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Russell Walker/Zandor Zudenigo/Nika Mandiç Mysteries #2
Very Hard Choices
After the shattering death of his beloved wife, aging baby-boomer Russell Walker had wanted only to hide from the world in the woods of British Columbia. Instead, an old college acquaintance called Smelly, who was a telepath, had knocked on his door and demanded his help in stopping a serial killer who made Hannibal Lector look like a boy scout. They had managed to convince Nika, a hard-headed and skeptical police officer, and the trio had stopped the killer, though nearly at the cost of their own lives, and things could go back to normal...they thought.
But then Russell was visited by his estranged son, Jesse, a PR exec from New York, still angry over his father's role in his mother's death. And, to their dismay, Nika and Russell learn that agreeing to help Zudie conceal the fact that he can read minds involves committing to help him hide from the CIA, who have been hunting him desperately ever since he escaped from the MK Ultra Project back in the 60s. Constable Nika must decide what being a peace officer means. Russell must decide on the fly whether or not Smelly is the kind of friend you'd die for. And Jesse, who lives in America, must decide just where his own national -- and personal -- loyalties lie.
Best-selling and award-winning author of The Martian Child David Gerrold says of Very Hard Choices , "Spider Robinson is at his best when he is most passionate -- and this is Spider Robinson at his very best. If you're expecting a nice polite distraction that you can put down and forget, you're going to be very annoyed. This isn't a story, it's a wake-up call. And it isn't over until you decide it's over.
But then Russell was visited by his estranged son, Jesse, a PR exec from New York, still angry over his father's role in his mother's death. And, to their dismay, Nika and Russell learn that agreeing to help Zudie conceal the fact that he can read minds involves committing to help him hide from the CIA, who have been hunting him desperately ever since he escaped from the MK Ultra Project back in the 60s. Constable Nika must decide what being a peace officer means. Russell must decide on the fly whether or not Smelly is the kind of friend you'd die for. And Jesse, who lives in America, must decide just where his own national -- and personal -- loyalties lie.
Best-selling and award-winning author of The Martian Child David Gerrold says of Very Hard Choices , "Spider Robinson is at his best when he is most passionate -- and this is Spider Robinson at his very best. If you're expecting a nice polite distraction that you can put down and forget, you're going to be very annoyed. This isn't a story, it's a wake-up call. And it isn't over until you decide it's over.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2008
5 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Spider Robinson
197 books675 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 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 27, 2018
Makes sense as a sequel to the first book, Very Bad Deaths. I would guess some of this is autobiographical, or at least a chance for Mr. Robinson to share anecdotes about relationships, maturity, drugs, and politics. Sometimes I like the author's opinion, sometimes they seem nonsensical, but nevertheless I rather like his characters and their development.
SRC Winter 2017 Task 30.3 Option 2 (Spider Robinson's initials in SCHNAUZER), in conjunction with forthcoming Option 1, Germany for Dummies!
SRC Winter 2017 Task 30.3 Option 2 (Spider Robinson's initials in SCHNAUZER), in conjunction with forthcoming Option 1, Germany for Dummies!
December 2, 2014
Politics first...
This book is essentially a thinly veiled criticism of America's recent reactionary mindset, especially and specifically to the "very hard choices" that the US government has made post-911.
Written from a very liberal perspective, this book questions the right wing dogma used to justify decisions that make America anything but a shining beacon of hope to the rest of the world.
Homeland Security? What happened to the land of the free?
Torture in Guantanamo? What happened to beating the Nazis by carefully NOT becoming a Nazi oneself?
There are more examples, and in each case the book strives to push Spider's left-wing perspectives. Whether you agree with his opinions or not, you will have to admit that this book comes across as quite preachy - it has an indoctrinatory flavor that may put you off.
But it's also compelling reading, and easy to enjoy. I just wanted to be clear that the politics are not subtle, nor objectively examined.
Spider's basic theme, however, remains compelling. I'll steal the most profound moment for discussion in the items listed here:
1) In your heart, you're convinced that you are a Good Guy
2) To achieve your purpose (as a Good Guy), you reluctantly and pragmatically make some Very Hard Choices
3) You accept that sometimes you have to do what appear in isolation to be bad things in order to promote the overall greater good.
