Product Description
New York Times bestselling author Vonda N. McIntyre proves she is "blessed with both vision and genius" (BookPage) in this breathtaking tale -- part adventure story, part legend, and part Gothic novel-- what Publishers Weekly calls "a marvelous alternative history fable."

In seventeenth-century France, Louis XIV rules with flamboyant ambition. From the Hall of Mirrors to the vermin-infested attics of the Chateau at Versailles, courtiers compete to please the king, sacrificing fortune, principles, and even the sacred bond between brother and sister.

Marie-Josèphe de la Croix looks forward to assisting her adored brother in the scientific study of the rare sea monsters the king has commissioned him to seek. For the honor of his God, his country, and his king, Father Yves de la Croix returns with his treasures, believed to be the source of immortality: one heavy shroud packed in ice...and a covered basin that imprisons a shrieking creature.

The living sea monster, with its double tail, tangled hair, and gargoyle face, provides an intriguing experiment for Yves and the king. Yet for Marie-Josèphe, the creature's gaze and exquisite singing foretell a different future....

Soon Marie-Josèphe is contemplating choices that defy the institutions which power her world. Somehow, she must find the courage to follow her heart and her convictions -- even at the cost of changing her life forever.

A sensitive investigation of the integrity in all of us, The Moon and the Sun is destined to become a visionary classic.Amazon.com Review
In this rich and engrossing tale, Vonda N. McIntyre proves once again thather plotting and mastery of language are among the best in the business.The Moon and the Sun, which won the 1997NebulaAward forbest novel of the year, is the story of Marie-Josèphe, a young lady in thecourt of Louis XIV. When her brother Yves returns from a naturalist voyagewith two sea monsters (one live, one dead), Marie-Josèphe is caught up in abattle of wills involving the fate of the living creature. The king intendsto test whether the sea monster holds the secrets of immortality, butMarie-Josèphe knows the creature to be an intelligent, lonely being whoyearns only to be set free. In a monumental test of the limits of patienceand love, Marie-Josèphe defies the will of the king, her brother, and thepope in defense of what she knows is right, at any cost.McIntyre'satmospheric prose envelops the reader in a fully realized world--sights,smells, and sounds are described in great detail. The authorcompletely represents the Sun King's court atVersailles--her research for the book must have been quite extensive. The blend ofhistory, science, and fantasy makes for a book you will want to gulp down.--Therese Littleton ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Slow....and historically naive
Like so many other readers I bougth the book because of its winning of a Nebula Award. And I am wondering like many other reviewers how it ever could win such a prestigious award - my only explanation is that back in the 90s people didn't expect much of alternate history novels... while nowadays (2010) our tastes for fantasy are more refined due to the large amount of very good books being published in the last years.

The story moves very very slowly, it is utterly predictable, the heroine is too perfect to be true or even engaging, the novel often has a very educational tone and the depiction of the historical setting is quite naive.

In detail: The story is slow because of the very long descriptions of boring court events like evening gatherings. Some people migth think that interesting because it tells something about the life at Louis XIV's court, but trust me (I am a historian) the descriptions are totally unoriginal and I have read them better done in other novels. The descriptions of historical facts and surroundings often feel like copied out of history books or guide books even.

The story feels slow, too, because it is so very predictable. From chapter 1 it is clear who the heroine's love interest will be and who will be the bad guy for whom she falls first. The "big surprise" regarding the sea monster can be guessed by the reader from the first time on it is described as "singing". Conflicts with the king are programmed from the beginning.

The heroine, 20-year-old Marie-Josephe, has incredibly many special interests and abilities which are all in due course acknowledged by the king and so she is asked to draw, to compose, to ... for him. She is a stunning beauty and totally virtuous. Which is utterly annoying to the reader. She was brought up in a very strict convent and shows all signs of Victorian innocence regarding sex which is shown to an extreme throughout the story. Very early it becomes clear that the reader will follow her sexual awakening - the dichotomy between catholic prudeness and modern sexual liberation ring constantly in your mind - what a lame pretext for character development. Marie-Josephe's naivité feels very unfitting to her so admired intelligence - surely she could do better to understand certain words and motives around her. Very frustrating to the reader to see her in yet another awkward position just because of her naivite.
Sadly, many people who are not very well read in history believe that the Victorian attitude towards all things sexual have been characteristic to the Catholic church since "dark medieval times". This is wrong. Sadly, it is still perpetuated by writers of historical fiction who don't know enough about the epochs they are writing about.

This is one of the examples which make the very educational tone of the novel. Each time something historical is told it feels not "normal" but like the author is showing off her research for the benefit and education of the reader. When she described places or art work in Versailles it feels like she took notes during tourist's tour and copies them into the novel. They are utterly predictable because they are the most famous parts of the castle or the ones everybody reads about: e.g. the mentioned paintings or busts, the horrible living quarters in the attic, the fact that many nobles saved money by using up Versailles' candles.
Concerning the Count's stature: yes, it is not really mentioned in the first chapter that he is a dwarf, only hinted at - but I think we have to give McIntyre credit for doing this on purpose. I think she wants to put a minority into its right, showing that short people are more than their stature and can be valid love interests. The educational hint seems to me that it's about character not disability.
Speak about educational.
I believe that was somewhat daring and new anno 1997 (Nebula Award) but 13 years later this reads a bit forced.

In addition to the examples for very poor knowledge about the historic setting I think the description of the historical characters very naive. Louis XIV the benevolent family man? His frolicking young grandsons racing their ponies at an official court function? Marie-Josephe the attendant of the king's niece in the first row of courtiers? Dancing with the king? The overall depicted "happy family life" of all these historical characters including their emotional attachement towards each other ring to me like American ideals extended. People in the 17th century did not think like us and feel like us 20th century born.
Another point of annoyance for me was the so very positive description of sexual activities. Well, in the 17th century STD (Syphilis!) were a known fact and with all the fornication going on McIntyre could have hinted at that at least. It seems all the illegitimate offspring is well provided for so this important problem isn't faced either. It seems like the author is pressing the historical attitudes towards sex into post-contraception-pill free love ideals to make her goal of "loosing up" the heroine work.

As you can see the book annoyed me a lot.

So, why is it worth reading, nevertheless?

The sea-monster. The humour. I have to grant the book that many dialogues are funny. The development of Count Lucien as Marie-Josephe's love interest. If you are not a historian or well-read in historical fiction the historical flaws might not bother you. I enjoyed the language, too.

I think I will give another book by McIntyre a try - which has no historical setting. I suppose that might by much better.

Weak
Nebula-winner. Reading this book the setup suggested parallels to two other books, which made this one appear quite unfavorable by contrast. The first was Kit Whitfield's In Great Waters, with the mutual focus on a sapient underwater species in a historical backdrop. However where Whitfield created a complex and interesting species whose presence changed the whole pattern of history, McIntyre makes an idealized perfect sea-person, using it's almost saintly attitudes as a way to shine unfavorable light on humanity. The other book I was reminded of was McIntyre's Hugo-winning Snakedance, with its compelling exploration of gender, femininity, and its restriction. Here, that takes a far more basic approach, outlining ways the France of Louis XIV restricted women and made for an exploitative environment. The point is well served but ultimately the analysis is pretty obvious, and there's not enough character complexity to support a more ambitious reading. Beyond the parallels The Moon and the Sun is ultimately a weak book because it feels too slow. It's padded, the plot spends too long bouncing off the obvious potential outcomes and the level of intrigue produced in the story is ultimately too little spread over too long. This book definitely shouldn't have won any major awards.

Worse than: The Orphan's Tale by Cathereynne Valente
Better than: Whre Late the Sweet Bird Sang by Kate Wilhelm

Not your typical science fiction
I picked up this book in my quest to read the whole list of Nebula Award winning novels. Imagine my surprise when I opened it, read the first few pages, and discovered the book takes place hundreds of years ago, on Earth! "The Moon and the Sun" is more of a historical fiction novel with a science fiction twist (in the sea woman) than what might traditionally be considered science fiction.

That said, I was taken in by the richness of the story. McIntyre's writing took me to a time and place to which I had never given much thought before. The story gives an interesting look at the state of science at the time, when bleeding was still considered an acceptable medical practice, and microscopes were a new invention.

I highly recommend this book overall. It's a good window back in time, with a few fantastical elements to create an engaging story.

le Leviathan
This is a viable work of historical fiction with a fairly unique fantasy twist, but this book's social statements are forced and its themes are predictable. Vonda McIntyre put together a very robust historical setting in 17th Century France and the court of Louis XIV, which reflects an impressive amount of research. In the story, a mermaid-like sea monster has been captured and old Louis demands its dissection in the belief that the sea monster has an internal organ that bestows immortality. The heroine Marie-Josephe just happens to be the only person involved who cares about the sea monster and realizes its humanity and personality, thus reflecting her own struggles to get ahead in her oppressive society.

The allegory here is obviously the stifling etiquette, religious irrationality, class hatred, and vicious sexism that infected French society at the time, all of which oppressed the type of free-thinking and progressive young woman represented by Marie-Josephe. But the reader can figure this out very early on, making McIntyre's slow-moving social commentary about Marie-Josephe's awakening extremely predictable. Most of the book functions as a basic romance in which every character except Marie-Josephe narrowly reflects historical archetypes; and there are also far too many characters that add little to the basic plotline, as can be seen in the two-page list of characters at the front of the book. The whole thing develops very slowly, with non-typical plot elements regarding the sea monster's humanity and Marie-Josephe's efforts to save it not appearing until well after page 200. This book is pretty well-written and its historical backdrop is fully researched. It could be a plausible historical romance OR an intriguing work of sci-fi/fantasy. But unfortunately a successful combination of the two just doesn't come together. [~doomsdayer520~]

Good Book, Not Great (3 1/2 Stars)
I read this novel for free on the author's website, where it is now posted. The fact that this was a free book no doubt makes me look more kindly towards it. I think it's wonderful -- for something I didn't pay for. If I had spent my hard earned money on it, I would probably be a bit peeved.

This is an historical novel with an element of fantasy mixed in. And there is nothing wrong with that. Martha Wells does the same in her Ile-Rien series to great effect. The problem here is that there is too little of the fantastical until the very end. Personally, I happen to like historical novels as well as SF/F, so I wasn't put out by the imbalance, but straight SF/F readers might be.

After reading other reviews here, I'm surprised to find that some thought Marie-Josephe was painted as a paragon of virtue, as perfect, as a 17th century Pollyanna. I didn't find her to be so at all. She had flaws: she carried a lot of resentment towards the nuns in the covent she was confined to without ever realizing that they were just as constrained from speaking and acting as they liked as she was. She had no sense of charity towards them. She also still had anger towards her older brother, Yves, for sending her to the convent. She never really confronted him about it because he was her only relative and she didn't want to alienate him. So, she was being self-protective, not forgiving.

As for her accomplishments in study, I don't think them unusual. A young woman of genteel family would have been trained in all of the subjects she was good in. Marie-Josephe simply went farther than most girls because she had an older brother who was serious about study too and didn't prevent her from learning.

We have a lot of time-savers in modern life, but we have a lot of time-wasters too. This was a world without movies, radio, television. We'd proabably be all be polymaths if we learned to turn the TV off.

Marie-Josephe was on a small island away from "society" with no real playmates. What else would she have had to do for her free time except read?

I also don't see her as a proto-feminist. As one conversation with Count Lucien showed, her views towards women in relation to men were quite in line with the thinking of the times. And her interests were carried along in the plot because one man or another championed her various causes. It isn't until the end that she acted on her own.

I do agree with the reviewers who said the author was a little too eager to show off the fruits of her extensive research of 17th century France. Enough with the wig descriptions already -- we get it! I also agree with the one reviewer who opined that Madame should have been given a larger role in the book -- or had an entire book devoted to her.

All in all, I don't think this book deserved to win the Nebula. But, we all know that sometimes awards don't always go to the most deserving parties. I mean, Marisa Tomei and Mira Sorvino both have Oscars, for goodness sake! Still, it's a good read, overall. Despite its shortcomings, the book was never boring to me. ... Read more

Product Description
Orphaned Barbary finds a new home on a space station but runs into difficulties trying to protect her pet cat Mickey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not Free SF Reader
I presume this is supposed to be a young adult type novel.For that, I think I would recommend it.A girl, a space station, cat smuggling, all that sort of thing.Not weighed against everything else in general though.

Nice details on space life
This was an engaging book which does a good job at explaining some of the "realities" of life on a space station.The cat is adorable and the girls are nicely characterized.I was somewhat dissatisfied with the treatment of the "visitors" but that's probably as much because I've read many books which take the opposite view as anything else.

Very good book for pre-teen
I read this book when I was 12 and I loved it. I thought it was the best I had ever read. I read again last week (I'm 16 now) I still thought it was great but not that good. It's about a girl called Barbary who smuggles her pet cat onto a research station.I recomend that you should get this foryour selves or your children. Enjoy ... Read more

Product Description
James T. Kirk is the youngest man to be promoted to the rank of captain in Federation history.His crew consists of a first officer who finds him impetuous; a chief engineer who finds him arrogent; a chief medical officer who finds him trifling; and a helmsman who wants a transfer.

But the young crew, which would later become the legendary space explorers, quickly puts aside their differences when a monstrous starship appears on their nascent flight path. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Not a bad read, but a tad slow at the start...
McIntyre's Enterprise, The First Adventure, comes from the days of the larger Star Trek novels, the days when not as much was known from the various spin-off tv series and movies that followed the original series itself.As such, this novel is interesting, and certainly fills in some of the holes in the series to that time.

I found the last third of the novel more action-packed and entertaining than the opening and middle chapters.Like some others here, I found the vaudeville background that the characters are set in to be somewhat tedious, and it took some perseverance on my part to get through that to finish the book.However, the ending is worth it, although one must wonder, given the serious scenario that is portrayed in the last third of the work, if the Enterprise crew wouldn't have been a tad bored with some of their later adventures in comparison to this first one...

Characterization?Check the next quadrant.
Frankly, the characterization is atrocious.Using the notion that this is set before the series and therefore more open territory, McIntyre uses that as an excuse to toss a good deal of the characterization right out the window.Jim Kirk, for instance, is rather... well, frankly, he's written like he's a Mary Sue.Even his flaws are somehow laudable, including the agonizing tendency he has to be right, even when any sensible person would see him as being wrong and even when a realistic plot and storyline would actually show him being in the wrong.

What little time we see Pike is rather stilted; Fontana did a far better job drawing a very realistic man in Vulcan's Glory.McIntyre's interpretation of Pike here is borderline disrespectful, even, nevermind what she does to a good number of the rest of the cast.

Often praised for its backstory for Rand, I found it to be implausible and sledgehammer-like in its hammering home.And not in a good way.It was far overplayed, and the subtleties of psychology were lost in a string of ham handedness.

Ultimately, none of McIntyre's books can be considered fine literature.And while the Trek novels often end up rather disappointing due to a severe formulaic adherence and likewise severe lack of good character insight, this one's even worse than usual.

Oldie but goodie
Interesting book on beginnings of our favourite Trekkers: usual stuff, first contact, Spock uses mind-meld, goes crazy, Kirk saves Spock, overcomes the Klingons, new friendship & ties formed. Classic era of cardboard sets.

Inside cover: From the moment James T. Kirk steps aboard the Enterprise - the youngest captain in Starfleet history - things begin to go wrong. His Vulcan science officer, Mr Spock, considers Kirk imperetious; the ship chief engineer thinks him an inexprienced young hotshot; his chief medical officer hasn't bothered to show up yet; and the new helmsman would rather be somewhere else. To cap it all, Starfleet has assigned the Enterprise a disappointing tame task; to ferry a troupe of vaudeville performers on a morale-raising mission to Federation bases - in short, a USO tour.

Enterprise the First Adventure
I've been a Star Trek fan for a long time and enjoy both the tv series and the books.This was the worst book I've read to date.It was clear the author does not understand the characters or the overall theme of Star Trek.Kirk is made out to be an uncertain teenager.A very disappointing effort for the supposed first adventure.

A Welcome Visit With Old Friends
"Enterprise: The First Adventure" reminds me of those convention fanzines (remember those?). Many things don't work well, but you forgive and overlook because, it's all a part of the continuing experience with the Enterprise crew. And when you do stumble upon something good, it's such great fun -- and it's worth all the sift through -- because it adds to the Trek experience and relationship.

The first part of the book concerns Jim Kirk's introduction as captain of the Enterprise. The crew is wary of him; he's a big adjustment after Capt. Christopher Pike. Author Vonda N. McIntyre is expert at keeping Kirk and the crew's voices authentic and at foreshadowing what their future relationships will be. She is also adept at weaving the full cannon of Trek characters into her fabric, even if it's only peripherally: Gary Mitchell, Dr. Piper, Sam Kirk, Amanda, Carol Marcus (with the hint that she is pregnant with Kirk's son).

When Kirk's first mission becomes clear, it is disappointing for him. He is to ferry a vaudeville troupe to different federation locations. The vaudeville stuff sometimes works well. There is a hilarious scene involving the Klingons with an old ham Shakespearian actor. But the subplot concerning Lindy, the manager of the troupe, and her equiraptor's tribulations with not being able to fly on board The Enterprise, are less than riveting and a little irritating. Another subplot/sub character is the juggling blond Vulcan, Stephen. Stephen and Spock go way back, but Spock totally disapproves of Stephen because Stephen is that absolute rarity for a Vulcan: he is an emotional thrill seeker -- a pervert by Vulcan standards and a Vulcan outcast. This is an interesting concept, with exciting potential. Sometimes the potential is fulfilled with a poignant scene or two, and sometimes it's silly (the Spock/Stephen juggling in unison made me cringe). This novel also handles a "first contact" with varying results. Again, it's total fanzine hit or miss; clichés abound yet there are undeniable veins and grace notes of originality.

"Enterprise: The First Adventure" is a welcome visit with our old Star Trek friends. It's a very busy visit, with various plot lines and scenes that run the gamut from the highly original to the highly predictable -- and everything in between. But no matter what commotion is going on, author Vonda N. McIntyre is true to the characters and is true to that special bond that we have with the Enterprise crew. And that is what makes this novel special, and a cozy, lovely read.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Appealing but not as good as her earlier books
I absolutely adore Vonda McIntyre's earlier books (esp. Dreamsnake, Exile Waiting). This series has a very different feel and I didn't enjoy it as much. Each book covers only a few days of time, so every moment of every character's life during that time is told in the tiniest detail (right down to meal and bathroom breaks). Their double-cylinder spaceship is intriguing and many of the characters are interesting as they prepare for their journey, and I did enjoy spending time with them... just not *that* much time.

There are some interesting sci-fi ideas scattered throughout the book, but it does lack one big idea or focus. The goal of the "crew" (the huge ship is set up more like a university campus) is to search for alien life, which is not a compelling hook in my opinion. When they find it, it's just not that interesting. The scenes of first contact (in later books) lack a sense of importance and so I wasn't left feeling awestruck. Maybe I was expecting too much or missing the point... I simply didn't get that sense of wonder that I got with Dreamsnake.

But I'm currently re-reading the series... so there's no doubt it's retained some appeal through the years.

The best is yet to come
Admittedly not the strongest start, but recommended regardless as the first volume of one of my favorite science fiction series of all time. Vonda McIntyre tends to incorporate a few favorite elements into many of her short stories and novels, and I consider this series to be the culmination of her imaginings, even if it didn't get the same kind of critical attention as "Dreamsnake" or "The Moon and the Sun." "Starfarers" is a bit slow, used mainly to introduce the principals and really only hinting at the adventures to come, but the payoff in the next three novels is more than worth it.

Not Disappointed - an exciting, intriguing tale
Layer upon layer of juicy speculative detail about Earth in the near-future, particularly North America, and the events leading up to the launch of a space exploration habitat.Not your thing if you're into alien shoot-em-ups--the excitement here is more subtle, emotional and intellectual.Excellent political suspense, fascinating scientific ideas, interpersonal and sexual tension.People I cared about.I was particularly impressed with the way the writer tied all of her diverse storylines together, and spoke authentically from the perspectives of very different characters.I loved this book!

A definite disappointment from a wonderful writer
This story looked like it was going to be about a group of people on a journey to the stars to find other life but instead we get all the politics and preparations and junk preceding the journey. The real search for other life only starts on the 4th-to-last-page of the book. The only things making this book barely worth reading are the characters -- but even they aren't like the author's other books' characters in terms of richness and depth. ... Read more

Product Description
The mind tells the story--but the heart inspires it with dreams of what might be waiting Out There. With evocative stories of lost comrades, alien first contacts, and strange, often unexpected confrontations with evolving science, Rocket Boy And The Geek Girls embraces both our pulp-dream past and cutting-edge future.

Thirteen authors (fifteen if you count pseudonyms) from the Book View Café got together one rainy Saturday afternoon with a big bowl of popcorn and reruns of Buck Rogers. They started comparing short stories and a new anthology took form.

Rare reprints, hard-to-find favorites and new tales all combine in this one-of-a-kind story collection, available exclusively from Book View Press.

What happens when thirteen authors get to giggling over implausible titles for the collection? They choose the most illogical and then they have to write something to go with it. So, yes, there are three flash fiction versions of Rocket Boy and the Geek Girls.

Stories by: Vonda N. McIntyre, Brenda W. Clough, Katharine Kerr, Judith Tarr, P.R. Frost, Pati Nagle, Madeleine Robins, Nancy Jane Moore, Sarah Zettel, Amy Sterling Casil, Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Jennifer Stevenson, Sylvia Kelso, C.L. Anderson, and Irene Radford
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Stories!
ROCKET BOY AND THE GEEK GIRLS is a wonderful mix of thought-provoking, action, and humorous science fiction.I especially liked "Sitting Shiva" by Judith Tarr and "Ask Arlen" by Maya Bohnhoff.Way worth the cover price!
... Read more

Product Description
Cadets that enter Starfleet Academy have two mantras drilled into them from their very first day. They must do their duty for the Federation and Starfleet, and they must strive to honor their oath as Starfleet officers. Among those who have best embodied these guiding principles and who have strived to live up to the coda "to boldly go ™" are those who once served aboard the Starship Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. Who then, was better to guide the next generation of officers? After Kirk became an admiral, the officers of the Enterprise were promoted, and several became Academy instructors. Transformed from a ship of the line to a training vessel the Enterprise's days of active duty are behind her -- until a frantic message from a distant outpost interrupts a training exercise and pulls the ship back into action.

Admiral Kirk is forced to take command of the Enterprise in order to stop an old nemesis from commandeering what could be the most deadly weapon ever devised. In the course of his actions, the crew will find itself facing death...and life -- as they deliberately violate their Starfleet oaths, travel through time to save Earth, and ultimately earn redemption in the eyes of the Federation.

Now, for the first time ever in one volume here are the novelizations of three Star Trek® films: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,® Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,® and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,® all by award-winning author Vonda McIntyre. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

One of the best books I've read in a long, long time.
Up until recently I never even knew there was an omnibus novel of Star Trek Movies II, III and IV.

It was only in talking to a friend of mine that I came to learn of it's existence, and they compelled me to find it on Amazon and read it.

It's worth noting that I /just/ finished reading the book a couple days ago, and good lord, I found out so many more details about those three movies by reading this book.

For any true Star Trek fan, this is a "Must Have" in any collection, big or small.

Star Trek II, III, IV
This is one of my favorite story arcs of all time. Plus with the novelizations there is so much more background to characters such as Lt. Saavic (She's half Romulan?!) and David Marcus.

Thoroughly enjoyable
'Duty, Honor, Redemption' is the compilation of the novelizations of Star Trek II, III and IV. As with most Star Trek novelisations, it is well worth the read. Reading it made me feel like I was meeting up with an old bunch of friends that I hadn't seen in years.

The books are written faithfully to the films, obviously taken from the script, with extra scenes added here and there, most of which is I suspect scenes that never made it to the final film.

Vonda N. McIntyre does a mesterful job with all the characters she writes for, and, in particular, Saavik. Ms Mcintyre explores Saavik's Romulan side in much more detail than the films.

One of the most interesting aspects of these books, for me, were the sections detailing what the Enterprise did immediately after Star Trek II, in particular, the scene where Kirk, Estaban and Carol Marcus debate the future of the Genesis Project. Another fascinating section are Saavik's eerie premonitions of Mr Spock. Having recently rewatched Star Trek III, I found it to be a little too fast paced at time, and I think it could have benefited from some of this material.

This book is a thrilling and fascinating read. I highly recommend it.

Awesome Book!
This is a great way to get the novelizations of the three best Star Trek movies in one book. Tthese three movies came about at the end as a trilogy, and anyone who enjoyed the movies will love this book.

As far as Nan Lewis's several reviews with one star about buying books only to find out at home they were re-releases, a simple look at the back of the books would reveal this. Why would someone buy a book without knowing anything about it? That one-star reviews are not for the content, but the reviewer's foolishnes.

A treat for those who enjoyed Star Treks II, III and IV
This is a handsome trade paperback which reprints Vonda N McIntyre's excellent novelizations for Star Treks II, III and IV ("The Wrath of Khan", "The Search for Spock" and "The Voyage Home").

The only changes to the original books are the correcting of errors, such as "McGivers" for "McGiver". Sulu also goes back to the rank of "Commander" (where McIntyre had promoted him to captain in her novelizations, as per the dropped scene from ST II that was never picked up on by the other movies).

If you've never read the ST II or ST III novelizations before, you are in for a treat. Heaps of great scenes and characters that were never in the movie! Lots of background on Saavik, Peter Preston, the Genesis Project scientists and even an explanation for why Spock's mother Amanda was not present at his Fal Tor Pan ceremony in ST III. The ST IV novelization doesn't add as much new stuff, but is still enjoyable.

The size of the print in this omnibus is very tiny and I feel sorry for people who order this book thinking it's an all-new novel, but there is so much to like about these "Signature Edition" books. I bought this even though I already have first editions of all the movie novelizations. The cover is eye-catching (the lower quarter of Kirk's colour portrait) and matches the other six books in the "Signature Edition" reprint series. Oh, there is one new component, too: a three-page essay on "Harve Bennett: The Man Behind the Movies" by Terry J Erdmann.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The other side of Center
If you've read Dreamsnake, and were wondering just what was on the other side of the door into Center, this is the book that covers that. Center is a fascinating world in its own right, as the last bastion of technological Earth. Unfortunately they've become so insular they practically don't know the rest of the planet exists. Ms. McIntyre's writing still has the uncanny power it shows in Dreamsnake that will leave you imagining Center and its people long after the details of plot have vanished from your memory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
In Vonda N. McIntyre's Superluminal, a woman has to undergo bodily augmentation and alteration in order to cope with the pressures of being a starship pilot, e.g. the ability to go superluminal.

Don't want to be a cyborg?Then this is not the job for you, the whole flying around in space thing.You won't have to worry about getting a pacemaker though.


... Read more

Product Description
Presented by the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America(r), the Nebula Awards honor the extraordinary work of those authors whose stories offer fresh perspectives on the genre. Featuring the year's best, the Nebula Awards Showcase is an annual tradition bringing readers the finest science fiction from today's most respected authors.

This year's winners include New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, Richard Chwedyk, Carol Emshwiller, and Ted Chiang. ... Read more

Product Description
Centuries had passed since the Final War devastated Earth and turned its surface into an intolerable radioactive desert. To survive at all, the only place to live was Center - a huge city built of rock and steel in a vast underground cavern. One of Center's most rebellious inhabitants was the mutant girl Mischa, who had chosen a life of crime in order to survive. She spent her days foraging in the city's forgotten areas, watching the ships that came from the stars. Mischa's one desire was that someday she'd be able to journey outward on one of those beautiful silver vessels and leave her living hell behind. But for now she must keep her forbidden secret from the world. Luckily for Mischa her mutation was not visible - she possessed a rare form of telepathy that enabled her to sense the feelings and emotions of the individuals around her. Unexpectedly, her talent was put to use with the arrival of a starship captained by a pair of pseudosibs...two laboratory-created twins scientifically linked together by corresponding brain waves. But their psychic connection was fading rapidly. She convinced one twin to take her with them in exchange for helping them but the other, more cunning self-centered, twin turned her into authorities. The only place to run was the dreaded mutant caves. What lurking horrors awaited her? How far had the mutations gone over the countless years? Mischa had already passed the point of no return and knew it wouldn't be long before she had all the answers! ... Read more

Product Description
With the New Alliance firmly established, Princess Leia Organa has taken a strong leading role in government, but even now safety and security are not assured. As Luke Skywalker and Han Solo take advantage of the stability of the new order, Leia's and Han's children are kidnapped. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
A pretty forgettable Star Wars novel.Han and Leia have three kids.Solo is getting a bit slack in his older-age generalship.

So, of course, you end up with kids gone and them having to run around to try and get them back via the odd alien planet, that sort of thing.

Luke is still doing the look for jedi thing.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of our favorite books on tape
This recording has been a favorite of mine for nearly 20 years, and now my 9 year old son's favorite bedtime book on tape. Well read by George Takei with his wonderful resonant bass.You can almost hear the voices of the other characters, and of course with the occasional insertion of Nimoy's Spock, you can really follow the movie in your head as you listen. Good sound effects and music too.
Worth the price for a classic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Added scenes a great extra
Vonda McIntyre's added scenes in the beginning of this book were absolutely wonderful.The romance between Lieutenant Saavik and David Marcus, the wake for Spock, and the story about how Captain Sulu is originally supposed to command the Excelsior all bring together the story in a much better way than the movie did.Overall, an excellent book that all should read!

This book is a great novelization of the wonderful movie.
"Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" isa great story, in either movie or bookform.The book continues right from theend of "Star Trek II: The Wrath ofKahn", while in the movie, there's alarge gap between where Spock dies andthe Enterprise goes back to Earth.Inthe book's version of the story, theEnterprise travels back Regula toidentify the dead scientists at RegulaI.I think this makes the story morecomplete.While orbiting Regula, theEnterprise also meets up with the U.S.S.Grissom to exchange personnel.Afterlearing a breif history on the Klingonwoman that gives Klingon Commander Krugethe Genesis tape, the "movie" part ofthe book finally gets started.Also, asa side story for the book, Dr. CarolMarcus goes to the familes of her deadcomrades to give them presents to helpthem cope with the death of theirchildren.A strange switch of namesoccurs in this book.Ceti Alpha V iscalled &quo! t;Alpha Ceti V".Regula is called"Regulus".And finally, the Genesislab, Regula I, is called "spacelab". These discrepencies are minordistractions, and don't make the bookless enjoyable to the reader.All inall, this book is a great stand-alonenovel, and you'd enjoy it just as mucheven if you never saw the movie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Best Star Trek Novel Ever Written!
Most Star Trek novels I've suffered through (and I have tales of suffering!) wallow nauseatingly in affection for the original characters to the virtual exclusion of what made the original series (at its best) so much fun: suspenseful and cleverly handled science fiction adventures--plain-old well-told stories!

This book is more than just a rare exception.It's actually a first-rate, polished science-fiction novel in its own right.I'll go further.It's as good as the very best Star Trek stories of the original series (the only worthwhile series in the franchise, as far as I'm concerned).Time travel stories rarely come off, even some written by the better writers in the genre.Only those writers with the knack for taking control of the inherent paradoxes--and indeed those who understand how to exploit them--really pull it off in grand style.I'm tempted to suggest that Poul Anderson, the master of such Time Operas, would have approved, had he read this novel.(Who knows?--maybe he did.)

The Entropy Effect is the best of the best.It recaptures the magic of the original series (something few movies or later TV shows ever managed), and does it to perfection.

Give The Entropy Effect by Vonda McIntyre a try.It's hard to imagine you'll be disappointed.

Classic Trek
I'm still in the process of reading this book and I'm having some difficulty with the way the characters are treated in this story.Having grown up watching classic Trek, I feel that I am familiar with the characters aboard the USS Enterprise...Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sulu, etc.The way these characters are portrayed in this story feels incongruent with the characters on the TV series.I'm attempting to keep an open mind until I finish the story to see if the treatment of the characters improve.Otherwise, my rating may be lowered from the three stars that I am provisionally giving.

Great Read.
I have always been a big Star Trek fan, but this is the first of the books I have read. If the rest are this good I'll be thrilled. You don't have to know everything about Star Trek to enjoy this book. Whether a fan or not it's still a great book.

Time and time again
The Enterprise was conducting a very demanding and dangerous scientific study, or rather Spock was conducting a very demanding and dangerous scientific study, the rest of the Enterprise was waiting for him to finish so they could leave, hopefully before the object being studied demolished the Enterprise.It was rather a relief then when they received a priority call to a nearby system.The relief was shortlived and soon the crew found itself dealing with time travel and paradoxes that threatened their lives and perhaps the space/time continum itself.

This is one of the earlier numbers of the classic Star Trek tie-in novelizations, originally issued in 1981, and is one of the best of the series.McIntyre has done an excellent job of portraying the characters and has delivered an exciting plot as well but hasmanaged to avoid violating the cannon set down in the original series and ensuing movies.

This is an excellent novel that would be enjoyable to even the most casual fan of the classic series.

a classic
Vonda McIntyre's The Entropy Effect is a great novel, even if you're not a fan of Star Trek.I'm pleased to have this on my bookshelf for the past 20-odd years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

intriguing relationship dynamics
I was sucked into this story by the fascinating relationships between its characters -- main characters AND secondary characters.You've got the family dynamics among one main character's family (she and two men in a three-way marriage); a slow-growing, threatened-but-hopeful lesbian relationship; a romantic relationship between a human and a used-to-be-human; a father-son/competitors relationship between an old aeronaut and a young spy; an I-can't-even-describe it relationship between a baby alien squidmoth and the human woman who has protected it; and so on.The ways in which all of these relationships become built throughout the series into a network of interconnected people trying to work through the usual issues (jealousy, fears still around from childhood, parental responsibilities, age differences, etc.) as well as some less-usual issues (We're in space!We're encountering alien civilizations!We're all stuck in this ship, and I'm going to SMACK someone if I don't get some privacy!We're all connected through an AI computer network! etc.) kept me reading eagerly all the way through to the end.

If you're looking for a SF version of a "wild wild west" flick (shoot 'em up, action-packed, lots of explosions), I suggest you move along.This book has its share of action and suspense, but is mostly character-driven.If that's just the way you like it, then I definitely recommend this story!

Character-driven SF
This is not the kind of science fiction where people run around with lasers shooting at each other. It is about character and politics. The characters actually have conversations with each other. It's not a boring stream-of-consciousness thing either. There is enough plot to keep the story moving along, and it's great being able to explore this new way of living with these characters.

Some Good Ideas, but Lacking in Execution
In this, the final installation of the Starfarers series, we get a decent conclusion after a couple of rather dull books. If you like speculative science fiction, this one is not bad, but it's still lacking in the story-telling department.

We're presented with some rather good ideas - the aliens in this book are interesting and manage to make you awe a little, and the final revelation of how the book's universe works is satisfying and make all the pieces of the puzzle fit nicely.

That said, the ratio of words to plot development is much too high. The plot moves along at snail's pace, we get character interaction ad nauseam, and the prose is not very exciting.

With better execution, this could have been a marvellous book - as it is now, it doesn't stand out in any way. There are lots of better books out there, but for fans of speculative science fiction, there may be one or two gems found among all the dust.

Ignore that other person
This book is great, the series is the best I've ever read anywhwere.Theplot is totally unique and I couldn't put any of the books down easily. The other person who review this book didn't read the first 3 books...sothey can't even judge this book accurately.Read it!

Ultimately Forgetable
I bought this book because of the cover blurb by Ursala K Le Guin.I read it last week.I have almost forgottten the premise, if any.I have read no other volumes in the series:I do not plan to waste my time. Characters, whether human or extra-terrestrial are unrealized.Onesentence paragraphs, even when not dialogue.Don't bother. ... Read more