Forrest

meh

Revisado: 03-28-25

Reads like YA. Interesting conceit, but very few surprises. There was zero nuance or character development. A lot of missed opportunities for quiet reflection about what happens when you know how long you have to live. Don't recommend.

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Lame

Revisado: 07-12-19

Follows Seveneves as the lamest yet. I have nine words to go to make 15.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Extremely Solid Listen

Revisado: 03-30-16

I had never read a John Carter story before this series. The popular fiction of my youth was the Conan Saga by Robert E Howard and anything by Ray Bradbury. Both of these authors came well after Burroughs and I would bet that both owe him something for his ideas of Mars and his swashbuckling style. The first book of the Barsoom series is an origin story. About a Civil War veteran who is mysteriously transported to Mars and who is gifted with certain physical superpowers because of low gravity. Above all he is a fighter and a warrior.

Burroughs has taken some basic facts about Mars known in the early 19th century and science in general and extrapolated an interlocking play of ecosystems, biology, tribes and cultures. The people, plants and animals are all connected by an astoundingly imaginative evolutionary process. John Carter goes on fighting and doing his thing against this very rich and complicated background of tribal and societal relationships.

Besides the ecological and cultural imaginings, Burroughs also is innovative in his use of science. He posits that nuclear energy has different "rays" with different properties. One is a repulsive property that can be harnessed to allow air ships to move about. Other rays can be used to generate power and that power is used to renew the water and atmosphere necessary for life. We learn that Mars used to have water and atmosphere but as time went on they had to be constantly regenerated by engineered means. There is a lot of innovative thought contained in these stories and that makes it good science fiction.

I'm nearly to the end of the second book of this collection and will have to step back soon because of the saturation factor. But they are good enough and entertaining enough that I will be back to finish them.

On the matter of the narration by Eric Vincent, I have thoroughly enjoyed his mastery of the craft. The emotional emphasis he conveys about the the grandeur of the planet, the drama of the action and the astonishment that John Carter feels with each new discovery makes this a page-turner.

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The Investigation of a Generation

Revisado: 03-17-16

This is the first time I have seen so many pieces of the opioid pandemic put into one book. Quinones' unique experience and exceptional thoroughness put him in an excellent position to tell the story of a lost generation. This is a book I could not put down.

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esto le resultó útil a 7 personas

Thoroughly Entertaining

Revisado: 01-15-15

Quest fantasy is not my normal genre but at the recommendation of a friend I gave it a listen. The story held my attention throughout and I was especially charmed by the bits of unexpected humor sprinkled into the story, like a sly wink to the listener.

The narration was exceptional. After recently listening to British-accented narrators drone on and on in that narration-monotone, this was a refreshing change. Eric Vincent is a storyteller of exceptional skill who unfolds the narration in such a natural way that it really enhances the story. His voicing of the Ifrit character, an evil genie, was actually chilling. I think he is one of the best narrators I've heard in years and I will definitely seek out his work in the future.

The production values are terrific and include music at transition points in the story. Technically and artistically, very well done.

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Tired Storyline Better Hurry Up

Revisado: 07-03-12

I was late to the party. But I have now listened to all five of JRRM's novels, about 200 hours worth, in about a year. Long periods go by when nothing happens except the description of coats-of-arms. medieval menus and gowns. Rich in detail but nothing happens in the 9, 12 or 15 story lines for many of the characters. Whole books go by without mentioning critical characters, their doings or their whereabouts. You can't even tell who this whole thing is about. So little has happened in the arc of the story that I will be deceased before JRRM gets to a conclusion. So I am cutting my losses and I recommend that you do to. For two credits each you should get the Eurostar not some milk run local that will never get you anywhere.

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Still Relevant

Revisado: 02-26-12

I am going to medical school next year and was told to read this book by several people. It was startling that so many of the issues that face the modern doctor had already been clearly outlined almost 90 years ago. This book was particularly interesting to me after reading several nonfiction books describing medical science in the same era like "The Demon under the Microscope" and "The Great Influenza". Although the moral dilemmas are complex and interesting, Lewis does not achieve that same complexity in his characters and their actions.

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My Favorite Book

Revisado: 04-25-11

If you liked The Count of Monte Christo, Atlas Shrugged, East of Eden, or On the Road you will love this book because it finishes the thought that these books started, but with more humanity, humor and complexity.

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esto le resultó útil a 22 personas