Vinge, Joan D.

Average customer rating:

The Snow Queen will seduce you....
In a word... brilliant.
A classic in space-you will not be able to put this one down
Beautiful.
One of my favorite books of all time

The Snow Queen
Joan D. Vinge
Manufacturer: Aspect
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0446676640

Book Description

The imperious Winter colonists have ruled the planet Tiamat for 150 years, deriving wealth from the slaughter of the sea mers. But soon the galactic stargate will close, isolating Tiamat, and the 150-year reign of the Summer primitives will begin. All is not lost if Arienrhod, the ageless, corrupt Snow Queen, can destroy destiny with an act of genocide.

Customer Reviews:

The Snow Queen will seduce you...........2007-06-07

Joan Vinge's The Snow Queen, written in 1980, is an entertaining and endearing sci-fi epic that bridged the gap between the social science fiction of the 60's and 70's and the heavy world-building novels from the likes of Brin and Card that populated the 80's. I would consider the novel ambitious as it tries to address common themes like man vs. technology, and societal exploitation while also being a character piece set in a complex and detail oriented world. For the most part Vinge succeeds nicely at her goals and the sum result is a very strong science fiction book but not a genre-transcending read.

Vinge creates a simple yet thoughtful society on the planet of Tiamat where most of the novel takes place. Here, the matriarchal government alternates every 150 years between the technology welcoming Winters and the more simple Summers. The Winters rule is coming to a close and their Snow Queen is determined to stay in power despite the Tiamat's long-standing traditions. The plot is executed with purpose the characters are interesting although some of them aren't developed enough for how much page time they occupy.

Vinge's writing style is unique to sci-fi as it came off feminine and almost dreamy. Most of the time it was brilliant but some of the tension building scenes fell flat and at times felt bloated. It worked well with the oceanic Tiamat and other settings but was a mixed bag with Vinge's characters. The three primary female characters drove the book, were perfectly executed in every way and contained all the emotional power of the story while the pretty much the opposite could be said for the three male characters.

The Snow Queen won the Hugo award in 1981 and was also nominated for a Nebula. In a strange year, it beat out three sequels (Ringworld Engineers, Beyond the Blue Event Horizon, Wizard) to previous winners, two of which (Ringworld and Gateway) were superior books. That being said it was a moderately competitive year and The Snow Queen is well worth reading for science fiction fans.

In a word... brilliant........2006-09-02

I do not normally read science fiction. My husband does, so when I happened to open this book (some 20 years ago) I was quickly mesmerized by the prose of Joan Vinge. It is a case where you become so immersed in the work, it merges with your unconscious mind and you forget you're reading words. It hardly matters what the story was, she writes so beautifully. But the story was fascinating in itself, and narrated so well it never confused the reader. This is quite a feat, considering it takes place on an imaginary world. Ms. Vinge does a fabulous job of creating that world -- so rich, vivid, you feel you're on a personal tour of the place. But it was really the characters and their emotions that made the story so compelling. There are passages and pages I re-read many times just to savor them. Snow Queen is in the top five books I've ever read.

A classic in space-you will not be able to put this one down.......2006-09-01

I had a picture book of the classic children's tale, "The Snow Queen" when I was a kid. It showed these two children growing up next door to each other, being best friends, and being in love. Then one day a piece of a mirror that Lucifer made falls into the boys eye and turns him mean. Not long after, the snow queen, a mysterious woman in a white sleigh comes and takes the boy away. The girl is hurt, but believes that there is some way to save her love and thus goes after him. Along the way she meets obstacles, ages, and eventually finds her love.

This is that story, only set in a word where a huge space spanning empire has collapsed and left behind a smaller, less magnificent version. There is an intergalactic conspiracy to keep the people of one world, Tiamat, where our two young lovers (Moon and Sparks) hail from, technologically stupid, and mysterious keys to the survival of the human race seeded throughout humanity. There are clones, battles, love and deceit. While there is no magical mirror that turns Sparks into a bad person, as in my picture book, there is temptation in the form of a potion that will keep the drinker forever young-only this potion is harvested from the blood of the otter like creates that live on Tiamat, who are seen as holy by the Summer people who live on the Islands spanning the planets middle.

There is the snow queen, leader of the half of the Tiamat people called the winters (who live in the north), who in an effort to prolong her reign seeded the Summer people of Tiamat with eight clones of herself. And there is one clone who survived to maturity-Moon, the lover of Sparks, the boy stolen by the snow queen.

This book is awesome, epic and really, really exciting, There is a kind of slow build up, but the second half of this book heads along at breakneck speed until you cannot put it down because you have to know what happens next. If you like sci-fi, you will like this book. And it has a beautiful cover.

Five stars, recommended. I am told that you should read "World's End" before the sequel "The Summer Queen" or you'll miss out on a whole lot, so that's what I'm going to do, even though it does deviate a little from the storyline.

Beautiful........2006-01-03

Is there such a way to depict how Joan D. Vinge eloquent use of words can captivate the readers?
No. Only by reading her works could one truly understand how beautiful her story is, as well as how a mere, simple emotion could evolve into a higher degree of sensations and development, for both the reader and the characters themselves.

To me, the Snow Queen is one of the best books I have read ever since. Tragic, yet breathtaking, Vinge has created the perfect illusion of emotions in which the readers could really feel what the characters do, and the role they play. Though I wasn't fond of Moon, the main character, fall in love with a man whom she met for only a short while within the story, still, Vinge's work is a must-read that will question the essence of love itself, if not what us, as readers, really are...

One of my favorite books of all time.......2005-06-01

The best one-line description of this book that I can come up with is this: Imagine if "Dune" had been written by a female anthropologist. It is a book about the changing of power on a planet, much like Dune. Instead of a planet that is almost entirely desert, Tiamat is a planet almost entirely ocean. Instead of sandworms and the Spice, Tiamat has dolphin-like mers and the Water of Life. Instead of featuring one man with a unique ability, it stars Moon, a woman who is seemingly less than unique; she is the clone of the current queen of Tiamat. As the book continues, however, it becomes clear that Moon is unique, as she is the only one with the ability to see the truth about their place in the universe, and the only one trusted with the secret of the sybil mind.

But it is so much more than Dune, really. The world of Tiamat and the Hegemony is as large and complex and ancient as the world of Arrakis and its empire, perhaps larger; it is so large that it is not even apparent that this is the future of humankind as we know it until you get deep into it. There are layers upon layers of political scheming in this universe, so deep that no single character can explain it all. There are so many different levels of conspiracy and technology and religion that is difficult to grasp it all at once. But none of it will mean anything unless Moon can keep them from destroying themselves....

It is a brilliant book, and its sequel, the Summer Queen, is as good or better. Joan D. Vinge has a unique insight that makes you feel like you are discovering something new instead of reading a book. I heartily recommend it to anyone who has interest in the kind of thoughtful science fiction that opens the mind with possibilities.

Average customer rating:

Intrigue, adventure, exciting- you get it all
MUCH Better Book than "Psion"
Works great as a stand-alone.
I loved this...
What a page turner!

Catspaw (Cat)
Joan D. Vinge
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0765303418

Book Description

The most popular novel in Joan D. Vinges bestselling Cat series is back in print for the first time in trade paperback. Cat, a half-human, half-alien telepath, rose from a childhood in the streets of a city halfway across the galaxy to become a hero. He helped stop a powerful psion who was bent on seizing control of the mines which produce the ore that fuels spaceships throughout the galaxy. But the most popular Cat novel, a bestseller when first published, and one of Joan D. Vinges most enduring works, is Catspaw. Several hundred years from now, in a richly imagined New York, Cat finds himself protecting one of the most powerful women in the galaxy. Cats been through a lot, but nothing can really prepare him for the backstabbing and doubledealing of the rich and famous. Using his telepathic gift and street smarts, Cat has to fend off unseen dangers that surround him and his charge.Between the dangers of a beautiful married woman, an unseen telepath who seems hellbent on thwarting Cats pursuit of the threat to his VIP client, and a power-mad fanatic who has fooled everyone but Cat, the action never stops in this enormously entertaining noir SF thriller.

Customer Reviews:

Intrigue, adventure, exciting- you get it all.......2004-12-26

I loved this book. I've read the entire series of the main character, Cat, but Catspaw I believe is best in the series. What's more, the book can stand alone. The unique writing kept me interested the entire journey, with the 1st person view of the main character, but his abilities to read minds lets you have the perspective of other characters in the book as well. I liked Cat's personality. He's real, with flaws, and fears, and yet does the right thing without being a do-gooder. Even the villians in the book seem real, and you can almost- but not quite- understand why they are the way they are.
This story encompasses Cat being pressed into service to be a body guard for a political member of the very government he hates. You get political intrigue, a hint of romance, and a splendid view of a futuristic world with a well thought out plot. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

MUCH Better Book than "Psion".......2004-08-08

"Catspaw" is a MUCH better book than its prequel, "Psion." As with "Psion," I don't care much for its theme that humans, especially wealthy powerful ones, are evil. But, for "Catspaw," that's pretty much overridden by how well Vinge writes and by the tightness of the plot. About the only thing I didn't like in the book was the occasional lapse into unnecessary sexual details in about five different places. Other than that, this is a very well-written book that I highly recommend. If it weren't for the sense of loss a reader would suffer without having read "Psion," I'd suggest skipping that book entirely. Most of the necessary information comes out in this book. But, it's not complete until almost halfway through the book.

Works great as a stand-alone........2004-07-20

This was the first book I'd read in this series, many years ago. At the time, I was more impressed with it than I probably would be now, because I didn't recognize that the world she was building was somewhat standard cyberpunk (never even heard of cyberpunk at that time). Therefore the world seemed more original to me than it actually is (also illustrating one of my standard ideas about genre fiction--if someone who has never experienced a genre before suddenly comes to it, the most hoary and ancient cliches of that genre will seem dazzlingly fresh and familiar).

However, though the world fascinated me, in the end, the real heart of the series are Vinge's characters. Cat, Lady Elnear, Argentyne, Jiro, are all wonderfully drawn, and Vinge portrays them with a great deal of heart and honesty; she plays fair with the reader. Good social commentary too, with a message that is both uplifting and sobering; she explores a theme I've seen other authors do as well but one that I think is quite profound, that human connections are necessary to allow human beings to succeed in the face of evil (Cat's bond with Argentyne and his link to Mikah are what enable him to ultimately succeed in his goal). I recently bought a copy of PSION and I'm working my way through it, eager to meet Jewel and some of Cat's earlier friends.

I loved this..........2004-04-14

Whoah! I've read this book three or four times already! I love it so much. and Cat is just a great character you can just fall in love with him. I really hope others read this book too. i still haven't read the 1st or 3rd books to this series but i feel like i understand them perfectly. but i still really wish to read them. I've never liked a book quite this much.

What a page turner!.......2004-01-27

I'm a new fan of Vinge, but now i'm hooked. after reading only one of her books i'm stuck - addicted even. Catspaw is a fascinating adventure with surprizes everywhere.
the premise is simple, a young man is recruited by the powerful security agency of an extremely wealthy family to protect one of its members from being killed. the young man, known only as Catis specificall chosen because he is part alien and this part gives him telepathic abilities. as Cat arrives at his destination to protect this VIP his world begins to change, and it will never be the same.
this book is fascinating, cvaptivating, and if you read it you'll never get any work done.
the entire alien blood series(Psion, Catspaw, Dreamfall) by vinge is amazing in its capacity to entangle you in a strange world that you feel you can completely relate to. i've read all three and i;m dying for a fourth to come out!

Average customer rating:

A great jumping off point
My new boyfriend
Merely an OK Book
Worth it, to get to Catspaw
Love it

Psion (Cat)
Joan D. Vinge
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 076530340X
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

When first published, readers young and old eagerly devoured the tale of a street-hardened survivor named Cat, a half-human, half-alien orphan telepath. Named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Cats story has been continued by Hugo Awardwinning and international bestselling author Joan D. Vinge with the very popular Catspaw and Dreamfall. Now, twenty-five years later, this special anniversary edition of Psion contains a new introduction by the author and Psiren, a story never before included in any trade edition of Psion. This tough, gritty tale of an outsider whose only chance for redemption is as an undercover agent is as fresh and powerful today as it was in 1982.

Customer Reviews:

A great jumping off point.......2006-03-23

I started this series by reading Catspaw and backtracking to Psion, which is often out of print, making it hard to find. Psion is a wonderful introduction to one of the most endearing characters in the genre. You love Cat and you want to throttle him at the same time for some of his impulsive decision making and even when he's at his most dispicable, you're rooting for him because you hope that the good guys come out on top in the end even when in real life that doesn't always happen. Cat and Joan D. Vinge have been inspriations in my life. I re-read the series once every couple of years to recapture the pure emotion Cat's story brings out.

My new boyfriend.......2005-07-16

This was my first introduction to Joan D. Vinge and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Cat's young, smart, bitter, and incredibly resourceful. He's an orphan making ends meet in Oldcity, a slum beneath Quarro, where its denizens are without data bands and must live carefully. Cat's feline eyes mark him as being part Hydran, an alien race feared for its telepathic powers. He becomes a pawn in an effort to hunt down a criminal and must learn to control his telepathic powers.

Cat's a terrific character. One of my favorites, maybe. He's the perfect rebel and definitely boyfriend material. If you brought him home to meet your mom, she'd raise an eyebrow and be put off by his rough looks, but eventually won over by his dynamite intelligence and honesty.

Joan de Vinge is a solid writer, and as one reviewer commented, similar to early Anne McAffrey--though much better in the character development department. Some reviewers have commented that the book is fluffy. I won't deny it, it isn't a SERIOUS read. De Vinge isn't William Gibson or Neal Stephenson or Marge Piercy. But she's got a fully imagined world with really strong and empathetic characters who encounter real-world situations: racial discrimination, teen angst, and alienation. And I'm not just saying all this just because Cat is my boyfriend.

Merely an OK Book.......2004-08-01

"Psion" is merely an OK book. It's not bad, but it's certainly not good. The biggest problem is the overall shallowness, or even triteness, of everthing: theme, plot, and character development. The theme is essentially that humans are evil, especially if they have any kind of wealth or power. The plot's not that bad, though there are jumps where people do things that are just plain stupid. The worst part of the book is the character development. The characters DO develop. It's just that that development seems to be a step function (i.e., you don't see the character learn through experience: they just behave differently later in the book). Plus, I don't really like the main character as a person: he's essentially a victim and doesn't want to take any of the opportunities to improve himself that he's offered throughout the book. Even worse, though, is the villain. He nothing but a cardboard cutout. Not only does Vinge not develop his character thoughout the book, she's also given him no character in the first place. There's also a problem with several groups that ought to have been central to the book. Two that spring to mind are the aliens and the mine management on Cinder. Neither of these groups are given any kind of development. Vinge needs them to do certain things for the plot to proceed and so, Twin-Pines, they do them (some of the things she has the mine management do are absolutely not in their own best interest).

Since this book is really required if you want to read the second book in the series, "Catspaw," I still recommend you read it. Again, it's not a bad book. I wouldn't call it a light read, but at least it's not heavy.

Worth it, to get to Catspaw.......2004-01-27

Warning: This book is not as good as Snow Queen. It has a lot of the same lovely, anthropological attributes that Snow Queen shines with, but certain elements (ie the cardboard villain Quicksilver) are not quite as original.

I do highly recommend this book for two things, which are 1) Cat. He is a great character and this book is spoken in his own unique voice, and 2) 'Catspaw,' the sequel to this book, is full-on excellent, and you will enjoy it more if you read this book.

The other complaint I have is the cover art. I mean, who is that supposed to be? Cat is a teenager in this book, and that dude looks 40. The original cover art was uglier, but at least it looked like Cat. The cover art for 'Catspaw' was so much better -- did the fabulous Micheal Whelan do this one too, and if so, was he half-asleep?

Love it.......2004-01-02

I had no clue there was a book called PSION untill i went to a computer artwork site that made wallpapers of Buffy and Angel and Firefly[all totally awesome shows].I saw a challenge pic that a girl made using some characters in Angel, Firefly,and Smallville.The bottom said based on the book Psion by Joan D. Vinge.I thought id check it out and it was awesome.Read if you love science fiction.

Heaven Chronicles (Questar Science Fiction)

Average customer rating:

solid 4 stars
solid 4 stars
Half of a good book.

Heaven Chronicles (Questar Science Fiction)
Joan D. Vinge
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0446361186

Customer Reviews:

solid 4 stars.......1999-04-16

as the book jacket says, contains the best asteroid story ever. true. the other story is very good too. both stories are smart and visionary. too bad it's out of print.

solid 4 stars.......1999-04-16

as the book jacket says, contains the best asteroid story ever. true. the other story is very good too. both stories are smart and visionary. too bad it's out of print.

Half of a good book........1998-10-31

This book Is pretty good, well the first part anyway. It is divided into two stories, the first ones is good and the second one is okay but not incredible. I would rebuy this book again if I lost my copy.

Average customer rating:

I'm totally bummed
still fairly good
Best of the 3
Dreamy dreamy...spoiler alert!
Lovely

Dreamfall (Cat)
Joan D. Vinge
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0765303426

Book Description

Cat, the halfbreed telepath hero of Catspaw and Psion, joins a research team on Refuge, homeworld of his mother's people, the Hy-drans. Immediately, he finds trouble when he helps a Hydran woman escape human pursuers. The decimated Hydran population of Refuge is confined to a bleak 'homeland' by a huge corporate state, Tau Biotech. Tau also controls Refuge's one unique natural resource, 'Dreamfall.' The tangible residue of cast-off thoughts from beautiful, enigmatic cloud whales, dreamfall forms vast reefs, sacred to the Hydrans but mere exploitable data to Tau. Caught between Tau and the desperate Hydrans who fight to reclaim their world, Cat must somehow forge the ruins of the past into a means to defeat Tau's brutality and save his people-and himself.

Customer Reviews:

I'm totally bummed.......2004-02-11

As far as I know, this is the last book Ms. Vinge wrote about Cat, and I think that's a damn shame. This book does not do him justice. I think Catspaw is one of the best books I ever read about sci-fi psychics, but this book was pale in comparison.

The first problem is the girls. Kissindre and Miya aren't half as interesting as the symbplayer and Elanor taMing (sic). Even Jule had more spunk than Miya, and every time Kiss shows up, I keep thinking, Aren't you the dull student from Catspaw? The answer is yes.

Also, because Cat is so enamoured of Miya, he spends a large chunk of the book being bubbly and happy. That's no fun! Cat is best as a snarky, cynical freak, and I'm not interested in listening to him go on about his 'one true love.' He makes up for this with much suffering towards the end, but still, this section is painful.

The most disappointing thing about this book is that the ending is not a great ending for the trilogy. His life is still up in the air, and he doesn't really grow in his power at all, if you know what I mean.

If you're like me, you pretty much have to read this book if you read Catspaw. Just don't get your hopes up too high. This book does nothing to diminish my very high opinion of Ms. Vinge as a writer (read my other reviews) but I think this is her slightest work.

If anyone's interested, I found Joan's homepage. Looks like it might be kinda old, but still authentic:
[...]

still fairly good.......2004-01-02

This book is good i enjoyed it very much but it is not as good as the first two.Catspaw is still my favorite.

Best of the 3.......2003-08-19

I liked Psion and Catspaw very much, but I enjoyed Dreamfall the best of the 3. It is true that the end was disappointing, as one reviewer here points out. But that's the author's prerogative.

Perhaps I enjoyed the 3rd book the most, because it builds on, and transforms, the character and world of the earlier books.

Perhaps it is because I am starting to get older myself, just like Cat is...

Dreamy dreamy...spoiler alert!.......2000-12-23

Dreamfall is the third book in the Cat series, and the least enjoyable in my opinion, which makes it about six times better than all books anyway. Dreamfall is the story of Cat's exploration of his heritage. While traveling to a distant planet with his university to study the "cloud whales," Cat goes to the "Homeland" (where the indigenous Hydran population lives, much like Native Americans were pushed off of their land to reservations) and ends up in a mess. His telepathic talent still doesn't work except maybe once in a while, so he finds he isn't really welcome over in the Hydran town because keeping his mind closed is offensive to them. As he is feeling hopeless about not fitting in with either the humans or the Hydrans, a woman smacks into him, running away from security, and drops a child's databand into his hand as she runs away. He helps her escape and ends up taken into custody himself. He is interrogated and briefly tortured, but since he knows nothing he is unable to help them catch the Hydran woman, who apparently kidnapped a human child. It comes out that the child is Joby, a baby with neurological damage that makes him unable to control himself at all, and so his family hired a Hydran companion for him to make him able to move and react the way he wanted to and try to rehabilitate him. The woman, Miya, took off with their son for reasons unclear. Cat feels a connection to the woman, though, and ends up meeting her again very soon, when she explains herself to him. She takes him to the Hydran town and tries to help him get to know the people, though her sister, Naoh, takes an immediate aversion to him. Miya and Cat become lovers, and Cat learns the Hydran language and attempts to act as a go-between for the humans and the Hydrans. But trouble is brewing (of course). The humans see the Hydrans as terrorists holding the child hostage, and the Hydrans--specifically a freedom-fighting radical group of them--see the humans as invaders. They are led by Naoh in a fight against the humans, and Cat is swept up in it, yet again, trying to find his feet. Cat thinks Naoh is wrong and very sick, and tries to stop the Hydrans from attacking the humans, but Naoh is too persuasive and ends up getting hundreds of people to riot. And the humans retaliate with a kind of gas that makes Hydrans unable to use their psionic abilities, rendering them helpless and confused. Cat, Miya, and Joby retreat to a quiet place to heal. There are tons of details I've missed here, of course--Cat's attempts to expose Corporate Security's treatment of their bonded workers; Cat's friendship and relationship with Kissindre Perrymeade, his classmate who is somewhat entranced by him; his relationship with an old woman known as an oyasin who teaches him much about life and himself. But of course it all comes together in an ending that definitely isn't "happy" but just seems right. Cat is much more mature now and his exploration of the Hydran part of himself is fascinating; he always felt very human because of being raised thinking he was only human, and so it's great to see his acceptance of both halves.

Lovely.......2000-03-14

It was wondeful; as good as the first. I really enjoyed it. I recondmend this series to anyone who loves sci-fi. I really loved it.

Average customer rating:

This One's a Slog
Heartbreaking, but still a must.
More complex and haunting than its predecessor
An intimate epic
Joan Loves her Characters

The Summer Queen
Joan D. Vinge , and Joan Vinge
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Snow Queen
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ASIN: 0765304465

Book Description

Sequel To The Hugo Award-Winning Bestseller The Snow Queen

The Summer Queen is the extraordinary sequel to one of science fiction's most celebrated novels, The Snow Queen. Set in a fully realized universe of wonders, this spectacular space epic, itself a finalist for the Hugo Award, is one of the most remarkable novels in the field.

A story that spans millennia, from the ruins of an ancient interstellar empire to the planets of the Hegemony that rules human space, The Summer Queen is the multi-layered story of Tiamat, a world where the dolphin-like mers are harvested for the youth-prolonging serum extracted from their blood. But Tiamat is much more, for beneath Carbuncle, its capital, lies the old empire's greatest secret: an enormous forgotten technology which, though decaying, continues to affect the fates of the fallen empire's remnant cultures via the sybil-network--a data bank that binds the past and the future in its web of knowledge, As the Smith, genius mastermind of the hidden interstellar Brotherhood, tries feverishly to unlock its secrets, BZ Gundhalinu desperately strives to save the Hegemony, while the Summer Queen herself dares to create a new future for her people and her planet. And though each is acting alone, their fates will entwine in an astonishing climax that will change the universe forever.

Customer Reviews:

This One's a Slog.......2007-04-11

Last year I re-read 'The Snow Queen' after first reading it twenty-five years ago. It amazed me how much of it I remembered and how well it holds up. It's a five-star classic. Sadly, I can't say the same for its sequel.

Picking up exactly where 'The Snow Queen' left off, 'The Summer Queen' quickly turns into an over-the-top, over-written slog. It's almost three-hundred pages longer than the first one; judicious editing could have cut two hundred of those pages. Vinge never says anything with ten words when she can do it with twenty or thirty, and don't get me started on the sex scenes. Love scenes in 'Snow' where tender and tasteful. The ones in the sequel would make Michael Moorcock blush.

In spite of this, the story perks along pretty well. BZ Gundhalinu redicovers the start drive that makes return to Tiamat possible; the Hegemony wants the Water of life, made from the blood of the seal-like mers, who seem to be a vital part of the vital sybil net. (I asuume anyone reading this review had already read 'The Snow Queen.') Various factions are after all kinds of power. Moon and Spark's marriage is on the rocks.
Then about three-fourths of the way through, things fall apart. Incidents occur for no real reason-a kidnapping, an arrest-except to drag out the conclusion. And after all the mess, all the terrible personal losses that these people suffer, there's a happy ending!

I didn't buy it.

If you liked the first one, you should read this. I'm glad I did but I wish that it were better.

And 'the burning sword of his manhood' is just plain bad.

Heartbreaking, but still a must........2006-01-03

Vinge has outdone herself again by this sequel, engaging the readers with unpredictable events that makes it hard to even stop once the enchantment begins. Personally, I admire and even love how Vinge had developed the character's into more complex plots, further creating a story within a story as her novel progresses. Most of them were downright splendid, but in my opinion, there are at times when I can't help but feel sad to the characters that are reduced in role, as well as their demise (Sparks, for example).

Vinge's story seem to have a particular connection with sorrow and happiness entwined, making her work that much more engaging as well as alluring. The readers cannot help but feel the character's conflict; the emotions, the problems, the situations...

And, for Moon, I just find it sad that she chose BZ to be her lover, when her husband Sparks only wanted to regain her love, only to lose almost everything in the end...

But that's just me.

The Summer Queen is a must-read for any readers who enjoy plot development as well as emotional ties with the characters. It's not a surprise why Vinge has earned the Hugo Award for her work the Snow Queen; She had earned it with flying colors.

More complex and haunting than its predecessor.......2005-06-04

I avoided reading this book because I feared that it, like the sequel to Dune, would not be as engaging as the original. How wrong I was! This book is better than the original, and since the original was a Hugo award winning classic, that is saying an awful lot. Moon's major quest is not just to recapture her lost lover; it is to save an entire race of intelligent sea creatures. And her adversary is not one woman, her genetic equal; it is the entire might of the Hegemony. As in the first, her undeniable pluck and good will help her overcome the most difficult obstacles only to find herself faced with more hardship, so much that your heart cries out to her and everyone around her.

As Moon has grown up, I think Vinge also has grown up. The relationships in this book are much more mature and complicated, and I was constantly reminded of true feelings in my own life as I read this book. I think Vinge also fell in love with BZ, because he becomes so much more dear in this book, so much more complete. There are flaws, of course. The first book was much tighter; Vinge is contantly re-iterating events from the past, particularly concerning BZ, extending the pages with excessive exposition. And it does not have the same "Ah-Ha!" revelation as the first one, as the story is pretty clear to the reader from the beginning. It more than makes up for it, though, in small surprises, in moments of beauty and tragedy that forced me to read the last 300 pages in a single day...

There is something about this book, something so much more than real, that makes it hard for me to stop thinking about it. I think what makes it so wonderful is that even though, in the end, Moon and her cause accomplish so much, they lose so much in the process. It is a bittersweet ending, both happy and sad, and there is nothing better.

An intimate epic.......2004-08-25

This huge book is an intimate story built around big themes. Action fans, beware! Although there are generous servings of adventure and suspense, this is essentially a character-driven story, even more so than its marvelous predecessor, THE SNOW QUEEN.

At the heart of the story is the ancient, mysterious repository of the human knowledge gleaned from cultures past and present, worlds known and lost. Throughout history and across galaxies, the machine and its revered human conduit, the Sibyl Network, have been relied upon for answers to all manner of questions--trivial and profound, personal and technological. The Sibyl Mind binds humanity together. But it is showing signs of failure. To lose it would be to lose civilization. The task of saving civilization becomes entrusted not to warriors or superheroes, but to a small group of living, breathing people.

The Summer Queen, Moon, has learned that the machinery behind the Sibyl Mind resides on her undeveloped planet, Tiamat. She must find a way to protect and heal the Mind without exposing it. This is no mean feat for a country girl on a repressed world where ignorance and culture clashes have been encouraged by powerful offworlders to their own advantage. Moon grows up in a hurry. Her determination is unwavering, but the burden of her responsibilities puts a strain on her compassionate nature. For her, it isn't much fun being Queen!

Worlds away is BZ Gundhalinu, who, after many personal trials, has become a hero by restoring the means of faster-than-light travel to the empire-building Kharemoughis. Although relatively at peace with himself, he must walk a dangerous, duplicitous path if he is to shield his beloved Moon and her Tiamatans from the very exploitation that he has made possible.

On yet another planet is the third major player, a brilliant biochemist of unknown origin, Reede Kullervo. Kullervo's search for a moral core and sense of purpose is hampered by amnesia, a horrific drug addiction, and his indentured servitude to the lords of organized crime. Vinge effectively conveys the charisma behind his arrogance and dangerous volatility.

THE SUMMER QUEEN lacks THE SNOW QUEEN's tidy structure. Subplots and characters are widely scattered. Sometimes the story lingers in one setting, sometimes it leaps about more rapidly. As time goes on, the pace accelerates as the plots converge.

Most of the narrative takes place within the thoughts of the many characters, some familiar, some new. A couple of them seem to exist primarily to plug holes, and some are unrelentingly hissable, but the vast majority show great depth as they face complex political, social and personal dilemmas. There are no simple, permanent solutions, no actions without consequences. Perspectives and emotions shift during the two decade span of the book.

Much of the conflict arises between rival factions of the ancient, secretive, and manipulative society known as Survey. This device helps limit the conflict to a handful of known individuals. It also ties the story to the long lost past and the origins of the Sibyl Mind. But after a while it seems that everyone is a member, and Survey's pretentious attitude becomes more tiresome than interesting. (Fortunately, Moon agrees!)

Yes, the book is sprawling. But I regretted leaving the characters at the end of the book, and imagined them continuing their lives somewhere beyond my reach. I can't think of a greater compliment to an author's work.

Joan Loves her Characters.......2003-11-24

How you will feel about Summer Queen will depend on what you're looking for when you pick it up. I disagree with the last reviewer's doorstop comment. I feel that it's a bit unfair. I certainly agree that Snow Queen was a tighter work from an "action" perspective. However, I was never bored with the sequel. The pace just doesn't remain at breakneck throughout, and I suppose some people are only interested in that kind of pacing. While I was in the middle part, I kept thinking "Ah, the plot thickens." "Ooh, the plot thickens yet again." "Hmm, the plot is becoming molasses!" However, I was very excited for the last few hundred pages.

This book is more solidly about characters and their relationships than the universe in which it's set. People who prefer a "genre fiction" approach like Asimov's Foundation or Tolkien (where the world is the main character) will probably lose interest in Vinge's detailed character development. Science fiction is often disparaged for a lack of character development, so I applaud Vinge for tackling that stereotype. She also ventured into the still-risky topics of homosexuality and transgenderism.

I give Summer Queen a high rating. If you have a low attention span, then perhaps you shouldn't be reading books which are over 900 pages long!

Willow
Average customer rating:
Willow
George Lucas , Bob Dolman , and Joan D Vinge
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IEIAXW

World's End (Snow Queen)
Average customer rating:

In its own way, oddly amazing

Better than Snow Queen

The Unexpected Sequel

Diary of a Madman (cue maniacal laughter)

Great Story

World's End (Snow Queen)
Joan D. Vinge
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0812523687

Customer Reviews:

In its own way, oddly amazing.......2006-09-10

As the out of print sequel to the "Snow Queen" "World's End" it is an out of print, underappreciated little sci-fi novel that you can totally skip if you want and just read a shorter version of it's major events in the "Summer Queen" which is too bad, because this is one good book.

Readers of the snow queen will remember the lost star drive that once allowed people to cross space-something the galactic hegemony cannot retrieve and rebuild without. Well this book is that about that, insanity, being sane, duty, not doing your fu*king duty for once and finally forgiving yourself. There is also something wonderful in this book about chaos and what is really chaos and the desire to find order in crazy places. It's really veryu cool if you can wrap your mind around it. Starring in a very good first person narrative lieutenant BZ from "The Snow Queen" this is a short little shocking thriller that is in the end, quite inspirational. If you can find inspiration in this kind of sci-fi.

Four stars.

Better than Snow Queen.......2005-09-06

I read this as a break from Snow Queen (which I'm almost finished as I write this). I thought this would be in the same vein as Snow Queen and Summer Queen but the story and style is completely different.

The book is told throught the eyes of BZ Gundhalinu, who was, admittedly, my favorite character in the other books, and the reader becomes deeply immersed in his thoughts and memories, which are fragmentary and not altogether sane.

The setting is fantastic and seems much more alien and alive than Carbuncle and Tiamat. The characters are far more three dimensional and believable than those in the other 'Snow Queen books', and BZ becomes far more sympathetic than any of Snow Queen's protagonists ever did (I found Moon a real pain to read about...). This book is also much more sci-fi than it's predecessors, which were more fantasy in my view.

The bok only gets four stars because some things it relies heavily on, such as sibyls and the Old Empire, aren't explained ebough if this is to be read as a stand alone, however if you have read Snow Queen or Summer Queen or posess a particularly fertile imagination you sould be fine with World's End. the ther reason for the slightly lower rating is that I thought that the background of Song, who is otherwise a fully realised character, could use more explaination. This is one of my favorite books and I would highly recommend it to anyone who lieks sci-fi books or books based on interior dialogue and highly character centric story lines.

The Unexpected Sequel.......2004-05-31

It's impossible for me to review this book without putting it the context of its classic predecessor. Probably I would not rate it so highly as a stand-alone book.

The fate of police inspector BZ Gundhalinu brought bittersweetness to end of THE SNOW QUEEN. If you care about the character, by all means read WORLD'S END. (Don't settle for the fractured summary found in THE SUMMER QUEEN.)

While reading THE SNOW QUEEN, I initially decided that I liked the officious technocrat Gundhalinu because of his unwavering support of his beleaguered commanding officer, Jerusha PalaThion. That BZ would expand his supporting role, undergo an intense personal upheaval, and emerge as a romantic renegade came as a delightful surprise. Even so, at the end of THE SNOW QUEEN, I assumed that BZ was an unfortunate bit of flotsam in the sibyl machinery's Greater Plan, and that the doors on his story had closed as tightly as the gate to Tiamat. I was happy to discover that Joan D. Vinge felt his journey worth continuing in WORLD'S END.

We catch up with Gundhalinu a few years later, burying himself in his police duties on the planet Four. Having experienced love on Tiamat did nothing to break the shackles of his Patrician background. BZ is still every bit the snob--defining nearly everyone--especially himself--according to the rigid terms of his hierarchical culture. And that culture judges him a coward and a failure.

More ghosts of the unresolved past surface when BZ's brothers, having squandered their aristocratic family's estates and good name, come to Four to seek their fortune in the notorious wilderness known as "World's End". They are presumed lost, and BZ embarks on what he assumes is a futile quest to set something right--to locate his brothers and perhaps regain his family's honor.

The quest is a Heart of Darkness-type journey, in which the increasingly surrealistic landscape reflects Gundhalinu's state of mind. A mysterious force in World's End creates disturbing anomalies in the harsh environment. As time passes, BZ succumbs to its maddening influence and loses his will to suppress his personal demons. At a shocking turning point, those demons are suddenly swept away as the demanding, insane consciousness behind World's End's anomalies invades BZ's mind. From then on he struggles to regain control and solve the mystery of this time- and space-defying wilderness.

The story is effectively told in the first person, through BZ's irregular journal entries. One can squirm experiencing the tumble towards insanity and the effort to return from the brink. The book is short, which saves it from becoming a wallow. But in spite of its brevity, it feels complete. A long, exhausting journey has taken place. Although the tone is unrelentingly grim, take heart! There is hope, enlightenment and rebirth at the end of the tunnel.

Diary of a Madman (cue maniacal laughter).......2002-08-02

Let me start by saying that if you ever want to read this book, you'd better have read Vinge's award winning epic "The Snow Queen" first (and if you haven't read that yet, you don't know what you're missing). There are a lot of references to the previous novel, so if you don't have that background, you'll likely have no idea what the premise of "World's End" is.

"World's End," taking place directly after the events in "The Snow Queen," is a journal-style, first-person narrative chronicling the exploits of BZ Gundhalinu as he treks into the horrifically inhospitable planet of World's End, and his descent into insanity as he is infected with the sybil virus. And such wonderfully wrought insanity it is! If there's one thing that Vinge is perfectly adept at, it's characterization. You really get the feeling that Gundhalinu's brain is slowly being turned inside-out. If you were locked behind four walls with this guy, you'd find yourself slinking to the opposite side of the room, all the time keeping him in your line of sight. The inside of his head is just that creepy.

"World's End" is very short, and one reviewer stated that it seems like editorial clippings from the next novel in Vinge's cycle, "The Summer Queen" -- which may or may not be true. I'll tell you this -- I read "The Summer Queen" before I had any knowledge that "World's End" even existed, and I wish I hadn't. All the important happenings in "World's End" were covered in brief in "The Summer Queen;" all the surprises and plot twists were ruined for me. But "World's End" was an enjoyable read regardless. Anything by Joan D. Vinge is.

Great Story.......1999-06-07

World's End is a wonderful book that adds depth to the character BZ and I loved the way BZ descended into madness. It reminded me of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." This book was not as complex or descriptive as the Summer Queen or the Snow Queen, but I could clearly see this desolate world. I enjoyed the Summer Queen more after reading World's End. When I first read the Summer Queen I had no idea what had happened to BZ on World's End, so some parts in the Summer Queen confused me.

Book Description

The Robinson family is blasting off again, in an all-new version of the immortal SF classic starring Gary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc, Mimi Rogers and Heather Graham. The world they are fleeing has changed dramatically, and so has their deep space mission.

The Robinsons lift off from a dying Earth, sickened by pollution and overpopulation. They pilot a hyperdrive spaceship through quantum wormholes and across relativistic reefs in search of a new Eden, Alpha Primean unspoiled planet light-years away, where humankind will get its second and last chance. And they face enemies more awesome, more devious and more lethal than anything they ever faced before.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting enough for an hour or so........2005-08-18

This review is for the ABRIDGED recording.

The story moved along at a nice clip and the imagery was vivid enough but it was pretty much all action and not enough character interaction for me (maybe it was edited out). Mimi Rogers did a decent enough job of reading but at times it was difficult to tell who was who.

Great book! saw the movie it was cool!.......1998-10-15

This is a 5 star book! it's great . the best book I READ SO FAR!!

description!.......1998-04-27

What a great book! I have rarely seen a novelization that so closely matches the movie. There was only one extra subplot that I could spot and it didn't detract in any way from the rest of the story. the author is very good at describing the action scenes, especially the dogfight at the begining. Overall, a really great book, except I think that the author dwells too much on the romance angle, but she does provide us with some nice background info on the pilot, Don West. If you liked the movie, read the book, and vice versa.

Authors:

Authors

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