Scan barcode
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
5.0
My first Stableford, and I was extremely impressed with the prose. The plot and the story were top notch too, and the world building was terse yet realistic. I liked this book way more than I imagined I would. Definitely looking forward to reading more from him and more in this series.
jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition
3.0
I come to this book very late, having read it for the first time only today, and I definitely like it. I feel sympathy for the hero, although he's rather grumpy and alienated from humanity; and his progress through the story is interesting. I like the fact that the one woman in an otherwise male story doesn't become romantically or sexually involved with anyone (although young Johnny seems ineffectually interested). Overall it makes a good story, and it's well written by the standards of sf in 1972.
The pace is leisurely, and I became rather weary of technobabble in the descriptions of space travel, even though it's well done.
Faced at one point with a slow and uneventful journey across an uninhabited planet, the author doesn't skip from beginning to end as some authors would, but talks us through it with descriptions of the changing landscape along the way.
At this point I don't feel enthusiastic enough to give the book more than 3 points, but it was an agreeable experience, worth reading, and I feel motivated to try the sequels.
The pace is leisurely, and I became rather weary of technobabble in the descriptions of space travel, even though it's well done.
Faced at one point with a slow and uneventful journey across an uninhabited planet, the author doesn't skip from beginning to end as some authors would, but talks us through it with descriptions of the changing landscape along the way.
At this point I don't feel enthusiastic enough to give the book more than 3 points, but it was an agreeable experience, worth reading, and I feel motivated to try the sequels.
sonofthunder's review against another edition
4.0
A classic sci-fi novel. Apparently I am still very much in a science fiction mood...and my appetite for old sci-fi has been most thoroughly whetted by the last few books I've read. This book, published in 1972, actually reads almost more like a 50s'/60s' sci-fi novel, which for me is not a bad thing! I apparently liked this book enough that I've now ordered the second book in the series. I shan't describe the plot of the book, but like a lot of older sci-fi books, the characters aren't necessarily well-formed but...I shall say that the cypher-like nature of the main character actually enhances both the stunning wonder and pulse-racing danger of the cosmos. The descriptions of space-flight in this novel were both highly original and utterly gorgeous. The main spacecraft in this one...so lovingly described that I could almost imagine the author was a space-pilot himself. And this book moved right along...I read it in just a few days? Not a masterpiece this, but a very serviceable enjoyable read. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
More...