What do you think?
Rate this book
Having Nice Things
The Earth is hurting from radioactive wastelands, over crowding and a xenophobic fear of the inter-system alliance. While adapting Next You Interstellar LLC donated technological innovation to reclaim areas of Earth made uninhabitable by wars of the past, religious and ethical movements threaten to unleash more war. How many people are too many? What can aliens and alien technology do to nudge the balance between war and progress? Read Having Nice Things, a Next You novel, and find out.
234 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2012
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 17, 2013
I haven’t read hard-core science fiction for so many years, that I forgot how much I enjoy it. Having Nice Things is most certainly hard-core science fiction, and I most certainly did enjoy it.
In the distant future The Home Planet Recovery Division (HRD) is attempting to cleanse the world of the globe destroying remnants of a war of genocide, while Earth’s population lives in domed cities. Life is not good on a planet vastly overpopulated, and subjected to all the oppressions and tribulations that go with that.
The vice president of HRD is a man with a vision of a recovered planet, and a passionate love for his woman. His life is turned upside down, and changed in unimaginable ways, as the two of them are catapulted into deadly battle. On Earth also, are alien beings with varying agendas, not all of them transparent. The advent of a religious sect, led by a being who has lost his mind, sets off a chain of reactions that plunges the globe into chaos, war between worlds, and the possibility of annihilation.
Having Nice Things is non-stop action, and a very exciting ride through the tribulations of galactic war. At no point do you know how this book will end. And I’m not going to tell you. The scientific knowledge of the author is obvious, as is his skill at spinning a fine tale. His very dry wit is also worthy of mention. I laughed right out loud several times. I particularly enjoyed the depth of every character in the book, and also the very alien ways of the aliens. I like my aliens to do alien things. I got quite fond of a few of them along the way.
There are several very graphic sex scenes in the book. It will surprise many who know of my usual aversion to anything overly erotic, that these didn’t offend me. They suit the world of this story, and this particular branch of this particular genre. One of my all time favourite writers of sci-fi, Piers Anthony, liberally hands out very blush-inducing romps in his books – not always within the same species either!
With the one reservation, and it’s not actually a proper reservation, of having to say that this is a read for adults only, I heartily recommend this book to all you classic science fiction lovers out there.
In the distant future The Home Planet Recovery Division (HRD) is attempting to cleanse the world of the globe destroying remnants of a war of genocide, while Earth’s population lives in domed cities. Life is not good on a planet vastly overpopulated, and subjected to all the oppressions and tribulations that go with that.
The vice president of HRD is a man with a vision of a recovered planet, and a passionate love for his woman. His life is turned upside down, and changed in unimaginable ways, as the two of them are catapulted into deadly battle. On Earth also, are alien beings with varying agendas, not all of them transparent. The advent of a religious sect, led by a being who has lost his mind, sets off a chain of reactions that plunges the globe into chaos, war between worlds, and the possibility of annihilation.
Having Nice Things is non-stop action, and a very exciting ride through the tribulations of galactic war. At no point do you know how this book will end. And I’m not going to tell you. The scientific knowledge of the author is obvious, as is his skill at spinning a fine tale. His very dry wit is also worthy of mention. I laughed right out loud several times. I particularly enjoyed the depth of every character in the book, and also the very alien ways of the aliens. I like my aliens to do alien things. I got quite fond of a few of them along the way.
There are several very graphic sex scenes in the book. It will surprise many who know of my usual aversion to anything overly erotic, that these didn’t offend me. They suit the world of this story, and this particular branch of this particular genre. One of my all time favourite writers of sci-fi, Piers Anthony, liberally hands out very blush-inducing romps in his books – not always within the same species either!
With the one reservation, and it’s not actually a proper reservation, of having to say that this is a read for adults only, I heartily recommend this book to all you classic science fiction lovers out there.
April 24, 2013
Over all not a bad story. Pretty straight forward. But the charm and the best aspects lie in the fighting and the science. The author really knows his stuff and isn't afraid to tell it. I found myself really enjoying the conflicts and the detail used to describe them. The use and understanding of military-isms and of future technology. It was very nice.
I did have a little trouble with the characterisations. They weren't bad, but I found many of them similar and I was lead to wonder if they would react how many of them did. Some of them I would happily accept but there seemed to be lots of strange things happening. One such scene was when a Bremmer (sort of bad guy) defected to the human side with most of his crew to fight off a rouge Bremmer named Bishop. There was only one line of doubt before they accepted them ... if it was me and the rest of the military I think there would be some serious doubts and paranoia's happening. This issue is explored later on with another Bremmer, which made me feel a little better about it. - There are other similar circumstances but they were scattered and small and what story doesn't have them?
The writing style is excellent, but there seems to be a couple of slip ups here and there. I came across two areas where for a paragraph or two the writing turned from third perspective to first. That was difficult. Also on the odd occasion the writing flowed more like a play than a novel. It was sort of list like, I don't know if that's normal but it was hard to picture myself in the story at those times.
I enjoyed some of the characters immensely, Basil always interested me and Miranda is awesome too. Dr Robert Abrams is my favourite character from the previous books but he only had cameo's here, which I found a little disappointing. But on that same line I really like the setup of each book having a different main character POV, that is interesting and you get to know others a lot better and see what someone is like on the inside and outside depending on the book.
Already started reading Utopian Estates, and though I'm only a chapter in, I'm liking it already.
I did have a little trouble with the characterisations. They weren't bad, but I found many of them similar and I was lead to wonder if they would react how many of them did. Some of them I would happily accept but there seemed to be lots of strange things happening. One such scene was when a Bremmer (sort of bad guy) defected to the human side with most of his crew to fight off a rouge Bremmer named Bishop. There was only one line of doubt before they accepted them ... if it was me and the rest of the military I think there would be some serious doubts and paranoia's happening. This issue is explored later on with another Bremmer, which made me feel a little better about it. - There are other similar circumstances but they were scattered and small and what story doesn't have them?
The writing style is excellent, but there seems to be a couple of slip ups here and there. I came across two areas where for a paragraph or two the writing turned from third perspective to first. That was difficult. Also on the odd occasion the writing flowed more like a play than a novel. It was sort of list like, I don't know if that's normal but it was hard to picture myself in the story at those times.
I enjoyed some of the characters immensely, Basil always interested me and Miranda is awesome too. Dr Robert Abrams is my favourite character from the previous books but he only had cameo's here, which I found a little disappointing. But on that same line I really like the setup of each book having a different main character POV, that is interesting and you get to know others a lot better and see what someone is like on the inside and outside depending on the book.
Already started reading Utopian Estates, and though I'm only a chapter in, I'm liking it already.
January 1, 2014
Having read two other of Angus H. Day’s efforts in the Next You series, Destined for Something and Utopian Estates, I’ve come to expect inane antics, unbridled hilarity and a genuinely entertaining read with a well-crafted storyline. Angus doesn’t disappoint with this installment, either. This book lays the background of the Next You enterprise. Though each book stands alone and is a quick read, I was pleased to be able to fill in some of the “blanks” having been provided these details.
Though the losses of life throughout the book are disheartening, the regular infusion of humour and action keeps one moving ahead to get to the end. The efforts to reclaim earth so it might some day be habitable again are thwarted on every turn. Will humankind be able to return to the cradle of their species? You'll have to pick up a copy and read it today to find out. On the top of my to-do pile is reading the remaining books in this series.
Be aware there is sexual content in this book, sprinkled with F/F AND F/M and a few other things. I wouldn’t suggest it for reading to anyone under 17 years of age.
Angus H. Day - Review Stop for Angus H. Day
Review Post
Though the losses of life throughout the book are disheartening, the regular infusion of humour and action keeps one moving ahead to get to the end. The efforts to reclaim earth so it might some day be habitable again are thwarted on every turn. Will humankind be able to return to the cradle of their species? You'll have to pick up a copy and read it today to find out. On the top of my to-do pile is reading the remaining books in this series.
Be aware there is sexual content in this book, sprinkled with F/F AND F/M and a few other things. I wouldn’t suggest it for reading to anyone under 17 years of age.
Angus H. Day - Review Stop for Angus H. Day
Review Post
October 26, 2013
Big Things in Little Packages: "Next You; Having Nice Things"
The future has always been compared to a big horizon, beckoning us forwards towards the unknown. But in Having Nice Things, we learn that the future is also quite small. Very small in fact. Set against the background of an ambitious plan to rejuvenate a tired Earth, we learn that our tomorrow will be determined by nanotechnology and genetic engineering. This book, which is part of a series, presents a compelling vision of what is to come, and at many points seems more like science fact than science fiction. I will be interested to see where the author takes us as readers.
http://www.amazon.com/Having-Nice-Thi...
The future has always been compared to a big horizon, beckoning us forwards towards the unknown. But in Having Nice Things, we learn that the future is also quite small. Very small in fact. Set against the background of an ambitious plan to rejuvenate a tired Earth, we learn that our tomorrow will be determined by nanotechnology and genetic engineering. This book, which is part of a series, presents a compelling vision of what is to come, and at many points seems more like science fact than science fiction. I will be interested to see where the author takes us as readers.
http://www.amazon.com/Having-Nice-Thi...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews