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Light Source
A physicist makes a great energy discovery - and disappears. Her research partner dies in a plane crash. And a brutally ambitious oil executive plots his last lethal strike...Torture. Blackmail. Even murder. There was nothing David Lucci woudln't do to stop Emily Brand from going public with her plans for an inexpensive, safe source of unlimited energy. Because of what Emily Brand had done to him, over twenty years ago, David was going to use all of NARCON's vast resources to see that she paid for it - with her life...
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First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 26, 2020
Any book that opens with a quote from fucking Ayn Rand goes right in the trash.
November 20, 2012
I've long been of the opinion that female authors invariably can not write male characters as well as male authors have always been able to write convincing female characters. From our side of the fence; we have Tolstoy and Proust; Balzac; Zola; but from female authors writing about the male psyche, how many truly sublime talents can you name? How well can women write about the world of men? Not very successfully, it seems to me. We understand them better than they understand us.
I extend this opinion out further--into the field of thriller/espionage novels--where the number of competent (much less, masterful) women authors in the field seems to me very slim.
In counterpoint you could suggest to me these names: Agatha Christie; Ngaio Marsh; Helen McInnes, Sue Grafton; Mary Stewart; P. Highsmith..but I stand firm on my bias. These aren't thriller writers, first of all--they're mystery writers. And even McInnes (who was more thriller-authoress than mystery)--her works weren't exactly nail-biters, were they? Anyway the male characters in all of these authors' books don't really impress me. A thriller has to be muscular; robust; taut; brutal--even cruel. Women don't do that very well; in fact the only women writers who do are Shirley Jackson; Anne Rivers Siddons; and Rachel Ingalls (all of whom wrote in the horror/supernatural field).
Bottom line: I rarely pick up any espionage/thriller if its a woman's name under the title.
All that being said; I have actually come across a small handful of interesting; readable; entertaining one-off books by the odd/random female author here and there. Few and far between; but I have listed them all on Goodreads and heaped appropriate praise in each case. 'Vectors'; 'Patchwork' by Carolyn Banks; 'Snow' by Jennifer Levin; and this title, 'Lightsource'.
Bari Wood comes up with quite a decent yarn; one that sticks in the memory; its clever and well-paced. Much admiration for this tidy little suspenser. Three cheers.
I extend this opinion out further--into the field of thriller/espionage novels--where the number of competent (much less, masterful) women authors in the field seems to me very slim.
In counterpoint you could suggest to me these names: Agatha Christie; Ngaio Marsh; Helen McInnes, Sue Grafton; Mary Stewart; P. Highsmith..but I stand firm on my bias. These aren't thriller writers, first of all--they're mystery writers. And even McInnes (who was more thriller-authoress than mystery)--her works weren't exactly nail-biters, were they? Anyway the male characters in all of these authors' books don't really impress me. A thriller has to be muscular; robust; taut; brutal--even cruel. Women don't do that very well; in fact the only women writers who do are Shirley Jackson; Anne Rivers Siddons; and Rachel Ingalls (all of whom wrote in the horror/supernatural field).
Bottom line: I rarely pick up any espionage/thriller if its a woman's name under the title.
All that being said; I have actually come across a small handful of interesting; readable; entertaining one-off books by the odd/random female author here and there. Few and far between; but I have listed them all on Goodreads and heaped appropriate praise in each case. 'Vectors'; 'Patchwork' by Carolyn Banks; 'Snow' by Jennifer Levin; and this title, 'Lightsource'.
Bari Wood comes up with quite a decent yarn; one that sticks in the memory; its clever and well-paced. Much admiration for this tidy little suspenser. Three cheers.
July 15, 2017
Technically I'd give this one 2 1/2 starts out of 5, but seeing as that's not an option, I'll be generous for two reasons:
1) Light-Source's plot predates the energy concerns of its time and of the now. It's touches upon global warming themes quite heavily for a novel published in 1985, all of which are relevant today Neat.
2) While the story starts off slow (the first 100 or so pages are a chore) after the initial set-up is finished and we it's quite a brisk run to finish from there on in.
Emily, the protagonist isn't incredibly interesting (though her work as a scientist is) BUT this changes quite rapidly and Bari Wood's does a commendable job of fleshing out a rather simple character into a true hero as the story progresses. Still, the plot is the true main character here and it's good enough to keep you interested in what happens next.
That said, I do wish Wood had made her Emily into more a flawed character, especially seeing how the story makes a sudden shift from a global threat to a much more personal towards the end. Although I suppose that's her flaw, Emily's much too focused on her work to notice much in the way of the personal. Clever, especially once the true antagonist is revealed, but not always compelling in terms of a leading lady.
1) Light-Source's plot predates the energy concerns of its time and of the now. It's touches upon global warming themes quite heavily for a novel published in 1985, all of which are relevant today Neat.
2) While the story starts off slow (the first 100 or so pages are a chore) after the initial set-up is finished and we it's quite a brisk run to finish from there on in.
Emily, the protagonist isn't incredibly interesting (though her work as a scientist is) BUT this changes quite rapidly and Bari Wood's does a commendable job of fleshing out a rather simple character into a true hero as the story progresses. Still, the plot is the true main character here and it's good enough to keep you interested in what happens next.
That said, I do wish Wood had made her Emily into more a flawed character, especially seeing how the story makes a sudden shift from a global threat to a much more personal towards the end. Although I suppose that's her flaw, Emily's much too focused on her work to notice much in the way of the personal. Clever, especially once the true antagonist is revealed, but not always compelling in terms of a leading lady.
June 23, 2018
Terrible terrible book. Do not waste your time.
September 15, 2020
Read in 1985. Powerful government officials will stop at nothing to prevent a physicist from developing a fusion reactor.
November 17, 2022
Just excellent all around! One of the most gripping and thought provoking thrillers I've ever read. Bari Wood is criminally underrated and has become a new favorite of mine for sure.
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April 11, 2024α - I think in my mind I would use AI to turn these into best of the worst style horror comedies - come on Meta, where's that beta for text to video? Google is kicking your ass.
May 21, 2010
Little like a Dan Brown book, but not quite as good, but good all the same.
March 7, 2015
Slow until about page 100 and takes off from there. I'm biased because I like the theme of energy, but I think most would agree its a good action adventure.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews