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Title: Anvil of Stars by Greg Bear ISBN: 0-446-36403-7 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 1993 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.11 (45 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Great read with unanswered questions
Comment: Basic outline: Earth has been destroyed by killer robot spaceships. The few remaining survivors send some of their children to avenge the planet. Supposedly there is another race called the Benafactors who, having built spaceships of their own to hunt down the robot killers, take the children (young adults, really) to hunt them down because it's the "LAW". I have to ask: What kind of beings make a Law that can only be understood poorly, if at all, since the Benafactors who sent out these Ships of the Law cannot be questioned directly (out of a sense of self preservation)? I give this book only 4 stars not because the book is bad (it's great) but because it's frustrating that the humans are obviously in over their heads in terms of carrying out a completely ALIEN system of justice that has no limits on time or distance. In other words they can travel for hundreds, if not thousands, of years across unimaginable distances (something the book conveys well) to find what? A civilization that has forgotten its horrible past and doesn't know enough to FEEL guilty let alone BE guilty. As the book lamely asks: what about redemption? It's not answered to my satisfaction. My biggest complaint is that the Benefactors don't seem to care that Earthlings (or perhaps any race they happen to save) don't have any idea what kind of moral/legal/social/galactic framework they are becoming involved in. Sure, it's great that they get these ships to go out and avenge Earth but who ARE the Benefactors? Why do they care about revenge and if they care so much why don't they just do it themslves instead of going to all the trouble of "training" the survivors and telling them only that it's for dear old earth? We don't get any other explanation 'cause the benafactor built robots who guide the children either can't or won't tell. Giving out info is apparently against the best interests of the race(s) that sent the Ships of the Law out in the first place since the ship might be captured by the machines they are trying to destroy. Implying that earthlings might turn into equally dangerous predators as the killer robots doesn't seem reason enough not to give out as much info as possible concerning WHAT you're doing, HOW you're doing it, WHOM you're doing it to, and WHY it must be done. Blind faith and desire for revenge can only go so far.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book despite these questions and recommend it. The science is engaging/realistic (more or less) and the characters are deep enough to be enjoyable. I do NOT see this book as derivative of Ender's Game at all. IMHO they are polar opposites. One is a revenge seeking space opera and the other is a quest for redemption. One last caveat: Both Ender's Game and AOS recognize that as humans we don't always have the option of forgiveness. Not right away, anyway.
Rating: 5
Summary: It has it all
Comment: This is the first time I've ever thought a sequel was better than the original, and that is no mean feat. What appealed to me about the original (Forge of God) was the way the author told a story and didn't get overwhelmed by sci-fi detail. Even though Anvil of Stars has MUCH more hard science, it refuses to be overwhelmed by technology. This lets the characters and plot stand out. It's believable, interesting and consistent (mostly).
Plot - 4.5 stars - good, creative and for the most part, independent of the first book
Characters - 5 stars - the story describes the life of children who have had no parental guidance for years and are faced with the task of genocide. The are portrayed brilliantly.
Technology - 3 stars - I didn't follow a few of his explanations which led to me not understanding some of the cool stuff.
Setting - 4 stars - Bear chose a neat angle to continue the Forge of God story.
Not all of these are 5 star ratings but to find one book with some much, done so well is wonderful. You wont put it down.
Rating: 1
Summary: Book that could have been good
Comment: This book is a sequel to Forge Of God. I give Forge Of God 5 stars because that's an amazing book with good action, technology, and science.
This book does not follow the lines of the Forge Of God. Its basically a story of kids living in a spaceship, having sex with each other, while facing moral dilemmas about the tast they're assigned to do by the aliens.
Reasons why I dislike this book:
1. Too much sex. Kids live in some kind of society where everyone has sex with one another. Graphic sex scenes.
2. There is glorification of homosexuality. There are kids who think they're gay, which is absolutely unrelated to science ficiton subject matter.
3. The book focuses on romance and relationship rather than the philosophy and action.
If you want to read a good book about invasion of earth, read Greg Bear's Forge Of God, dont touch this book.
If you want to read a good book about relationships of young adults and how they're facing hardship and growing up, then read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
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Title: The Forge of God by Greg Bear ISBN: 0765301075 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Moving Mars by Greg Bear ISBN: 0812524802 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1994 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Eon by Greg Bear ISBN: 0812520475 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 1995 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Eternity by Greg Bear ISBN: 0446601888 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1994 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Darwin's Children by Greg Bear ISBN: 0345448359 Publisher: Del Rey Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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