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Lifehouse Trilogy #3
Lifehouse
June Bellamy had gone for a walk in a park—and came back with memories missing. She didn't know, but her partner could, because she'd told her answering machine about strange people in the park. Now June and Paul are on the run from insidious superhumans who can edit their memories and track them down no matter where or how well they hide. They are desperate—but not nearly as desperate as their pursuers.
273 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1997
5 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Spider Robinson
197 books674 followersSpider Robinson is an American-born Canadian Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction author. He was born in the USA, but chose to live in Canada, and gained citizenship in his adopted country in 2002.
Robinson's writing career began in 1972 with a sale to Analog Science Fiction magazine of a story entitled, The Guy With The Eyes. His writing proved popular, and his first novel saw print in 1976, Telempath. Since then he has averaged a novel (or collection) a year. His most well known stories are the Callahan saloon series.
Robinson's writing career began in 1972 with a sale to Analog Science Fiction magazine of a story entitled, The Guy With The Eyes. His writing proved popular, and his first novel saw print in 1976, Telempath. Since then he has averaged a novel (or collection) a year. His most well known stories are the Callahan saloon series.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 22, 2021
Lifehouse is the final volume in a loose near-future trilogy that started in Mindkiller and continued in Time Pressure. It's not necessary to have the previous books in order to understand this one, which stands well by itself. It's a nice thriller of a story involving time travel and mind control, recursively wrapped pleasingly and amusingly in the world of science fiction fandom. The story is liberally sprinkled with Robinson's trademark humor and puns, and told with his heavily emotional style. It's a bit dated due to having outlasted some of the pop-culture references and technological advancements, but entertaining and engaging nonetheless.
October 12, 2015
I want to rate this higher. Maybe it deserves it. But I found this 3rd book of the trilogy did not age well, and felt even less like a third book in the Mindkiller series (LifeHouse technically), than Time Pressure, book 2 did... Mindkiller was 10/10... Time Pressure 9/10... for what they are. But this, I can't justify 4 stars. It was fun! I blasted through it in a day basically.
So what's my problem, ay? Well, there are just so many pop culture references, that even though I was born in the 1980's, they already seem painfully dated. What's worse, is a good 40% of them I never even understood and was left scratching my head in wonder.
My other gripe is that technology descriptions date this book badly. An example is the Pentium 133 and the 10 gig hard drive... If he had left such things ambiguous, the book would have aged far better, like Slan which I just finished by A.E. Van Vogt which was serialized in 1940 in Astounding Magazine before being hardcover printed in 1946. It felt like something written in the 60's or 70's until I really thought about it... because the technology was left explained, but in a vague ambiguous sort of way that made the book really last the test of time without having a dated feel.
All in all I really enjoyed the book. MindKiller was substantially better, much more serious, yet still possessed a lot of humor. This was just loaded with awful jokes that made me groan. Mind you some made me smile as well. Mostly I just groaned though.
It's a fun book. If you don't mind the abhorrently dated feel and the really awful groan-worthy pop culture jokes, you will enjoy it. It's a neat conclusion to the trilogy, but definitely the worst of the 3.
So what's my problem, ay? Well, there are just so many pop culture references, that even though I was born in the 1980's, they already seem painfully dated. What's worse, is a good 40% of them I never even understood and was left scratching my head in wonder.
My other gripe is that technology descriptions date this book badly. An example is the Pentium 133 and the 10 gig hard drive... If he had left such things ambiguous, the book would have aged far better, like Slan which I just finished by A.E. Van Vogt which was serialized in 1940 in Astounding Magazine before being hardcover printed in 1946. It felt like something written in the 60's or 70's until I really thought about it... because the technology was left explained, but in a vague ambiguous sort of way that made the book really last the test of time without having a dated feel.
All in all I really enjoyed the book. MindKiller was substantially better, much more serious, yet still possessed a lot of humor. This was just loaded with awful jokes that made me groan. Mind you some made me smile as well. Mostly I just groaned though.
It's a fun book. If you don't mind the abhorrently dated feel and the really awful groan-worthy pop culture jokes, you will enjoy it. It's a neat conclusion to the trilogy, but definitely the worst of the 3.
March 23, 2020
I do not usually read three books in a row by the same author, but something caught me about Spider Robinson's Lifehouse "series (trilogy)," which is hardly a series in the conventional sense.
One great thing about Robinson's books is that nothing is wasted. Early plot points return at the end of the book as the entire story comes full circle in an organic way.
In a sense, this book is not really a fitting extension of the previous two, despite a continuing emphasis on characters who are SF fans and participate in fandom.
Nevertheless, this book is an enjoyable and a quick read.
I was happy to get a copy as it's not a common book, and from what I could tell, no longer in print.
One great thing about Robinson's books is that nothing is wasted. Early plot points return at the end of the book as the entire story comes full circle in an organic way.
In a sense, this book is not really a fitting extension of the previous two, despite a continuing emphasis on characters who are SF fans and participate in fandom.
Nevertheless, this book is an enjoyable and a quick read.
I was happy to get a copy as it's not a common book, and from what I could tell, no longer in print.
October 27, 2011
I had a little bit of trouble getting into this book, but once I got past the first chapter I was hooked! It had all of Spider Robinson's trademark humor and engaging storyline. This may be because it's the third book in a trilogy.
I think people on the train were looking at me funny, I was laughing so hard at certain points in the book. I am glad I rescued this from the free book box last summer.
I think people on the train were looking at me funny, I was laughing so hard at certain points in the book. I am glad I rescued this from the free book box last summer.
January 27, 2018
A moving science-fiction novel basically about a con-artist couple on the run near Vancouver from aliens who appear to be manipulating their memories. There’s much more to it than this in a story with great ideas, first-class characters, realistic dialogue and local colour, all superbly imagined and gripping but light in tone with a pleasingly optimistic ending.
May 2, 2016
This last one in the series did not disappoint, but it also didn't have the same kind of pacing or the mystery elements of the first two. Still.excellent but not worth a full five stars.
November 30, 2022
Another banger from Canada's best science fiction author? Damn right it is! Lifehouse finishes off the Mindkiller trilogy in style. It's an SF thriller that brings everything you'd expect from Robinson - great ideas, compelling characters, chills, insight, and deep pulls from his own life.
One interesting note - every book in this trilogy has been part of the same overarching plot, but they've all explored very different themes. Mindkiller was about identity & the morality of taking extreme action, Time Pressure was about living a good life, and Lifehouse is an exploration of relationships. It's a celebration of love, but not the initial burst of romance - it's all about the workings of happy, stable, long-lasting marriages.
One interesting note - every book in this trilogy has been part of the same overarching plot, but they've all explored very different themes. Mindkiller was about identity & the morality of taking extreme action, Time Pressure was about living a good life, and Lifehouse is an exploration of relationships. It's a celebration of love, but not the initial burst of romance - it's all about the workings of happy, stable, long-lasting marriages.
February 8, 2024
The used bookstore guy told me Spider Robinson was the best sci fi writer out there, but impossible to find. The next place I went had two of them: this and Mindkiller.
It's extremely Canadian, and extremely 90s. It's not just the settings (Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax) but... somehow everything. The convention organizers who drop Star Trek references, the extended scenes on sub sandwich etiquette. And everybody - eternal god-beings included - have quippy repartee for every occasion.
Not a strong recommend, but if you blow through stuff like this and need titles to fill the hopper, by all means give it a shot. Perhaps it will turn your crank.
It's extremely Canadian, and extremely 90s. It's not just the settings (Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax) but... somehow everything. The convention organizers who drop Star Trek references, the extended scenes on sub sandwich etiquette. And everybody - eternal god-beings included - have quippy repartee for every occasion.
Not a strong recommend, but if you blow through stuff like this and need titles to fill the hopper, by all means give it a shot. Perhaps it will turn your crank.
September 6, 2023
I love Robinson's writing, but this is a very silly book. DNF.
December 16, 2012
The final (so far) novel in Robinson's future history series, where human memory can be uploaded, and a group mind (though without losing one's individuality) has formed. This group mind decided that every human should be granted immortality (good idea), so back in time are despatched "lifehouses" in which human, post-death memory and personality are recorded and stored for a future revival. So far so good.
This carefully laid plan goes awry. In Canada, a wandering grifter stumbles across evidence that lifehouses exist, and before her memory can be erased, she and her boyfriend flee with this knowledge. The two lifehouse guardians pursue, but along the way the two absconders ally with two science fiction fen, who together push the situation to the point of public disclosure. This would result in a time paradox, and bring the whole project crashing down.
The tense standoff is resolved by the visit of the female grifters deceased mother, returned briefly from the future to the present, who reveals the true benign purpose of the lifehouse project. From here it is a happy ending. The two couples (grifter and SF) settle down and live happily ever after—or at least until they are revived.
The story is told in Robinson's usual rich style: lots of emotional dialogue, insights into human nature, and relationships. In this novel the author makes a clear and sometimes humorous nod to the science fiction community, and an equally clear vote of approval to Canada over the USA. The adventure is told well, twists and turns, a perilous closeness to failure, capped with last minute success. The minor characters are each drawn well, though, perhaps a tad cliched. An amusing story, with a message or two, and an optimistic outcome. Great!
I have re-read several times, maybe once more?
This carefully laid plan goes awry. In Canada, a wandering grifter stumbles across evidence that lifehouses exist, and before her memory can be erased, she and her boyfriend flee with this knowledge. The two lifehouse guardians pursue, but along the way the two absconders ally with two science fiction fen, who together push the situation to the point of public disclosure. This would result in a time paradox, and bring the whole project crashing down.
The tense standoff is resolved by the visit of the female grifters deceased mother, returned briefly from the future to the present, who reveals the true benign purpose of the lifehouse project. From here it is a happy ending. The two couples (grifter and SF) settle down and live happily ever after—or at least until they are revived.
The story is told in Robinson's usual rich style: lots of emotional dialogue, insights into human nature, and relationships. In this novel the author makes a clear and sometimes humorous nod to the science fiction community, and an equally clear vote of approval to Canada over the USA. The adventure is told well, twists and turns, a perilous closeness to failure, capped with last minute success. The minor characters are each drawn well, though, perhaps a tad cliched. An amusing story, with a message or two, and an optimistic outcome. Great!
I have re-read several times, maybe once more?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2016
I enjoyed this novel though it took a little time to get into, which is unusual from a Spider Robinson novel. It is a development of his near-future "Lifehouse" trilogy, thought I find these all stand alone novels. Unlike most trilogies, there are very few characters and situations that are related between the three.
It is a fine yarn, with all the standard Spider elements: humours deep human connections.
Did not quite stand up to the others but worth the read.
It is a fine yarn, with all the standard Spider elements: humours deep human connections.
Did not quite stand up to the others but worth the read.
May 22, 2011
I liked the other two books of this trilogy better. Somehow the characters of this one weren't as real. The opening scene is beautiful, though. And I love how lovingly and yet bitingly Robinson portrays his people.
February 9, 2008
The third in the "Mindkiller / Time Pressure" series.
March 15, 2014
Always competent, but Spider started running out of ideas after a while.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews