: Bear's gruesome classic "Blood Music", Ian Macleod's superb "Breathmoss", Sterling's "Dinner in Audoghast", "Daddy's World", and a few others. Unfortunately, these excellent works stand up like islands in a sea of others that range from "good" to merely "competent". There was one story in particular that had me scratching my head as to why it was included.

I agree with another reviewer, in that I understand that Dozois wanted to create a well-rounded collection precisely by not picking the most widely-read works. That said, a collection of stories with the equally visceral punch of "Blood Music" and "The Wedding Album" would have really rocked my world.

Recommended.

Don't you believe it.......2005-10-31

First, I will confess that this is the first time I have bought one of Dozois "best of" books new rather than used. I have never considered his collections worth paying full price, but amongst the dross I have always found two or three real gems that was I glad to discover. I have come to conclude these gems must have been included by complete accident.

When I saw "Best of the Best", I assumed that he had decided to put out a book spanning several years, using gems only, skipping the filler. Well, I was wrong, and feel cheated out of the price of this book! I slogged through page after page of stories ranging from mediocre to poor, with nary a gem in sight.

I understand that Dozios did not actually write these stories, and therefore did not create the turgid prose, sloppy plotting, hackneyed and pedestrian themes, and uninteresting characters that fill these stories. He is, however, responsible for choosing them and holding them up to the public as the "best" examples of a genre that has so much more to offer than a reader unfamiliar with science fiction might conclude it does based upon this book.

Good but should have been great.......2005-09-20

From the way this volume is marketed, you could be forgiven for thinking that you are buying a collection of the best short fiction written in the field of science fiction over the past 20 years. Beware, this book does not contain the best of the best over the past twenty years. It does not even contain the best stories from The Year's Best Science Fiction from the past twenty years. On the other hand, it does contain some excellent stories (e.g. A Cabin On the Coast-Gene Wolfe, Salvador-Lucius Shepard, Dinner In Audoghast-Bruce Sterling, The Pure Product-John Kessel, Recording Angel-Ian MacDonald, and others.) But it also contains inexcusably slight and, in some instances, downright unreadable stories (e.g. Trinity -Nancy Kress, execrable chick-lit of the worst kind, The Winter Market-William Gibson, pretentious, narcissistic drool, Coming of Age In Karhide-Ursula K. Le Guin, if I want to read the gory details about puberty I'll stick to medical manuals which at least deal with humans, Lobsters-Charles Stross, twenty pages of supercool, pseudo-hightech gibberish that will make you look forward to your next root canal.) Another problem, when Dozois does get the author right, he often gets the story wrong. (e.g. He chose the slight, silly Even the Queen-Connie Willis, when he could have chosen Cibola or Last of the Winnebagoes. He chose the good but excruciatingly slow Story of Your Life-Ted Chiang, instead of the brilliant, exotic Tower of Babylon, while Salvador-Lucius Shepard is a good story, A Spanish Lesson and The Ends of the Earth are much better. Tales From the Venia Woods-Robert Silverberg is also a good story but pales beside A Long Night's Vigil In the Temple and Sailing to Byzantium -so what if it's a bit long, it's a true classic, None So Blind-Joe Haldeman is okay, Graves would have been a much better choice, etc.) And why would Dozois feel he should limit his best authors to just one story in the volume? If this is supposed to be the best of the best why not put in two Silverberg or three Shepard stories instead of including piffle like Bears Discover Fire-Terry Bisson? And why no George R.R. Martin, one of the top five short story writers over the past thirty years? Under Siege belonged in this volume. Why no Gregory Benford? Of Space/Time and the River belonged in this volume. Alphas belonged in this volume. Why no John Varley? Press Enter belonged in this volume. If this is supposed to be the best science fiction in the past twenty years, why isn't the profoundly disturbing The Angel of Violence-Adam Wisniewski-Snerg included? So, while I think this is a good collection of stories, it should have been a great collection of stories, but isn't.

This is a wonderful book!.......2005-07-17

To Jon Bromfield's 7/10 review I say: everyone's entitled to their opinion, but, by me, au contraire; Dozois' name on the cover virtually guarantees me that I'll like the book.

If it is true that Asimov's magazine was 'banned' from some schools / districts - which I doubt; how many school districts do you know with money to carry ANY SF magazine? - it's in good company - mention The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (a '50s look at book-burning), and many another classic has been banned. Banned by who? For what?

Consider also: during this period of Dozois's editorship Asimov's was CONSISTENTLY voted top in the SF field by editors and writers as well as by fans (both in critical polls and in circulation).

More to the point, the series of "BEST OF..." anthologies which this book extracts from have themselves been lavishly awarded, and have become a standard of the field. Dozois's tastes are eclectic - about the only common characteristics of the stories here are good writing, wit or intelligence, and some kind of freshness, not just the same-old.

I was a pretty avid reader in the field from 40 to 20 years ago, then not so much; I'm reading this w/my wife, to 'catch up' on the field, and am enjoying and liking it enormously, and finding Dozois' editorial notes very helpful for following up on books & magazines w/content similar to the stories I like.

Warmly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Great collection of short novels.
Interesting and Pleasing

Legends II: Dragon, Sword, and King

Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Art of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire

ASIN: 034547578X
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Book Description

Fantasy fans, rejoice! Seven years after writer and editor Robert Silverberg made publishing history with Legends, his acclaimed anthology of original short novels by some of the greatest writers in fantasy fiction, the long-awaited second volume is here. Legends II picks up where its illustrious predecessor left off. All of the bestselling writers represented in Legends II return to the special universe of the imagination that its author has made famous throughout the world. Whether set before or after events already recounted elsewhere, whether featuring beloved characters or compelling new creations, these masterful short novels are both mesmerizing stand-alones—perfect introductions to the work of their authors—and indispensable additions to the epics on which they are based. Beyond any doubt, Legends II is the fantasy event of the season.

ROBIN HOBB returns to the Realm of the Elderlings with “Homecoming,” a powerful tale in which exiles sent to colonize the Cursed Shores find themselves sinking into an intoxicating but deadly dream . . . or is it a memory?
GEORGE R. R. MARTIN continues the adventures of Dunk, a young hedge knight, and his unusual squire, Egg, in “The Sworn Sword,” set a generation before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire.
ORSON SCOTT CARD tells a tale of Alvin Maker and the mighty Mississippi, featuring a couple of ne’er-do-wells named Jim Bowie and Abe Lincoln, in “The Yazoo Queen.”
DIANE GABALDON turns to an important character from her Outlander saga—Lord John Grey—in “Lord John and the Succubus,” a supernatural thriller set in the early days of the Seven Years War.
ROBERT SILVERBERG spins an enthralling tale of Majipoor’s early history—and remote future—as seen through the eyes of a dilettantish poet who discovers an unexpected destiny in “The Book of Changes.”
TAD WILLIAMS explores the strange afterlife of Orlando Gardiner, from his Otherland saga, in “The Happiest Dead Boy in the World.”
ANNE McCAFFREY shines a light into the most mysterious and wondrous of all places on Pern in the heartwarming “Beyond Between.”
RAYMOND E. FEIST turns from the great battles of the Riftwar to the story of one soldier, a young man about to embark on the ride of his life, in “The Messenger.”
ELIZABETH HAYDON tells of the destruction of Serendair and the fate of its last defenders in “Threshold,” set at the end of the Third Age of her Symphony of Ages series.
NEIL GAIMAN gives us a glimpse into what befalls the man called Shadow after the events of his Hugo Award–winning novel American Gods in “The Monarch of the Glen.”
TERRY BROOKS adds an exciting epilogue to The Wishsong of Shannara in “Indomitable,” the tale of Jair Ohmsford’s desperate quest to complete the destruction of the evil Ildatch . . . armed only with the magic of illusion.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Great collection of short novels........2007-03-09

I got this collection of stories just for George R. R. Martin's 'The Sworn Sword,' but after reading all of the stories I am now interested in a few new authors. This is a solid collection and I recommend it to any fans of the fantasy genre.

Interesting and Pleasing.......2005-02-25

I must admit that I was completely drawn in to The Sworn Sword, the first story by George R. R. Martin. I could not seem to put the book down, I was mesmerized. As I continued to read on and focus on the next few stories, I found myself missing the first, but, that was soon to fade away upon reading Threshold by Elizabeth Haydon. That work was also beautiful and seemingly flawless. This book in general, every story, runs your mind around these authors vivid imaginations and turn your world upside down for the moment! Great read, highly recommended!

Average customer rating:

Asimov Expands on his Award-Winning Short Story
Great sci-fi, very pertinent for the present day
Reads a bit like it was written in the 1950s . . .
Logistics of a society breakdown
Enjoyable, if somewhat flawed.

Nightfall (Bantam Spectra Book)
Isaac Asimov , and Robert Silverberg
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553290991
Release Date: 1991-08-01

Customer Reviews:

Asimov Expands on his Award-Winning Short Story.......2007-06-13

Originally written by renowned science fiction author Isaac Asimov as a short story in 1941, "Nightfall" describes the planet Kalgash and the impending darkness which is about to overcome the planet.

As the novel begins, a local amusement park ride called "The Tunnel of Mystery" has been linked to several cases of insanity and even death. The ride, which lasts for 15 minutes, plunges the rider into complete darkness, something completely unheard of on the planet Kalgash. The planet is bathed in continual sunlight by six suns, but astronomers have discovered a rogue satellite which may trigger a completely foreign occurance: Nightfall. Five of the planet's six suns are due to set at the same time, while an eclipse of the sixth sun will plunge the planet into darkness.

For Theremon, a newspaper reporter; Beenay, an astronomer; Siferra, an archaeologist; Sheerin, a psychologist; and Folimun, a religious leader; the prospect of nightfall is almost inconceivable. They have lived in light all of their lives, but the prophecy of nightfall is about to come true. Predicted by the astronomers and archaeologists, the eclipse of Kalgash's 6th sun begins to take place, and darkness soon covers the land. People are driven to insanity as the stars appear, for they beileved that the entire universe consisted of Kalgash and it's suns. Anarchy and madness break out after the eclipse is over. Destruction and devastation has left the planet in ruins. Now, its up to the survivors to restore order and rebuild.

I've been a big fan of Isaac Asimov for years, and this novel has Asimov writing at his very best. The story of "Nightfall" is well-conceived, and the characters are well-developed. I wish, however, that Asimov would have devoted more of the story to the actual events that occurred during the darkness, rather than just describing the events leading up to and immediately after the coming of the darkness. Overall, though, the book is a fascinating read.

I give this book my highest recommendation. This story has remained a classic for more than six decades. Read and see what happens to a planet about to experience nightfall for the first time in two thousand years.

Great sci-fi, very pertinent for the present day.......2007-04-14

A neat expansion of Asimov's great, and often reprinted, short story about a planet with multiple suns where darkness is unknown by the inhabitants. According to Asimov's autobiography 'I, Asimov', Robert Silverberg did the bulk of the new writing and expansion of the original story; the result is an enjoyable and entertaining read. A cool blending of religious fanaticism and modern scientific approaches to understanding the universe--hmm, where have we seen that before?

Reads a bit like it was written in the 1950s . . ........2007-03-19

The original short story version of Asimov's "Nightfall" is on everyone's short list of true "classics," and with good reason. (Myself, I've always linked it mentally with Clarke's "The Nine Billion Names of God"; in one, the stars come in, in the other, the stars go out. . . .) Anyway, there are two ways of converting a short story to a novel: You can treat the short story as a single episode in a longer narrative, which generally requires only minimal rewrite. That's the most common method and the author usually had the novel percolating in his mind all along. The other way is to treat the beginning, middle, and end of the short story as the beginning, middle, and end of the longer work. That's much more difficult. What Asimov and Silverberg have done here is kind of a mix of the two methods, and I wasn't at all sure at first that it was going to work out, but it did -- most of the time. The premise, of course, is that there's a world lit by six suns of varying sizes and magnitudes, so that the sky is never really dark. One element of evolution on that world, therefore, is that people (who are human, for the convenience of narration) naturally fear the dark. Even the intelligent and strong-willed can be driven at least temporarily insane by several hours of the complete absence of light. But another result of that world's situation is that astronomy has grown very slowly and scientists have no idea of the existence of other suns . . . and they just happen to be located inside an enormous star cluster. There are various naive attitudes among supposedly sophisticated adults, various questions the authors leave unanswered, but this is, by and large, a diverting afternoon's entertainment.

Logistics of a society breakdown.......2006-06-24

I don't think it i spossible that one newspaper columnist can discredit scientists and make them a laughing stock. Especially not with the proofs the scientists held.

Asimov bends the logic a couple of times to concentrate on the logistics of a society breakdown. If the logic is not the reason to read the book, you might enjoy the novel.

Compared to "The Foundation" and "I, Robot", this novel is quite below Asimov's usual writing abilities.

Enjoyable, if somewhat flawed........2006-04-30

The book from the start was predictable, however, it was the journey to the finish that kept me turning pages long after I should have turned off the light and gone to sleep. The characters are engaging and the coming disaster looming in the distance threatens to overwhelm them all.

While I did very much enjoy this book, there were certain things that pulled me out of the reading, things that didn't seem to fit the culture of the planet. For instance, everyone sleeps with a `godlight' (nightlight) in their room. In a world that never has darkness, why don't they simply build homes with skylights or windows in the bedrooms? It would seem only natural... I'm sure they had homes before electricity, and on a planet where darkness is feared, the architecture would tend toward an open sort with lots of natural light so that there is no danger of darkness in any room.

There was another moment in the book like that when in a meeting curtains were drawn over a room in which the main characters were meeting to discuss the impending doom. The character, while drawing the curtains, reflected that the heavy curtains had never been drawn, not in all his forty-some-odd years at the university meeting-room in which they met. Why, then, would people with such an aversion to darkness make and install curtains that would never be used, that even the thought of using would be distasteful?

It was little things here and there, things I would think a decent editor would notice and omit or request to be changed before publishing, that seemed to clash with the book that made it less enjoyable.

I found myself wishing for a sequel at the end, the book did seem to end too soon, but I can see that the future that is left a the end of this book would encompass an entire lengthy novel, and so it has to end somewhere. Despite the reservations above, this book was an excellent read, one I'm sure any sci-fi fan, or fans of speculative fiction, would enjoy highly.

Legends Vol. 2: Volume2:TheWheel of Time:New Spring by Robert Jordan,Discworld by Terry Pratchett and Alvin Maker by Orson Scott Card (Legends Series , Vol 2)

Average customer rating:

George R R Martin & Anne McCaffrey
The second and third batches of intriguing stories in the Legends anthology
Lovely.
Good stuff.
Some advice that may be helpful

Legends Vol. 2: Volume2:TheWheel of Time:New Spring by Robert Jordan,Discworld by Terry Pratchett and Alvin Maker by Orson Scott Card (Legends Series , Vol 2)
Robert Silverberg
Manufacturer: HarperAudio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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Hedge Knight, Vol. 1 (Book Market Edition)

Accessories:

Sony WMFX479 Walkman

ASIN: 0694520780

Book Description

The Great Anthology of Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy

TERRY GOODKIND tells the origin of the Border between the lands in the world of The Sword of Truth, in "Debt of Bones."

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN sets his piece a generation before his epic, A Song of Ice and Fire, in the adventure of "The Hedge Knight."

ANNE McCAFFREY, the poet of Pern, returns once again to her world of romance and adventure in "Runner of Pern."

And look for Legends 1 (featuring Stephen King, Robert Silverberg, Orson Scott Card, Raymond E. Feist) and Legends 3 (featuring Robert Jordan, Ursula K. Le Guin, Tad Williams, Terry Pratchett).

Customer Reviews:

George R R Martin & Anne McCaffrey.......2007-02-18

Note: This review is for the item pictured, with stories by Terry Goodkind, George RR Martin, and Anne McCaffrey. It seems that the reviews run the range of available editions and volumes, so I just wanted to be clear.

Further, I'm reviewing only the two stories and not Goodkind's because due to limited time I only chose the two to read, and in my previous experience I haven't liked Goodkind's writing. I didn't read it, so I can't say good nor ill in this circumstance.

George R.R. Martin's tale, The Sworn Sword, tells of Dunk the Hedge Knight and his squire, Egg. Martin's strength is writing believable characters in a fantasy setting and in this tale he's at his best. Dunk, nearly 7 feet tall, illiterate, and poorly bred is sent to negotiate a peace with the Red Widow over water rights between two disputing Lordships. It's a tale of nobility and honor and is resolved in a brilliant contest of wills.

The edition I have includes the short story, Beyond Between, by Anne McCaffrey. This is a story about Moreta, the Weyrwoman from Fort Weyr riding on a borrowed dragon, Holth, in order to deliver medicine to the holds to prevent a contagious illness from decimating the population. She'd been riding all day, making jumps between space and time in order to get the deliveries completed and when they jumped for the last time, they were forever trapped between.

Long ago I'd stopped reading Pern novels because they were too juvenile and repetitive. I may have to change my mind. The elements of this story were very strong. Moreta explores the between and finds another trapped there, an ancient dragonrider, among the first of all of them, and she discovers ways to haunt the living from her netherworld prison. But above all, this is a story about love and loss and a willful desire to reunite with your life partner despite the costs. I loved it.

- CV Rick

The second and third batches of intriguing stories in the Legends anthology.......2005-09-01

Well for starters, Amazon has the links for these ALL screwed up and I could only get to Volume 2 through a backwards method. And since the links are messed up, I can't load a review of Legends Volume 3 where it belongs, WITH Volume 3. So I'm going to review that at the bottom of this one. So this review is actually for parts 2 AND 3 of the Legends anthology.

Legends Volume 2--
New Spring by Robert Jordan

This was very hard to follow for new readers of the Wheel of Time series.

The gist seems to be that a great hero/leader, The Dragon, has been reborn and there are many who want to find him for different reasons. The evil Black Aja sisters want to destroy him and are going around murdering anyone young man they think may be the dragon. The rest of the Aja, and their allies, are looking for him to protect him and aid him in learning his abilities.

At least I think that is what it was about, and I listened more then once. I did grasp the idea of the Dragon and I understood there are different sects of the Aja, defined by their color. What the difference between them is I have no idea. I can only assume that is explained in the full length novels in the series.

The Sea and Little Fishes by Terry Pratchett

It is the time for the annual town fair, of which the favorite event is the witch competition. Granny Weatherwax has always one and this year people don't want her to participate. At the same time, Granny decides to go on a "friendly" binge, at the advice of her friend Nanny Og. But her attempts to be friendly backfire when everyone assumes she's only doing that to try and cause trouble.

I liked this story, even not having read anything else by this author. I especially loved Granny, in spite of her gruff and less then friendly attitude. she rang true to me, probably becasue everyone can think of at least one grumpy elderly person they know. Even though she is not te nicest of people, readers know there is more to her then meets the eye or else Nanny would not be friends with her.

The Grinning Man by Orson Scott Card

Alvin Maker and his young companion are passing through when they come across a young man, davey crockett grinning down a grizzly bear. it turns out the bear wins the match and that means Crockett because his "pet." So they travel around and bump in to Alvin again in a small village with a crook for a miller.

This story was somewhat corny, but amusing. Alvin seems like an intriguing fellow and will make readers want to know more about him, possibly reading other books in the series by this author. I especially liked the entirely different perspective given in to the person of davy Crockett, and loved the idea of his relationship to the bear.

Legends Volume 3--
Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind

A young woman goes to the high wizard of her land in order to seek his aid in rescuing her family from the rival land. She calls the wizard on a "Debt of Bones" between her mother and his father when he refuses, only to find that after he grudgingly agrees, this debt is not what she expected at all.

Interesting story that I enjoyed and was fairly easy to follow. There are a couple twists in the story to shock readers. I enjoyed visiting this world and would not be opposed to a future visit.

Dragonfly by Ursula K Le Guin

A young girl who desires to be trained in the ways of the wizards heads off on a journey with a former student of the wizards, in the hopes she can convince the wizards to break with tradition of only teaching boys, so she can learn magic. When she gets there, nothing goes as she hoped and she discovers a shocking secret about her lineage.

Not a bad story but confusing in many parts. Also, this author desperately needs a better editor as she's extremely repetitive and has a tendency to overuse words and phrases to the point it gets very annoying. It also gives a good glimpse in to the "politics" of the Earthsea world and how women are valued and thought of there.

The Burning Man by Tad Williams

To be honest I had no clue what this story was about. Something about a man who appears in fire but I couldn't even quite figure out why he appeared. I tried listening to this story a couple times and could not get in to it at all and had no clue what was happening. I finally gave up.

I tried to listen to this one three times and could not grasp it at all. this could be due to the fact I like to listen to books when driving so occasionally I miss things, but with almoste very other book I've "read" this way, I always come away with far more understanding of what happened and why then I did of this story.

If readers have not tried Tad Williams' works before, this is not the story with which to start. However, those who have read other books set in this world will likely understand and follow it much better then newcomers would.

Lovely........2004-05-11

Robert Silverberg (ed.), Legends, vol. 2 (Tor, 1998)

This is water in the desert for fans of fantasy series whose books have a tendency to have a long time between releases. Anne McCaffrey (Pern), George R. R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire), and Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth) all contribute short novels to this volume in the Legends series, and all are well worth your time.

Goodkind's story, "Debt of Bones," leads off the trilogy, and deals with a time when Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander was much younger than he is in the Sword of Truth novels. Here, he's pitted against Panis Rahl, and must decide whether to put himself, and the fate of the Midlands, in danger in order to fulfill a debt of bones to the daughter of a deceased sorceress. One has come to expect strong storytelling and easy turning of pages from Goodkind, and he does not disappoint here. Martin's story, "The Hedge Knight," follows. Again taking place some time before the events in the Song of Ice and Fire books, "he Hedge Knight" follows the squire of a newly deceased mercenary, who has a desire to make his name in a tournament against some of the biggest names in the business (including a number of Targaryens, who at the time of this story have not yet been banished; in fact, they play a major part in the story, which should be a pleasant surprise to many Ice and Fire fans). Martin's work on this series is always a pleasure, and once again, the is no disappointment to be found here, though one wonders about the loose end to be found.

The biggest surprise of the bunch, to me, was McCaffrey's "Runner of Pern." I've always shied away from the Pern books, for no real reason. This story is a welcome change of pace from the two that precede it; rather than battles, jousting, and the rest, this is a quiet romantic coming-of-age tale that hits just the right spot, like a lemon ice after a boeuf bourguignon. It's convinced me to go back and try the Pern novels, as McCaffrey's style is simple and engaging. Like the others, she keeps the pages turning.

Definitely a worthwhile piece of work. I shouldn't have to sell those who are already enmeshed in the various series covered here, but others will find it a perfect sampling to see if the three titans covered here are to their tastes. I can almost guarantee they will be. ****

Good stuff........2003-07-20

I have to admit I bought this book for "The Hedge Knight". I enjoyed the other stories too, but I can't get enough of Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. The Hedge Knight gives us a little history of a few of the families from the other stories. I especially like how it makes the Targaryens more tangible. They seem almost like a family of crazy, yet mystical people in the other books, but here we see them as your typical royal family with troubles like every one else. I eagerly await the next installment of the Dunk and Egg novellas.

Some advice that may be helpful.......2003-04-05

This version of legends is divided into three parts, if you search for Robert Silverberg you can find it in one volume for about the same price, so that you get all three parts together for about a third of the price
As to the book,I can only review the second part (I made the mistake of ordering legends 2 thinking that it was all 11 stories, but it was really just three.) The three stories that were in it were:Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind
The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin
and Runner of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey
Of the three I read, The Hedge Knight was definitely the best, it has alot of action and the grimly real, but exciting story that only Martin can provide. It is set in the Seven Kingdoms of Martin's excellent series, A Song of Ice and Fire.
Debt of Bones was good, and it showed me what type of a writer Goodkind is,(I haven't read anything by him but that, but it got me interested and I bought the first book in his series, The Sword Of Truth.
Runner of Pern was probably the one I least liked, I knew nothing about Anne McCaffrey, and it was okay, but not nearly as good as The Hedge Knight.
Be sure to buy the edition with all 11 stories, I have just ordered the full edition, Most all of the writers in the 11 stories, I have read before and it is interesting to have a short work to read by them, about a different part of their world. This will also help you get aquainted with writers you havn't read before, see their writing style, and decide if you want to read more of them.

Sin-A-Rama: Sleaze Sex Paperbacks of the Sixties

Average customer rating:

Try And Find them at a reasonable price
Trashy Fun
Sleaze by the million
An eye-opening visual survey
Great historical & pictorial depiction of sleaze paperbacks!

Sin-A-Rama: Sleaze Sex Paperbacks of the Sixties

Manufacturer: Feral House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1932595058

Book Description

"What most distinguished these paperbacks wasn't their narratives but their frequently amazing covers, swashes of erotic eye-candy that, as surely as a Warhol soupcan, now define an era. And so the emphasis in this first-rate celebration is on the covers, with hundreds reproduced in what looks like accurate (i.e., soul-shocking) color."-Publishers Weekly</p>

Customer Reviews:

Try And Find them at a reasonable price.......2006-03-22

287 pages which include hundreds and hundreds of cover scans,A four page listing of pseudonyms and a comprehensive history of these books The authors, the artists and the publishers. There were 30 to 40 thousand copies of each book published. Now try to find one for under 20 bucks....

Trashy Fun.......2005-11-22

Campy, trashy, bad, tacky, sleazy... this should appeal to anyone that loves John Waters movies or similar cultural underbelly fare. A big, thick book of fun NOT for the entire family. The text is as interestingly funny as the covers. Sure, it's sexist in the extreme, but we just didn't know better back then, now did we? This totally appeals to the sense of iconic, nostalgic and retro sex and anyone that still thinks "the jerk" is a still cool dance to do and girlwatcher sunglasses are de riguer will love this book. I've bought it for 2 people so far and they can't keep their friends hands off of them... a great FUN gift idea that keeps on giving and making you laugh out loud with every page turn.

Sleaze by the million.......2005-05-15

It soon becomes apparent when reading the first few chapters of this interesting book that in this tiny part of the publishing industry were an equally small number of people (mostly males, obviously) yet they were responsible for producing millions of trash paperbacks that sold in the Fifties, Sixties and early Seventies. This book is a celebration of their endeavours.

Because of the very competitive arena in which these publishers worked, with twenty or more new titles each month the covers were the main selling point and the three hundred plus reproduced in this book show that you don't mess with a successful formulae. They had to show a female (unless it was for the gay market) as provocatively posed as possible with a two or three word title to complete the package. It has to be said though that the quality of these illustrations is pretty poor which only makes the work of one or two artists really stand out. Robert Bonfils, in particular, consistently turned out quality art and sleaze artists like Stanton, Bilbrew and Bill Ward were made for this market. No cover design could be too tacky for this publishing genre.

The bulk of the book are the cover reproductions (each with date, publisher, author and artist credits) with several short essays in the front. The two about soft core publishing on the East and West coasts were interesting because they actually explain the background to the publishers and more importantly how the books were distributed through the network of adult book stores in most cities and towns. The back has a useful list of publishers and authors pseudonyms. I was slightly disappointed with the books production though, there is no real page design, paragraphs are excessively long and columns just fall short because no one bothered to make adjustments to the picture sizes to compensate. Despite this 'Sin-a-rama' will probably be the only book to comprehensively cover the publishing world of paperback sleaze.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

An eye-opening visual survey .......2005-02-05

Sin-A-Rama: Sleaze Sex Paperbacks of the Sixties is a full-color gallery of paperback cover artwork from "sleazy" sex-themed paperback books of the 1960's. An introduction surveys the industry and history behind such publications, but most of the text within Sin-A-Rama consists of excerpts from the paperbacks themselves. The covers, done in the realism style with muted shades so common in the 60's, are often quite revealing; bare breasts and nipples are not uncommon, as are a number of kinky, if exaggerated situations. An eye-opening visual survey of the sensuality marketed to popular American culture during the era of the sexual revolution.

Great historical & pictorial depiction of sleaze paperbacks!.......2005-01-21

Sin-A-Rama is the only book on this subject on the market today. Sure, there have been plenty of books discussing the 1940's/1950's pulp paperbacks (sci fi, mystery, etc titles) but this is the only one thus far to delve into the realm of the taboo world of 1960's sleaze paperbacks! The editors do a wonderful job constructing the historical basis for these lurid gems, while also providing the reader with pages and pages of full-color pictures of these naughty novels. The book features great articles by Jay A. Gertzman, Brittany A. Daley, Earl Kemp, and Steve Gertz to name a few. Furthermore, the book features excellent reference material at the back including lists of pen names by Earl Kemp and a publisher's catalog by Brittany A. Daley. The book is also littered with interesting quotes from these rule-breaking books. I would highly advise readers to seek out this book! Oh and I don't know if Amazon.com's personnel ever reads these reviews but there is an error on this book's order page. The editor list is incorrect as the editors were actually (as listed on the back of the book): Brittany A. Daley, Hedi El Kholti, Earl Kemp, Miriam Linna, and Adam Parfrey.

Lord Prestimion (Prestimion Trilogy (Paperback))

Average customer rating:

Lord - Please give Prestimiom some character!
YAWN... Very boring.. the worst of the series thus far.
Colorful, beautifully-written but thin planetary romance.
Not too good... but not too bad either.
Just a travelogue...

Lord Prestimion (Prestimion Trilogy (Paperback))
Robert Silverberg
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061058106

Amazon.com

Robert Silverberg has been one of SF's most prolific and popular writers since the mid-1950s. His science-fantasy stories set on the huge, exotic world called Majipoor began with Lord Valentine's Castle (1980), which the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction calls "polished but rather languid." In Lord Prestimion, the hero Prestimion takes the throne as Coronal, coruler of Majipoor, a millennium before Lord Valentine's reign. His crowning follows the long, ruinous civil war to overthrow a usurping Coronal, a war now literally forgotten: Prestimion's sorcerers have imposed amnesia on the people of Majipoor in hope of preventing any further uprising. Such a memory wipe reeks of wrongness and seems to have caused the infectious plague of insanity. Meanwhile, one very bad man, who is a leading rebel and warmonger, recovers his memories and escapes to make new mischief. After various colorful, almost dream-like travelogues, the situation is saved--a little too easily?--by telepathic gadgetry. (The device in question and several crossover characters appear in the 1982 story-cycle Majipoor Chronicles.) Smoothly written but somewhat short on real suspense, even in the swashbuckling comic sequence when Prestimion's Regent fights and kills at least 21 would-be assassins during one morning's office paperwork. It's just another day in the life of a Majipoor civil servant. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Prestimion should be jubilant. As the new Coronal Lord of Majipoor, the Starburst Crown is his at lost. But the victorious lord is burdened with a great secret: he gained the throne through a bloody civil war -- a war no one remembers! With the aid of a phalanx of sorcerers, Prestimion dropped the awesome Spell of Oblivion over his people to heal his war-torn land. Forgotten now are the betrayals, the intrigues, and the slaughter. Only Prestimion and two of his surviving comrades-in-arms know anything happened at all.

Yet Prestimion must still account for his world's devastation and do the impossible: bring to justice the kinsman who languishes in the dungeon because no one can recall his unforgivable crime. And in his hour of triumph, Prestimion will face a threat to his kingdom for more insidious than war -- a twisted madness that cannot be controlled....

Download Description

Prestimion should be jubilant. As the new Coronal Lord of Majipoor, the Starburst Crown is his at last. But the victorious lord is burdened with a great secret: he gained the throne through a bloody civil war -- a war no one remembers! With the aid of a phalanx of sorcerers, Prestimion dropped the awesome Spell of Oblivion over his people to heal his war-torn land. Forgotten now are the betrayals, the intrigues, and the slaughter. Only Prestimion and two of his surviving comrades-in-arms know that anything happened at all. Yet Prestimion must still account for his world's devastation and do the impossible: bring to justice the kinsman who languishes in the dungeon because no one can recall his unforgivable crime. And in his hour of triumph, Prestimion will face a threat to his kingdom far more insidious than war -- a twisted madness that cannot be controlled....

Customer Reviews:

Lord - Please give Prestimiom some character!.......2005-09-16

For all its shortcomings, I still found this an enjoyable read. After thinking about why I found Lord Prestimion not as satisfying as the previous novels, I feel my frustration originates from Mr Silverberg's giving us a flawed character in Prestimion. Here is a man who fought a war and then chose to remove the memory of that war from every mind on the planet. His rationale? Well, Majipoor has never had a war before. This is Prestimion's first poor value judgement from the last novel.

Now, in this new book, Prestimion has doubts and angst and while chewing his nails to the quick, he allows the notorious Procurator Dantirya Sambail to escape from the royal dungeons. And so now we have the plot for this novel- saving the planet from the insanity the inhabitants are experiencing as a result of having their minds tampered with, and fighting the evil Procurator whom Prestimion didn't have the balls to put to death. (Poor value judgement number two.)

It's very frustrating to care about a character one cannot admire- and wants to wallop a good one in his derriere.

That said, the other characters are marvelous. Prestimion's close friends are a delight, Dekkeret is given good characterization, Maundigan-Klimd is fascinatng, and the main "character" - Majipoor- is as marvelous as ever. Not much excitement, except for the misery- for both the inhabitants and the reader- of detailed descriptions of incidents of insanity, but if you've come to love this world and its characters, you won't feel you've wasted your money.

YAWN... Very boring.. the worst of the series thus far........2004-09-08

Well, even though this book was quite long, not much actually happened in it. The storyline at the end of this one hasn't really changed much at all since the last book. Basically this whole novel was centered around the Procurator of Nimoya's escape from Prestimion and the Coronal's efforts to locate him.. The spreading madness on Majipoor was emphasized but nothing was ever done about it be Prestimion.. Most of the book was taken up by descriptions of the landscape and fauna of the places that Prestimion journeyed through.. Nothing really exciting or surprising happened at all. Yawn.. Wouldn't reccomend this one. I guess I'll go ahead and read the last of the series since I've already come this far, but I don't really have high hopes for it..

Colorful, beautifully-written but thin planetary romance........2004-01-20

____________________________________________

This is Silverberg's sixth Majipoor book, and it's a bit thin.
I've read and liked the previous five -- this is Jack Vance "Big
Planet" country: big, colorful landscapes, strange flora & fauna,
teeming cities, richly-caparisoned nobility, exotic aliens, bits of
higher-tech in a metal-poor, basically nineteenth-century
civilisation. Good thick light escape-reading, which is just what I
was in the mood for. I noticed the Vancian rodomontade more this
time, because there's very little plot here, maybe a novella's worth:
Prestimion is crowned as Coronal after winning a disastrous civil
war (in Sorcerors of Majipoor). He's decided to heal the scars of war
by -- removing (by sorcery, offstage) all memories of the war.
Naturally, this has unforeseen consequences, not the least of which
is one of the rebel leaders trying to start a new civil war. And he
meets a girl and makes her his Queen. Well, that's about it until
Prestimion #3.

Mind you, this is by no means a bad book, but, thinking back, I found
Sorcerers to be the weakest Majipoor book up until now, so I suspect
the well is running dry. Unless you're a diehard Majipoor fan, I'd
wait for the paperback or a library copy. And I believe I'll let
someone else be the guinea-pig for Prestimion #3.

Cheers -- Pete Tillman

Not too good... but not too bad either........2001-08-18

I agree with previous reviewers, who say that this book seems to be all about Prestimion's well nigh endless travelling over the globe and about describing every wonderful thing he sees, which is boring. Downright boring. But still, this was a pretty entertaining book in between those endless descriptions, which is more than can be said of many modern novels... So I still give this three stars. I'd give it four, if it didn't show quite so many similarities to Valentine Pontifex (including the "battle" of minds in the end of the book which also ends the war). All in all I recommend that you read this book if you like the Majipoor books, but I wouldn't try this as your first Majipoor-book.

Just a travelogue..........2000-11-19

This sequel to "Sorcerers of Majipoor" has to rank as one of Silverberg's weakest efforts. "Sorcerers" was a simple enough story but it was reasonably compelling; however, in "Lord Prestimion" not much happens. The Coronal and his lieutenants traipse about the globe for several hundred pages unitl it's time to wrap things up. Even Silverberg's luminous prose can't make up for the fact that there isn't much of a story to be told.

Fundamentally, Majipoor makes no sense. The larger a planet, the less unified it would be and the more unstable the politics. On Majipoor, we are asked to believe, not only is there one language and culture but the same political system has existed without change for thousands of years. With a sufficiently vigorous plot, one can overlook this and suspend one's disbelief, but there's not enough going on here to distract you from the man behind the curtain (so to speak).

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Going back for more.......2006-08-28

Both Legends I and II are must haves for any SF/Fantasy fan. I orginally purchased Legends I for Robert Jordan's and Tad William's short stories. I then promptly put it up on my shelf for a few years. I picked up Legends II for the Robin Hobb short. I then also filed it on my shelf. Somehow I have made it through tons of fantasy while dodging some of the most "advertised" names. I recently ran out of books to read. In my search for new authors, I scowered the net, and asked several friends for recommendations. One of my friends suggested I pick up Terry Pratchett, my net search said try George R.R. Martin... I had a fleeting thought that "hey they are popular, wonder if they are in Legends". Sure enough they are and then some. I pulled both Legends I and II off of my shelf and devoured several of the stories that I had previously ignored. It made a perfect way of deciding which authors I would like to read more of and which ones I could probably pass on. Both Legends I and II are treasures which should not be overlooked. I sincerly hope there is a Legends III.

disappointed in ebook.......2006-01-27

I recently purchased the electronic format hoping I could free up some shelf space because I already own the hardback.

What a disappointment. I expected links in the Table of Contents but there wasn't even a Table of Contents.

I'd return this if I could. If it was print, I would.

Two stars only because I liked the print book.

It's better than they think........2004-12-24

This is a phenomenal collection.

There has been a tendency among reviewers to compare this volume with the first in the series. The first "Legends" collection (Buy it if you don't have it!) showcased such amazing items as an original Gunslinger story (by Stephen King) and the fundamental prequel to "The Wheel of Time" (Robert Jordan). Let's face it: that's a tough act to top.

And yet, this volume holds its own and more. From the missing fragment of Shannara (Terry Brooks) to an original "American Gods" novella (Neil Gaiman) and even an Otherland epilogue (Tad Williams - one of the best in our time), "Legends II" has both a broader scope and a far more intense vision than the original. Any one of these novellas could carry the book alone.

Is "Legends II" better than the first "Legends"? Tough question. It's close. The only thing I can say for certain is that there needs to be a "Legends III". It's too good to stop with just two. (Besides, how else will we ever find out how Ser Duncan the Tall survives long enough to... But I don't want to spoil it for you. Read it yourself!)

Generally a good display of these author's work........2004-10-18

Here is an overview of all the short novels in this collection:
Robin Hobb:Her prior works were definately a whole lot better, but not too bad.It was mildly menotenous and pretty sad, but it had some worth.
George R.R. Martin: I don't know how this story compares to A Game of Thrones and the rest because I haven't read them, but I thought it was pretty mediocre. No magic or anything appears in it, and the whole plot is pretty insignificant. I liked the characters, but I didn't really care about what was going on. Yet it did not turn me away from the possibility of trying out some of Martin's books some day.
Orson Scott Card:Card is a science fiction writer and as far as I am concerned does not belong in this collection. I *loved* Ender's Game, but his whole Alvin the Maker series' plot doesn't really hold together. Honestly, an alternate history with folklore magic incorporated in it? How crazy is that?
Diana Gabaldon:Just not my type, but I know lots of other people like her, so I won't discourage anyone to read her.
Robert Silverberg:Pretty good, went through some important historical events in Majipoor, not quite as good as his story in the previous Legends, but still not all that bad.I encourage you to try Lord Valentine's Castle, its REALLY good.
Tad Williams:Interesting, but I haven't read Otherland so I couldn't really understand everything. Nevertheless worth reading.
Anne McCaffrey:Just like Card,McCaffrey is a science fiction author. She doesn't belong in this collection. The story wasn't spectacular either, you have to have read Pern to get what's going on.
Raymond E. Feist:GREAT. It was exciting,it went through important historical events in Midkemia, and it had a character you cared enough about to keep on reading. It brought back happy memories of reading Magician.
Elizabeth Haydon:Also really good. It got me interested in reading her other books. It was as enchanting and ominous as any fantasy story needs to be.
Neil Gaiman:Terrible. I hope to God that American Gods and Neverwhere are better than this story. It's utterly boring, has a pretty unappealing character, and doesn't even have a magical fantasy feel to it. Stupid.
Terry Brooks:Pretty good, however, you need to have read Shannara, like me, to understand everything that's going on, and the topic isn't the best thing he could have written about. It shouldn't discourage you from reading Shannara, because it really is a GREAT series. Yet overall pretty good.

Fans SHould Definitely Pick it Up.......2004-10-13

While not quite as good as the first,neither Jordan, King, Pratchett or Goodkind, two of my favorites contributed, it still has some very worthwhile short stories for some very interesting literary worlds.

George Martin once again added a wonderful tale to the world of Song of Fire and Ice. "A Hedgeknight's Tale" was probably the best tale in the first Legends book and the story in Legends II is almost as good. Gaiman's short story for the "American God's" world is a must for fans. Card does a decent job and you'll want to read this story before reading "Chrystal City." Haydon's story is also good even if you've never read any of her other work.

The only total bomb in this was McCaffrey's short story explaining what happens to dragons that become lost between. Even fans of the Pern novels should skip this one.

Lord Valentine's Castle (Majipoor Cycle)

Average customer rating:

Ran out of steam
Stands up well over time.
Lord Valentine's Castle
It's about a hole in the soul
An excellent science fiction/fantasy novel

Lord Valentine's Castle (Majipoor Cycle)
Robert Silverberg
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Majipoor Chronicles: Majipoor Chronicles (Majipoor Cycle)
Valentine Pontifex (Majipoor Cycle)
Sorcerers of Majipoor (Prestimion Trilogy (Paperback))
Mountains of Majipoor, The
Lord Prestimion (Prestimion Trilogy (Paperback))

ASIN: 0061054879

Book Description

The national bestselling saga from the stunning imagination of Robert Silverberg continues in the first new hardcover Majipoor novel in nearly a decade. As a prequel to Silverberg's earlier Majipoor novels. Sorcerers of Majipoor provides a deep, dark vision for the background of the conflict inLord Valentine's Castle and Valentine Pontifex.

Treachery and wizardry run rampant under the reign of the mighty Pontifex, as both the rightful and the unworthy heirs to the throne anxiously await his demise. Korsibar, son of the current Coronal, plots with his twin sister and ambitious companions to seize the power of the Coronal when his father ascends to the throne of the Pontifex.

But the burdens of the crown and scepter exact a higher price than Korsibar is prepared to pay. His rival fights to take his appointed place as keeper of his beloved Majipoor... and to restore order to the utter chaos that has befallen their world.

"Silverberg has created a big planet, chock-a-block with life and potential...." -- The Washington Post

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"Silverberg has created a big planet, chock-a-block with life and potential...." -- The Washington Post

Customer Reviews:

Ran out of steam.......2006-09-19

Very good book that seemed to run out of steam the last hundred pages. Unique and imaginative ideas, but enough already with Lord Valentine winning all the time. Where did the conflict go? Silverberg is a great sci fi author, among the best, but this epic work just lost me at the end.

Stands up well over time........2006-09-07

I have been in a phase lately of re-reading science fiction and fantasy favorites from when I was a teenager. What I have generally found is that I still enjoy them, but that nostalgia provides most of the pleasure. Lord Valentine's Castle is the rare example that I suspect I would enjoy as much if I were reading it for the first time today.

The adventures of Valentine, the juggling apprentice with disturbing holes in his memory, are well conceived and written. Majipoor is a fascinating world-- heir to complex issues of right and wrong and full of a variety of races. Not only is there enough material to keep this book interesting, but there enough unexplained details to keep the world worth exploring for the next book (and the book after that).

One of the things that has really disturbed me in reading science fiction and fantasy from this period has been the female characters. It is very difficult for me to believe that I digested them so easily as a young teenager. I am very happy that Silverberg is an exception in this regard. The women are more than able to take care of themselves and are strong vibrant characters in their own right.

Highly recommended for science fiction readers of any generation.

Lord Valentine's Castle.......2006-06-09

Unlike any other books, Lord Valentine's Castle is one of the greatest SciFi books out there thanks to the vivd language used within the book and the way that this book was written. This story takes place in an exotic world of Majipoor where everything is fantasy. Robert Silverberg brought together both humans and animals into one book.

Valentine(who happends to be a Lord) has had his body replaced by the ShapeShifters of Majipoor. Find out his adventure as he struggles to find his lost memories and regain his powers. Learn about his other companions who are helping him on his journey and find out the secrets that lies in Majipoor. This book takes people into a whole new world with the description of Majipoor and the journey Valentine goes through. Reading this book captures your imagination and takes you above and beyond the eyes of a human to see a lords' kingdom and all the race of humans and life forms that live in the book of Lord Valentine's Castle.

It's about a hole in the soul.......2006-02-02

One of the purposes of SciFi is to create a situation similar yet unlike our own, in order to deal with a current issue. Take, for instance, the terrific Star Trek episode of the last two folk of a race, one white & black, the other black & white. All on board saw this as a distinction without a difference, yet for these two, it was worth being the final destruction of their race. We were to look at our own turbulent race issues of that day, and perhaps see it clearly for the first time.

This book is about the injustice to the aboriginals, long time gone, long since swept away. Their whole society was sick in oh so many ways (other reviewers were able to note that, as well as focus on oh so many physical aspects of the story). Their society was spiritually sick.

There's not always a clear connection between the spiritual and physical manifestation. When the Dalai Lama, or Pope John Paul, speak to this, though given much homage in their own right, when they speak to this, they are meddlesome crack-pots. Was it Tolstoy who said, everyone wants to change the world, no one wants to change themselves.

That is what this book is about. Let the story take you for a ride. See how finally, Lord Valentine, as he makes his journey from knowing nothing to regained and restored knowledge, also finally sees this. Not unlike the banker finally seeing The Pigeon Lady in Mary Poppins. In both cases, they then also see what has to be done, in both cases they eat their Powder Milk Biscuits and get the courage to do what needs to be done.

It is that curing of the soul sickness that makes everyone live happily ever after.

Enjoy the book.
See beyond the fault, see the need.

An excellent science fiction/fantasy novel .......2005-09-16

If you're into fast action and shock, this isn't the book for you. Lord Valentine's Castle is filled with rich description and detail, and is a character-driven story.
Valentine, a gentle man with no memory, who takes up juggling, is actually Lord Valentine whom the Shapeshifters- the despised original natives of Majipoor - have misplaced within a different body, while inhabiting his real body in order to rule their world again. Valentine's eventual realization of this truth- and his quest to regain his own body, and throne, takes us through a marvelous journey over vast portions of Majipoor - and what a world! Ten times the size of Earth, with an incredible assortment of creatures and plant life.
I found Silverberg's descriptions and details of the planet and the flora fascinating and a lot of fun. The characters who accompany Valentine on his journey are herioc, likable, and easy to root for. The political structure of the planet, with the Coronal high on Castle Mount, the Pontifex miles deep beneath the planet, and the Lady Of Dreams, was laid out in a visually beautiful manner, easy to understand and visualize.

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