On 2017-12-12, Moriarty <
blu...@ivillage.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 8:36:08 AM UTC+11, Bice wrote:
>> On Fri, 8 Dec 2017 15:30:11 -0600, Lynn McGuire
>> <
lynnmc...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> >_Eon_ by Greg Bear
>> >
https://www.amazon.com/Eon-Greg-Bear/dp/0765380498/
>> >
>> >Book number one of a three book space opera series. The series is also
>> >apocalyptic (kinda). I read the well printed and excellent paper trade
>> >paperback. I think that I am going to order the next book from Big
>> >River but the $19 price is stopping me. I may order the "new" one on
>> >Big River for $11 + $4 shipping instead. I have over 500 books in my SBR
>>
>> Really liked _Eon_. The beginning made me think it was just a
>> Rendezvous with Rama rip-off, but then he started answering all the
>> questions that Rama leaves unanswered - where the artifact came from,
>> who built it, why it's now in Earth orbit, etc.
>
> Ditto. The setup and sensawunda were awesome. The payoff followed through.
> Great book.
I love Eon, particularly the reveal of "The Way". Its handled so well, I
consider it the benchmark for any high-wonder reveal in sf since I read
it some hundreds of years ago. Nothing in the rest of the book quite
matches that process, but it is a good book nonetheless.
> Again, I agree. Eternity was an ok read but a letdown after Eon. Bear's
> definitely on the list of authors who produce great books with great ideas
> but whose sequels fall flat. He also did it with The Forge of God (great)
> and Anvil of the Stars (not so much).
Oh, not just those, he does it over and over again (and, stupidly I forget
this and end up trying again). In addition to your justified list I offer:
Queen of Angels was a superb book, the 'Country of the Mind' conceit was so
well done, the near-future atmosphere was intoxicating, and the Probe/AI
stuff tied it all together in a Big Idea Bow. Slant, otoh, was turgid.
Infinity Concerto was probably my favourite book for a while as a young 'un.
I guess it has much of what would now be seen as YA tropes, but at the time
this mish-mash of Celtic mythos, Portal Fantasy and _literary_ allusion was
incredible to read. The Serpent Mage was a colossal dissapointment, having
none of the charm or intelligence of the first book.
> Other authors who do the same:
>
> Dan Simmons: Hyperion --> Fall of Hyperion
I'm going to stick my head on the block here and say that I love FoHyperion.
Sure, it doesn't have the structure of the first book, but that doesn't make
it a bad book.
> Dan Simmons: Ilium --> Olympos
Sadly, I have to agree. Olympos just lost its way completely. A huge failure.
And that ending <shudder>
> Robert Charles Wilson: Spin --> Axis
Just don't read Vortex. If you thought Axis was bad...
--
dgold