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Conference noted::sf

Title:Arcana Caelestia
Notice:Directory listings are in topic 2
Moderator:NETRIX::thomas
Created:Thu Dec 08 1983
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1300
Total number of notes:18728

637.0. "Should I read David's Sling?" by SNDCSL::SMITH (William P.N. (WOOKIE::) Smith) Sat Jun 18 1988 16:31

    I've been pretty disappointed by the last 5 or so books I've read,
    from Jannisaries III to The Annals Of The Heechee and Fortress and
    The Fleet (David Drake).  I'm just starting David's Sling by Marc
    Stiegler and it's hard to tell if it's worthwhile, any hints?
    
    I'm into high-tech SF, if it matters, but it's so hard to find anything
    worthwhile.  I guess I'm looking for another H. Beam Piper or Spider
    Robinson or other 'undiscovered' great....  The problem is you have
    to wade through a lot of dreck to find the good stuff.  I'm almost
    to the point where I'm getting disgusted with SF, which bothers
    me greatly!
    
    Willie
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
637.1Some recommendationsNUTMEG::BALSNice girls don't explodeMon Jun 20 1988 14:1620
    I can't tell you about DAVID"S SLING -- haven't read the book,
    though I've ordered the hypertext Macintosh version. Three recent
    books which I can recommend that might meet your tastes are FIRST FLIGHT by
    Chris Claremont (ACE 0-441-23584-0 $2.95), METROPHAGE by Richard
    Kadrey (ACE 0-441-52813-9 $2.95), and MERCEDES NIGHTS by Michael
    D. Weaver (ST. MARTINS PRESS 0-312-01066-4 $16.95).
    
    None of the authors are particularly well-known, but I suspect are
    going to have very successful careers. Claremont's book has both
    solid technology and a solid story -- it reminded me of early Heinlein.
    Kadrey's book has a cyberpunk sensibility to it, but stands out
    in the crowded cyberpunk field as being completely different from
    its peers. I have to admit that I didn't like Weaver's book all
    that much. But people whose opinion I respect liked it a great deal.
    
    I think, like everybody, I go through periods where every book I seem
    to read proves out Sturgeon's Law. Happily, every now and then the
    trend reverses and I hit a number of good books one after another.
    
    Fred
637.2SNDCSL::SMITHWilliam P.N. (WOOKIE::) SmithMon Jun 20 1988 16:375
    Fred,
    
    	Thanks for the pointers, I'll look into those!
    
    Willie
637.3DRUMS::FEHSKENSTue Jun 21 1988 19:554
    Another vote for Metrophage!
    
    len.
637.4Good read!SNDCSL::SMITHTANSTAAISat Jul 02 1988 14:2910
    Well, I finished David's Sling and was reasonably impressed!  It
    was highly reccomended on the Arpanet RISKS digest, and rightly
    so, but as SF_with_rivets (my favorite) it did fairly well.  I'd
    give it about 4 out of 5.  I had a few problems with realism (if
    the soviets attacked Europe, wouldn't you expect them to knock down
    just a few imaging satellites and maybe think about some ECM?),
    but overall it began to restore my faith in SF.
    
    Willie