3a) Thus with Machiavellian assurance, you're prepared to get your hands dirty in your effort for Good to overcome Evil.
4) You attempt to enlist a telepath (a mind-reader) to help you.
5) But the telepath refuses! What is that about?
5a) Is he not a true telepath? In your heart, you are convinced you're the Good Guy. Surely a true telepath would read your mind and realize you're the Good Guy, and would help. So perhaps the telepath sucks and is no use to your mission anyways.
5b) Or maybe you're just wrong fundamentally! The telepath can actually read your mind but rejects that you're the Good Guy because you're not acting like the Good Guy. No matter how purely motivated you are to do good in the larger picture, the small items count too, and you should not do wrong even when you hope it will lead to good. So the telepath now won't help you, and you have to reassess if in fact you really are the Good Guy after all...
Ok... Reading back, my synopsis is a bit clunky. Spider does it better, but I've attempted to capture the fundamental question that this book attempts to answer. If my version was not as skillfully expressed as Spider's, chalk that up to the author's art and give him an extra star.
It's an interesting question, but I suspect the majority of readers will approach it from their own mindset, and reading Spider's book may not be enough in itself to sway any particular reader's opinion much.
I'd rate the preachiness of this book to be at least 8.2/10, which is even a bit higher than the first book in this series. (And, yes, this is a case where a lower score would be preferred!)
How about the writing? It's Spider, so it's compellingly readable as always. It's effortless to turn page after page, and enjoyable throughout. His tone is a unique blend of smart (but not snobbish) and witty (but not silly) prose that most readers will find appealing. Despite the politics, I found this book very comfortable to read. The opening 20-30 pages alone are fantastic!
I'd rate Spider's art in constructing prose at a least an 8.8/10, which is very similar to the first book in this series. (And in contrast this is a case where the large score is to be congratulated!)
In plotting, however, I did find something to complain about. Firstly, there's a lot of references to the first book, so read that before you start this one. And for best results, don't let too much time pass after you read the first before you get to this. It's not that you'll forget much, but it's just so close in tone and theme that you'll appreciate the whole work better reading them back-to-back. (And then you'll need a break from Spider for a while... but this pair of books can be read quickly.)
But here my complaint was in plot pacing. Spider seemed to reach the climax too quickly - the book was barely over half and events were already reaching the final conflict. What to do? Run the same timeline sequence twice... well that wasn't so bad. But Spider also chose to fill in with some humorous side stories. It really killed the momentum when the main character is heading for the climactic conflict and decides to travel down memory lane again and again and find funny anecdotes to share. (And not to risk a spoiler, but the resolution of this climactic conflict was unsatisfying to me. I was set up for a battle, but instead saw alliances merging and adversaries being co-opted).
Imagine watching Jack Bauer on a mission with 10 seconds left, and somebody decides to pause the dvd and tell knock-knock jokes. Eventually you know you'll get back to the climactic scene, but you're not biting your nails anymore - you're actually removed from the drama now. And then even worse the drama is revealed to be insignificant anyways...
Sorry Spider, the long walk from the beach was funny but derailed the book's suspense. I'd rate Spider's craft in plotting this book as perhaps a 6.4/10 (where a higher score would have been better).
Final verdict - some profound ideas, and some funny and compellng reading help make this a good read, but preachy politics and stuttering climactic scenes detracted.
Between 2 and 2.5 stars out of 5.
This book is essentially a thinly veiled criticism of America's recent reactionary mindset, especially and specifically to the "very hard choices" that the US government has made post-911.
Written from a very liberal perspective, this book questions the right wing dogma used to justify decisions that make America anything but a shining beacon of hope to the rest of the world.
Homeland Security? What happened to the land of the free?
Torture in Guantanamo? What happened to beating the Nazis by carefully NOT becoming a Nazi oneself?
There are more examples, and in each case the book strives to push Spider's left-wing perspectives. Whether you agree with his opinions or not, you will have to admit that this book comes across as quite preachy - it has an indoctrinatory flavor that may put you off.
But it's also compelling reading, and easy to enjoy. I just wanted to be clear that the politics are not subtle, nor objectively examined.
Spider's basic theme, however, remains compelling. I'll steal the most profound moment for discussion in the items listed here:
1) In your heart, you're convinced that you are a Good Guy
2) To achieve your purpose (as a Good Guy), you reluctantly and pragmatically make some Very Hard Choices
3) You accept that sometimes you have to do what appear in isolation to be bad things in order to promote the overall greater good.
3a) Thus with Machiavellian assurance, you're prepared to get your hands dirty in your effort for Good to overcome Evil.
4) You attempt to enlist a telepath (a mind-reader) to help you.
5) But the telepath refuses! What is that about?
5a) Is he not a true telepath? In your heart, you are convinced you're the Good Guy. Surely a true telepath would read your mind and realize you're the Good Guy, and would help. So perhaps the telepath sucks and is no use to your mission anyways.
5b) Or maybe you're just wrong fundamentally! The telepath can actually read your mind but rejects that you're the Good Guy because you're not acting like the Good Guy. No matter how purely motivated you are to do good in the larger picture, the small items count too, and you should not do wrong even when you hope it will lead to good. So the telepath now won't help you, and you have to reassess if in fact you really are the Good Guy after all...
Ok... Reading back, my synopsis is a bit clunky. Spider does it better, but I've attempted to capture the fundamental question that this book attempts to answer. If my version was not as skillfully expressed as Spider's, chalk that up to the author's art and give him an extra star.
It's an interesting question, but I suspect the majority of readers will approach it from their own mindset, and reading Spider's book may not be enough in itself to sway any particular reader's opinion much.
I'd rate the preachiness of this book to be at least 8.2/10, which is even a bit higher than the first book in this series. (And, yes, this is a case where a lower score would be preferred!)
How about the writing? It's Spider, so it's compellingly readable as always. It's effortless to turn page after page, and enjoyable throughout. His tone is a unique blend of smart (but not snobbish) and witty (but not silly) prose that most readers will find appealing. Despite the politics, I found this book very comfortable to read. The opening 20-30 pages alone are fantastic!
I'd rate Spider's art in constructing prose at a least an 8.8/10, which is very similar to the first book in this series. (And in contrast this is a case where the large score is to be congratulated!)
In plotting, however, I did find something to complain about. Firstly, there's a lot of references to the first book, so read that before you start this one. And for best results, don't let too much time pass after you read the first before you get to this. It's not that you'll forget much, but it's just so close in tone and theme that you'll appreciate the whole work better reading them back-to-back. (And then you'll need a break from Spider for a while... but this pair of books can be read quickly.)
But here my complaint was in plot pacing. Spider seemed to reach the climax too quickly - the book was barely over half and events were already reaching the final conflict. What to do? Run the same timeline sequence twice... well that wasn't so bad. But Spider also chose to fill in with some humorous side stories. It really killed the momentum when the main character is heading for the climactic conflict and decides to travel down memory lane again and again and find funny anecdotes to share. (And not to risk a spoiler, but the resolution of this climactic conflict was unsatisfying to me. I was set up for a battle, but instead saw alliances merging and adversaries being co-opted).
Imagine watching Jack Bauer on a mission with 10 seconds left, and somebody decides to pause the dvd and tell knock-knock jokes. Eventually you know you'll get back to the climactic scene, but you're not biting your nails anymore - you're actually removed from the drama now. And then even worse the drama is revealed to be insignificant anyways...
Sorry Spider, the long walk from the beach was funny but derailed the book's suspense. I'd rate Spider's craft in plotting this book as perhaps a 6.4/10 (where a higher score would have been better).
Final verdict - some profound ideas, and some funny and compellng reading help make this a good read, but preachy politics and stuttering climactic scenes detracted.
Between 2 and 2.5 stars out of 5.
September 16, 2009
I'm having trouble thinking of a way to describe this book without giving away too much of the storyline. One thing I can say, despite the title, I don't believe the characters face many hard choices. They face some incredibly painful choices, but those aren't quite the same thing.
As an example of what I mean that isn't an incident from the book, suppose one has a beloved pet that is dying in agony. What does one do? Surely the choice is painful, but is it difficult? The decisions that the characters make in the book strike me as similarly inevitable. They hurt, but given the set up in the story, I don't see how they could choose anything else.
Two more complaints are that I found the ending anticlimactic and the big plot twist predictable. I'm being vague so as not to give any spoilers. It's clear from the start, though, that the potential plot twist is there. The only question is whether the author chooses to do it.
Another annoyance is the political tone of much of the book. Modern liberals will like it, especially those who still like weed. Free-market libertarians will like parts of it and feel picked on in other parts of it. Paleoconservatives will feel even more picked on. Neoconservatives will hate it.
I also think there is some paranoia on parade, but I don't know if it's the author's paranoia coming through his characters or the characters' paranoia honestly depicted by the author. In any case, I found it absurd enough that my willing suspension of disbelief failed. The reactions of other readers will doubtless vary.
On the more positive side, I didn't hate the book. Spider Robinson's warm authorial personality still shines through, which rounds off the sharp edges of the many irritations. Although there are two or three places where a parenthetical statement gets so long that I forgot the opening of the sentence and had to go back and look, the writing is mostly smooth and clean. There is a lot of humor, some good jokes, a number of entertaining anecdotes, and a few painful puns.
As an example of what I mean that isn't an incident from the book, suppose one has a beloved pet that is dying in agony. What does one do? Surely the choice is painful, but is it difficult? The decisions that the characters make in the book strike me as similarly inevitable. They hurt, but given the set up in the story, I don't see how they could choose anything else.
Two more complaints are that I found the ending anticlimactic and the big plot twist predictable. I'm being vague so as not to give any spoilers. It's clear from the start, though, that the potential plot twist is there. The only question is whether the author chooses to do it.
Another annoyance is the political tone of much of the book. Modern liberals will like it, especially those who still like weed. Free-market libertarians will like parts of it and feel picked on in other parts of it. Paleoconservatives will feel even more picked on. Neoconservatives will hate it.
I also think there is some paranoia on parade, but I don't know if it's the author's paranoia coming through his characters or the characters' paranoia honestly depicted by the author. In any case, I found it absurd enough that my willing suspension of disbelief failed. The reactions of other readers will doubtless vary.
On the more positive side, I didn't hate the book. Spider Robinson's warm authorial personality still shines through, which rounds off the sharp edges of the many irritations. Although there are two or three places where a parenthetical statement gets so long that I forgot the opening of the sentence and had to go back and look, the writing is mostly smooth and clean. There is a lot of humor, some good jokes, a number of entertaining anecdotes, and a few painful puns.
May 15, 2013
This sequel to "Very Bad Deaths" and, like it, it is not a true science fiction novel save for there being a telepath (Zandor aka Smelly) as a central character. However, the star of the show is Russel aka Spider Robinson - though this version of him doesn't know a thing about Heinlein of the genre of SF).
The story is set several months after the conclusion of "Deaths" and is told in the usual witty and sensitive Spider fashion. As in "Death", there are a few flashbacks of 1967 - this serving as catch-up material for those who have not read its predecessor. This time the ever reclusive Zandor is targeted by a retired CIA agent, but the stronger element of the story is the rebuilding of the damaged relationship Russel has with his son.
The novel is competent, though the plot was a little thin and I could have done with a little less soap-boxing and rose-coloured Canadiana rantings (though he does make it very clear that the U.S.A. does the best it can under very difficult conditions). Being Canadian, I at times, found this disturbing and somewhat uncomfortable, hoping that I would never have to apologize for, "my good well-intentioned friend here... he tends to get a very patriotic after a few tokes of good B.C. bud."
This aside, both books read back to back make for an entertaining (if not informative) read written the way that only Spider Robinson can.
The story is set several months after the conclusion of "Deaths" and is told in the usual witty and sensitive Spider fashion. As in "Death", there are a few flashbacks of 1967 - this serving as catch-up material for those who have not read its predecessor. This time the ever reclusive Zandor is targeted by a retired CIA agent, but the stronger element of the story is the rebuilding of the damaged relationship Russel has with his son.
The novel is competent, though the plot was a little thin and I could have done with a little less soap-boxing and rose-coloured Canadiana rantings (though he does make it very clear that the U.S.A. does the best it can under very difficult conditions). Being Canadian, I at times, found this disturbing and somewhat uncomfortable, hoping that I would never have to apologize for, "my good well-intentioned friend here... he tends to get a very patriotic after a few tokes of good B.C. bud."
This aside, both books read back to back make for an entertaining (if not informative) read written the way that only Spider Robinson can.
September 29, 2009
This is a sequel to Robinson's VERY BAD DEATHS, and while it contains many of the trademark themes and tropes that characterize the best of his work, it's not quite up to the level of the previous book. The bad-guy-turning-into-an-ally just isn't convincing, possibly because Robinson becomes somewhat overly pedantic and dogmatic about his political beliefs, much as his mentor, Heinlein, did in his latter years. Nonetheless, much of the current volume is a lot of fun, especially the flashback sequences, and Robinson is almost always witty and clever.
January 12, 2012
The first book in this series was a little self-indulgent and a bit offhand - there wasn't a great deal of complexity to it, but a fun read. This one took it up a level to completely unbearable. Examples - when multiple characters, including a spy ransacking his house, take a break to praise the Mary-Sue main character's incredibly intelligent, fearless and straight-shooting political stances. The telepath who feels pain from encountering any human minds can tolerate the main character because he's just so gosh-darn open-minded!!! Said main character also goes into lengthy mental digressions at totally inappropriate times (like, on the verge of collapse/death) to expound on the greatness of America and the Marc Emery case. The "twist" in the end regarding the true nature of the villain is along the same lines. Barrrrf. The sad thing is that I largely agree with Robinson's politics (except the America as-a-great-idea-spoiled-by-bad-men crap) but don't need to read it shoehorned in like this.
May 2, 2020
I have had this book on my shelf for quite some time. Wish I would have read it over a decade ago as some of the storyline and references are quite dated by today’s knowledge. Overall, I really like the first 75% of the book....then it just fizzled down the home stretch for me. Wrestled with giving it a 3 or 4 star rating and settled on a 3. Wish I could give 1/2 stars :).
October 28, 2018
Call 3.5 stars. Great character arcs, bit too much preaching.
April 15, 2020
Good story. I like the slightly cranky Russel character: older, not great health, an impossible hero, thoughtful, open-minded and likeable.
October 4, 2019
Didn't care for but liked Callahan.
August 19, 2020
Quick read, lots of action, good amount of humor. I don't usually like books written in the first person, but this author pulls it off with style.
February 17, 2023
A sequel to Very Bad Deaths. Someone is looking for Smelly. Russell, Nika and Russell's son Jesse try to help Smelly avoid capture. What does the mysterious McKinnon with the telepathic Smelly. Robinson uses this little thriller to explain what his happening to the country. The novel becomes an arena of ideas. Critical questions are asked
May 23, 2013
I really liked this one. The characters felt a bit more realistic, the pacing was good, the only problem I had was the ending dialogue felt a little bit preachy. People's actions and reactions seemed reasonable, but it feels a bit like some books from Piers Anthony - the sci-fi/fantasy books are excellent, but when they try to write more realistic books, the characters feel a bit unrealistic. There's no outside fantasy world to get caught up in, so the in-depth character discussions, dialogue, and some plot points feel more redundant and unrealistic than they would if we were being introduced to the characters and ideologies of a more foreign and epic world or time period. That said, this one was much better than the first book in the series and I would love to read the next one if it ever happens.
June 21, 2010
I have always enjoyed Spider Robinson. As I began reading this book, however, some of his opinions annoyed me. He came across as didactic, which is okay if I agree with you, but not so much if I don't. And I don't agree with some of his opinions. But there was something of a story there, so I continued. The story got better and the preachiness died down. He did get back on his soapbox near the end of the novel, but some of the unexpected twists and turns in the plot more than made up for it. I enjoyed it well enough that I need to find a copy of the novel that this is a sequel to. And the highest complement of all is that it made me think.
August 30, 2012
This book is more a mystery with fat tele-path, aging writer, a hot looking cop, and spy, than a science fiction story. As a mystery the book kept me interested despite some flaws.If you are looking for a story where the tech is an important part of the story go elsewhere. What this book is a political statement about the preventing un-seen forces from engineering the decline of America. This is an unkind poke at conservative politics and the praise of 6o's era liberalism.
This is the second book in a trilogy but was unaware of this when I got this book. Robinson takes pains to bring the reader up to speed.
This is the second book in a trilogy but was unaware of this when I got this book. Robinson takes pains to bring the reader up to speed.
September 11, 2009
Interestingly, this book was much different than Very Bad Deaths, which it is a sequel to. VBD was an ultimately pointless consideration of evil. This one has more fear but less evil, and doesn't feel like a wasted examination of human feces (not human fecal matter).
Additionally, the protagonist is even more clearly Spider Robinson, and there's more of his (Spider's?) biography thrown in, which provides a bit more depth.
Additionally, the protagonist is even more clearly Spider Robinson, and there's more of his (Spider's?) biography thrown in, which provides a bit more depth.
May 4, 2016
While I didn't love how this one finished, I will never tire of Spider's storytelling genius, nor of the ways he manages to frame our society's issues in thought provoking ways. So 4 instead of 5 stars. This and its predecessor Very Bad Deaths are darker in mood than say the Callahan novels, which are on the whole much more hopeful about humanity's chances. If you are looking for purely light reading don't come here. But if you are up for some insight, some provoking of thought, and flashes of humor then this is right where you should sit for a spell.
April 19, 2009
Nicely done suspense/mystery with only a bit of SF thrown in. The plotting was strong, the characters believable and sympathetic. If you've read any other Robinson, you will recognize his tropes. He seems to have let go of some of the cleverness that was becoming, to my eyes anyway, tired in his last few books. I do wish his publishers would get him some new blurbs- these are the exact same ones that have been on his books since the 80s.
Worth a read if you are a fan.
Worth a read if you are a fan.
November 30, 2009
This book is a bit of a different turn from some of the earlier works of Spider, and is definitely his post-9/11 story in many ways (though actually about mid-way through the second term of the Bush era that the events are set in). The science fiction element is low-key but important to the story line, much of the rest is a wonderful mix.
It does dabble into the conspiracy side of the world, but does so without assumptions that readers are in-the-know.
It does dabble into the conspiracy side of the world, but does so without assumptions that readers are in-the-know.
December 18, 2009
I wasn't quite as impressed by this one as by #1 in the series, but it was still a fun read, with some interesting political content toward the end. I would definitely read a #3 if one gets written; it ends with an excellent set-up for such a thing. Plus, it's nice sometimes to read about a protagonist who is not a beautiful, overly-fit 20-year-old chick with supernatural powers! (OK, I have a guilty love of such things...)
February 2, 2021
This is another reread of mine, but Spider Robinson's books tend to be that for me. This book did not disappoint. The pacing is a little slow at the beginning but picks up speed quickly. Russell Walker's son is introduced as well as bringing back the other main characters from his previous book. There is plenty of intrigue and mystery in this story, as well as politics. Very Hard Choices is well-written and definitely shouldn't be missed.
October 30, 2010
This was not nearly as good as the first novel in the series, "Very Bad Deaths." When I read that book, it was as though Dean Koontz was back on his game and had improved his sense of humor. This was like a reunion episode of one of your favorite tv shows: it's great to see the gang back together, but something seems to be missing.
January 23, 2012
‘Very Hard Choices’ was classic Spider Robinson: full of humor, witty dialogue and lifelike characters. The witty and hard-hitting commentary on social and political issues was entertaining and provocative. Plus, what is there not to like about a telepathic hermit having adventures with his cynical journalist friend on the Gulf Islands?
June 10, 2013
"Another entertaining book by Robinson. Again, the political agenda gets old in places. The ending on this one was genuine surprise. The flashbacks are some of my favorite parts, and the humor is great."
Read
August 8, 2011Not worth the price of admission. Its never a good sign when they have a burb from David Crosby promoting the book. He may be a fine singer and musician but I can't say much for his taste in literature. THe story was weak and unbelieveable.
October 8, 2012
As always, Spider weaves a compelling story. His characters have thorough histories, altruistic motives -- the protagonists aren't perfectly good, but they own up to their flaws; the antagonists are not the perfect foils, but the conflict in the story keeps them scrambling for a solution.
October 21, 2015
This book started out a bit slow but the story evolved and became a decent read up until the last 25 pages when the whole finish fell apart and became just a socialist rant on the US in the guise of a conclusion. I am a fan of Robinsons writing but this was not his best effort in my opinion.
July 13, 2008
He makes the improbable sound believable. Very good read, but not quite what I expected at the end.
January 26, 2009
Typical Spider Robinson -- fantastic character development, impossible to put down until you finish it!
September 21, 2009
Spider continues to laze through books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews